Ukrainian naval forces participated in the Sea Breeze 2016 air component demonstration at the Kulbakino Air Base in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, July 22. The air component of the exercise is designed to showcase the air-based capabilities of the Ukrainian Naval forces and training conducted by allies and part
Military leaders and maritime forces from participating nations attended the Sea Breeze 2016 opening ceremony in Odessa, Ukraine, July 24. Sea Breeze, now in its 15th iteration, is an air, land and maritime exercise designed to improve maritime safety, security and stability in the Black Sea. “The t
Commander Tim Berry has assumed command of the Royal Navy warship HMS Somerset based at Plymouth Navy Base. Tim was born and raised in South Somerset and joined the Royal Navy as a Warfare Officer in 1997. He has seen active service in a number of global hot-spots in the last 19 years. He said: [&he
More than 250 multinational military service members participated in the Sea Breeze 2016 land component demonstration at the Shyrokyi Lan training facility in Shyrokyl Lan, Ukraine, July 21. The land component of the exercise is designed to showcase the land-based capabilities of NATO allies and par
Spanish Navy’s Aegis-equipped frigate Cristóbal Colón (F-105), the most modern Spanish warship, recently fired SM-2 and Evolved SeaSparrow missiles off the U.S. East Coast during a test attended by the Spanish Navy Chief and the Minister of Defense. The ship is currently in the process of testing an
HMS Ambush, a nuclear-powered Astute-class submarine, collided with a merchant vessel off Gibraltar on July 20, the Royal Navy confirmed in a statement. According to the Navy, the submarine suffered some external damage but there is “absolutely no damage” to her nuclear plant and no member of the sh
LNS Skalvis (M53), a Lithuanian Navy minehunter arrived in Kiel, Germany, last weekend to join the Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group One (SNMCMG1). The Lithuanian ship will take part in SNMCMG1 activities and exercises in the Baltic and the North Seas until December. Eight ships from Belgium,
Royal Navy’s amphibious assault ship HMS Ocean took center stage during a multinational anti-submarine warfare exercise. The helicopter carrier and navy flagship took command of Exercise Deep Blue II in the Mediterranean this month. Ships and aircraft from the UK, US and France spent 10 days honing
Royal Marines joined their U.S. counterparts aboard the USS Whidbey Island assault ship as it entered European waters to begin a deployment with the USS Wasp battle group. The USS Whidbey Island is an assault ship – a slightly smaller version of Britain’s Albion and Bulwark which uses hovercraft rat
Star sailors from the Royal Navy’s Portsmouth flotilla have been rewarded for outstanding achievements by the Armed Forces Minister. In her last day in office on July 18, Penny Mordaunt presented 29 awards to personnel who have gone the extra mile for their ship or unit during the past 12 months. Th
The U.S.-Ukraine co-hosted multinational maritime exercise Sea Breeze 2016 started in Odessa, Ukraine on July 18. First Deputy Commander of the Ukrainian Navy Rear Adm. Andrii Tarasov welcomed the United States and the participating nations at the opening ceremony. “We are delighted to host our mari
British defense company BAE Systems has introduced a new analytical tool designed to warn crews about potential ship faults in real time. Known as System Information Exploitation, or SIE, the tool is capable of processing ‘big data’ – tens of thousands of equipment data samples per second, according
Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Charlottetown, joined NATO’s standing maritime group 2 (SNMG2) on July 18 and will work and train in the Black Sea with vessels from several allied and partner nations until August 2, 2016. While operating in the Black Sea, the Halifax-class frigate will participat
Royal Marines traveled 850 miles to reach the Netherlands from Devonport Naval Base in order to top off their 14-week training cycle. An idyllic nature reserve in the heart of the Netherlands was chosen for the final test of future landing craftsmen and landing craft officers. The wetlands of De Bie
