Defense Strategies
UK: HMS Sultan Welcomes Princess Royal
Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal paid a special visit to HMS Sultan on Friday 18 October 2013 as the Guest of Honour at the establishment’s Ceremonial Divisions. In addition to inspecting the Guard of Honour the Princess Royal presented awards and medals to worthy recipients. Escorted by Captai
Poland: Maritime Component of Exercise STEAD FAST JAZZ 2013
In late October and early November the Latvian and Polish territory and the Baltic Sea will be the theatre of the largest NATO and Alliance partner-countries exercise this year, codenamed Steadfast Jazz 2013. The operations at sea will be carried by twelve ships representing eight NATO countries. Po
ESPS Meteoro Reflects on Her First Three Months of Counter Piracy Patrols with EU NAVFOR
Since her departure from her home port of Las Palmas in the Canary Isles on 15 July 2013, Spanish Ocean Patrol vessel, ESPS Meteoro, has certainly been very busy. The warship has sailed over 14,000 nautical miles and the crew has carried out a range of activities off the Somali Coast. ESPS Meteoro c
UK: HMS Somerset Flies County Flag Operationally during Exercise Joint Warrior
This week Royal Navy frigate HMS Somerset has hoisted the recently endorsed Somerset county flag from its yardarm for the first time in an operational setting. The flag was flown during Exercise Joint Warrior. The red dragon on a yellow background is flown throughout Replenishment at Sea evolutions
UK Ship RFA Lyme Bay Joins EU NAVFOR
On Wednesday 16 October 2013, Royal Fleet Auxiliary Landing Ship, RFA Lyme Bay joined Operation Atalanta, as part of the EU’s counter piracy Naval Force off Somalia. RFA Lyme Bay is an amphibious operations support unit, whose primary role is to land troops, vehicles, equipment and stores from the s
UK: Trafalgar Day Ceremony Aboard HMS Victory
A ceremony was held onboard HMS Victory at 9 o’clock today to commemorate the 208th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar. The ship itself was at the battle where it served as Lord Nelson’s flagship and to this day remains a commissioned ship in the Royal Navy and the oldest commissioned warship in
UK Warship Passes Through One of the World’s Narrowest Waterways
Not every warship’s company can claim to have squeezed through one of the world’s narrowest waterways – but a Royal Navy mine hunter now has bragging rights. On the latest stage of her Mediterranean deployment with a NATO minehunting force, the Faslane-based warship, HMS Penzance, took the short cut
UK: Joint Warrior Exercise Comes to End
Royal Navy ships, submarines and aircraft together with NATO partners have completed the final Exercise Joint Warrior for 2013 off the coast of Scotland. Joint Warrior exercises run twice a year – in the spring and autumn – with the autumn session having just come to an end. Fifteen separate naval u
UK Naval Ship Victoria Departs the Gulf
After three years continuously deployed at sea Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) Fort Victoria has begun her journey back to the UK to undergo planned maintenance. Over the course of her deployment Fort Victoria has operated in the Gulf, Red Sea, Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean. She has embarked the staff of
EU Naval Forces Warn Yachts to Avoid the High Risk Area
If there was ever a good reason to heed naval forces’ warnings about the continuing threat from Somali piracy, then an attack on a super tanker is surely one of them. As reported by the EU Naval Force last week, the fully laden super tanker was attacked by eight armed pirates on Friday 11 October, [
MTU Engine for New KCG Vessels
MTU has been chosen by the Korean Coast Guard (KCG) to provide propulsion and onboard power for a new class of vessels in its ever expanding and modernizing fleet. The new 5000-ton displacement patrol vessel will be powered by four MTU 20V 1163 M94 engines in a Combined Diesel and Diesel (CODAD) pro
UK: HMS Exploit Enters Annual Refit Period
HMS Exploit, Birmingham URNU’s training ship, has entered her annual refit period at Holyhead Marine Service’s Boatyard in North Wales. However before arriving in Anglesey for her Annual Slip and Repair Period (ASRP), Exploit conducted sea weekend number two of term which included a port visit to Fi
HMS Blyth in Action of North West Coast of Sotland
HMS Blyth is in action off the North West coast of Scotland as part of Europe’s largest annual multi-national exercise, Joint Warrior; a highly enjoyable and challenging experience. Among the other forces deployed are sister Sandown Class vessel HMS Bangor, Hunt class vessels HMS Brocklesby and HMS
UK: HMS Penzance Takes Part in Large NATO Exercise
HMS Penzance has taken part in a two-week exercise off the Sardinian coast as part of her ongoing NATO work in the region. Known as exercise Brilliant Mariner 13 the exercise involved warships from seven different NATO nations and ranged in size from the giant Italian aircraft carrier Cavour with th