Over 40 vessels from NATO and ally countries gathered in Turku, Finland, to kick off a second major exercise in the Baltic Sea on October 25. The exercise is called Northern Coasts and is organized by Germany and hosted by a different Baltic Sea nation each year. It will run concurrent with Trident
Two US Navy ships were forced to return to Reykjavik, Iceland, after amphibious dock landing ship USS Gunston Hall (LSD 44) was damaged in heavy seas while en route to Norway and exercise Trident Juncture. The ship was damaged on October 22 and is currently in Iceland for further assessment. The nav
Italy’s Fincantieri and French Naval Group have outlined plans for a possible future joint venture at the Euronaval conference taking place in Paris, France. The latest agreement is the result of a year’s work during which the two sides looked at ways of creating “a more efficient and competitive” E
USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) entered the Arctic Circle on October 19, becoming the first US Navy aircraft carrier to do so in nearly 30 years. Accompanied by select ships from Carrier Strike Group Eight (CSG-8), the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) traveled north to conduct
A helicopter from the French Army 1st Combat helicopter regiment crashed aboard the amphibious assault ship BPC Dixmude during night-time flight operations on October 17. Four sailors were injured, one of them seriously, as the helicopter crashed during takeoff, the French defense ministry said. The
The navies of Belgium, Portugal and the Netherlands have signed a contract with Thales for the delivery of new Mode 5 and Mode S identification friend or foe (IFF) systems for their Karel Doorman-class frigates. The upgrade to the latest NATO IFF standard will enable the vessels to perform military
The Turkey-hosted international mine warfare exercise Nusret 2018 got underway in the Gulf of Izmir on October 16. Turkish minehunters are joined by ships from NATO’s Standing Mine Countermeasure Group 2 for ten days of exercises. Nusret 2018 will also welcome autonomous underwater systems and ordna
Ships assigned to the US Navy’s Iwo Jima expeditionary strike group (IWOESG) have entered the US 6th Fleet area of operations as part of a deployment in support of NATO exercise Trident Juncture 18. The strike group will join the Harry S. Truman carrier strike group and US 6th Fleet flagship USS Mou
Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth was at the center of an important milestone for the F-35 program as an F-35B performed the first ever shipborne rolling vertical landing (SRVL) British test pilot Peter Wilson conducted the landing this weekend. Previously the jets have conducted only
Finland will be hosting a total of 4,000 personnel and over 40 vessels for this year’s edition of the Baltic Sea drill Northern Coasts 2018 (NOCO). This will be the third time Finland is hosting the German Navy-led international exercise. According to the Finnish defense ministry, NOCO18 will involv
US Navy aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) will be joining the largest NATO exercise which is set to take place in Norway later this month. This is likely the first time an aircraft carrier will be taking part in Trident Juncture – an exercise whose 2018 edition is often referred to as on
The Turkish Navy-hosted exercise Mavi Balina concluded on October 9, after a week of evolutions in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. Mavi Balina consisted of a port phase which started September 27 and transitioned to the at-sea portion on September 30. The biannual anti-submarine warfare exercise also
US Navy aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman arrived into Portsmouth on October 6 for a port visit while on a Mediterranean Sea deployment. The carrier most recently visited France and Greece and will continue with her program early this week. Arriving early Saturday morning into a foggy Solent, she
Ships from NATO’s Standing Mine Counter Measures Group One (SNMCMG1) transited the Kiel Canal and arrived in Wismar, Germany, October 5, returning to the Baltic Sea for another routine patrol. The SNMCMG1 visit to Wismar included courtesy calls with local authorities, a force reception and ships ope
