Portuguese Navy frigate NRP Bartolomeu Dias (F333) departed Portugal on April 26, heading for Den Helder in the Netherlands where it will undergo a modernization program. The midlife upgrade of the former Karel Doorman-class frigate is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2019, the navy said. Bui
Italian and Turkish navies are sending their ships to join Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group Two (SNMCMG2). On April 23, the Italian Navy’s minesweeper Alghero departed La Spezia and is en route to the base port Mahón. In addition, the Turkish Navy’s mine countermeasures vessel TCG Anamur is
The UK-hosted multinational, tri-service exercise Joint Warrior is starting next week with warships and personnel already en route to the Scottish Coasts. The exercise will be attended by 16 nations who will take part in a range of maneuvers over a course of two weeks. Before the actual at sea maneu
US Navy aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman and ships from its carrier strike group entered the US 6th Fleet area of operations April 18 as part of their deployment to Europe and Africa. The carrier strike group arrived in European waters after getting underway from Naval Station Norfolk on April 1
Royal Navy’s Hunt-class mine countermeasures vessel HMS Cattistock returned to Portsmouth Naval Base on April 17 after four months of operations with Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1 (SNMCMG1). During her deployment HMS Cattistock took part in a series of multinational exercises and operat
Ships from Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group One (SNMCMG1) wrapped up historical ordinance disposal operations (HODOPS) with the French Navy entering Saint Malo, France, for a port visit on April 15. During the HODOPS, SNMCMG1 surveyed more than 90 square kilometers in Dieppe Bight, on the Fr
Spain and Saudi Arabia have finalized a framework agreement which will see Spanish shipbuilder Navantia deliver five Avante 2200 corvettes for the Royal Saudi Naval Forces (RSNF). The deal, signed during Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s official visit to Spain, is worth around €2 bil
UK defense contractor BAE Systems has announced a £10 million (approx. $14.2m) investment into upgrades of the Maritime Integration & Support Centre (MISC) aimed at improving research into artificial intelligence, information and electronic warfare, unmanned vehicles and new weapons. Located in Port
Turkish Navy frigate TCG Gediz is joining the NATO Standing Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1) for over two months of operations with international partners. The former US Navy Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate got underway from her Aegean Sea homeport of Aksaz Naval Base on April 6 and is currently on a port
Italian Navy’s multi-purpose research vessel ITS Alliance is set to return to its homeport in La Spezia, Italy, on April 6, concluding a 79-day mission in waters off Iceland and Greenland. Alliance’s mission was to support a project carried out under the custody of NATO’s Center for Maritime Researc
US Navy’s forward-deployed Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78) got underway Naval Station Rota, Spain, on April 2 to start its fifth patrol in the US 6th Fleet area of operations. “We are excited to be heading out on our fifth patrol. The crew has completed a lot of hard
HNLMS Karel Doorman, the Royal Netherlands Navy’s multi-purpose amphibious ship, got underway from its Den Helder homeport on April 4 to join the NATO-led operation Sea Guardian. Karel Doorman will spend the next nine weeks patrolling the Mediterranean Sea monitoring patterns-of-life to detect suspi
The annual NATO-led mine countermeasure exercise Dynamic Move concluded at Ecole de Guerre des Mines (EGUERMIN), the Belgium-Netherlands Naval Mine Warfare School, on March 29. Mine warfare specialists from 16 allied nations and four NATO partners took part in two weeks of drills aimed at improving
The UK is to receive its new world-class nuclear submarines on time after the country’s government announced additional funds for defense. Specifically, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) will benefit from an extra GBP 800 million in the next financial year, the Chancellor and Defence Secretary have conf
