Ships form NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 1 have concluded their Mediterranean Sea stint taking part in exercises with regional navies and supporting operation Sea Guardian. The group is now heading for the English Channel where they will attend Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST) drills before resumin
Over twenty ships and a number of aircraft are winding up their participation in the Turkish-hosted multinational maritime exercise Dogu Akdeniz-17. The exercise is hosted by Turkey in the Mediterranean every two years and the 2017 iteration is the 20th time it is taking place since it first started
The Turkish government is interested in buying the soon-to-be-decommissioned UK helicopter carrier HMS Ocean if it is not sold to Brazil. In a reply to a parliamentary question, the UK defense ministry confirmed that Turkey sent an expression of interest to UK about the potential sale of HMS Ocean.
Norwegian maritime services company Bergen Group Services AS announced it has been contracted for maintenance and upgrade work on the 10-year classification of SS Statsraad Lehmkuhl. SS Statsraad Lehmkuhl is a 3-masted steel bark, built by Johann C. Tecklenberg AG in Bremerhaven-Geestemünde in 1914
A Royal Netherlands Navy minehunter has discovered the wreck of the German Imperial Navy mine-laying submarine UC-69, 8.5 miles off the coast of Barfleur, northern France. Tripartite-class minehunter HNLMS Makkum made the discovery in late October but the wreck was identified in November. The wreck
French shipbuilder Piriou announced it has opened a new naval yard in Senegal, continuing its expansion in Africa. The French company said it partnered with Senegalese maritime company Ngom et Freres in establishing the new entity called ‘Piriou Ngom Senegal’. Piriou said the new company will offer
HMS Ocean, the Royal Navy helicopter carrier and current flagship of Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2), stopped in the Mediterranean on November 11 to pay tribute to those who lost their lives in previous conflicts with an act of Remembrance. The entire ship’s company, Bravo Company of 40 Comma
Helping NATO’s Standing Mine Countermeasure Group 1 (SNMCMG1) clear historic ordnance off the coast of France was the final task of the crew of Belgian minehunter BNS Primula before they headed home. From October 20 to November 7, Belgians worked with their colleagues in French waters off the Norman
The United Arab Emirates Navy has ordered two Gowind corvettes from French shipbuilder Naval Group, French president Emmanuel Macron announced during a press conference in Dubai. Macron’s confirmation comes days after media reports emerged indicating UAE Navy’s interest in the vessels which are turn
Defense ministers attending NATO’s North Atlantic Council meeting on Wednesday agreed on the creation of a new command for the Atlantic which would ensure better cooperation between Europe and the US and Canada. This command would coordinate the protection of sea lines of communication between Europ
Spanish Navy warship ESPS Rayo, currently part of the EU mission in Africa, recently became the first EU NAVFOR ship to visit the Republic of Mauritius as she pulled into Port Louis on November 4. During her time in the Mauritius capital, the offshore patrol vessel hosted Ambassador Marjaana Sall, h
Warships and other assets deployed to the EU NAVFOR operation Atalanta received a new commander during a ceremony held in Brussels, November 7. Major General Rob Magowan CBE handed over command to Major General Charlie Stickland OBE after 17 months in charge. Over the last 17 months Major General Ma
German Navy’s Bremen-class frigate FGS Lübeck is on her way home having concluded 700 patrol hours as part of NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2). The ship and her 200 crew are scheduled to enter their homeport of Wilhelmshaven on November 10, after two months of operations in the Aegean Sea. T
US Navy personnel from the Forward Deployed Regional Maintenance Center (FDRMC) Detachment Rota, Spain, completed a 60-day surface incremental availability (SIA) on destroyer USS Carney (DDG 64), Oct. 27. “This was the second SIA conducted in Rota, Spain and continues the record of on-time availabil
