Defense Strategies
NATO’s submarine rescue drill concludes in Turkey
The international, NATO-led, submarine search and rescue exercise Dynamic Monarch 2017 concluded off the coast of Marmaris in southwestern Turkey on Friday. Canada, France, Italy, Norway, Poland, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States took part in the exercise, which focused on subm
HMS Diamond gets underway from Montenegro as SNMG2 flagship
Royal Navy’s Type 45 destroyer HMS Diamond assumed command of NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 2 operating in the Mediterranean and Black Sea. The ceremony, in which Diamond relieved sister ship HMS Duncan, took place in Montenegro over the weekend. Duncan was originally to be replaced by helicopter c
Watch Russian nuclear-powered cruiser Pyotr Velikiy launch a Granit anti-ship missile
Russian Navy cruiser Pyotr Velikiy, the world’s only nuclear-powered cruiser, recently performed a test-firing of its Granit anti-ship missile during a mayor Northern Fleet drill. Taking place in the Barents Sea, the training exercise gathered over 20 combat ships, some 10 submarines and up to 30 ai
Canadian Navy ‘X-Ship’ frigate arrives in Europe
Royal Canadian Navy frigate HMCS Montréal arrived in Western Europe on September 18 for three months of exercises with European and NATO partners. Deploying as part of the Royal Canadian Navy’s overarching deployment Neptune Trident 17-02, HMCS Montréal is to take part in the US-led ballistic missil
Northern Coasts 2017: Over 50 vessels underway off Sweden
Over 50 vessels and 20 aircraft were at sea off the coast of Sweden taking part in the international exercise Northern Coasts which started on September 8. NOCO 2017 is an exercise that focuses on increasing the navies’ ability to operate together during war and crisis management situations. The exe
EU operation Atalanta welcomes Dutch amphibious ship HNLMS Rotterdam
Royal Dutch Navy’s landing platform dock HNLMS Rotterdam joined the EU-led counter piracy operation Atalanta off the coast of Somalia on September 13. HNLMS Rotterdam set sail from her homeport Den Helder on August 27. In addition to the Dutch crew, a Swedish boarding team and two Swedish fast attac
New Zealand Navy’s largest ship to feature Kelvin Hughes navigation systems
British navigation and surveillance company Kelvin Hughes on Thursday announced it has been selected to deliver its navigation equipment for the largest Royal New Zealand Navy ship currently under construction in South Korea. Under a contract awarded by shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries, Kelvin H
Babcock presents design contender for Royal Navy Type 31 frigate
British shipbuilder Babcock has unveiled a new frigate design that will be offered as a design for the Royal Navy’s Type 31 frigate. Arrowhead, as the design is named is a 120 meter general-purpose frigate Babcock believes it can build for the Royal Navy under the £250 million price limit set by the
HMS Ocean departs Gibraltar loaded with supplies for Hurricane Irma relief
Royal Navy helicopter carrier HMS Ocean departed Gibraltar on Tuesday afternoon heading for the British Overseas Territories in the Caribbean where it will deliver emergency supplies for those affected by Hurricane Irma. During her time alongside in Gibraltar HMS Ocean loaded over 200 pallets of aid
SEA to deliver torpedo launchers for new Philippine Navy frigates
The Philippine Navy’s two new frigates, currently under construction at Hyundai Heavy Industries in South Korea, are to be fitted with torpedo launcher systems (TLS) delivered by British company SEA. Announcing the contract on September 11, the company said the systems will be similar to those in se
Turkey is hosting NATO submarine rescue exercise Dynamic Monarch
A NATO-sponsored submarine escape and rescue (SMER) exercise kicked off in Turkey on September 8. Dubbed Dynamic Monarch 2017, the exercise is the tenth in a series of live SMER drills and will run through September 21. Dynamic Monarch’s venue is the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, off Aksaz Turkey. Unit
Sweden’s “biggest drill in decades” coincides with Russia’s Zapad 2017
The Swedish Armed Forces on Monday kicked off Aurora 17, an international exercise dubbed as Sweden’s “biggest drill in decades”. While Sweden itself is not a member of NATO, over 20,000 troops from the country and other NATO members, including the US, are set to participate in the three-week exerci
HMS Diamond replaces HMS Ocean as SNMG2 flagship in wake of Hurricane Irma
Royal Navy’s Type 45 destroyer HMS Diamond stepped in for helicopter carrier HMS Ocean as NATO flagship to allow the Royal Navy fleet flagship to bring vital supplies to Caribbean areas affected by Hurricane Irma The fleet flagship HMS Ocean was originally planned to lead NATO’s Standing Maritime Gr
UK MoD announces plans for Royal Navy’s T31e frigates
Defence Minister Harriett Baldwin on September 7th launched plans for the procurement of the Royal Navy’s new Type 31e frigates – a day after the announcement of a new National Shipbuilding Strategy. The competition, unveiled by senior leaders from the Ministry of Defence, Royal Navy and Defence Equ