Defense Strategies
NATO mine countermeasures group changes hands
NATO’s Standing Mine Counter Measures Group One (SNMCMG1) will be led by a Latvian Navy commander following a change of command ceremony at the Port of Riga on Thursday. Commander Johan-Elias Seljamaa of the Estonian Navy turned over command of the group after leading aboard the flagship, Estonian c
Russian ships, helicopters harass US cargo ship ahead of NATO drill in Baltic
Russian ships and helicopters reportedly harassed U.S.-flagged M/V Green Ridge in the Baltic Sea in May as it was carrying military equipment for exercise Saber Strike 2017, according to Defense News. The U.S. cargo ship was approached by Russian military assets as it was travelling near Russian wat
NATO submarine drill Dynamic Mongoose starts in Iceland
Dynamic Mongoose 2017, a NATO-led submarine surveillance exercise, began on Tuesday off the coast of Iceland. Ships, submarines, aircraft and personnel from 10 allied nations gathered in the North Atlantic Ocean for anti-submarine and anti-surface training. Submarines from France, Germany, the Nethe
Former German minehunter turned diver support vessel wraps up NATO deployment
FGS Rottweil, German Navy’s former Frankenthal-class minehunter which now serves as a diver support vessel, wrapped up her deployment to NATO’s Standing Mine Counter Measures Group 2 (SNMCMG 2) and is on her way home. Rottweil is expected to enter her homeport at navy base Kiel on June 30 after five
Spanish F100 frigate concludes NATO SNMG2 stint
Spanish Navy’s Aegis-equipped frigate ESPS Blas de Lezo has concluded her deployment to NATO’s Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG2) and is scheduled to arrive at her home port in Ferrol, Spain, next Saturday. During her deployment, the F100 frigate served as flagship of the Sub-Group TU.02 opera
UK MoD contracts Leonardo for identification friend or foe systems delivery
The UK Ministry of Defence has awarded Leonardo a £260 million contract for the supply of next generation Identify Friend or Foe (IFF) technology. The system, called Mode-5, uses advanced cryptographic techniques and electronic technology to allow UK land, sea and air units to quickly identify frien
Only NATO member without army hosts anti submarine warfare drill
Having no standing army and operating just four coast guard vessels has not prevented NATO-member Iceland from hosting one of the organization’s largest anti-submarine warfare exercises. From June 26 to July 8, NATO ships and submarines will gather in Iceland for a series of drills aimed at improvin
Royal Navy minehunter starts sea trials after 18-month refit
Royal Navy’s Hunt-class mine counter measure vessel HMS Brocklesby has started her sea trials after spending 18 months in refit. According to shipbuilder BAE Systems, the trials started four months earlier than usual. Despite undergoing the largest work package for a Royal Navy mine countermeasure v
UMS Skeldar teams with Sentient for ViDAR enhancement
Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) company UMS Skeldar has joined forces with Sentient Vision Systems to equip its SKELDAR V-200 VTOL UAV with a ViDAR (visual identification detection and ranging) system for its unmanned systems. The ViDAR payload on the SKELDAR V-200 will be deploying five to ten camera
BALTOPS 2017 concludes
Some 50 ships from 14 nations concluded this year’s edition of BALTOPS 2017, the largest NATO exercise in the Baltic Sea, entering Kiel, Germany on Friday. The U.S.-led drill saw participants hone their skills in air, surface, sub-surface, mine warfare and amphibious operations in the Baltic Sea. “E
Spanish offshore patrol vessel Vigía returns from Gulf of Guinea deployment
Spanish Navy’s offshore patrol vessel Vigía arrived at naval base Puntales, Cadiz, on June 16, returning from a three-and-a-half month mission to the Gulf of Guinea. Vigía set sail from Cadiz on February 28 to conduct a series of activities in Africa as part of the Spanish government’s Defense Diplo
Atlas Elektronik, Kraken team up for Canadian Remote Mine Disposal System
German naval contractor Atlas Elektronik has teamed with Canadian Kraken Sonar Systems to develop a solution for the Royal Canadian Navy’s Remote Mine Disposal System (RMDS). In addition to the RMDS program, Kraken and Atlas agreed to provide military grade KATFISH towed sonar systems to an undisclo
German P-3C Orion detachment conclude operation Atlanta stint
German soldiers and personnel assigned to the P-3C Orion Maritime Patrol Reconnaissance Aircraft (MPRA) detachment are concluding a three-month deployment to the EUNAVFOR’s operation Atalanta this week. Before the 85 personnel depart their current base in Djibouti to fly home to Germany, Atalanta Fo
USS Carney makes pit stop in Spain
U.S. Navy guided missile destroyer USS Carney (DDG 64) returned to Naval Station Rota, Spain on June 12, for a mid-patrol availability period. Carney is currently on its third forward-deployed naval force ballistic missile defense patrol in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations. “So far, this patrol