Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri marked the construction start of the first Italian Navy Multipurpose Offshore Patrol Ship (PPA) with a steel cutting ceremony at its shipyard in Muggiano (La Spezia) on February 13. The shipbuilder said the first of seven offshore patrol ships would be delivered in 20
NATO’s annual mine countermeasure (MCM) exercise Dynamic Move (DME17) which saw the participation of over 15 countries, including Partnership for Peace (PFP) countries, Finland and Sweden, concluded Friday, February 10. The two-week drill was organized by the Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM) and aim
Royal Navy patrol ship HMS Mersey returmed home to Portsmouth on Friday completing a 13-month mission supporting efforts to tackle people trafficking and drug smuggling. The River-class patrol ship left Portsmouth in January 2016, heading for the Caribbean before travelling east to the Mediterranean
NATO’s Submarine Rescue System (NSRS) was recently transported from its headquarters at Royal Navy base Clyde to Norway for exercises. The exercise is called Northern Sun and is designed to test the mobilisation of the NSRS and exercise its capabilities in the frigid waters off Norway. The system, w
U.S. Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78) joined over 2,800 service personnel from Romania, Bulgaria, Canada, Greece, Spain, Turkey and Ukraine for the at-sea portion of exercise Sea Shield on February 8. Sea Shield is an annual, Romania-led multinational exercise
NATO ships from Turkey, Italy and Greece are currently sailing in the Mediterranean Sea making observations that will help improve maritime situational awareness. The three ships are tasked under operation Sea Guardian, a newly launched NATO operation which has three man tasks, maritime situational
U.S. Navy’s guided-missile cruiser USS Hue City (CG 66), currently part of the George H.W. Bush carrier strike group, entered the Baltic Sea port of Klaipeda, Lithuania, February 6 for a scheduled port visit. During their visit Hue City’s sailors will have the opportunity to engage with members of t
Norway will buy four AIP submarines from German submarine specialist TKMS, Norwegian defense minister announced on Friday. According to Norwegian media, minister Ine Eriksen Søreide told a press conference that Germany was selected because of the two countries’ close defense cooperation. The other c
All eleven Royal Navy submarines will be based at HMNB Clyde in Scotland from 2020, UK defense secretary Michael Fallon has announced. In addition to this, the UK is also investing near £4 million in the building of a single UK hub for Royal Navy’s submarine service at HMNB Clyde. HM Treasury this w
The annual, tactical level, mine countermeasure exercise Dynamic Move started on Monday in Belgium, NATO’s Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM) announced. Welcoming more than 150 participants representing 15 countries, including Partnership for Peace (PFP) countries Finland and Sweden, the exercise is h
Greek Coast Guard and Navy vessels reportedly prevented a Turkish Navy missile boat from reaching a group of Aegean Sea islets claimed by Greece on January 29. The standoff came days after Greece refused to extradite Turkish Army officers involved in the July coup. The Greek Ministry of Defense said
Maritime forces from three continents are set to begin the sixth iteration of the annual multinational maritime exercise Cutlass Express on January 31. Units from East Africa, West Indian Ocean nations, Europe, and the United States, as well as several international organizations will converge for n
German defense minister Ursula von der Leyen announced on Thursday that the navy’s iconic sail training ship Gorch Fock would receive a new lease of life after a thorough rejuvenation process. The ship’s future was uncertain when serious damages were discovered after the ship had been docked for a r
Spanish Navy minehunter ESPS Duero departed Cartagena, Spain to join the standing NATO mine countermeasures group two. Duero and her crew are scheduled to spend over two months with the international group before heading home in April. During this deployment in the Mediterranean and Black Seas, the
