Defense Strategies
German TKMS will build Norway’s submarines
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
Entire UK submarine fleet to be based in Scotland
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
NATO starts Dynamic Move mine countermeasure drill in Belgium
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, Turkish Navy ships face off in Aegean Sea
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
Multinational naval drill Cutlass Express to begin in Africa
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 Navy sail training ship will not be scrapped after all
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 minehunter joins NATO’s SNMCMG2
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
German diver support vessel Rottweil joins NATO
German Navy’s diver support vessel FGS Rottweil is scheduled to depart its homeport in Kiel, Germany, on January 30, to join NATO’s standing mine countermeasure group two. The vessel and her crew will spend the next five months sailing with the SNMCMG2. Coming from the German Navy’s 3rd Mine Warfare
Russian carrier-cruiser fleet escorted through the Channel
NATO ships and aircraft are escorting the Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov and its carrier strike group transiting the English Channel en route home from Syria. Vessels from Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal and Great Britain have all at one point formed part of a fleet of ships
Royal Navy’s Sea Fury returns to skies three years after crash
The Royal Navy announced that the Sea Fury is returning to air shows this summer, three years after it narrowly escaped destruction at Culdrose in 2014. The Navy’s last piston-engined fighter came down during Air Day in 2014 when its engine packed up mid-display, forcing pilot Lieutenant Commander C
NATO’s new flagship arrives in Cagliari on first port visit
The Italian city of Cagliari was the port visit of choice for the new flagship of NATO’s standing mine counter measures group two. Polish flagship, ORP Kontradmiral Xawery Czernicki (511), arrived in Cagliari on January 21 on its first port call since joining SNMCMG2. The ship and crew arrived to It
NATO escorts Russian flotilla en route home from Syria
NATO said it is monitoring the Russian carrier strike group centered around the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov as it sails back home after spending several months off the coast of Syria. The aircraft carrier took part in Russian military operations in Syria. Admiral Kuznetsov has been monitored
German Navy Sea Lynx helicopters return to full operational capability
German Navy’s Sea Lynx helicopters returned to their full operational capability after they were grounded in 2014 due to a recurring fault on the helicopters’ fuselages. The helicopters were pulled from service due to a 20 cm rupture or hole found on 15 of the navy’s 22 helicopters. The issue was fi
UK Maritime Forces commander highlights Royal Navy operations of 2016
Refuting negative press reports, UK’s Maritime Forces commander Rear Admiral Alex Burton pointed to the Royal Navy’s numerous operations in 2016 during a speech he delivered to the All Parties Parliamentary Group (APPG) for the Armed Forces at the Palace of Westminster on January 16 Below is a trans