Defense Strategies
HNLMS Tromp concludes Somalia piracy mission
Sailors and ships deployed to EUNAVFOR’s counter piracy operation off the Horn of Africa have bid farewell to the Dutch frigate and operation Atalanta flagship, HNLMS Tromp, as she concluded her deployment and headed for the Dutch port of Den Helder. The De Zeven Provinciën-class frigate started her
Royal Navy frigate escorts Russian destroyer through the Channel
Royal Navy’s Type 23 frigate HMS Sutherland escorted the Russian Navy’s Udaloy-class destroyer as it started a transit through the English Channel. The Devonport-based frigate deployed from its base in Plymouth early on Saturday morning (3 December) to a position at the western edge of the Channel t
HLNMS Tromp becomes first Op Atalanta ship ever to dock in Somalia
The Royal Netherlands Navy frigate and current flagship of the EU mission off the Horn of Africa, became the first operation Atalanta warship to dock in either Somalia or Somaliland as the ship came alongside Berbera Port on Sunday, December 4. Onboard were EUCAP Nestor’s head of operations, Chris R
Norwegian minesweeper KNM Rauma undergoes inspection and survey
Norwegian ship services company Bergen Group Services AS has been contracted to carry out an inspection and survey project on the Norwegian Navy minesweeper KNM Rauma. The company said the project would start in early January 2017 and would take 12 weeks to complete. Bergen completed a similar proje
Indian, Royal Navy to take part in exercise Konkan 2016
The 2016 edition of the annual bilateral maritime exercise between the Indian Navy and the Royal Navy would be held December 5 – 16, at Mumbai and Goa, the Indian Navy announced. Named after the Western coastal region of India, exercise Konkan was institutionalised in 2004 and is hosted in rotation
Maritime security agencies hold counter-piracy talks in Bahrain
Bahrain was the stage for the 39th Shared Awareness and Deconfliction (SHADE) conference which was held November 30. The conference was a forum to discuss counter-piracy in the Gulf of Aden and in the Indian Ocean and the importance of cooperation between naval units in the region, industry and othe
USS Mason, FS Charles de Gaulle commanders meet in the Med
U.S. Navy’s guided-missile destroyer USS Mason (DDG 87) commanders and French officials from the Charles de Gaulle Strike Group (CDGSG) met while operating together in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, Nov. 25, 2016. Having replaced the guided-missile destroyer USS Ross (DDG 71), Mason is deployed to s
UK naval shipbuilding needs to be quicker, independent report finds
An independent report into UK’s naval shipbuilding has concluded that the small Royal Navy fleet is a result of too long procurement cycles, late orders for new ships and the policy of retaining old ships in the fleet beyond their sell date. Sir John Parker’s Independent Report into naval shipbuildi
EU extends counter-piracy mission off the Horn of Africa
The European Council extended operation Atalanta’s mandate to deter, disrupt and repress acts of piracy off the coast of Somalia until 31 December 2018. Operation Atalanta’s two-year mandate extension comes amidst concerns within European Union member states that whilst pirate attacks on merchant sh
NATO ships in second Turkish-hosted drill this month
Following the conclusion of Turkish-led exercise Mavi Balina, ships from several NATO countries kicked off a mine-warfare exercise in the Aegean Sea on Monday, November 28. The second Turkish exercise of the month will run through December 4 and will be aimed at testing combat readiness and strength
Indra joins forces with UPM to develop sensors for Spanish future F110 frigate
Spanish company Indra has partnered with the Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPM) to jointly develop and integrate the sensors for Spanish Navy’s future F110 frigate. The partnership agreement has been reached within the industrial plan for the PROTEC F110 program, through which Indra will boost c
Turkish-led exercise Mavi Balina 2016 concludes in the Med
Ships from several nations concluded their participation in the Turkish-led exercise Mavi Balina in the Mediterranean Sea. Participating nations included Pakistan, Romania, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States. NATO Maritime Group 2, as well as observers from Algeria, Nigeria, and Georg
German tanker Rhön returns from NATO deployment
German Navy’s replenishment oiler Rhön is set to return to its homeport in Wilhelmshaven after completing a two-month deployment to NATO’s standing maritime group 1 (SNMG1). Rhön is scheduled to enter harbor on November 30 after spending 57 days at sea and sailing 9,000 nautical miles. The ship depa
Royal Navy destroyer towed back to port after engine breakdown
Royal Navy’s Type 4 destroyer HMS Duncan had to be towed back to Devonport after experiencing a breakdown off Plymouth. According to a report by the Plymouth Herald, a Ministry of Defence spokesman confirmed this saying the ship had experienced “technical issues”. The ship was towed back to port on