The US Coast Guard on February 7 released a request for proposal for the procurement of small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) for its national security cutters (NSCs). The US Coast Guard is looking to buy commercially available intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems for the NSC fleet
A Turkish Navy minehunter deployed to NATO’s Standing Mine Countermeasures Group Two (SNMCMG2) discovered a historic mine during routine training in the Black Sea on February 7. According to NATO Maritime Command, minehunter TCG Akcay discovered the mine using her mine hunting sonar to scan the sea
Royal Navy’s Type 23 frigate HMS Montrose recently visited the NATO weapon and sensor range at Stavanger, in southern Norway, for a week of weapons and sensors checks. The ship arrived for a weekend alongside in Stavanger and after a day of harbour checks, went to sea on the test range for 3 days, w
The seventh iteration of the annual maritime exercise Cutlass Express 2018 concluded in Seychelles on February 7. Maritime forces from East Africa, West Indian Ocean nations, Europe, and the United States, as well as several international organizations worked together to assess and improve combined
HMS Albion, the Royal Navy’s recently refurbished amphibious assault ship, deployed on Tuesday to become flagsip of NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2). The ship sailed from Devonport Naval Base in Plymouth and will operate in the Mediterranean for five months. Captain Tim Neild, HMS Albion com
Italy’s Fincantieri announced it has signed a share purchase agreement for the acquisition of 50% of the share capital of STX France from the French state. The agreement provides for a purchase price of euro 59.7 million (approx. USD$74M). The signing takes place after the resolution of the share pu
Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Warramunga carried out another successful drug interdiction operation on February 1, bringing the total value of drugs seized by the crew since November 2017 to over AU$1 billion. The latest operation took place in the Western Indian Ocean and resulted in the seizu
After spending four years in mothballs and another two undergoing a £90m refit, the Royal Navy’s amphibious assault ship HMS Albion is deploying early next week to become the flagship of NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 2. “It is a huge privilege for us to fly the flag of the NATO task group commander
Italian Navy amphibious ship ITS San Giusto took over as flagship of the EU NAVFOR operation Sophia in the Mediterranean Sea relieving auxiliary ship ITS Etna. Etna left the mission after almost two months of operations fighting human trafficking and smuggling networks. During her time deployed to t
The international maritime law enforcement exercise Cutlass Express 2018 kicked off in Djibouti, January 31, under the sponsorship of US Africa Command. The seventh iteration of the annual exercise is led by US Naval Force Africa and is aimed at assessing and improving combined maritime law enforcem
French shipbuilders STX France and Socarenam joined forces with Belgium’s EDR to try and secure a contract for the construction of 12 mine counter measure vessels for the navies of Belgium and the Netherlands. The two navies are jointly procuring mine countermeasure (MCM) vessels and frigates with B
Navantia Australia announced it has teamed with Tasmanian firm Taylor Bros for work on the Royal Australian Navy’s Future Frigates. Navantia embedded a Taylor Bros team into its design and production teams for the SEA 5000 program creating the “Integrated Product Team” which the company said will “i
Warships from NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2) will enter the Black Sea to join their mine countermeasure countermeasure counterparts already operating in the region. After SNMG2 ships from the UK and Turkey enter the Black Sea through the Bosphorus, they are scheduled to join Standing NATO
Two European frigates, one from Norway and the other from Germany, arrived at Norfolk naval base Jan. 26 and 28 to join the US Navy carrier strike group assembled around aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman. Royal Norwegian Navy frigate HNoMS Roald Amundsen (F 311) and Sachsen-class German frigate H
