Defense Strategies
Czech Gripen fighter jets train with NATO ships
A Czech squadron of Gripen fighter jets have reached the second week of their air-maritime integration and carried out joint missions with Danish, French and Icelandic vessels off Iceland. Currently in charge of providing air interception capabilities for Iceland under NATO, the Czech JAS-39 Gripen
Russian aircraft carrier escorted off Norway en route to Syrian coast
Russian cruiser-carrier Admiral Kuznetsov and other ships from its strike group were escorted off the Norwegian coast as they were sailing towards the Mediterranean. NATO said it deployed ships that were under its command to monitor the presence of Russian warships, noting it was routine procedure i
HMS Ocean first UK warship to visit Egypt in over 8 years
Royal Navy’s amphibious assault ship HMS Ocean visited the Egyptian port of Alexandria last weekend, thereby becoming the first UK warship to visit Egypt in over eight years. HMS Ocean visited Egypt as part of Joint Expeditionary Force (Maritime) 16 and will carry out exercises with partner nations
Spanish Navy light transport ship returns from UNIFIL mission
Spanish Navy light transport ship Martín Posadillo has returned from the Spanish missions in Lebanon where it was tasked with providing logistic support. Apart from UNIFIL operations ‘Libre Hidalgo’ and ‘Active Fence’, Martín Posadillo also contributed to the EUNAVFOR MED operation Sophia. The ship
NATO explains how naval mines are fought
Sea lanes are key to the movement of goods for everyday life. Around 90 percent of world trade is carried by ship. The same is often true for military forces on the move, while aircraft can fly in some amount of fuel, dry goods, food and ammunition; the majority of the supply chain often requires [&
Unknown Royal Navy submarine put lives of fishing crew at risk
An unidentified Royal Navy submarine which snagged the fishing lines of a trawler in the Irish Sea on 15 April 2015 has put the lives of the trawler’s crew in danger, an investigation report has concluded. Karen was towed backwards and had partially submerged before being released from the submarine
French stealth frigate La Fayette docks in Mombasa, Kenya
French Navy’s stealth frigate La Fayette was recently welcomed into the port of Mombasa, Kenya in what was the first visit of an EU Naval Force ship to the Kenyan port in over a year. FS La Fayette is currently deployed to Operation Atalanta contributing to counter-piracy activities off the Horn of
US Navy command ship starts Black Sea operations
U.S. Navy’s 6th Fleet command and control ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) entered the Black Sea on October 10 to conduct theater security cooperation and key leader engagement events with allies and partners in the region. USS Mount Whitney is operating in the Black Sea in support of operation Atlan
Rain fails to spoil first day of Unmanned Warrior
A damp day across the Western Isles greeted the dozens of range staff, RN augmentees and Joint Warrior liaison teams who turned out before first light on the first official Unmanned Warrior flying day and headed for the brightly lit Range Control Building 12 miles south of Benbecula on the island of
Albanian, UK forces conclude exercise Albanian Lion
Royal Navy and Royal Marines joined Albanian forces for an exercise which is part of the Royal Navy’s annual deployment of a crisis-focused amphibious task group, the Joint Expeditionary Force Maritime 16 (JEF(M)16). Several Royal Navy ships, including HMS Ocean and HMS Bulwark played a role in Alba
Warships gather in Scotland for international Joint Warrior drill
Some 5,700 military personnel from armed forces across the world will take part in the UK-led exercise Joint Warrior which will run from October 8 – 20. Scotland will host elements of a major military exercise when Exercise Joint Warrior begins on Saturday. In total, 31 warships and submarines, as w
NATO Response Force to be tested at ‘Noble Mariner’
The NATO Response Force (NRF) is a multinational force made up of land, air, maritime and Special Operations Forces (SOF) components that the Alliance can deploy quickly, wherever needed. The maritime commander for the NRF rotates among different groups annually. For 2017, the NRF Maritime Component
Italian multi-purpose vessels to be powered by Rolls-Royce engines
The Italian Navy has contracted Rolls-Royce to deliver 14 MTU diesel engines for the seven new multi-purpose ocean-going patrol vessels that are being built by Fincantieri. The PPA (Pattugliatori Polivalenti d’Altura) multi-purpose ocean-going patrol vessels form part of the Italian Navy’s fleet ren
Saab joins Unmanned Warrior with anti-sub and anti-IED vehicles
Swedish defense and security company Saab announced it would take part in the Royal Navy’s Unmanned Warrior exercise with an anti-submarine warfare training system and a waterborne anti-IED vehicle. Unmanned Warrior is a multinational event, held in Scotland and Wales between October 10 and 21, whic