Spanish Navy minesweeper ESPS Tambre concluded its deployment to the Standing NATO Mine Counter Measures Group 2 and returned to Cartagena, Spain on March 28. The Segura-class minesweeper spent two months integrated into the maritime group which was comprised of ships from different NATO member stat
Photos: Belgian Navy Belgian Navy’s minehunter BNS Primula officially joined the Standing NATO Mine Counter Measures Group 1 on March 14 and on March 21 began its deployment as it, together with other ships from the group, sailed out of the Zeebruge harbor in Belgium. During the three months the shi
The U.S. Navy’s 6th Fleet operating in Europe and Africa has established a new task force that will be solely responsible for ballistic missile defense in Europe. On March 24, Commodore Jeffrey Wolstenholme assumed command of the newly established Commander, Task Force 64, as the unit was named. U.S
The UK Defence Infrastructure Organisation has awarded a £19 million (approx $26M) contract for the Mare Harbour, Falklands, to be upgraded to host larger Royal Navy ships. UK-based civil engineering company VolkerStevin will design and construct a facility suitable to cater for the Point-class ship
French patrol ship FS Commandant Bouan joined NATO’s Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2) in the Aegean Sea last week. Commandant Bouan is the second ship to reinforce the mission against human traffickers as the Dutch frigate HNLMS Van Amstel sailed for the Aegean on March 10. SNMG2 is conducting
Led by the Turkish tender TCG Cezayirli Gazi Hasan Pasa, ships from NATO’s mine counter measures group two (SNMCMG2) arrived in Bar, Montenegro, March 18. The ships are on a scheduled port visit during the group’s deployment to the Mediterranean to enhance maritime security and readiness. The visit
Swedish Marine Brigadier General Ola Truedsson on March 10 visited the participants of NATO exercise Dynamic Move 16 (DME16) taking place in Oostende, Belgium. DME16 is an annual Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM) tactical-level Mine Counter Measure Command Post Exercise and is designed to train parti
Commander of NATO’s Allied Maritime Command, Vice Admiral Clive Johnstone, visited the Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 currently deployed to the Aegean with the task of combating migrant smuggling. The Commander went on board the German combat support ship EGV Bonn, the flagship of SNMG as the ship c
Ships assigned to Standing NATO Mine Counter Measures Group 2 (SNMCMG2) have recently completed their latest Mine Counter Measure Exercise, (MCMEX), Exercise Ariadne 16, in the Gulf of Patras, Greece. Led by Captain Ramazan Kesgin (Turkish Navy) SNMCMG2 is currently comprised of the flagship TCG Cez
Royal Navy personnel from HMS Excellent, a shore establishment of the Navy, will head to the Arabian Gulf where they will assume command of the Combined Task Force 150 next month. Part of Combined Maritime Forces, Combined Task Force 150 is policing more than two million square miles of sea on the l
Ships and submarines participating in the NATO Submarine Command-led exercise Dynamic Manta have their drills on March 4. Spanish F-80 frigate Santa María arrived at her homeport in Rota Naval Base on March 10 after participating in the multinational exercise along with the French replenishment ship
On its way back from the Norwegian-hosted exercise Cold Response, Royal Navy’s Type 23 frigate HMS Iron Duke visited Oslo, Norway. The Portsmouth-based ship hosted the British ambassador and was welcoming the public on board during the weekend. HMS Iron Duke was berthed outboard of ESPS Cantabria fo
NATO’s Maritime Command gathered 160 participants from 19 countries, including Partnership for Peace (PFP) countries Finland and Sweden, for the annual two-week long Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM) tactical-level Mine Counter Measure (MCM) Command Post Exercise (CPX) which started March 7. The exer
Images: Belgian Navy French Navy frigate Primauguet (D 644) docked in Zeebrugge, Belgium for a routine port visit on March 10 and is set to stay until March 13. The frigate was on its way back from the international exercise Cold Response 2016, which took place in Norwegian waters and hosted 20 wars
