Defense Strategies
UK doubles support for NATO’s maritime missions in 2016
Speaking at the NATO Defence Ministerial meeting in Brussels, Belgium, UK’s Defence Secretary Michael Fallon announced that UK would almost double its deployments to NATO at sea in 2016. For the first time since 2010 the UK will contribute to NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1), an enduring com
Fincantieri starts work on Italian logistic support ship
Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri announced February 9 that it has started construction works on the Italian Navy’s logistic support ship which will be built under the Navy’s fleet renewal plan. The steel cutting ceremony of the ships stern section was held yesterday at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Riva
Mine countermeasure specialists visit Saab’s ROV facility
Saab Seaye, a manufacturer of electric powered Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) systems, hosted an international group of mine countermeasures specialists at its Fareham, Hampshire, UK facility. The group, that included the Deputy Director of The NATO Underwater Research Centre, saw a range of existi
SNMG1 docks in Amsterdam to recuperate from training
Ships of the Standing NATO Maritime Group ONE (SNMG1) arrived in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, for a scheduled port visit February 5, during their deployment to the North and Baltic Seas to enhance maritime security and to contribute to international stability. SNMG1’s visit to Amsterdam precedes the
NATO talks more ships as Russian naval might rises
Russia’s re-emergence as a strategic challenge and how NATO is going to respond to it was the center-discussion at the Surface Warship Summit in Bucharest, Romania, held January 26-28. Speaking at the summit, Vice Admiral Clive Johnstone CB CBE, Commander of Allied Maritime Command, said: “The combi
German Navy: ‘Weilheim’ returns while ‘Dillingen’ deploys
After spending six months at sea, German Navy’s Frankenthal-class mine hunter Weilheim returned to its homeport in Kiel, Germany on February 7. The German Navy 3rd Squadron ship was part of both the German contribution to NATO’s mine countermeasures group, the Standing NATO Mine Counter Measures Gro
NATO’s SNMG2 takes shape
German Navy’s combat support ship EGV Bonn, together with the Italian frigate ITS Libeccio and the Canadian frigate HMCS Fredericton, headed for the eastern Mediterranean. Turkish frigate TCG Barbaros joined them in Aksaz, Turkey. The group conducted a range of drills before and after their port cal
Germany and the Netherlands sign Joint Support Ship LOI
The Letter of Intent, signed February 4 between the Netherlands and Germany, breaks the ground for the development of the Joint Support Ship initiative and the amphibious operation capability. Germany is thereby acquiring new capabilities while the Dutch Navy is enabled to equip its ships more effic
MARCOM hosts IMS Director of Operations
The commander of NATO’s Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM), Vice Admiral Clive Johnstone, welcomed the NATO International Military Staff (IMS) Director of Operations, Major General Josef Blotz, to the headquarters for a briefing on NATO maritime operations, February 3. During the visit, Major General
Russian Navy plans large-scale exercise of Caspian flotilla
30 surface ships, motorboats and auxiliary vessels, more than 1000 servicemen and over 100 pieces of military equipment will be involved in the Russian naval exercise Caucasus 2016. The Russian Navy said that ship formations and Marine units of the Caspian flotilla started preparations for the strat
HMS Ramsey joins NATO’s SNMCMG1
HMS Ramsey, a Royal Navy minehunting vessel joined her NATO counterparts in Kiel January 21 to practise mine countermeasure operations. The Sandown-class minehunter, usually based in Faslane, arrived in Kiel after first sailing through the famous 98-kilometre Kiel-canal. It took the ship 9 hours to
Senegalese, Cape Verdean forces work with Spanish Navy
A Spanish Special Naval Warfare Force team (FGNE in its Spanish initials) is training Senegalese and Cape Verdean Forces on special operations missions as part of Exercise Flintlock 16. This multinational exercise is conducted by Sahel and NATO nations within the present Cooperative Security framewo
Protection for FS Charles de Gaulle
Fighter jets aboard the French aircraft carrier FS Charles de Gaulle have been conducting airstrikes against the Daesh positions in Syria since November 2015 while the carrier itself was positioned in the Persian Gulf. While the carrier is a powerful offensive ship it lacks armament to protect itsel
Migrant airlifted at high seas
One German corvette and one Spanish frigate participated in a medical evacuation of a migrant previously saved in the Mediterranean Sea. On January 28, German frigate FGS Ludwigshafen am Rhein carried out her first rescue operation on her deployment with Operation Sophia. The frigate embarked a tota