After engagement in Noble Justification from 13 to 26 October 2014 and obtaining a certification from NATO Response Force, the Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 2 (SNMCMG-2) continued on to enhance its skills in exercise Ariadne 2014. This year’s training will include, besides SNMCMG-2, HS Ad
New software developed by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) is being tested in two maritime operational centres in Kenya and the Seychelles to help fight piracy and improve maritime security. The software provides a live picture of ship traffic activity, indicating current ship p
Saturday, November 8, the Bulgarian Frigate VERNI concluded a more than a month‘s support to NATO‘s counter-terrorism Operation Active Endeavour (OAE). VERNI and her crew of 130 Sailors, under the command of Commander Pavlin Petcov, entered the Mediterranean Sea and commenced support to OAE on Octob
The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ross (DDG 71) arrived in Istanbul, Turkey, for a scheduled port visit, Nov. 9. Ross’ visit to Turkey reaffirms to NATO allies that the U.S. Navy shares a commitment to strengthening ties while working toward mutual goals of promoting peace and sta
The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Ross (DDG 71) conducted an underway engagement with the Romanian navy in the Black Sea, Nov. 7. The engagement was aimed at improving maritime readiness and capability; and reaffirming the commitment to promote peace and stability with US Navy’s a
The guided-missile destroyer USS Cole (DDG 67) and P-3C Orion aircraft from Patrol Squadron 4 (VP-4) will participate in the Turkish-led maritime exercise Mavi Balina, taking place Nov. 6-14 in the eastern Mediterranean. These U.S. assets will work alongside regional maritime forces to develop inter
Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2) ships arrived in Aksaz today for a port visit and to prepare for the Turkish Navy led Exercise MAVI BALINA. MAVI BALINA is a major anti-submarine warfare (ASW) exercise in the Mediterranean, conducted annually and involving multiple nations, including the Stand
The German Navy’s oldest commissioned ship, GORCH FOCK (A 60), took a moment to bid farewell to Standing NATO Maritime Group TWO (SNMG2) German ship FGS NIEDERSACHSEN as the latter nears the end of its final deployment. NIEDERSACHSEN Commanding Officer Cmdr. Kurt Leonards, said: To meet the GORCH FO
More than 4,500 Sailors from 19 countries got underway to train across a range of simultaneous, and near simultaneous, crisis response missions during Exercise Bold Alligator, the largest, multinational, amphibious exercise conducted in a decade. Rear Adm. Cindy Thebaud, commander, Expeditionary Str
The UK MOD has offered a set of managed service provider contracts to provide private-sector expertise to support the transformation of DE&S. Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) buys and supports all the equipment used by the armed forces. Contractors will work alongside existing DE&S staff to help
The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ross (DDG 71) forward deployed to Rota, Spain, will enter the Black Sea Nov. 4 to promote peace and stability in the region. Ross is deployed in a multi-mission role in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations to contribute to regional maritime secur
U.S. 6th Fleet’s command and control ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20), returned to its homeport of Gaeta, Italy, following routine operations to the Black Sea, Oct. 31. During the underway, Mount Whitney made port visits to Batumi, Georgia; Constanta, Romania; and Burgas, Bulgaria. The ship’s presenc
Devising highly complex explosive devices and then challenging each other to disarm them was the name of the game for Royal Navy divers during a NATO exercise in Iceland. Ten men from Fleet Diving Unit 2, based at Horsea Island, Portsmouth, worked with personnel from eight other nations in a series
Spanish Navy’s frigates ‘Reina Sofía’ (F-84) and ‘Almirante Juan de Borbón’ (F-102), integrated into the 2nd Standing NATO Maritime Group (SNMG-2), will participate in the counter-terrorist operation ‘Active Endeavour’ (OAE) during the months of November and December. The ‘Reina Sofía’ will particip
