Defense Strategies
German Navy Vessels Meet at Sea
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
Bold Alligator 2014 Focuses on Crisis Response
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
UK MOD Offers Managed Service Provider Contracts
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
USS Ross to Enter the Black Sea
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
USS Mount Whitney Back in Its Italian Homeport
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
UK Navy Divers Challenge Each Other in Iceland
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 to Engage in Active Endeavour Op
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
Hull Misses the Chance to Host HMS Illustrious
Hull will not host the Royal Navy’s recently decommissioned aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious. Confirming that Hull’s bid to bring the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious to the city as a temporary visitor attraction had not made the final shortlist, Hull City Council Leader, Councillor Stephen Brady sa
HMS Grimsby Goes Mine Hunting off Cape Trafalgar, Spain
HMS Grimsby prowled the most hallowed waters in Royal Navy history as she took part in the largest naval exercise NATO has run this decade. The Faslane-based minehunter searched the waters off Cape Trafalgar in Spain where a deadly harvest of drill mines had been laid as part of Noble Justification.
Spanish Navy’s Duero Returns Home to Cartagena
Spanish Navy’s minehunter ‘Duero’ (M-35) has returned to her home port of Cartagena after concluding her integration into the Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 2 (SNMCMG-2). The minehunter was deployed for two-months. It was the second contribution of Spain to this NATO MCM group after the de
ITS Andrea Doria Supports UAE Counter-Piracy Week
The flagship of the EU Naval Force, ITS Andrea Doria, is visiting Dubai in support of the UAE Counter-Piracy Week. The UAE Counter-Piracy Week begins with the working groups and plenary session of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS), which is currently chaired by the Europea
IMCMEX 14 Kicks Off
Forty-two nations, engaged with their units in a training area stretching between the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, launched IMCMEX 14 (International Mine Counter Measure Exercise), the largest exercise of its kind. The third edition of the International MCM Exercise hosted by the U.S. Naval Force C
EASF Students Tour HNLMS van Speijk
On Thursday 23 October HNLMS van Speijk hosted a group of sixteen students from the East African Standby Forces (EASF) of the African Union. HNLMS Van Speijk was berthed in front of the Seychelles Coast Guard Headquarters and the Dutch warship’s commanding officer welcomed the EASF students on board
NATO Concludes Noble Mariner 14
Spain has been the host nation of NATO’s naval exercise ‘Noble Mariner 14’ held from the 16th to the 26th of October off the coast of Cartagena, Gulf of Cadiz and Alboran Sea with participation of 25 warships, six submarines and more than 4,000 servicemen from 16 different nations. This exercise was