Task Force 508 of NATO’s counter-piracy Operation Ocean Shield has conducted training with Somali Coast Guard personnel. The training took place off the coast of the town of Hobyo on October 12th and 13th and marks the first time Somali maritime forces have trained in their territorial waters. Follo
Since 21 September an EU Naval Force Autonomous Vessel Protection Detachment (AVPD) from Serbia has been embarked onboard the World Food Programme (WFP) chartered vessel MV Douro and will remain so for the next three months. One of the core tasks of EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia Operation Atala
A Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) CHALLENGER (CL-604) from the Royal Danish Air Force (RDAF) is currently supporting NATO’s counter-piracy Operation OCEAN SHIELD Task Force 508 (CTF-508). The Danish MPA is stationed in the Seychelles and includes an aircrew and support team of 21 personnel, including
Having taken Operation Command of the EU Naval Force at the end of August, a priority for Major General Martin Smith MBE was to visit the Horn of Africa and the east African region to strengthen ties with the EU’s partners and highlight EU Naval Force’s commitment in the fight against Somali piracy.
Yesterday morning, five NATO ships assigned to Standing NATO Mine Counter-Measures Group TWO (SNMCMG2) arrived in Algiers for a scheduled port visit, during the Group’s deployment to the Mediterranean to enhance maritime security and readiness, and in support of NATO counter-terrorism Operation ACTI
US and UK Order Tomahawk Missiles from Raytheon Raytheon Co., Tucson, Arizona, is being awarded a $251,1 million firm-fixed-price contract for the procurement of 231 Tomahawk Block IV All-Up-Round missiles for the U.S. Navy (147 vertical launch systems and 64 capsule launch systems) and the United K
In the early morning of Friday 19 September, EU Naval Force frigate, ESPS Navarra, came to the assistance of a stricken yacht in the Gulf of Aden. The yacht had been detected on the warship’s radar in the early morning. ESPS Navarra’s Bridge team initially tried to hail the yacht via their VHF rad
VIDEO: US Navy Hires Kongsberg for NSM Testing Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace AS (KONGSBERG) is contracted by the US Navy to test fire KONGSBERG’s Naval Strike Missile (NSM) from the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) under the Foreign Comparative Testing program. SINKEX Units Sink Former USS Fresno Ships
On Tuesday 2 September the EU Force Commander, Rear Admiral Guido Rando, welcomed the Commander of the Japanese Escort Task Group, Captain Tsutomu Okawa, on board the EU Naval Force flagship, ITS Andrea Doria. Both ships are conducting counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden. The Japanese Es
On Saturday 30 August, EU Naval Force warship BNS Leopold I conducted their first friendly approach with two Yemeni fishing vessels. Having sighted the vessels at sea with approximately 15 men, women and children on board, the warship’s Boarding Party was dispatched to investigate the situation. O
On Tuesday 12 August, whilst conducting counter-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden, the EU Naval Force flagship and Italian Navy destroyer, ITS Andrea Doria, gave assistance to a stricken yacht. The yacht’s two French crewmembers had put out a mayday signal after they suffered engine failure. The
A Royal UK Navy frigate has been training with the Nigerian Navy allowing for an exchange of skills and techniques. HMS Iron Duke paid a short visit to Lagos, Nigeria, West Africa’s most populous city where the frigate worked with the Nigerian Navy as well as hosting a UK Trade and Industry Expo.
NATO’s Counter-Piracy Mission, Operation Ocean Shield, has bid farewell to the Italian destroyer ITS MIMBELLI. The ITS MIMBELLI left Task Force 508 on Wednesday, 6 August 2014, after a job very well done as part of Operation Ocean Shield. The continuous, main effort of Task Force 508 is keeping co
DDG 1000 Zumwalt-Class Destroyer Program Continues to Progress The DDG 1000 Zumwalt-class destroyer program continues to progress, meeting key program milestones on the path to Initial Operational Capability (IOC). As the prime mission systems integrator for the DDG 1000 ship class, Raytheon provide
