Finland’s defense minister on December 19 authorized the country’s defense forces’ logistics command to sign contracts for the upgrade of Hamina-class fast attack missile craft (FAC). The authorization follows the signing of a letter of intent and a pre-design activities contract with Patria Aviatio
Dutch shipbuilder Damen has contracted Bakker Sliedrecht to deliver its electrical auxiliary propulsion system for the Mexican Navy’s SIGMA 10514 long-range patrol vessel. The vessel is currently under construction at Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding (DSNS) in Vlissingen, the Netherlands, after the
Members of the US Naval Amphibious Force, Task Force 51, 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade (TF 51/5) on December 13 started a bilateral amphibious combat rehearsal in international waters off the coast of Djibouti, Africa. They will be teaming up with the French Task Group 473.1 which is composed of
The crew of US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Carney (DDG 64) concluded the first port call of their forward-deployed patrol, departing Valletta, Malta, on December 12. USS Carney also became the first US Navy ship to moor in Valletta since 2014. “We are thankful for the hos
The Royal Navy’s submarine service achieved a major milestone recently as a Vanguard submarine completed the country’s 350th deterrent patrol. As the country’s ultimate weapon, submarine operations and movements are kept a closely guarded secret, but the ‘Silent Service’ has temporarily broken its s
Finnish boat builder Boomeranger Boats will be delivering its rigid hull inflatable boats to the United Arab Emirates and the Indian Navy after signing the contracts earlier this year. Announcing the contracts, the company said it is set to deliver a total of 34 special operations boats to the Unite
The Ukrainian Navy named the last four of its overall six Gurza-M-class artillery boats in a ceremony at the Odessa Port on December 5. Named Vyshgorod, Kremenchug, Luben and Nikopol, the four boats carry names of Ukrainian cities. The first two units, commissioned December 2016, are named Akkerman
After concluding several days of drills with the Egyptian Navy, the French task group composed of helicopter carrier BPC Tonnerre and destroyer FS Chevalier Paul pulled into Aqaba, Jordan, to embark US Marines on December 4. The French Task Group 473.1, together with sailors and marines from Naval A
The Finnish Navy’s three Pansio-class minelayers have completed their midlife upgrade program, Atlas Elektronik Finland Oy – the prime contractor on the project – announced. FNS Pyhäranta, the third and final vessel to undergo the upgrade, was delivered to the Finnish Defence Forces Logistics Comman
On November 27, 2017, Fincantieri delivered Offshore Patrol Vessel P61 to the Armed Forces of Malta, following upgrading activities carried out at the Group’s drydocking facility within the Port of Genoa. The aim of the works, which lasted about 6 months, was to improve the reaction capability of th
A new £18 million contract for work on the Royal Navy’s Long Range Radar (LRR) was announced by UK defense minister Harriett Baldwin as she visited BAE Systems’ Great Baddow site on November 23. The contract will ensure the continued availability of Long Range Radar (LRR) equipment on the UK’s six T
Royal Navy destroyer HMS Diamond is returning home early from a deployment to the Persian Gulf after experiencing propeller problems. The Type 45 destroyer was forced to leave the gulf despite sailors’ efforts to repair the ship at sea, a Times report on November 23 said. The problems are reportedly
In what is obviously a response to the massive international search and recuse effort for the missing Argentine Navy submarine ARA San Juan, the German Navy published an article on its site, outlining the various systems and procedures put in place to protect submariners should a German Navy submari
Royal Navy frigate HMS Somerset scrambled recently to shadow a Russian naval destroyer as it transited the Moray Firth, returning home from the Mediterranean Sea. It was not the Kulakov’s first visit to UK waters as the destroyer was also shadowed by HMS Somerset from the same position in the Moray
