Funding
Italy blocks extension of EU migrant mission in the Med
Following an EU Committee report into the operation Sophia which said the undertaking is not working, EU members seem less willing to continue the mission. The mission which, as the report says, was failing to deliver its mandate of disrupting the migrant smugglers’ networks, was supposed to be exte
Royal Navy, Marines train with French counterparts on Jeanne d’Arc 2017
Royal Navy sailors and marines exercised with their counterparts from other countries during a five-month annual French naval deployment to the Indian Ocean and Far East. UK forces joined the French Navy assault ship FS Mistral in March as part of the Jeanne d’Arc 2017 French task group, which has v
Italian frigate concludes counter-piracy mission off the Horn of Africa
Italian Navy frigate ITS Espero is en route to her homeport after over two months of counter-piracy patrols off the Horn of Africa as part of the EUNAVFOR operation Atalanta. During her 108-day deployment ITS Espero’s ship’s company helped deter and suppress pirate attacks which started again in 201
Australia’s Future Submarine project opens French office
Australia’s Future Submarine project officially opened an office in Cherbourg, France in a July 9 ceremony attended by Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. The office is a tripartite secure facility which will house submarine designers, naval architects and engineers who will work alongside e
Turkish Coast Guard gets 2 SAR vessels from Damen
As part of an agreement between the European Union and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Damen Shipyards Group has delivered two SAR 1906 vessels to the Turkish Coast Guard. The two vessels – the first to be delivered in what is a six-vessel contract – will be mobilised in refugee
ITS Espero, Augsta-Bell AB 212 keep up pressure on pirates
As part of her counter-piracy patrols off the coast of Somalia, EU NAVFOR’s Italian warship, ITS Espero, has an Agusta-Bell AB 212 helicopter embarked. This highly capable helicopter provides the commanding officer with much-needed versatility, speed and range, as well as an intelligence-gathering c
EU NAVFOR protected over 1.5 Million tonnes of WFP Humanitarian Aid
One of EU NAVFOR’s key missions is to protect World Food Programme (WFP) vessels as they transit along the coastline of Somalia. It is essential that much-needed food and other humanitarian aid get safely delivered to the Somali people without any delay. EU NAVFOR has been protecting WFP vessels sin
International naval force operation seizes 2 tons of narcotics
The French-UK led Combined Task Force (CTF) 150 seized nearly two tons of narcotics in the last two months during an operation called Southern Surge. The seizures included 1250 kg of heroin and 455 kg of hashish. Narcotics trafficking, particularly heroin, has long been associated with funding terro
Spanish frigate wraps up four months of Aegis training with Australian Navy
Spanish Navy’s F-105 frigate ESPS Cristóbal Colón is on her way home after she spent the last four months stationed in Australia helping Royal Australian Navy sailors get acquainted with the Aegis combat system. During her time embedded with the Royal Australian Navy fleet she welcomed more than 200
Spanish frigate ESPS Victoria deploys to operation Sophia
Spanish Navy frigate Victoria departed Rota Naval Base on June 18 setting sail for Italy where she will integrate into operation Sophia to help fight human trafficking in the Mediterranean Sea. The F-80 frigate is scheduled to be part of the European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) from mid-June to mid
Belgian Navy frigate deploys to Mediterranean operation Sophia
Belgian Navy’s multi-purpose frigate BNS Louise Marie departed Belgian naval base Zeebrugge on Monday to start her deployment to the European operation Sophia in the Mediterranean Sea. Over the course of the next 30 days, Louise Marie will be representing the Belgian contribution to the EU mission o
French Navy Atlantique 2 MPA on first ever operation Sophia flight
A French Navy Atlantique 2 maritime patrol aircraft conducted its first ever operational flight as part of EUNAVFOR’s Mediterranean Sea operation Sophia on June 7. An upgraded version of the Breguet Atlantic that made its first flight in 1961, Atlantique 2 is joining four other aircraft from Spain,
Damen cuts first steel for Australian antarctic supply research vessel (ASRV)
Construction of Australia’s new antarctic supply research vessel (ASRV) started in Romania with a steel-cutting ceremony on May 31. Dutch shipbuilder Damen is in charge of constructing the vessel at its Galati, Romania, shipyard. The shipbuilder is constructing the ASRV for Serco Defence, a subsidia
French Navy ships engage Australian, Spanish Navy on their Asia deployment
After concluding amphibious drills with U.S. Marines off Guam recently, French Navy ships FS Mistral and FS Courbet trained with Australian and Spanish Navy ships in Australian waters. The French ships engaged Australian ships Success and Parramatta and the Spanish Navy’s Cristobal Colon in waters t