As of 23 March 2012 the Counter-Piracy force of the European Union (EUNAVFOR) which normally includes between 4 and 7 warships patrolling the Gulf of Aden and Horn of Africa will be joined by two new warships of the French navy; Frigate FS GEORGES LEYGUES and Amphibious Assault Ship FS DIXMUDE. FS G
On Friday 23 March 2012 the Council of the European Union confirmed its intention to extend the EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) counter-piracy mission, Operation ATALANTA off the Somali coast until December 2014. At the same time the Council also extended the area of operations to include Somali coastal
The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is on track to prove its mission readiness this month as its Fleet embarks on the second week of an intensive three week training exercise being conducted off the coast of Western Australia. HMA Ships Ballarat, Newcastle, Perth, Sirius, Warramunga and Collins are taki
A media day was held onboard the EU Naval Force Spanish flagship, ESPS PATIÑO alongside Mombasa Port on Thursday 15 March. The event was hosted by the EU Naval Force Commander, Rear Admiral Jorge Manso and the EU’s Head of Delegation in Kenya, Mr. Loedwijk Briet. They were also accompanied at the Me
The U.S. Navy has issued a Lockheed Martin-led industry team a $715 million contract modification to add funding for construction of two Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) – the third and fourth in a 10-ship contract awarded in December 2010. The contract modification is for construction of Little Rock (LC
Amount of pirate attacks off African coast sharply reduced in 2011, said French defense minister Gérard Longuet. About 200 attacks were registered in 2011 in contrast to 700 attacks in 2010; pirates captured 13 vessels in 2011, while in 2010 there were 30 ships, reports ITAR-TASS referring to Longue
Two new science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) laboratories have been opened at the Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women (BLSYW), thanks to a grant and in-kind support from Northrop Grumman Corporation. A ribbon-cutting ceremony took place on March 12 at the BLSYW campus on W
Austal has enhanced its positioning for Australian and international defence programs by entering into an agreement with mission system integrator General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems. The companies aim to combine Austal’s shipbuilding, systems and support capabilities with General Dynamics
HMAS Parramatta handed over duties to HMAS Melbourne in the Middle East maritime Area of Operations last week after completing a successful six-month maritime security and interception operation deployment as part of Operation SLIPPER rotation 27. HMAS Parramatta is now heading home to Fleet Base Ea
The Asian Shipowners’ Forum has called for a United Nations resolution that would see the international body sponsor and manage armed personnel on board ships sailing through pirate-infested waters. The call, in a statement released by ASF on Wednesday, follows the group’s proposal to Working Group
The first of 5 Steber Navy support vessels MV Koala, after the launching ceremony on February 9th 2012, was delivered to its new home in Sydney on Sunday, 4th March, 2012. Sea trials for the vessel, which lasted few weeks, were conducted on Manning River. The vessel, used by the Defence Force and Go
Over the past few days EUNAVFOR warships, operating as part of the EU’s counter-piracy mission codenamed Operation ATALANTA, have provided life-saving assistance to a stricken dhow, with 12 crew and 92 passengers onboard, including a pregnant woman and 33 children. The dhow had put out a distress si
The Ship’s Company of HMAS Parramatta has enjoyed a unique experience when the ship joined the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier battle group on 25 February in the North Arabian Sea. Parramatta closed in on the carrier group at speed and assumed plane guard station for the USS Abraham Lincoln where she wa
HMAS Parramatta has helped build ties with the Pakistan Navy and local residents after conducting a three-day visit to the port of Karachi in late February. The Karachi visit represented an important regional engagement and was focused on enhancing ties through knowledge sharing opportunities with t
