Operations
Royal Navy refurbishing old Gibraltar signal station
The UK Royal Navy announced an investment of £2 million for the expansion and modernization of Gibraltar’s ‘Windy Hill’ monitoring station. Sitting high above the Strait of Gibraltar, personnel at the monitoring facility keep an eye on 60,000 ships entering or leaving the Mediterranean, or crossing
EU extends Mediterranean migrant mission to 2018
The European Union migrant-rescue mission in the Mediterranean Sea has been extended and will now run until December 31, 2018. EU leaders reached the agreement on July 25 after Italy curbed its protest against how the migrant crisis was being handled by other member states. The extension was expecte
RDEL launches two Indian Navy offshore patrol vessels
Indian shipbuilder Reliance Defence and Engineering Limited (RDEL) launched two offshore patrol vessels for the Indian Navy at its shipyard in Pipavav on July 25. Named Shachi and Shruti, the OPVs are the first two of overall five planned ships in the class. The primary role of the NOPVs will be to
German minehunter Sulzbach-Rosenberg joining NATO mine countermeasures group
German Navy’s Frankenthal-class minehunter FGS Sulzbach-Rosenberg will be joining NATO’ Standing Mine Counter Measure Group 1 (SNMCMG1) operating in the Baltic and North Seas, the German Navy has announced. The minehunter is set to depart its home port of Kiel, Germany, on July 28 to spend the follo
Belgian frigate concludes Mediterranean migrant mission as scheduled
Belgian Navy frigate BNS Louise Marie concluded her deployment to the EU-led migrant crisis operation in the Mediterranean Sea setting sail home on July 23. The multi-purpose frigate left operation Sophia after the scheduled 34 days of duties, despite calls for the frigate’s earlier withdrawal due t
US Navy resolves electromagnetic launcher issues
The issue of the U.S. Navy’s electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS) causing too much stress on F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler aircraft outfitted with wing-mounted, 480-gallon external fuel tanks (EFTs), has been resolved. According to an announcement from the U.S. Naval Air System
US Navy’s 10th amphibious transport dock completes final contract trials
The recently-commissioned San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock USS John P. Murtha (LPD 26) returned to Naval Base San Diego, July 21, after completing final contract trials (FCT). The USS John P. Murtha was commissioned in October 2016 in Philadelphia and arrived at her San Diego homeport in
USS America achieves another first
The U.S. Navy’s newest amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6), currently on its maiden deployment, completed the first connective replenishment (CONREP), as well as first replenishment-at-sea (RAS) and vertical replenishment (VERTREP) on July 19. The supplies were provided by the Military Seali
Germany to use recently decommissioned frigate as target ship
Less than a year after the German Bremen-class frigate FGS Karlsruhe returned from her last operational deployment, the navy announced it would sink the 35-year-old ship in upcoming tests. According to the navy, Karlsuhe will be detonated in the Baltic Sea sometime in 2018 after being fitted with va
US Navy destroyer Ralph Johnson completes builder’s trials
The U.S. Navy future Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Ralph Johnson (DDG 114) completed builder’s trials on July 20 after spending four days underway in the Gulf of Mexico, the U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command announced. Builder’s trials consist of a series of in-port and at-sea demonstrations that a
HMAS Arunta returns to Western Australia
Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Arunta returned to her home port of Fleet Base West in Rockingham, Western Australia, on July 23, completing the longest Middle Eastern deployment of an Australian Navy vessel since the first Gulf War. Senator for Western Australia, Linda Reynolds; Commander Austra
Authorities detain ship chartered to hamper migrant rescue in the Med
Authorities have reportedly surrounded and detained a ship chartered to obstruct migrant-rescue missions in the Mediterranean Sea. The vessel in question is the ‘C-Star’ and was chartered by an organization called Defend Europe which aims to prevent migrants reaching Europe through the Mediterranean
Carrier escort destroyer USS Laboon returns home
The U.S. Navy’s guided-missile destroyer USS Laboon (DDG 58) is back at her homeport of Norfolk, Virginia, after spending six months with the George H.W. Bush Carrier strike group in the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility (AOR). Under the leadership of Cmdr. Jason Labott, Laboon officers
Royal Navy Wildcat helicopter concludes German frigate integration
A Royal Navy Wildcat helicopter has wrapped up its integration aboard a German Navy frigate during her pre-deployment training which started in April this year. The Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) Yeovilton-based helicopter spent seven weeks aboard the Bremen-class frigate FGS Lübeck. This was also t