Four NATO warships, that entered the Black Sea earlier this month, are taking part in the multinational Exercise BREEZE 2014 to enhance NATO solidarity and readiness. The ships are from the Standing NATO Mine Counter-Measures Group Two (SNMCMG2), one of the four NATO fleets that operate on a rotat
As the Russian Defense Ministry reported on Monday, the Russian Black Sea Fleet warships engaged in an exercise where they practiced hitting simulated enemy targets at sea. RIA Novosti quoted the ministerial statement which reads: “The strength group comprising a Bora-class hoverborne guided missi
The Crew of the LÉ Niamh responded to distress call in Cork Harbour on July 3 and rescued two men from an upturned pleasure craft. The LÉ Niamh, which was on patrol in the area, received a distress call shortly after 6pm and immediately dispatched a rigid inflatable boat (RIB) to the scene on [&he
The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Vella Gulf (CG 72) entered the Black Sea, July 7, to promote peace and stability in the region. While in the Black Sea, Vella Gulf will conduct a port visit in Bulgaria, then head back out to sea to participate in the Bulgarian-led exercise Breeze;
On Friday 4 July 2014 Rear Admiral Jürgen zur Mühlen, who is the Force Commander of the EU’s counter-piracy Operation Atalanta off the coast of Somalia, met with his counterpart, Rear Admiral Cho Young-joo from the Combined Task Force 151. During the meeting, which took place on board the Republic
The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Vella Gulf (CG 72) conducted joint maritime operations with the Turkish navy fast attack craft TCG Dogan (P 340) and TCG Marti (P 341) after departing Kusadasi, Turkey on July 6. Vella Gulf, Dogan and Marti conducted a surface exercise and a flag co
This was once one of Germany’s most famous military decorations – now a prized trophy aboard Portsmouth minehunter HMS Hurworth, 70 years after the ship’s predecessor shot down its holder’s bomber. In 1943, the previous Hurworth – a destroyer – shot down a Luftwaffe Junkers 88 dive-bomber over Sic
HMS Iron Duke has had her first port visit on her six month operational deployment to the Canary Island port of Santa Cruz in Tenerife. The 4,200 tonne warship went alongside the cruise ship port of Santa Cruz, the Capital of Tenerife for a 4 day visit, prior to embarking on her operations off [&h
The three ships assigned to Standing NATO Mine Counter Measures Group TWO (SNMCMG2) arrived in Burgas, Bulgaria, on Friday, 4 July 2014, for a scheduled port visit during their deployment to the Black Sea. Led by Captain Giovanni Piegaja (ITA N), SNMCMG2 is currently composed of ITS AVIERE (flagsh
Standing NATO Mine Counter-Measures Group TWO (SNMCMG2), one of NATO’s four Standing Maritime Forces, entered the Black Sea on Thursday, 3 July 2014, in a regularly scheduled deployment to enhance NATO’s solidarity and readiness in the region. Led by Captain Giovanni Piegaja (ITA Navy), SNMCMG2 is
On 2 July 2014, German Auxiliary Replenishment Tanker FGS Rhön completed her time deployed as part of EU Naval Force Somalia Operation Atalanta. The ship has significantly contributed to the success of the EU’s Counter Piracy Operation off the coast of Somalia for the last three months. FGS Rhön h
HMS Somerset is due to return to Devonport Naval Base, Plymouth on Friday 4 July after a successful six-month patrol policing key international shipping lanes in the Gulf and Indian Ocean. HMS Somerset has maintained a presence in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf since early 2014. During her six mont
On board HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën the Maltese Special Duties Enhanced Boarding Team (MSDEBT) works hard to maintain their skills by conducting regular training. Before the deployment started, the MSDEBT visited the Royal Netherlands Navy base in Den Helder to train on the ship with the onboard te
Two Type 45 destroyers have met up in the Eastern Mediterranean while deployed on operations. UK Navy’s HMS Defender and HMS Diamond rendezvoused off the coast of Cyprus – where Diamond was leaving to escort the last consignment of chemical weapons from Syria for destruction and Defender stocked u
