The U.S. Navy’s Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) with embarked marines departed the 7th Fleet area of operations after concluding several port visits and exchanges with partner militaries on November 30. By doing so, the Makin Island ARG is joining the Wasp ARG and the USS Dwight D. Eisenho
Spanish Navy’s F-100 frigate Álvaro de Bazán returned to her home port after integrating into the Defense and Air Operations Command (MDOA in its Spanish initials). The purpose of this deployment was to conduct air surveillance and naval presence in several western Mediterranean areas. F-100 frigate
U.S. Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Porter departed Rota, Spain on November 30 to begin its regularly scheduled deployment. Porter’s operations will provide the ship and crew an opportunity to strengthen and build naval capabilities with allies and partners in the region and
Denel’s Umkhonto surface-to-air missile that was installed on the Algerian Navy’s second Meko frigate is set to undergo extensive testing in early 2017. The two frigates, with an option for another two, are built at the Blohm + Voss shipyard in Northern Germany. Denel Dynamics supplies the SAM syste
The crew of Royal Australian Navy’s Anzac class frigate HMAS Arunta recently took the opportunity to conduct exercises with their Indian Navy counterparts after a port visit to Goa, India. After a short period alongside that included games of cricket and volleyball, Arunta sailed from Goa in company
U.S. Navy’s George H.W. Bush carrier strike group (GHWBCSG) departed Norfolk on November 28 to begin preparing for an upcoming deployment with a composite training unit exercise (COMPTUEX). During COMPTUEX, the group will combine technology, training, and tactics into multiple scenarios leading to c
U.S. Navy’s guided-missile destroyer USS Mason (DDG 87) commanders and French officials from the Charles de Gaulle Strike Group (CDGSG) met while operating together in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, Nov. 25, 2016. Having replaced the guided-missile destroyer USS Ross (DDG 71), Mason is deployed to s
The European Council extended operation Atalanta’s mandate to deter, disrupt and repress acts of piracy off the coast of Somalia until 31 December 2018. Operation Atalanta’s two-year mandate extension comes amidst concerns within European Union member states that whilst pirate attacks on merchant sh
Following the conclusion of Turkish-led exercise Mavi Balina, ships from several NATO countries kicked off a mine-warfare exercise in the Aegean Sea on Monday, November 28. The second Turkish exercise of the month will run through December 4 and will be aimed at testing combat readiness and strength
Ships from several nations concluded their participation in the Turkish-led exercise Mavi Balina in the Mediterranean Sea. Participating nations included Pakistan, Romania, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States. NATO Maritime Group 2, as well as observers from Algeria, Nigeria, and Georg
The crew of a Royal Navy patrol boat rescued a 61-year-old kayaker on Sunday after his upturned kayak was spotted in the Solent following a mayday call. A student aboard HMS Smiter spied a black object in the water off Lee-on-the-Solent as the boat and RNLI responded to an SOS: a kayaker had capsize
German Navy’s replenishment oiler Rhön is set to return to its homeport in Wilhelmshaven after completing a two-month deployment to NATO’s standing maritime group 1 (SNMG1). Rhön is scheduled to enter harbor on November 30 after spending 57 days at sea and sailing 9,000 nautical miles. The ship depa
The Defence Research and Development Canada is set to test the TRAPS (Towed Reelable Active Passive Sonar), a variable depth ASW sonar on Royal Canadian Navy ships. The department has contracted GeoSpectrum Technologies Inc. to deliver the systems for testing. According to GeoSpectrum, TRAPS is a to
Royal Navy Commodore Andrew Burns, commander of Amphibious Task Group embarked on the U.K.’s HMS Ocean (L 12), took command of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command’s Task Force (CTF) 50 in the Arabian Gulf, November 25. This marks the first time a Royal Navy officer has led a U.S. task force in the Mid
