U.S. Navy destroyer USS Laboon (DDG 58) seized 270 kilograms of heroin from a small stateless dhow in the international waters of the Arabian Sea March 13. The dhow was intercepted after having been tracked by a helicopter from the Royal Navy’s Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) Fort Victoria. Both Laboon
Iran carried out another test firing of a naval missile with the successful launch of the Hormuz-2 missile, AFP reported citing Iranian media. According to AFP, General Amir-Ali Hadjizadeh, commander of the air wing of the Revolutionary Guards, told Iranian media that the missile destroyed a target
U.S. Navy surveillance ship USNS Invincible (T-AGM-24) was forced to change direction in order to avoid a collision with an Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps boat on March 4. The surveillance ship was harassed by several Iranian boats as it was transiting the Strait of Hormuz together with t
U.S. Navy guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea (CG 58) stopped in Souda Bay, Greece, for the first port visit during its 2017 deployment with the George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group (GHWBCSG). USS Philippine Sea was in Greece from March 1 to March 5 conducting a community relations project, w
Royal Navy flagship HMS Ocean visited Beirut en route home, becoming the first Royal Navy vessel in five years to visit the Lebanese capital. The helicopter carrier arrived in Lebanon on March 4 having concluded a six-month deployment in the Middle East. Ocean’s captain, Capt Rob Pedre, was joined b
Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Arunta recently seized over 800 kilos from a dhow in the Middle East, on March 2. Arunta was patrolling in the Arabian Sea and her specialist boarding team located the drugs hidden in a consignment of coffee. The drugs have an estimated street value of approximatel
U.S. Navy sailors and marines assigned to ships from the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group (BAT ARG) deployed for operations in Europe and the Middle East. Amphibious transport dock USS Mesa Verde (LPD 19) deployed from Naval Station Norfolk on February 24 and amphibious dock landing ship USS Carter Hal
The Iranian Navy has tested the latest version of the home-made Nasr missile during naval drills held in its territorial waters. According to Iranian English-language news agency Fars News, Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan said the cruise missile’s accuracy was confirmed aft
European missile manufacturer MBDA has been awarded a contract to supply additional Marte MK2/N anti-ship missiles to the UAE Navy, the company announced on Monday. This is a follow on to the contract signed in February 2009 for the supply of Marte missiles. Each high speed multi-role combat vessel
The “suicide boats” used by Yemen’s Houthi fighters during the recent attack on Royal Saudi Navy frigate Al-Madinah were actually unmanned boats, a U.S. Navy Vice Admiral told Defense News in a recent interview. Official reports from the January 30 incident said the frigate was attacked by three boa
UAE company Siham Al Khaleej Technology (SAKT) joined Europe’s Leonardo and MBDA for the unveiling of the newly-developed SIHAM3 combined anti-air and anti-surface weapon system at IDEX 2017. Jointly developed by the three companies, the system provides a stand-alone anti-air and anti-surface capabi
British and American battlefield medics practised wartime operations and procedures off the coast of the United Arab Emirates aboard the UK flagship HMS Ocean. A specialist US medical team joined the helicopter assault group for the casualty drill, one of the tests of the Plymouth-based warship in h
The first Royal Navy establishment overseas in nearly half a century will be ready for sailors and marines to move into by November, the Royal Navy said. Workers are on track to complete the future HMS Jufair in Bahrain that will provide accommodation, welfare and support facilities for up to 300 mi
Navy ships from Australia, Great Britain, France and the U.S. concluded their participation in the multi-national exercise Unified Trident that was held in the Persian Gulf. More than 15 ships, plus numerous aircraft from the four navies completed many different evolutions from January 31 to Februar
