Operations
Spanish offshore patrol boat heads for African deployment
Spanish Navy offshore patrol vessel (OPV) Serviola set sail from Ferrol to conduct a series of activities with African navies as part of the Defense Diplomacy Plan and a follow-on of the Africa Partnership Station (APS) initiative. These deployments are intended to enhance maritime security and coop
US Navy amphibious assault ship launches NATO’s Sea Sparrow missile
U.S. Navy’s amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) launched the NATO Sea Sparrow surface-to-air missile to engage a target drone during a fleet firing exercise. The missile was launched on September 18 off the coast of the U.S. territory of Guam during the biennial Valiant Shield exerc
Royal Navy flagship deploys to lead task force against ISIS
Royal Navy flagship HMS Ocean has sailed from Plymouth on a 6.5-month deployment during which it will serve as command ship for the international Combined Task Force 50 commander who will lead counter-terrorist activities. The amphibious assault ship will first form part of a UK Joint Expeditionary
USS Fort Worth concludes Marshall Islands stop en route to San Diego
U.S. Navy’s littoral combat ship USS Fort Worth (LCS 3) departed Kwajalein Atoll, Republic of the Marshall Islands, on September 18, after a brief stop en route to Naval Base San Diego. Fort Worth arrived in Kwajalein September 17 for refueling and stores onload prior to continuing the transit to he
Maritime patrol aircraft airdrops supplies to counter piracy ship in Gulf of Aden
A German maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft (MPRA) airdropped supplies to the Dutch Navy frigate HLNMS Tromp at sea in the Gulf of Aden. Both the ship and the plane are currently deployed to operation Atalanta and counter piracy activities off the coast of Somalia. The purpose of the over f
Australian Navy cadets embark HMAS Leeuwin for hydrographic experience
Royal Australian Navy cadets had an opportunity to witness hydrographic operations at sea when they embarked in HMAS Leeuwin with Hydrographic Survey Red Crew for a 10 week survey task off Western Australia’s North West Shelf. When Leeuwin sailed from Cairns for trials, the ship’s company took the o
Dutch offshore patrol vessel nabs two tonnes of cocaine
Royal Netherlands Navy offshore patrol ship HNLMS Groningem has seized two tonnes of cocaine after intercepting a small fishing boat in the Caribbean Sea. Five crew members were detained and transferred to the U.S. Coast Guard together with the found contraband. A U.S. maritime reconnaissance plane
Sea phase of Australian Kakadu exercise gets underway
Naval units taking part in the Australian-hosted multinational maritime exercise have sailed out of Darwin to begin the sea phase of Exercise Kakadu. The ships separated into three multi-national task groups once outside the harbor and will spend the next eight days undertaking a graduated program o
Australian Navy minehunters head for Solomon Islands and Render Safe 2016
Two Royal Australian Navy minehunters, HMAS Huon and HMAS Diamantina, spent the past four weeks training together before they set sail for their south-west Pacific deployment and support to operation Render Safe 16. This year’s iteration of Render Safe will be taking place in the vicinity of the Sol
USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier gets PIA halfway through
U.S. Navy’s Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) reached the halfway point of its Planned Incremental Availability (PIA) September 13, pierside at Naval Air Station North Island. PIA is a reoccurring part of a ship’s life cycle, scheduled approximately every 36 months. It’s
New security unit to protect Canadian Navy ships on deployment
The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) is developing a new capability called the Naval Security Team (NST) that will be tasked with protecting Canadian Navy ships and sailors while on deployment. According to the navy, NST will be composed primarily of naval reservists and will include a full-time command te
HMS Bulwark leads annual joint expeditionary force deployment
Royal Navy’s amphibious warship HMS Bulwark set sail on September 12 to lead a major exercise to the Adriatic and Arabian Seas. Plymouth-based HMS Bulwark has spent the last four weeks preparing for this autumn’s annual Joint Expeditionary Force (Maritime) (JEF) deployment with a combination of trai
Ocean Power Technologies gets contract to design sensor buoys for US Navy
The U.S. Office of Naval Research (ONR) has awarded Ocean Power Technologies a contract to design a new mass-spring oscillating PowerBuoy for mission critical sensors for the U.S. Navy. Under the approx. $250,000 contract, OPT is to design a PowerBuoy which will differ from the current PB3 type in t
German frigate to return from last operational deployment
German Navy frigate FGS Karlsruhe is scheduled to return from the Mediterranean Sea and her last operational deployment on September 16. The ship was first part of operation Sophia and later joined the NATO-led Again Sea patrol mission aimed at curbing people smuggling. Karlsruhe deployed half a yea