Operations
UK: BRNC Officer Cadets Tour HMS Sutherland
Officer Cadets under training at Britannia Royal Naval College got their first taste of a warship last weekend when HMS Sutherland sailed into the River Dart. The Type 23 frigate took a break from training off the South coast and during the visit gave the Cadets a tour of the ship, when they were ab
ATALANTA: Spanish Air P3 Orion Detachment Clocks Up 5,000 Flying Hours
On Friday 19 July 2013, the Spanish Maritime Air ‘P3 Orion’ Detachment, operating as part of the European Union’s counter piracy Operation Atalanta, reached its 5,000 flying hours milestone. The 5,000 flying hours milestone was reached at 15:05 local time on Friday, with the Spanish Air Force Detach
Meteoro Sets Sail for Atalanta, Indian Ocean
Maritime Action Ship ‘Meteoro’, homeported in Las Palmas (the Canary Islands), departed on deployment on July 15 to participate in counter-piracy operation ‘Atalanta’ in the Indian Ocean. The farewell ceremony was presided over by the Flag Officer of the Canary Islands Naval Command Gregorio Bueno M
HMS Lancaster on the Lookout for Drug Trafficking
Following a successful drugs bust on the island of Anguilla, a Royal Navy warship is now fully engaged in her new counter narcotics role. HMS Lancaster, one of the Royal Navy’s Type 23 frigates, recently helped the Royal Anguilla Police Force track down a series of cannabis plantations on the island
UK: New EU NAVFOR Deputy Operation Commander
On 19 July 2013, Read Admiral Eric Dupont (French Navy) handed over the role of Deputy Operation Commander (DCOM) of the European Union Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia – Operation Atalanta to Rear Admiral Jean Martens (German Navy). The handover took place at the Operation Headquarters (OHQ) in Nort
Ukraine: Exercise Sea Breeze Draws to a Close
Exercise Sea Breeze 2013, the 16th iteration of the largest annual multinational maritime exercise in the Black Sea, ended July 20, as representatives from the 14 participating partner nations gathered together for the exercise closing ceremony. Naval, air, and land forces from participating countri
HMS Severn Hosts Royal Thai Navy Officers
HMS Severn had the pleasure of hosting two Officers from the Royal Thai Navy during a recent period of sea training. She showcased a variety of damage control exercises as well as demonstrating her utility and broad range of capabilities. She showcased a variety of damage control exercises as well a
UK: Second Sea Lord Welcomes Home Crew of Second Mine Countermeasure Squadron
Second Sea Lord Vice Admiral David Steel; personally met Crew 1 of the Second Mine Countermeasure Squadron yesterday during an informal ceremony onboard HMS Victory, in recognition of their achievements during a 6 and a half month deployment to the Gulf. MCM 2 Crew 1 who served onboard the Atherston
EU NAVFOR Helicopter Overflies MV Albedo, FV Naham 3
Last week EU Naval Force confirmed that the Malaysian flagged Motor Vessel, MV Albedo, held by armed pirates in an anchorage close to the Somali coast since November 2010, had sunk in rough seas. Since then EU Naval Force warships and a Maritime Patrol Aircraft have conducted sea and air searches in
UK: HMS Protector Cancels Visit
The Royal Navy’s HMS Protector, which had been due in the port of Ipswich from July 19-24, has been forced to pull out of her visit for operational reasons. The 90-metre Antarctic patrol vessel visited the Suffolk port last year and is affiliated to the City of Cambridge, home of the British Antarct
RFA Black Rover Visits South Georgia
Just days after sailors from HMS Argyll trekked across South Georgia, the crew of tanker RFA Black Rover were treated to a visit to the snow-laden paradise. The tanker, which has recently taken over from her sister Gold Rover in the South Atlantic, spent four days anchored in Cumberland Bay off the
UK: HMS Lancaster Helps Detecting Three Cannabis Plantations
The Ship’s Company of HMS Lancaster have been praised by police for helping detect three cannabis plantations in the Caribbean resulting in the seizure of 204 plants. HMS Lancaster is currently deployed on patrol in the North Atlantic and Caribbean and was on a visit to the island of Anguilla when t
VP 47 P-3 Patrols Black Sea
The Golden Swordsmen of Patrol Squadron (VP) 47 flew their first mission July 16 in support of the multinational surface ships operating in the Black Sea on the first day of the underway operations phase of Sea Breeze 2013. Flying the P-3C Orion aircraft, the crew used their expertise in maritime do
Refitted HMS Chiddingfold Gets to Grips with Her New Kit
Minehunter HMS Chiddingfold is nearing the end of her long road out of refit by coming through a month-long examination of the Navy’s Operational Sea Training in Scotland. The Portsmouth-based minehunter was out of action for 572 days undergoing a massive overhaul, including receiving new caterpilla