Operations
HSWMS Carlskrona Conducts Medical Evacuation
Earlier last week HSwMS Carlskrona was contacted by the EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Force Commander on board the flagship of the operation the Portuguese warship NRP Álvares Cabral. A member of the ships company of the British Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) replenishment ship Fort Victoria, had suffered
Top News of The Week April 29 – May 4, 2013
USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Receives Battenberg Cup The aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) (IKE) received the Battenberg Cup in recognition of outstanding achievements over the course of 2012. The Battenberg Cup is awarded annually to the best all-around ship or submarine in the Atlanti
UK: HMS Cattistock Heads Home
She has just spent three months in the Mediterranean as part of the NATO Standing Mine Countermeasures Group 2, but now HMS Cattistock is coming home. • HMS Cattistock will call in at Poole on Friday (May 3), before even returning to her base port of Portsmouth, as she sails home from operations in
EU Parliament Members Visit EU NAVFOR’s Operational Headquarters
On May 2nd, members of the European Parliament Sub Committee on Security and Defence visited the Operational Headquarters of the European Union’s counter piracy mission – Operation Atalanta. The Sub Committee visitors were briefed on the role of the EU Naval Force Somalia, and given an update on the
UK: HMS Dragon Conducts Target Practice
A Portsmouth based destroyer has been undertaking target practice in the Gulf to test her state-of-the-art equipment. HMS Dragon has fully automated systems but sometimes they may not be available and the crew have to revert to doing things manually. As a result the Ship’s Company need to know how t
UK: Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose Hosts C4L Programme
Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose hosted a “Citizenship for Life” (C4L) programme for young people in West Cornwall, putting over 20 students and their mentors through a busy day of exercises and demanding challenges. C4L is an award winning programme that has been running for three years with an aim
UK: Royal Navy’s Head of Training Leaves South West
The Royal Navy’s head of training Rear Admiral Clive Johnstone leaves the South West after seeing through major changes. As Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST) he oversees the famous realistic weekly ‘Thursday War’ training exercise off the South West Coast which prepares ships for operations worldwide
HMS Ledbury Heads for Mediterranean
Portsmouth-based Royal Navy minehunter HMS Ledbury sails on Tuesday (May 7) for a four-month NATO mission in the Mediterranean. She will be working as part of a permanent multinational maritime force in the area known as Standing NATO Mine Counter Measures Group 2 (SNMCMG2). The group works througho
HMS Middleton Divers Hone Skills with Week in Gibraltar
Divers from minehunter HMS Middleton swapped England’s south coast for the warm waters of Gibraltar for a week of high-tempo training. The five-strong team made full use of the facilities on the Rock, practising search techniques, helping stricken divers, lifting mines from the seabed and carrying o
UK: HMS Bulwark to Arrive in North Shields
The Royal Navy’s Fleet Flagship, HMS Bulwark, will arrive in North Shields for a week-long visit, during which her ship’s company will cement the already strong relationship with affiliated County Durham. HMS Bulwark is playing a lead role in the forthcoming Battle of Atlantic 70th anniversary comme
EU NAVFOR Protects WFP Shipments to Somalia
Protecting World Food Programme (WFP) shipments to Somalia is a core task for EU Naval Force Somalia; ensuring the safe transportation of humanitarian aid to the Somali people. In 2013, WFP aims to bring humanitarian assistance to an estimated population of 1.56 million in Somalia. Since the beginni
HMS Dragon Refuels at Sea with US Carrier Strike Group
Only 36 hours after taking over the Gulf patrol duties from HMS Monmouth, HMS Dragon seized a unique opportunity to replenish her fuel supplies. Whilst this is not an unusual method of sustaining a unit on Operations it would normally involve just two units side by side at sea. On this occasion howe
UK: Successful Conclusion for Multinational Exercise Joint Warrior
A giant exercise off the coast of Scotland which involved more than 30 warships and 65 aircraft from 13 European countries has drawn to a close. Exercise Joint Warrior – a twice yearly event – saw the Royal Marines from 42 Commando return to their core amphibious skills as oppose to the land fightin
EUCAP NESTOR, EU NAVFOR, and Seychelles CG Hold Combined Counter-Piracy Exercise
EUCAP Nestor, EU Naval Force, and the Seychelles Coast Guard carried out a joint counter-piracy exercise in the Seychelles on 26 April. The exercise involved a mock interception of a suspected pirate skiff in Seychelles waters by the combined efforts of EU NAVFOR and the Seychelles Coast Guard. The