Operations
EU NAVFOR’s Somalia mission receives new Operation Commander
The EU Political and Security Committee on May 18 appointed Brigadier Robert Magowan, an officer from the British Royal Marines, as Operation Commander for the EU Naval Force Somalia, Operation Atalanta. Brigadier Magowan is taking the place of Major General Martin Smith. He is expected to take up h
First rescue operation in the Mediterranean for LE Roisin
Irish Navy’s offshore patrol vessel LÉ Róisín has taken part in the first rescue operation in the Mediterranean since it joined the life saving efforts in May 2016. Following a request from the Italian Maritime Rescue Co-Ordination Centre on May 16, the LÉ Róisín successfully located and rescued a t
US Navy destroyer visits Polynesian Kingdom of Tonga
U.S. Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance became the first U.S. warship to dock in the Kingdom of Tonga as it completed a four-day port call in the northern port of the kingdom, May 10. In 2011, USS Cleveland (LPD 7) anchored offshore, as did USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52) in
Royal Navy’s HMS Bulwark returns from five week training in UK waters
Royal Navy’s Albion-class assault ship HMS Bulwark has returned to Plymouth, England after five weeks of exercises and training across the UK. Leaving Plymouth in early April, the ship took part in Exercise Griffin Strike with other UK and French units including HMS Ocean for advanced naval warfare
Spanish, Moroccan Navy conduct MAES-16
One Spanish and one Royal Morocco Navy frigate met in the Gulf of Cadiz to conduct the bilateral exercise MAES-16 from May 4 – 12. Spanish Santa Maria-class frigate Canarias and Moroccan Sigma-class frigate Allal Ben Abdellah carried out a series of training activities in the Gulf of Cadiz under the
German Braunschweig-class corvette deploys to UNIFIL mission, Lebanon
First ship of the German Navy’s newest K130 Braunschweig-class corvettes, FGS Braunschweig, will set sail for a one-year deployment to the UNIFIL mission in Lebanon. The ocean-going corvette will leave her homeport in Warnemünde, Germany Monday, May 16. Braunschweig’s crew of 54 soldiers, commanded
Australian Anzac frigate visits Manila
The lead ship of Royal Australian Navy’s Anzac-class guided missile frigates, HMAS Anzac, will be on a visit to Manila from May 16 to 21, 2016 as part of its current deployment around South-East Asia. On sailing from Manila, Anzac will exercise with the Philippine Navy’s BRP Rajah Humabon in the wat
USS Charlotte returns to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam
U.S. Navy’s Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Charlotte (SSN 766) returned from a six-month Western Pacific deployment to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, May 13. During the deployment, 26 sailors earned their designation as qualified in submarines and now wear their dolphin warfare insigni
ESPS Santa Maria relieves ESPS Tornado in Operation Atalanta
EU NAVFOR’s Operation Atalanta has welcomed back the Spanish Navy frigate ESPS Santa Maria. The ship was previously deployed on Op Atalanta in 2011 and will be conducting counter-piracy patrols over the coming five months. ESPS Santa Maria has an embarked Seahawk helicopter on board, allowing her to
Indian Navy ships visit Bahrain during Middle East tour
Indian Naval Ships Delhi, Tarkash and Deepak pulled alongside in Manama as their latest destination on their Middle East tour. The three ships, a destroyer, a frigate and a tanker, entered the Bahraini capital on May 16. During the visit, the crew of IN ships will undertake professional interactions
USS Stout deploys to U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet
Sailors aboard the U.S. Navy’s guided-missile destroyer USS Stout (DDG 55) departed their Norfolk homeport May 14 for a scheduled deployment to the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of operations. Stout recently completed a training cycle in preparation for deployment while simultaneously assisting two o
Combined Maritime Forces and EU NAVFOR bolster friendship
Rear Admiral Ken Cheong, Commander of Combined Task Force (CTF) 151, recently visited the EU NAVFOR’s operation Atalanta flagship, FGS Bayern in Salalah in the Gulf of Aden. Radm Cheong, who works for Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), met the Force Commander EU NAVFOR, Radm Jan Kaack, onboard FGS Baye
U.S. Navy fires Commander of marines captured by Iran
The commander in charge of ten U.S. sailors who were detained by Iran in January 2016 was fired due to what the U.S. Navy termed as a ‘loss of confidence in his ability to command’. Commander Eric Rasch who was commanding the Coastal Riverine Squadron (CRS) 3 at the time of the incident was relieved
Canadian Naval Reserve to assume force protection duties
The Royal Canadian Navy Deputy Commander in December 2015 ordered the creation of a new naval unit that would enhance RCN Force Protection (FP). Under Maritime Forces Pacific as supporting Commander, the Commander of the Naval Reserve (NAVRES) was mandated to work on the development of this new One-