Operations
USS Texas back from second Western Pacific deployment
Having completed its second scheduled deployment to the Western Pacific, U.S. Navy’s Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Texas (SSN 775) returned to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, March 9. During deployment, the boat steamed over 27,000 miles and conducted four port-call visits in two foreign
Coast Guard Cutter Valiant returns home with $141 million of drugs seized
Having seized more than $141 million worth of illegal narcotics, the United States Coast Guard Cutter Valiant returned to its Naval Station Mayport homebase on March 9 from an eight-week counter-drug deployment. The Valiant was deployed to the Eastern Pacific Ocean in support of Joint Interagency Ta
HNLMS Van Amstel joins NATO in the Aegean Sea
The Royal Netherlands Navy’s Karel Doorman-class frigate HNLMS Van Amstel is joining NATO’s fight against people-smugglers in the Aegean Sea. The De Schelde Group-built frigate will integrate into NATO’s Standing Nato Mine Maritime Group 2 (SNMG 2). The ship was already at sea and is now sailing tow
German patrol aircraft deploys to Operation Atalanta
German Navy’s maritime patrol aircraft, ‘Orion’ P-3C , took off from the naval airbase Nordholz, Germany on March 9 and headed for the Horn of Africa. With a stop-over in the Mediterranean, the aircraft is expected to reach Djibouti on March 10. According to the German Navy, 50 soldiers from the Nav
Indian Navy ship visits Mauritius for National Day celebrations
Indian Navy’s guided missile frigate INS Tabar entered Port Louis, Mauritius where it will participate in the Mauritius National Day celebrations. On the occasion, the ship would be fielding a marching contingent in addition to a fly-past by the embarked Chetak helicopter and a performance by the In
Dutch Navy, Caribbean Coast Guard intercept 600 kilos of cocaine
Dutch Navy’s HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën, in collaboration with the Caribbean Coast Guard, intercepted around 600 kilos of cocaine north of the Venezuelan coast, March 5. The intervention came shortly after the frigate’s first bust on its Caribbean deployment when the ship captured more than 400 kilog
Spanish OPV Atalaya works with Mauritanian Navy, Cape Verdean Coast Guard
Spanish Navy’s offshore patrol vessel (OPV) Atalaya (P-74), under command of the Maritime Security and Surveillance Center, has conducted a series of cooperative security operations with the Mauritanian Navy last week, and is now collaborating with the Cape Verdean Coast Guard. While in Mauritania,
Royal Australian Navy gets new navigators
Navigators aboard HMAS Warramunga have completed a two week deployment to New Zealand as a final stage of the Surface Combatant Navigation Course. Navigators from the Royal Australian and Royal New Zealand Navies conducted precision pilotages around the coast of New Zealand during which the ship als
Combined Maritime Task Forces in counter piracy drills
Combined Maritime Task Force 151 (CTF151) recently took part in Counter Piracy training operations with the Operation Atalanta flagship ITS Carabiniere in the Gulf of Aden. Pakistan Naval ship PNS Saif and Republic of Korea ship ROK Choi Young joined the Italian frigate to conduct counter piracy tra
German frigate bids farewell to French aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf
Having sailed 23000 nautical miles safeguarding the French aircraft carrier FS Charles de Gaulle in the Middle East, the German frigate FGS Augsburg has bid farewell to the international group and headed home. During the group’s deployment in the Persian Gulf, French aircraft conducted 23 reconnai
U.S. Navy concludes South China Sea patrols
U.S. Navy’s carrier strike group has concluded South China Sea patrols and moved into the Philippine Sea through the Luzon Strait, the Navy said on March 7. The John C. Stennis Strike Group (JCSSG) operated in the South China Sea, March 1 through March 6. It was the crew’s first time operating there
Dutch Navy ship makes first drug interception on Caribbean deployment
The Royal Netherlands Navy ship HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën seized more than 400 kilos of marijuana in the Caribbean last week. De Zeven Provinciën was joined by members of the US Coast Guard and the Belgian Navy Alouette III helicopter which is embarked on the Dutch frigate. The action was coordinate
Op Sophia: 208 migrants rescued off Libya
Op Sophia vessels, assisted by the Spanish air force aircraft Vigma D-4 rescued 208 migrants at sea, while they were sailing towards Europe on March 6. According to EUNAVFOR, migrants on board two rubber boats were spotted by the Vigma D-4 aircraft 30 Nautical Miles North of Tripoli. The aircraft th
Raytheon: Standard Missile 6 breaks engagement range record
American defence contractor Raytheon on March 7 announced its Standard Missile-6, “successfully engaged five targets and shattered its previous maximum engagement range record”. The previous such record was set in June of 2014. According to the company, this test series, supported by the Cooperative