In the evening of 5th January, a merchant vessel sailing 260 miles off the Somali Coast, made a distress call, reporting that she was coming under attack by six men in a fast moving boat, armed with rocket propelled grenades. Thankfully, having employed avoidance tactics, the merchant vessel was abl
The delivery ceremony of two vessels for the United Arab Emirates Navy was held on Tuesday, January 8 at the Fincantieri shipyard in Muggiano (La Spezia). These were an “Abu Dhabi Class” corvette, launched in February 2011, and the “Ghantut” patrol vessel, launched at the same yard in January 2012.
Royal Navy destroyer HMS Edinburgh has returned to sea following a two week mid-deployment period of maintenance in Simon’s Town, South Africa. The Portsmouth-based ship will now continue with her Atlantic patrol and her third crossing of the South Atlantic so far in this deployment. After two month
On January the 3rd the Combat Replenishment Ship Cantabria left La Graña Naval Port in Spain for a one year deployment to Australia. Admiral Jaime Muñoz-Delgado (Spanish Navy Chief of Staff) and Admiral Santiago Bolivar (Admiral of the Fleet) attended the farewell ceremony. During his speech, Admira
A captain in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) will make an emotional return to Merseyside on Monday (Jan 7) after a three-month deployment to the Middle East and Indian Ocean… for it marks his final voyage after an incredible 44 years at sea. Captain Dale Worthington OBE, 61, from Southport, is the c
Black Sea Fleet (BSF) landing ships Nikolai Filchenkov and Azov passed the Turkish Straits on Dec 27 and soon will… [mappress] Source: Russian Navy, January 2, 2013; Image: Flot
During the morning of the 26 of December, after more than two weeks at sea on board his flagship, Force Commander of the EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia – Operation Atalanta, Rear Admiral Pedro García de Paredes, had a meeting with both the Djiboutian Chief of the Navy and the Chief of the Coast
Just 12 days after EU Naval Force warship BNS Louise Marie apprehended five suspect pirates at sea off the Somali Coast, the Belgium frigate has once again located a suspect skiff – this time with three men on board. The warship, which is operating as part of the European Union’s counter-piracy miss
1. January US Navy to Deploy Third Carrier Group to Persian Gulf The US will dispatch another carrier strike group led by USS Enterprise to the Persian Gulf in March 2012, reported US Navy on Jan 25. The carrier group based in Norfolk, VA will also include a guided missile cruiser and three [&hell
HMS Illustrious has arrived at the Mediterranean island of Malta for a five-day visit. More than 1,500 sailors and marines lined the deck of the Portsmouth-based helicopter carrier as she entered the port of Valletta. As well as an onboard reception for the Earl and Countess of Wessex, the ship will
HMS Blyth, one of the Royal Navy’s advanced Sandown-Class mine hunters, received an emotional welcomed home from families, friends and loved-ones, when the vessel and its 37-strong crew returned to HM Naval Base Clyde from a six-month NATO deployment. Home in time for Christmas and sporting Santa ha
Royal Navy warship HMS Diamond returned home to Portsmouth on today (December 21) from a successful maiden deployment to the Middle East.The new Type 45 destroyer sailed more than 31,000 miles on security and counter-piracy patrols in the Indian Ocean, Gulf of Oman and Arabian Gulf. HMS Diamond left
During the night of 12 December, EU Naval Force flagship ESPS Méndez Núnez conducted her first World Food Programme (WFP) escort as part of the EU’s counter piracy mission – Operation Atalanta. ESPS Méndez Núnez escorted MV Canarsie Princess along the Somali coastline to ensure the food aid she was
For the sixth time the Royal Navy has handed over the reins of a task force clamping down on piracy and terrorism in the Middle East. Two dozen sailors and Royal Marines, led by Commodore Bob Tarrant, have directed the operations of Combined Task Force 150 in the Indian Ocean for the past four month
