German corvette FGS Erfurt which has been deployed to EUNAVFOR’s Operation Atalanta at the Horn of Africa since August 2015 recently welcomed a new crew. The corvette sailed 22.000 sea miles under the command of the outgoing Corvette Captain Robert Schmidt. Now, the crew of another corvette, the FGS
Operation Atalanta flagship ITS Carabiniere conducted a joint exercise with the French frigate FS Floreal in the waters off Seychelles’ main harbour on February 5, 2016. The exercise was coordinated by the ships’ commanding officers, Commander François Xavier Waroux and Commander Francesco Saladino.
Having seized almost a tonne of heroin and made more than 50 boarding operations, Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Melbourne is now returning home to Australia. The guided missile frigate handed over maritime security responsibilities to sister ship, HMAS Darwin, after five months of operations in
The U.S. Navy guided missile destroyer USS Higgins (DDG 76) is scheduled to return to its Naval Base San Diego homeport on February 11. The ship is on its way back from a 225-day independent deployment to the Arabian Gulf, Western Pacific, and Indian Oceans. While deployed to the U.S. 5th and 7th Fl
The Royal Netherlands Navy frigate HNLMS De Zeven Provincien (The Seven Provinces) left her homeport Willemstad, the Netherlands, for the Caribbean Sea. The first ship of the De Zeven Provincien class will be used as a station ship in the Lesser Antilles, Caribbean Sea. A Belgian Navy Alouette III h
Helicopters from the Royal Navy Auxiliary Fort Victoria have been providing direct front-line support to daily strikes from the French carrier Charles De Gaulle against Daesh in the Middle East. The distinctive Sea King Airborne Surveillance and Control Mk7 helicopters are scouring Gulf skies and se
More than 4,500 sailors and marines from the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) are scheduled to depart U.S. Navy Base San Diego for a deployment to the U.S. 3rd, 5th and 7th Fleet areas of operations, February 12. Before being certified to deploy, the indivi
U.S. Navy’s Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (Ike) rescued distressed mariners at sea, February 7. Ike received a distress call via bridge-to-bridge communications from the U.S.-flagged sailing vessel (S/V) Selket. The vessel was located 40-miles from Miami, with reports of a b
Images: EUNAVFOR 2016 Spanish Navy frigate ESPS Victoria on February 6 left EUNAVFOR’s Operation Atalanta after four months of counter-piracy operations in the Indian Ocean. Led by Commander Fernando José Suarez Fonseca, the ship’s crew contributed to Operation Atalanta which deters and disrupts pir
The Spanish Navy auxiliary oiler and replenishment (AOR) ship Patiño (A-14) set sail from Ferrol, Spain towards Halifax, Canada for a two-month deployment with the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN). In Halifax the Patiño will integrate into a US Navy and RCN task group to participate in the international ma
Ships of the Standing NATO Maritime Group ONE (SNMG1) arrived in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, for a scheduled port visit February 5, during their deployment to the North and Baltic Seas to enhance maritime security and to contribute to international stability. SNMG1’s visit to Amsterdam precedes the
As part of the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) 75th Anniversary celebrations, a formation entry into Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour was held Monday, February 8. The formation entry included a 17-gun salute from HMNZS Canterbury as she passed Devonport Naval Base at midday, and this was reciprocated with
The South African Navy took delivery of a second South African-built Damen ATD Tug 2909 at the naval base in Simon’s Town, Cape Town, February 4, 2016. Escorted by SA Navy’s existing six tugs, Inyathi, as the tug was named, was welcomed into the naval fleet with a traditional sail past. Inyathi, mea
The Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) Commander’s Conference took place in Bahrain on February 2 2016. The bi-annual conference brings together senior military representatives from CMF members, to update them on CMF’s achievements, assess operational effectiveness and discuss, in an open forum, ways of
