Australian HMAS Melbourne seized 151 kilograms of heroin worth an estimated $AUD44.5 ($32.6) million from a fishing dhow off the east coast of Africa November 30. HMAS Melbourne’s Commanding Officer Commander Bill Waters said the ship’s crew boarded a suspicious fishing vessel following surveillance
The Royal Navy’s upgraded submarine-hunting and maritime patrol helicopter will be contributing to the fight against piracy and terrorism on the high seas this winter. Tried and tested in European waters over the past couple of years – including a large-scale anti-submarine exercise in the Atlantic
Royal Navy’s Type 23 Frigate HMS St Albans left her homeport in Portsmouth for a nine-month deployment in the Middle East, yesterday, December 1. St Albans will continue the work that her sister ship, HMS Richmond, carried out earlier this year as part of the Royal Navy’s long-term presence East of
HMS Duncan returned to naval base Portsmouth from her maiden nine-month deployment to the Middle East on November 27. The Type 45 destroyer – the UK’s newest warship – left the UK in March and has sailed 43,000 nautical miles and visited 14 countries. She has policed busy shipping lanes in seven dif
The Northern Fleet large anti-submarine warfare (ASW) ship Vice Admiral Kulakov, finished passing the Suez Canal from the Mediterranean Sea into the Red Sea on November 20. Prior to entering the Red Sea offshore ocean zone, the crew of the Udaloy-class destroyer conducted training on damage control
The United States Naval Aviation rejoined the fight against ISIL November 19 when AV-8B Harriers launched from the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3). The Harriers from Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM)162 conducted their first missions over Iraq in support of Operation Inherent Reso
In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in Paris, France sent its carrier strike group — GAN, with the nuclear-powered FS Charles de Gaulle as flagship to the Middle East for the second time this year. This deployment is part of a mission called Arromanches 2 and represents the eighth deployment o
Italian navy divers from ITS Carabiniere conducted a diving exercise with sailors from the Royal Navy of Oman on November 9, 2015. The joint exercise was an opportunity for the divers to practice skills in the search, location and removal of simulated explosive charges underneath a ship’s hull. The
The U.S. Navy’s amphibious transport dock ship USS Arlington (LPD 24) completed its first transit of the Suez Canal and entered the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations, Nov. 9. The San Antonio-class ship completed the transit after conducting operations in the Mediterranean Sea and will rejoin the Kea
As the Royal Navy’s HMS Middleton set sail for the Persian Gulf, HMS Atherstone started her 6,700-mile trip back home. During her time in the Gulf, Atherstone has worked on ensuring security and stability in an area that contains three of the world’s six maritime chokepoints. She has covered some 44
Royal Navy’s HMS Defender started patrolling the Middle East after assuming her sister ship HMS Duncan’s role. The Type 45 destroyer officially assumed the role of Kipion operational destroyer and will spend nine months working with allies in the Mediterranean, Middle East and Gulf. HMS Defender dep
UK and the Royal Navy started the construction of a permanent naval base at the Mina Salman Port, Bahrain, on October 31. The works on the new base will include upgrades to the existing facilities at the Port, providing the Royal Navy with a forward operating base and a place to plan, store equipmen
The Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group (KSGARG) entered the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations (AOO) Oct. 31, after completing theater security operations in the U.S. 6th Fleet. The KSGARG is comprised of the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3), the amphibious transport dock USS Arlington (LP
The Essex Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and the embarked 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) departed the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations (AOO) Nov. 1. While on station in the U.S. 5th Fleet AOO, the ARG and MEU supported theater security cooperation efforts and provided a forward naval presence w
