A new Royal Navy small survey vessel that will replace the recently decommissioned HMSML Gleaner will be named HMS Magpie, Royal Navy First Sea Lord Admiral Philip Jones announced. The last HMS Magpie was commanded by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh in Malta in the early 1950s. Motor Survey launch Magpie
The Royal Navy’s smallest commissioned vessel, Her Majesty’s Survey Launch Gleaner, returned to Devonport homeport one last time on Tuesday ahead of her decommissioning. In mist and rain, and with a 16-metre decommissioning pennant tied to the stern rail to prevent it flapping around uncontrollably,
Finnish Navy’s Hamina-class missile boats will be receiving new Bofors 40 Mk4 naval guns delivered by BAE Systems under a contract with Finland’s Patria. Patria is the prime contractor selected by Finland’s defense ministry to coordinate the missile boat upgrades. “Finland is the third country to se
Warships from NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2) will enter the Black Sea to join their mine countermeasure countermeasure counterparts already operating in the region. After SNMG2 ships from the UK and Turkey enter the Black Sea through the Bosphorus, they are scheduled to join Standing NATO
A Russian SU-27 fighter aircraft came within 5 feet of a US Navy EP-3 signals reconnaissance aircraft during an intercept over the Black Sea on January 29, the US state department said. The event took place in international airspace, US Naval Forces Europe confirmed adding that the Russian aircraft
Two European frigates, one from Norway and the other from Germany, arrived at Norfolk naval base Jan. 26 and 28 to join the US Navy carrier strike group assembled around aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman. Royal Norwegian Navy frigate HNoMS Roald Amundsen (F 311) and Sachsen-class German frigate H
Ships from NATO’s Standing NATO Mine Counter Measures Group One (SNMCMG1) under command of Commander Peter Ramboer of the Belgian Navy arrived in Hull, UK on January 26. The group made a routine port visit to Hull as part of their annual schedule of operations. While in Hull, officers made courtesy
The Romanian Navy has deployed one its four Musca-class minesweepers to join NATO’s Standing Mine Countermeasures Group 2 as it operates in the Black Sea. SNMCMG2, with the Royal Navy’s HMS Enterprise at the helm, transited Bosphorus on January 24 and is currently on a Black Sea patrol. In addition
Sailors assigned to the recently commissioned Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth will be using a new type of personnel transfer boats with improved maneuvering characteristics. As the new workboats are powered by two water-jets, unlike the current fleet of small boats operated by the Ro
German Navy frigate FGS Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has completed a six-month deployment to the EU-led migrant-rescue operation Sophia and is currently on her way home. The F123 frigate has departed the Mediterranean Sea and is scheduled to enter her homeport in Wilhelmshaven on January 26. During her ti
Royal Canadian Navy frigate HMCS Charlottetown arrived at its Halifax homeport on January 19, wrapping up a six-month deployment with NATO’s Standing Maritime Group One (SNMG1). HMCS Charlottetown joined SNMG1 in August 2017, sailing in the Baltic Sea, Northern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean S
Video footage of smoke billowing near two submarines at the Russian submarine base in Vladivostok emerged on Sunday, but the navy says it is all part of a damage control exercise. According to Russian news agency Interfax, the press service of the Russian Pacific Fleet has denied earlier Russian med
Russia’s defense industry agency Rosoboronexport will work with the country’s largest shipbuilding company in 2018 to boost worldwide export prospects for what the agency termed as small and ultra-small submarines. Rosoboronexport said this focus was in response to a growing interest for these vesse
A Turkish patrol boat bumped into a Hellenic Navy gunboat while maneuvering near the disputed Imia islet in the Aegean Sea, according to Greek media reports. The incident took place on January 17 near the two small uninhabited islets in the Agean Sea which are part of the larger Aegean Sea dispute b
