Operations
UK: Babcock Begins HMS Sutherland Upgrade Project
Babcock has begun work to deliver an upgrade and maintenance programme on HMS Sutherland, which will see the Type 23 frigate receive extensive upgrades and improvements that will significantly increase the ship’s sustainability and fighting capability. Sutherland docked down on Friday, 22 November,
USS Sampson Conducts Change of Command Ceremony
The guided missile destroyer USS Sampson (DDG 102) conducted a change of command ceremony while in homeport at Naval Base San Diego, Nov. 22. Cmdr. Steven Foley, who has been the ship’s executive officer since September, relieved Cmdr. Dwayne Ducommun as commanding officer of Sampson during a ceremo
UK: HMS Dragon Returns Home
HMS Dragon returned home to Portsmouth on Friday (November 22) from eight months on operations in the Indian Ocean and eastern Mediterranean. Hundreds of friends and family turned out to welcome the ship back home joined by Portsmouth Military Wives Choir and the Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines
USS Gary Changes Command
The guided missile frigate USS Gary (FFG 51) conducted a change of command ceremony while in homeport at Naval Base San Diego, Nov. 22. Cmdr. Steven R. McDowell, a native of Millbrook, N.Y., relived Cmdr. James E. Brown, a Las Vegas native, as commanding officer of Gary during a ceremony on the pier
Top News of the Week November 18 – 24, 2013
USS Chancellorsville Finishes Combat Systems Upgrades Naval Sea Systems Command completed the first-ever Air Defense Cruiser Aegis Baseline 9 combat systems upgrade for USS Chancellorsville (CG 62), March 29. The upgrade, part of the Navy’s Cruiser Modernization program, began in April 2012 at BAE S
Guided-Missile Cruiser Returns to Pearl Harbor
The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Chosin (CG 65) returned to its homeport of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Nov. 22 from a deployment to the Western Pacific. Commanded by Capt. Patrick Kelly, the ship and its crew of nearly 340 Sailors departed Hawaii on April 30th and conducted integ
UK: HMS Blyth Finishes Sea Training Package
Having participated in the NATO exercise Joint Warrior, HMS Blyth began her Operational Sea Training (OST) package in late October. This meant undergoing a demanding programme of world renowned intensive training, designed to train crews in a series of realist challenging scenarios. The first two we
Culdrose Merlin Heads for Philippines
A Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose based Merlin Mk 1 flight is en route to the Philippines. The seventeen strong team, currently embarked in Portsmouth based amphibious helicopter carrier HMS Illustrious, were in the latter stages of the UK Response Force Task Group’s Cougar 13 autumn deployment whe
RFA Lyme Bay Completes Counterpiracy Operation off Somalia
UK Royal Fleet Auxiliary, RFA Lyme Bay is heading for home having completed a 32 day tour of duty with Operation Atalanta – the European Union’s counter piracy operation off the coast of Somalia. RFA Lyme Bay departed the UK in mid August to form part of the Cougar 2013 Response Force Task Group (RF
India: INAS 312 Squadron Marks Silver Jubilee
INAS 312 Maritime Reconnaisance Squadron of the Eastern Naval Command of Indian Navy, based at Arakkonam in Tamil Nadu, celebrated its Silver Jubilee Anniversary on 18 Nov 13. The Silver Jubilee celebrations of operations of the TU 142M aircraft, with the moniker ‘Albatross’, were held at INS Rajali
Ukrainian Navy Formalizes Its Participation in OCEAN SHIELD
On Thursday, 21 November 2013, NATO and the Ukrainian Navy formally signed a Memorandum of Understanding sealing the country’s participation in the Alliance’s counter-piracy operation OCEAN SHIELD. This event occurred as the Chief of the Ukrainian Navy, Admiral Yurii Ilin, is attending the NATO Mari
HNLMS Johan De Witt, RFA Lyme Bay Take Part in Cutlass Express Maritime Exercise
HNLMS Johan de Witt and RFA Lyme Bay have participated in the US led international exercise ‘Cutlass Express’. The exercise, which was held in several operational areas in the waters off East Africa, is a maritime exercise, designed to improve cooperation, tactical expertise and information sharing
American SECNAV Completes Visit to Doha, Qatar
Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus completed a visit to Doha, Qatar, Nov. 20. The visit was designed to build upon an existing relationship with Qatar, an important partner in the Middle East region. “Qatar is and remains a very valuable American partner,” said Mabus. “In our cooperation on a wide rang
ESPS Meteoro Carries Out Training With Tanzanian Navy
Earlier this week during a port-call at Dar es Salaam the Spanish Ocean Patrol Vessel ESPS ‘Meteoro’, as part of the EU Naval Froce (EU NAVFOR) Somalia Operation Atalanta has carried out a series of trainings with personnel from the Tanzanian Navy as part of the Local Maritime Capacity Building (LMC