Operations
UK Ships Meet in Horn of Africa
Type 23 frigate HMS Montrose, a Scottish ship in heart and soul, recently met up with her Welsh counterpart, HMS Dragon, in the warm waters off the Horn of Africa. HMS Montrose is on her way to take over as the Royal Navy’s guardian of the Gulf, a role that HMS Dragon had been carrying […]
UK: Merlin Joins HMS Illustrious
A Merlin MK1 from 829 Naval Air Squadron is flying the flag for Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose on a show of Maritime strength with the Response Force Task Group, (RFTG) as part of the Navy’s Cougar 13 deployment. Based onboard the Amphibious Commando Helicopter Carrier HMS Illustrious, the deploym
HMNZS CANTERBURY Comes Back from Two-Month Deployment
HMNZS CANTERBURY returned to Devonport Naval Base in glorious Auckland sunshine on 18 September after almost two months at sea. The versatile amphibious sealift ship had been away since 22 July, when she sailed for the Solomon Islands for Operation PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP, a multi-nation humanitarian ai
USA: Center for Service Support Celebrates Hispanic Culture, History
Center for Service Support (CSS) Sailors and civilian employees observed Hispanic Heritage Month Sept. 19. With a national theme of “Hispanics: Serving and Leading Our Nation with Pride and Honor,” the observance celebrates the histories, cultures, and contributions of Americans who trace their root
HMS Trenchant Begins Her RAMP at Devonport, UK
Trafalgar class nuclear powered attack submarine (SSN) HMS Trenchant has docked down at Devonport Royal Dockyard for a substantial two year Revalidation and Assisted Maintenance Period (RAMP) being undertaken by Babcock. The RAMP will ensure the submarine is safe to operate for the rest of her commi
Babcock Flagship Finishes Training of OPV ARAGUARI’s Crew
Babcock Flagship has recently completed training of the crew of the OPV ARAGUARI for the Brazilian Navy; and the ship is now en route from Portsmouth to the port of Rio de Janeiro and thence to her home port of Natal. The ARAGUARI is the third and final UK-built Amazonas class vessel for which Babco
Russia: RB-399 Completes Sea Trials
Russia’s Pella Shipyard has completed the sea part of the official trials of the tugboat “RB-399” building No 937, pr. 90600. Before the end of this year the tugboat will be put into operation within the Russian Federation’s Northern Fleet. The tugboat is intended for towing and berthing operations
Australia, Indonesia Combine Forces to Tackle Illegal Fishing
Illegal fishing has been the focus of a combined Australian Defence Force (ADF) and Indonesian armed forces operation, concluding in Kupang, West Timor this week. The fourth annual Australian and Indonesian coordinated maritime security patrol (AUSINDO CORPAT) started in Darwin on 2 September and wa
Senegal: Navy to Map West African Coastline
In Dakar, Senegal, marines in full packs board HNLMS Rotterdam in the early hours of the morning for a training session with African military personnel. At the same time, the orange hydrographic survey launch of the Netherlands Defence Hydrographic Service leaves its Dakar mooring to map the Senegal
USS Cowpens Heads for Deployment
The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Cowpens (CG 63) departed Sept. 17 for a seven-month, Western Pacific deployment. Cowpens was part of the Forward Deployed Naval Forces in Japan until earlier this year. Cowpens, nicknamed “the Mighty Moo,” conducted a hull-swap with USS Antietam (CG 5
Royal Navy Trains in Port of Milford Haven, UK
Royal Navy Reservists began arriving in Pembrokeshire from all over the UK to take part in a major exercise in the Milford Haven area. Exercise Cambrian Trader, which runs from Wednesday September 18 to Sunday September 22, is designed to train the Navy’s Maritime Trade Operations specialists and pr
British Warships Join Saudi Arabian Counterparts in Exercise Red Alligator
British warships have taken part in their first major exercise in the Persian Gulf since passing through the Suez Canal last week. Three Royal Navy ships – fleet flagship HMS Bulwark, helicopter and commando carrier HMS Illustrious and Type 23 frigate HMS Westminster – joined with 3 warships from th
US Navy to Boost Surveillance Flights of BAMS-D Aircraft
The U.S. Navy will increase by 50 percent the monthly surveillance flights of a Northrop Grumman Corporation-built maritime unmanned demonstrator under a contract awarded Sept. 6. The contract will allow Navy commanders to keep closer tabs on activities in the ocean and coastal regions of the Middle
USA: Lockheed Martin’s Aegis BMD Intercepts Most Sophisticated Target Ever
The U.S. Navy, Lockheed Martin and the Missile Defense Agency successfully demonstrated, on the first attempt, the second generation Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) Weapon System’s capability to engage a sophisticated, separating short range ballistic missile target with two Standard Missile-3