Operations
Royal Navy submarine nearly collided with ro-ro ferry in Irish Sea
An unidentified Royal Navy submarine nearly collided with ro-ro ferry Stena Superfast VII in a close quarters incident in the Irish Sea which is currently under investigation. The near-miss occurred on November 6 and the UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) on January 21 decided to open a
UK landing ship dock embarks US officers for counter-drug missions in the Caribbean
UK Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship RFA Mounts Bay has embarked a team of US drug enforcement officers to join the fight against Caribbean drug-running. An SH65 Dolphin helicopter of the US Coast Guard’s HITRON – Helicopter Interdiction Tactical squadRON – and its counter-narcotics boarding team, the LEDE
Russia scrambles corvettes to escort US destroyers in Baltic Sea
The Russian Navy’s Baltic Sea Fleet has deployed two corvettes to escort two US Navy destroyers currently underway in the Baltic Sea. Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Porter transited the Skagerrak Strait on January 20 during its patrol of the US 6th Fleet area of operations while sister ship USS G
Spanish Navy commissions sixth BAM ship – ‘Furor’
The Spanish Navy’s sixth Buque de Acción Marítima (BAM) ship – ESPS Furor – entered service in a ceremony in Ferrol, Spain, on January 21. The ship was commissioned after officially starting construction in a keel laying ceremony in April 2016. Furor (pennant number P-46) is the second of two ships
Aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson arrives at new Bremerton homeport
US Navy aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) arrived at its new homeport at Naval Base Kitsap-Bremerton on January 20, completing a transit from Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego. The navy did not publicize the carrier’s journey, sharing only a couple of photos of the carrier as it tr
USS Donald Cook enters Black Sea on European patrol
US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) entered the Black Sea after transiting the Dardanelles Strait on January 19. The destroyer will operate in the region for up to 21 days, as allowed by the Montreux Convention, conducting maritime security operations. Don
US Navy identifies sailor killed in Manbij attack
The US Navy has identified Chief Cryptologic Technician (Interpretive) Shannon M. Kent, 35, as one of the victims of the January 16 attack in Manbij, Syria. ISIS claimed responsibility for the explosion which killed four Americans and 15 others in front of a restaurant. The US defense department fur
Leaking USCGC Polar Star arrives at Antarctica
The US Coast Guard’s only heavy icebreaker Polar Star arrived Thursday in Antarctica along with a resupply vessel during operation Deep Freeze – a joint military service mission to resupply US interests in Antarctica. Homeported in Seattle, the 42-year-old Coast Guard cutter is the United States’ on
Italian Navy sailor dies after mooring cable snaps aboard FREMM frigate
An Italian Navy sailor died from injuries sustained in an accident aboard the FREMM frigate Carlo Bergamini, the Italian defense ministry informed on January 16. The non-commissioned officer, who has been identified as First Marshall (primo maresciallo) Gioacchino Verde, sustained the fatal injuries
First US Navy sailors complete CIAT course
Crew members of US Navy destroyer USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115) recently became the first to pilot the updated Advance Warfare Training (AWT) curriculum inside the Combined Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD)/Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Trainer (CIAT), January 8-11. Situated at the Naval Base
Navantia cuts steel for first Saudi Navy Avante corvette
Spanish shipbuilder Navantia held a steel cutting ceremony at its San Fernando shipyard on January 15 to officially mark the start of construction of the first Royal Saudi Navy Avante 2200 corvette. The ceremony was attended by company officials and representatives from the navies of Saudi Arabia an
German minehunter Dillingen deploys to SNMCMG1
German Navy minehunter FGS Dillingen will be departing its Kiel homeport on January 21 to join the Standing NATO Mine Counter Measures Group (SNMCMG1) for a six-month deployment. The vessel will first head for Zeebruge, Belgium, where it will join the international task group. After Dillingen joins
Four-nation aircraft carrier drill underway in Persian Gulf
Frigates, destroyers and an aircraft carrier from four nations are currently underway in the Persian Gulf as part of the annual, multinational exercise Intrepid Sentinel 2019. The multilateral exercise is designed to increase capability and interoperability between the four nations. According to pho
Royal Navy frigate joins US destroyer in South China Sea operations
Royal Navy Type 23 frigate HMS Argyll (F231) joined the US Navy’s Arleigh-Burke guided missile destroyer USS McCampbell (DDG 85) for joint operations in the South China Sea between January 11 and 16. At sea, McCampbell and Argyll conducted communication drills, division tactics, and a personnel exch