An Indian Navy frigate reached a milestone recently as it became the first Indian warship to escort a vessel of UN’s World Food Program. INS Sunayna completed the escort for the first time since counter-piracy deployments began in 2008, following an escort request by EU NAVFOR. A WFP dhow was transp
The Royal Netherlands Navy’s air defense and command frigate HNLMS Evertsen got underway from her homeport in Den Helder on January 5 to become the flagship of NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 2 (SNMG 2). Evertsen will spend the next six months in the Mediterranean and Black Seas patrolling the region
US Navy destroyer USS McCampbell carried out a South China Sea freedom of navigation operation on Monday, sailing within 12 miles of the Paracel Island chain. According to media reports, the Yokosuka-homeported destroyer sailed near three islands in the chain which is claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan b
Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43) entered the Black Sea on Sunday, becoming the first US Navy ship to do so since the Kerch Strait incident from November 2018 when Russia fired on, and seized, three Ukrainian Navy ships near the the Kerch Strait. USS Fort McHenry, with
Spanish Navy frigate ESPS Méndez Núñez got underway from her Ferrol homeport on Thursday to start what will eventually be a year-long deployment with the US Navy aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. The Aegis-equipped Alvaro de Bazan-class frigate (also referred to as F100) will spend the next two
The United Kingdom has deployed a Royal Navy offshore patrol vessel to the English Channel as part of the country’s response to the recent increase in migrant crossings. HMS Mersey will support Border Force and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency in their efforts to patrol the stretch of water, keep
The US Naval Sea Systems Command has awarded BAE Systems a $78.8 million contract for the maintenance and modernization of Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Shoup (DDG 86). The value of the competitively awarded contract could reach $87.6 million if all options are exercised. “The Sho
US Navy amphibious transport dock ship USS Anchorage (LPD 23) took part in a cooperative deployment with Indian Navy destroyer INS Rajput (D51), December 26. The at sea training followed a port visit to Visakhapatnam, India, Dec. 22-26. During the port visit, the Anchorage and 13th MEU team held pro
US Navy’s guided-missile destroyer USS Chung-Hoon (DDG 93) seized almost five tons of hashish from a dhow in the Gulf of Aden on December 27. According to the US Navy, the destroyer made the interception during a flag verification boarding as part of maritime security operations in the region. “We h
Japan’s defense ministry has released footage of an incident on December 20 in which a Republic of Korea Navy destroyer trained its fire-control radar on a Japanese maritime patrol aircraft off the Noto Peninsula in the Sea of Japan. Filmed from aboard the Kawasaki P-1 fixed-wing patrol aircraft of
FREMM frigate ITS Federico Martinengo returned to its homeport of La Spezia on December 20, completing its maiden deployment. The seventh Italian Navy FREMM frigate started its first operational deployment in August this year after entering service in April. In the past five months, the frigate oper
Anzac-class frigate HMAS Ballarat seized over 900 kilos of heroin in two separate interceptions in the Middle East, the Royal Australian Navy has announced. In two boarding operations on December 21 and 23, the frigate’s crew seized approximately AU$279 million worth of narcotics as part of the ship
The Russian Navy’s Black Sea frigate Admiral Essen (751) arrived in Sevastopol on December 26 after completing missions in the Mediterranean, the country’s defense ministry said. The crew of the frigate performed tasks as part of the country’s permanent formation in the Mediterranean Sea from August
Ships from the US Navy’s Kearsarge amphibious ready group (ARG) and embarked 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) entered the US 6th Fleet area of operations on December 25 for a regularly-scheduled deployment. During its time in theater, the ARG/MEU team and its more than 4,500 sailors and marines
