After navigating the Suez Canal and Bab-el-Mandeb strait, ESPS Rayo joined EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia – Operation Atalanta on Tuesday 26 February. Having completed her first patrol in the Southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, the Spanish warship is currently alongside Djibouti, together with EU
The Cyclone-class coastal patrol ship USS Monsoon (PC4) departed Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek, Virginia Beach, Va. Feb. 27, beginning the next phase of pre-deployment training exercises. Monsoon’s theater tailored Advanced Phase Training Exercise (APTEX) is a four-day training scenario in t
Russia Plans to Rearm BSF Russia has announced plans to rearm its Black Sea Fleet and has asked Ukraine to settle the issues regarding the planned deliveries of new weapons to the naval force, Ukraine’s defense minister said on Saturday. Italy: NATO Allies Participate in Proud Manta 2013 Exercise Pr
In September last year I announced the renaming of two Divisions at the Recruit School to honour sailors. This was the first step towards better recognising our sailors who have distinguished themselves during their service. Today, on Navy’s 112th birthday, we are taking the next step; the remaining
The hard work and high standards produced by the crew of HMAS Huon (II) during 2012 under the leadership of LCDR Jace Hutchinson, was recognised yesterday, with the presentation of the Rushcutters Shield. Commander of the Australian Fleet, Rear Admiral Tim Barrett and Commander Mine Hunter Patrol Bo
Leeks occasionally make an appearance when cooked up by the talented on-board chefs, and as she approaches the halfway point of her seven-month patrol of the Gulf, the ‘Black Duke’ is looking forward to celebrating her Welsh connections. There is a small, but patriotic, Welsh contingent onboard who
The U.S. Navy has prepared and released to the public a Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) to evaluate the potential environmental effects that may result from homeporting up to 14 littoral combat ships (LCSs) on the East Coast of the United States by 2020. The EA evaluates the potential environmen
On 24 February 2013, whilst on counter piracy patrols in the International Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC) the Force Commander of EU NAVFOR, Rear Admiral Pedro García de Paredes, met with the Commander of the NATO counter-piracy Operation Ocean Shield, Rear Admiral Antonio Natale. The meeting be
Rear Adm. Mark A. Handley, commander of 1st Naval Construction Division (NCD) presented Cmdr. Lore Aguayo, commanding officer of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 11, with the Battle Efficiency Award plaque and pennant as well as the Peltier Award plaque Feb. 26, at Naval Construction Batta
Arleigh Burke-class Aegis destroyer USS Forrest Sherman (DDG 98) returned home to Norfolk Naval Base Feb. 26 after completing an eight-month deployment to the 6th Fleet Area of Responsibility in support of theater security cooperation. The ship and her crew traveled more than 45,000 nautical miles d
The U.S. Pacific Fleet announced yesterday that the Navy’s first littoral combat ship USS Freedom (LCS 1) will depart her homeport of San Diego on March 1 and deploy to the Asia-Pacific region. Making good on a pledge made initially by former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates at the 2011 Shangri-La
Unless Congress takes action, over the next few weeks the U.S. economy will be hit with harmful automatic cuts that threaten hundreds of thousands of middle class jobs. President Obama yesterday visited, 26 February, shipyard in Newport News, VA to talk about what these cuts — which are known as the
A naval airman from Ramsgate serving in the helicopter carrier HMS Illustrious recently played his part in raising the profile of the forthcoming Battle of the Atlantic 70th anniversary. HMS Illustrious – known to her crew as Lusty – visited Liverpool recently and Naval Airman Chris Heale, 31, was a
Naval aviators are evaluating energy-saving refueling practices as part of a program aimed at standardizing fleet-driven energy best practices that do not adversely impact mission or safety. The Naval Aviation Energy Conservation (Air ENCON) Program is driving the fleetwide implementation of these p
