French Navy frigate FS Floreal has seized over 7 tons of hashish from two dhows in the Indian Ocean on September 23 and 24. According to Combined Maritime Forces, the drugs are valued at $3.5m, based on street values in Yemen, which was the expected destination for the hashish. This is the most sign
NATO’s operation Sea Guardian Special Operations Command Control Element (SOCCE) achieved full operational capability last week, NATO’s Maritime Command has announced. On September 20, under Maritime Command (MARCOM) guidance and SOCCE control, an opposed live boarding exercise commenced with the pa
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) cutter Seneca returned on September 25 to her homeport of Boston following a 50-day counter-drug patrol in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. Seneca crewmembers and a tactical law enforcement detachment team conducted multiple interdictions while patrolling international
The Royal Navy has announced this year’s winners of the annual Peregrine Trophy Awards photographic competition. The Peregrine Trophy is awarded to the photographic section or unit submitting the best portfolio of six images of Service-related subjects captured throughout the year. This year’s winne
Virginia-class submarine USS California (SSN 781) wrapped up a six-month deployment, returning to her Groton homeport on Friday, Sept. 21. The nuclear-powered, fast-attack submarine, under the command of Cmdr. Dave Payne, California returned to her homeport of Naval Submarine Base, New London follow
US Navy and coalition assets completed the US 5th Fleet Theater Counter Mine and Maritime Security Exercise on September 18. As explained, the multi-faceted exercise was conducted to ensure maritime stability and security in the US Central Command area of responsibility, connecting the Mediterranean
A fire broke out aboard the German Navy frigate FGS Schleswig-Holstein while the ship was underway in the Baltic Sea on September 17. While the fire was quickly brought under control by the ship’s crew, ten sailors were injured after inhaling smoke. According to the German Navy, the fire broke out i
Italian Navy transport vessel Nave Caprera was used to smuggle cigarettes on the return trip from Libya where the ship was deployed in support of an EU migrant interdiction mission. The ship reportedly returned to the Italian Navy base Brindisi with over 700 kg of cigarettes on board. This was confi
Israeli defense contractor Elbit Systems announced it has been contracted to deliver naval remote-controlled weapon stations (RCWS) for navy and coast guard ships of an unidentified Asia-Pacific country. The contract is worth approximately $173 million and will be performed over a five-year period,
The 2018-edition of the US Navy’s Advanced Naval Technology Exercise (ANTX) provided a venue for industry and academia to demonstrate new navy technologies with a focus on interaction between humans and machines. Taking place at Naval Station Newport and the Narragansett Bay Test Facility (NBTF) at
US Navy aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman has resumed operations in the US 6th Fleet area of operations after returning to its Norfolk home in July for a month-long deployment pause. The Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group (CSG) initially deployed to the European theater April 11, 2018, and returned
US Navy Cyclone-class coastal patrol ships from the US 5th Fleet’s Combined Task Force (CTF) 55 honed artillery skills during a Griffin Missile System (GMS) fleet firing exercise which took place between September 16 and 18 in the Middle East. Coastal patrol ships USS Firebolt (PC 10), USS Monsoon (
The US Naval Sea Systems Command has awarded VT Halter Marine a $77.9 million contract to design and build a new class of barracks ships – dubbed Auxiliary Personnel Lighter – Small (APL(S)). As these craft are similar to accommodation barges used in the commercial oil and gas industry, APL(S) was d
Type 45 destroyer HMS Dragon got underway from her Portsmouth homeport on September 17 after a short, unspecified, delay. Dragon is now headed for the Persian Gulf where it is expected to spend several months an operational deployment. The destroyer is scheduled to work alongside coalition and regio
