The European Council extended operation Atalanta’s mandate to deter, disrupt and repress acts of piracy off the coast of Somalia until 31 December 2018. Operation Atalanta’s two-year mandate extension comes amidst concerns within European Union member states that whilst pirate attacks on merchant sh
Following the conclusion of Turkish-led exercise Mavi Balina, ships from several NATO countries kicked off a mine-warfare exercise in the Aegean Sea on Monday, November 28. The second Turkish exercise of the month will run through December 4 and will be aimed at testing combat readiness and strength
Ships from several nations concluded their participation in the Turkish-led exercise Mavi Balina in the Mediterranean Sea. Participating nations included Pakistan, Romania, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States. NATO Maritime Group 2, as well as observers from Algeria, Nigeria, and Georg
The crew of a Royal Navy patrol boat rescued a 61-year-old kayaker on Sunday after his upturned kayak was spotted in the Solent following a mayday call. A student aboard HMS Smiter spied a black object in the water off Lee-on-the-Solent as the boat and RNLI responded to an SOS: a kayaker had capsize
German Navy’s replenishment oiler Rhön is set to return to its homeport in Wilhelmshaven after completing a two-month deployment to NATO’s standing maritime group 1 (SNMG1). Rhön is scheduled to enter harbor on November 30 after spending 57 days at sea and sailing 9,000 nautical miles. The ship depa
Royal Navy Commodore Andrew Burns, commander of Amphibious Task Group embarked on the U.K.’s HMS Ocean (L 12), took command of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command’s Task Force (CTF) 50 in the Arabian Gulf, November 25. This marks the first time a Royal Navy officer has led a U.S. task force in the Mid
Operation Atalanta’s force commander, Commodore Luyckx, welcomed the Japanese commander, Captain Minami, on board of Dutch flagship, HNLMS Tromp off the coast of Somalia on November 21. The Japanese escort task group (CCD4) is part of the Combined Task Force 151 (CTF 151). CTF151 focuses on the disr
The Russian Navy has commissioned Kolpino, the country’s sixth and final Project 636.3 Varshavyanka-class submarine. All six were built for the Russian Black Sea Fleet. The flag-hoisting ceremony which marked the submarine’s official entry into the fleet took place in St. Petersburg at Admiralty Shi
The Albanian Navy joined it’s first-ever NATO maritime mission by deploying its patrol boat ALS Oriku to Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 on Monday. The vessel will support NATO activities in the Aegean Sea as part of the international efforts to stop illegal trafficking and migration. ALS Oriku is an
A detachment of 20 Royal Danish Air Force officers and enlisted service members took flight in their aircraft from the Seychelles one last time on November 19 marking the end of their deployment. The Royal Danish Air Force Challenger CL-604 was deployed to NATO standing Operation Ocean Shield. The D
Royal Navy’s Type 45 destroyer HMS Daring has been tasked with the protection of merchant vessels and Royal Navy ships sailing through the Bab al-Mandeb strait. The Portsmouth-based warship has provided reassurance in the region, being equipped to tackle possible air and surface threats with her com
The crew of the Royal Navy’s Type 23 frigate HMS Iron Duke have started a period of training under direction of Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST) after completing a maintenance period. This period marks the end of her busy operational period in the first half of 2016, which saw the ship deploy as par
The recent crash of one of the four new Russian MiG-29K operating from the deck of the Russian Navy’s only aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov is being blamed on multiple events that combined to force a Russian pilot to eject from the fighter jet that crashed into the Mediterranean Sea. According to
The navies of U.K. and U.S. concluded their joint mine countermeasures (MCM) exercise 17-1 in the Persian Gulf, on November 17. The 38-day, bilateral exercise between the U.S. Navy and U.K. Royal navy was designed to provide an opportunity for both nations to share knowledge of MCM techniques. U.S.
