Operations
US Navy wraps up annual at-sea experiment Trident Warrior
The US Navy concluded its annual large-scale, at-sea field experiment Trident Warrior 2018 (TW18) which took place in conjunction with exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC). At the forefront of TW18 was Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) which worked directly with the fleet to increase
Operation Sophia welcomes new flagship
Italian Navy amphibious ship ITS San Marco has become a flagship of the EUNAVFOR Med operation Sophia Task Force. San Marco has replaced landing platform dock (LPD) San Giusto which completed six months of deployment in the operation, from February 1 to August 1, 2018. This was the vessel’s second i
Canadian frigate HMCS Calgary embarks on Asia-Pacific deployment
The operation will see the frigate visit 5 countries and transit more than 16700 nautical miles.
US destroyer USS Porter wraps up European patrol
US Navy destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78) returned to its Spain homeport on July 27, completing its fifth forward deployed naval forces (FDNF) patrol. Porter departed Naval Station Rota on April 2, to conduct naval operations in the US 6th Fleet area of operations, interacting with 20 countries in the p
Spanish Navy commissions fifth BAM ship ‘Audaz’
The Spanish Navy commissioned its fifth Buque de Acción Marítima (BAM) ship in a ceremony in San Fernando on July 27. The ceremony was chaired by Ángel Olivares Ramírez, Secretary of State for Defense, with the head of the Spanish Navy (AJEMA), Admiral General Teodoro López Calderón, and other gover
Italian AV-8B Harrier lands aboard USS Iwo Jima for maintenance in North Carolina
US Navy’s Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) has embarked an Italian AV-8B Harrier jet as it sails home from a deployment to Europe and Middle East. The jet and its crew landed on July 18 and will later cross the Atlantic Ocean with the sailors and marines aboard the Iwo Jima. [
Royal Navy frigate joins Combined Task Force 150 in Red Sea
Royal Navy frigate HMS Argyll joined the international Combined Task Force 150 (CTF 150) during a recent visit to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Currently under command of Royal Navy Commodore Steve Moorhouse, CTF 150 is part of the 32-nation Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), is responsible for disrupting the
US 7th Fleet sailors rescue divers off Guam
US Navy’s Guam-based “Island Knight” sailors from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 25 rescued three divers separated from their boat more than 15 miles from the Guam shore on July 26. US Coast Guard Sector Guam notified HSC-25 that the divers who were spearfishing had gone missing. A rescue miss
Spanish Navy deploys LPD Castilla to counter-piracy operation Atalanta
Spanish Navy’s Galicia-class landing platform dock ESPS Castilla got underway from her homeport at Rota Naval Base on July 19 to join the counter-piracy operation Atalanta off the Horn of Africa. ESPS Castilla will operate two SH-60 helicopters from the 10th aircraft squadron during the deployment a
USNS Spearhead deploys for Southern Partnership Station
The US Navy’s expeditionary fast transport USNS Spearhead (T-EPF 1) got underway from Virginia to join Southern Partnership Station (SPS) 2018 – an annual series of US Navy deployments focused on exchanges with regional partner nation militaries and security forces. Spearhead will conduct subject ma
French Jeanne D’Arc task group returns from five-month Asia-Pacific deployment
Mistral-class amphibious assault ship Dixmude and La Fayette-class frigate FS Surcouf wrapped up the French Navy’s annual Jeanne D’Arc mission returning to naval base Toulon on July 19. The two ships got underway in late February and sailed a total of 26,500 nautical miles over a period of 145 days.
Canadian frigate HMCS St. John’s returns from SNMG1 deployment
Royal Canadian Navy frigate HMCS St. John’s returned to her homeport in Halifax on July 23 after spending six months deployed to NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2). Joining SNMG1 on January 18, 2018, the frigate contributed to NATO operations as part of the Canadian operation Reassurance. Duri
Bulgarian-hosted exercise Breeze 2018 concludes
The Bulgarian-hosted international maritime exercise Breeze 2018 concluded in the Black Sea on July 20. Units from Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Greece, Italy, Poland, Romania, Turkey, United States and NATO’s Allied Maritime Command took part in a week of drills. During the sea phase of the exercise,
Royal Navy survey ship HMS Enterprise returns from year-long NATO deployment
Enterprise spent the year as flagship of SNMCMG2