IF YOU don’t recognise the ancient ramparts – or the flag for that matter – it’s because no Royal Navy sailor has seen this historic fortress up close in decades. This is the Assaraya Alhamra (the Red Castle), bastion of Tripoli for more than half a millennium, as seen from the bridge of HMS Echo [&
The minehunters HMS Middleton and HMS Pembroke were in the Gulf of Aden on their way home when they received a distress call from the MV New Delhi Express. The 40,000-tonne merchant ship, laden with valuable containers, contacted HMS Middleton to say she was 12 miles to the south west and had suffer
On Saturday, August 4, the town of Helensburgh will be marking one of the most significant events in the history of Scotland – the sailing of the Comet, the first commercially successful steamboat service in Europe. During the day a flotilla of ships will signify the occasion by sailing from the mou
Sub Lieutenant (SLt) Richard Burns and Midshipman (Mid) Edward Pearson were among thousands of sailors taking part in the race around the Island of Wight. They were part of the crew racing in the Catamaran ‘Monocle’, owned by SLt Burns’ uncle, Mr Noel Cockle. Two hours into the 50 nautical mile race
RFA Lyme Bay, the fifth ship to have a multi-million pound refit as part of the Cluster contract at A&P Falmouth, has arrived in the port for work to begin. She returned to Falmouth after three years in the Gulf supporting coalition operations. The major refits, carried out every five years, have be
DEFENDER, the fifth Type 45 destroyer built by BAE Systems, has set sail from the Clyde in preparation for her handover to the UK Royal Navy later this week. The ship, affiliated to the city of Glasgow where she was built, set off from the company’s Scotstoun yard at the weekend with a combined BAE
The maritime environment has changed significantly in recent years, due to piracy and terrorism, climate change and environmental protection, and the offshore sector. Global trading of goods continues to grow, and 90% of it is carried by sea, so security of the overall global maritime logistic chain
Royal Navy warship HMS Tyne will go alongside Western Quay in North Shields this Friday for the start of a five-day visit to her affiliate region. The ship’s commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander Dan Thomas, will host several receptions on board the ship for local and regional dignitaries, to cem
DCNS is supplying two BPC-type projection and command vessels to Russia under a contract that came into effect at the end of 2011. Three of these vessels are already in service with the French Navy. The design modifications needed to adapt the BPC concept to Russia’s specific requirements are progre
HMS Dragon has successfully tested her Sea Viper weapon system by knocking a target out of the sky at the Outer Hebrides missile range off Scotland. The firing exercise took place in almost perfect conditions on a rare hazy summer’s afternoon off the west coast. It marks the start of an intense work
New technology to deter pirates is a key topic for discussion at this year’s SMM conference in Hamburg. Westmark BV’s patented P-trap anti-boarding device is now providing ship-owners with a non-lethal barrier to harden vessels against pirate attacks. The P-trap will be displayed to the public at th
Guided-missile cruiser USS Hue City (CG 66) departed Cannes, France July 7, after a four-day port visit highlighted by a special ceremony honoring the heroics of World War II U.S. aviators The ceremony, which coincided with Independence Day in the U.S., paid tribute to the air crew of a B-24 dive bo
On the morning of June 28th 2012, EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Italian Frigate Scirocco provided technical assistance to a tug type vessel which experienced an engine failure while sailing in international waters in the Gulf of Aden. In the evening on the 27th of June, ITS Scirocco was conducting a pa
The third vessel of Landing Ship Tanks (LCT) Project, undertaken by ANADOLU Shipyard with the Turkish Under-secretariat of Defense Industries (SSM) for Turkish Naval Forces, namely NB 226 / Ç-153, has set a new speed record while cruising amid sea trials in the Aegean Sea. The vessel at 1,040 tons d
