The frigate ‘Cristóbal Colón’ (F-105) has participated in a ballistic missile defense (BMD) exercise in the Mediterranean Sea on June 26th and 27th, providing air protection to the US Navy cruiser ‘USS Vella Gulf’ (CG-72) whose combat system is capable of intercepting ballistic targets outside the e
Brazilian Navy’s Naval Aviation has signed a contract for a major midlife upgrade of eight Lynx Mk21A helicopters with Finmeccanica – AgustaWestland. The contract, valued in excess of US$160 million (€117 million), includes replacement of the aircraft’s engines with the CTS800-4N product from LHTE
The FREMM Normandie multi-mission frigate, second of the series ordered by OCCAR on behalf of the French DGA (General Directorate for Armament) and the French Navy, has just completed five weeks of intense activities off the Toulon coast. These trials have allowed the validation of the frigate’s c
Nave Galatea, Italian Navy’s coastal hydrographic unit, is currently engaged in geodetic and topographic surveys in Venice and Marghera for the 2014 Idro-Oceanigraphic Campaign. These two areas are characterized by peculiar tidal rhythms and subjected to evolutionary dynamics, such as subsidence (
The auxiliary oil replenishment ship (BAC in its Spanish initials) ‘Cantabria’ has just arrived at La Graña Naval Station after a ten-day deployment off the coast of Cádiz, training with other Spanish Navy units. On June 17th the ‘Cantabria’ set sail towards Rota for a threefold mission: to collab
Over a period of three days FGS Brandenburg has escorted a World Food Programme (WFP) voyage chartered vessel from Djibouti to Bosaso, which is the capital of Puntland. The WFP vessel had about 3,000 tonnes of food on board, which was destined for displaced people in Somalia. Protecting WFP vessel
A successful partnership between Hydroid Inc. and Kongsberg GeoAcoustics has produced the first high-definition images of two WWII U.S. Landing Ship Tanks (LSTs) that lie off the coast of South Devon, UK. The vessels were sunk on April 28, 1944 by German torpedo boats that interrupted the Exercise
Babcock has begun work on the first phase of the contract to design and supply the Air Weapons Handling System (AWHS) for the UK’s new Type 26 Global Combat Ship (GCS) announced recently by BAE Systems. Under the full contract Babcock will design, manufacture, test and oversee the installation of
It’s not every day that a Royal Navy warship celebrates her 20th birthday and HMS Somerset has done so in style. Currently in the final month of her deployment, Somerset, and her seaboats, have drawn the number 20 across the blue seas of the Mediterranean. The 200 men and women have adopted the ta
HMS Montrose demonstrated NATO Allies’ resolve in the Baltic Sea last week as it tracked a Russian warship off the Danish coast. Montrose, deployed on the multinational Baltops exercise, was dispatched to investigate after picking up the radar signature of an unidentified surface ship. Despite hig
South-West based Royal UK Navy warship, HMS Argyll is due to sail today on her latest deployment to the North Atlantic and Caribbean. HMS Argyll’s captain, Commander Paul Hammond: said “As we sail from Plymouth we can reflect on nine months of hard work in preparation for this deployment in which
Portsmouth-based warship HMS Iron Duke deployed today for a routine deployment across the Atlantic where she will be visiting various far-flung destinations in all seasons in both northern and southern hemispheres – enjoying summer and winter in the space of three months. During the six months awa
The Royal UK Navy nuclear-powered submarine HMS Tireless is due to be officially retired from active service at a ceremony in Plymouth on Thursday (June 19). The nuclear-powered Trafalgar Class submarine returned to her base-port of Devonport, in Plymouth, for the last time on June 1 before decomm
After a ten day work-up on-board HMS Illustrious around the Cornish coast, the Merlin Carrier Air Group (MCAG) prepare to “Go Deep” as they sail westwards out into the Atlantic in pursuit of Submarines. Exercise Deep Blue has so far seen the Merlin Mk 2s from Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose put t
