After having assumed Command of Task Force 508 on 7th December 2012, Rear Admiral Antonio Natale reflects on his busy first month as the Commander of NATO’s counter piracy mission, Operation Ocean Shield. The ships’ companies of the current task force; namely, ITS San Marco, USS Halyburton, TCG Goko
1. January US Navy to Deploy Third Carrier Group to Persian Gulf The US will dispatch another carrier strike group led by USS Enterprise to the Persian Gulf in March 2012, reported US Navy on Jan 25. The carrier group based in Norfolk, VA will also include a guided missile cruiser and three [&hell
High-Speed Vessel Swift (HSV 2) departed Lome, Sept. 19, wrapping up a four-day port visit and marking the conclusion to the embarked team of medical professionals’ mission with Swift for Africa Partnership Station (APS) West 2012. During the visit, the team conducted a health fair in the village of
The United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO) today has announced the introduction of two new Admiralty Maritime Security Charts to cover The Mediterranean (Q6111) and The Persian Gulf (Q6110). The two new paper charts, together with a new online update service, provide a simple, single point of ref
The leadership of Military Sealift Command-chartered High Speed Vessel Swift (HSV 2) began a week of Africa Partnership Station (APS) West 2012 engagements in Port of Douala Aug. 27 with several office visits with the military and political leaders in the region. The ship arrived in Cameroon Aug. 26
Amazonas, the first of three BAE Systems built Ocean Patrol Vessels being delivered the Brazilian Navy, departed the UK for Rio de Janeiro this morning after her crew completed a rigorous programme of Flag Officer Sea Training with the Royal Navy off the South coast. Supported by a team from BAE Sys
A new sensor and software suite sponsored by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) recently returned from West Africa after helping partner nations track and identify target vessels of interest as part of an international maritime security operation, officials announced July 10. Researchers deployed th
From 1 to June 14, 2012, EUNAVFOR frigate Guépratte has concentrated its patrols in the area south of the Strait of Bab el Mandeb and the western Gulf of Aden, areas prone to pirate attacks. The beginning of June usually marks the arrival of the monsoon in the Indian Ocean. It is characterized by su
HMS Dauntless played a key part in helping to keep the waters off West Africa safe during a major international exercise. The Portsmouth-based destroyer joined warships and personnel from ten other nations off Senegal for Exercise Saharan Express aimed at dealing with the enduring threats of people
The Portsmouth-based frigate joined the USS Abraham Lincoln for anti-submarine exercises, before serving as the ‘plane guard’ for the carrier as she launched and recovered her aircraft. Her Majesty’s Ship Westminster sails in company with the USS Abraham Lincoln as the Portsmouth-based warship joine
African sailors who spent 27 days aboard guided-missile frigate USS Simpson (FFG 56) as part of Africa Partnership Station (APS) 2012, departed Simpson, Feb. 27. The 10 APS shipriders came from the navies of Benin, Cameroon, Gabon, Nigeria, the Republic of Congo and Togo. The shipriders got aboard S
Following his posting as Commander of the UK Counter-Piracy Task Group, Captain Gerry Northwood, Royal Navy, has written in The Times newspaper about how concerted efforts are helping reduce attacks on merchant vessels. Captain Northwood writes: “Eleven pirates on board with automatic weapons and ro
President John Evans Atta Mills yesterday commissioned four new vessels for the Ghana Navy, the first in 32 years, and underscored the need for the country to secure its maritime domain for its future socio-economic development. He said the nation’s maritime environment abounded in diverse resources
HMS Echo has visited the Seychelles Islands whose Coast Guard has been working with the Royal Navy to prevent piracy in the Indian Ocean and make the area safer for all seafarers. The combined efforts of the Royal Navy and the Seychelles Coast Guard over recent months have seen successful disruption
