French shipbuilder Naval Group has concluded negotiations for the construction of two Gowind corvettes for the United Arab Emirates Navy. The deal is estimated to be worth around €750 million (US $850 million) and has options for an additional two units in the class. The contract signing was first r
Frigates, destroyers and an aircraft carrier from four nations are currently underway in the Persian Gulf as part of the annual, multinational exercise Intrepid Sentinel 2019. The multilateral exercise is designed to increase capability and interoperability between the four nations. According to pho
The navies of Australia, France and the US concluded a four-day ‘Ship Anti-Submarine Warfare Readiness and Evaluation Measurement’ (SHAREM) 195 exercise in the Arabian Sea on December 18. Participating ships included French navy F70AA-class air defense destroyer FS Cassard (D 614), and Royal Austral
Israeli unmanned systems specialist Elbit Systems has teamed up with Italy’s Leonardo to equip the Seagull unmanned surface vessel (USV) with mini torpedoes. The agreement, announced at the Exponaval exhibition in Chile, will see the two companies develop the USV’ capability of mounting and launchin
Just days after media reports on Russia’s naval buildup in the Mediterranean Sea first emerged, the country’s defense ministry on Thursday announced a large-scale drill in the Mediterranean. Prior to the defense ministry’s announcement, the Russian Navy was said to have a little over ten warships sa
US, French and UK forces launched strikes on Syrian chemical facilities in the morning hours of April 14 in response to chemical attacks used by the Syrian government early April. US guided missile destroyer USS Higgins and USS Laboon, guided missile cruiser USS Monterey and Virginia-class submarine
US Navy’s Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) arrived off the coast of Israel on March 6 to take part in exercise Juniper Cobra 2018. Although Iwo Jima and the embarked 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) will not participate directly in the ballistic missile defense portion of
US Navy guided-missile cruiser USS Vella Gulf (CG 72) wrapped up eight months of operations in the US 5th Fleet area of operation returning to her homeport at Naval Station Norfolk on December 15. The cruiser got underway on April 23, as an independent deployer, to support maritime security operatio
After concluding several days of drills with the Egyptian Navy, the French task group composed of helicopter carrier BPC Tonnerre and destroyer FS Chevalier Paul pulled into Aqaba, Jordan, to embark US Marines on December 4. The French Task Group 473.1, together with sailors and marines from Naval A
Exercise Intrepid Sentinel gathered ships from the French, UK and US navies for two days of maneuvers in the Gulf of Oman on October 20 and 21. US Navy’s guided-missile destroyer USS Shoup (DDG 86), French Marine Nationale’s anti-air destroyer FS Jean Bart (D 615) and the Royal Navy’s Duke-class fri
In another first on its maiden deployment, the US Navy’s America-class amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) arrived in Eilat, Israel, for a port visit on October 5. The flagship of the America Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) is on its first ever visit to the country. “The marines and sailors hav
In what has become a tradition for Russian Black Sea Fleet diesel-electric submarines transiting the Mediterranean Sea from their construction site in Saint Petersburg to the Black Sea, Project 636.3 submarines Veliky Novgorod and Kolpino launched Kalibr cruise missiles at ISIS positions in Syria. T
United Kingdom, France and the United States are stepping up their submarine cooperation with an agreement signed by the three countries’ naval leaders on June 1. The agreement outlines anti-submarine warfare activities of the three countries as they operate in waters of Western Asia. Commander, U.S
Russian Navy vessels have launched four Kalibr cruise missiles at ISIS positions near Palmyra, Syria, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense. The navy’s newest frigate, Project 11356 Admiral Essen, launched two of the missiles. The frigate was commissioned earlier this month and is currently o
