UK’s new defence plan envisions the commissioning of new Type 26 Global Combat Ships from the mid-2020s, upgraded maritime helicopters and the new aircraft carrier in operating capability by 2020. This plan is backed with a £178 B budget which represents a £12 B increase on previous plans. The Natio
German sailing ship SSS Gorch Fock will sail into Wilhelmshaven on Wednesday, November 25. The ship left its homeport in Kiel 90 days ago with the goal of preparing 226 midshipmen for their future duties. During this time, the white three-mast sailed 5.590 sea miles, 80 % of which was on sail. Looki
The Northern Fleet large anti-submarine warfare (ASW) ship Vice Admiral Kulakov, finished passing the Suez Canal from the Mediterranean Sea into the Red Sea on November 20. Prior to entering the Red Sea offshore ocean zone, the crew of the Udaloy-class destroyer conducted training on damage control
Britain’s newest warship, HMS Duncan, spent a week in the Black Sea with the Romanian and Bulgarian Navies. Fresh from operations in the Gulf, the ship sailed through the Bosphorus to work with NATO allies. Operating off Burgas, Bulgaria, and Constanța, Romania, the destroyer carried out training ma
The UK Ministry of Defence awarded Bae Systems a £1.3 billion contract to build the fifth Astute-class submarine for the Royal Navy on November 19. The full contract covers the design and remaining build, test and commissioning activities on Anson, the fifth of seven technologically-advanced submari
Belgian frigate Leopold I said farewell to the European Task Force EUNAVFOR MED operation SOPHIA after 38 days of activity in the Mediterranean Sea. The crew, composed of 158 sailors, including 9 women, provided support to Operation Sophia. They ran on duty within a Task Force composed of 8 naval un
In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in Paris, France sent its carrier strike group — GAN, with the nuclear-powered FS Charles de Gaulle as flagship to the Middle East for the second time this year. This deployment is part of a mission called Arromanches 2 and represents the eighth deployment o
German frigate FGS Augsburg will set sail for the EUNAVFOR Med Operation Sophia to join the already employed German replenishment ship FGS Berlin on Friday, November 20. Lead by Commander Senior Grade Jorg Mascow, the crew of Augsburg, together with the replenishment ship FGS Berlin, will be the Ger
Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1) led by Rear Admiral Alberto Correia, Portuguese Navy, resumed NATO’s counter-terrorism Operation Active Endeavour (OAE) this week. SNMG1 currently consists of the Flagship – Portuguese frigate NRP D. Francisco de Almeida, the Spanish frigate ESPS Blas de Lezo,
BAE Systems, a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company, in an update on its business announced a “further headcount reductions” at its Australian shipyard. Despite Australia’s intention to launch a naval shipbuilding strategy, BAE Systems said that “it is unclear whether this i
Spanish Navy units have recovered the Spanish Airforce helicopter which crashed 40 nautical miles southwest of Dakhla, Morocco. This incident, which occurred on October 22, left three persons dead. Their bodies were recovered after a search operation on October 31. According to the Spanish Navy, Off
Spanish Navy’s frigate Blas de Lezo (F103) paid a visit to the port of Lisbon, Portugal, between 5 and 9 November. The vessel sailed to the port after it concluded participation in the exercises TRIDENT Juncture 15. Blas de Lezo docked at the maritime terminal of Alcantara in the port of Lisbon, whe
Royal Navy’s HMS Defender started patrolling the Middle East after assuming her sister ship HMS Duncan’s role. The Type 45 destroyer officially assumed the role of Kipion operational destroyer and will spend nine months working with allies in the Mediterranean, Middle East and Gulf. HMS Defender dep
Royal Navy minehunter HMS Middleton departed her home in Portsmouth for a three-year deployment to the Persian Gulf where she will protect vital sea lanes and provide wider maritime security to the region. The crew sailed off for the Gulf yesterday, November 9. Although Middleton will be based in Ba
