NATO Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM) welcomed aboard its new Deputy Commander (DCOM), Vice Admiral Bruno Paulmier (FRA N), on September 1. Vice Admiral Paulmier brings a wealth of command operational experience to his posting as DCOM MARCOM. His command tours afloat include command of the light f
On Tuesday 2 September the EU Force Commander, Rear Admiral Guido Rando, welcomed the Commander of the Japanese Escort Task Group, Captain Tsutomu Okawa, on board the EU Naval Force flagship, ITS Andrea Doria. Both ships are conducting counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden. The Japanese Es
After leaving her home port of Zeebrugge on Sunday 10 August, Belgian Navy warship BNS LEOPOLD I has arrived in the Gulf of Aden to commence counter-piracy operations with the EU Naval Force. This is the fourth time that this multi-purpose frigate, with 157 men and 13 women on board, has participa
On Thursday 28 August EU Naval Force flagship, ITS Andrea Doria, and Combined Maritime Force frigate, HMAS Toowoomba, met at sea in the Gulf of Aden. As both warships were in close proximity to each other, crewmembers from both warships took the opportunity to ‘cross-deck’ to the other to meet sai
HMS Queen Elizabeth undergoes inclining test to find out her exact weight and centre of gravity. Last month saw the naming of the Royal UK Navy’s newest aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth. Weighing in at 65,000 tonnes and with a flight deck measuring in at 4.5 acres, she is the largest warship
Spanish Navy’s minesweeper ‘Douro’ (M-35), of class Segura, will be a part of the SNMCMG-2 Alliance from August 29. The vessel has started its journey on 28 August from the port of Alicante to join the Standing NATO Mine Counter Measures Group TWO, along with other units from NATO countries. Douro
HMS Defender has marked the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Heligoland Bight while on her maiden deployment to the Gulf. In a poignant service led by Chaplain Michael Meachin, the entire ship’s company of the Type 45 destroyer mustered to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice during th
The Spanish Navy’s frigate Almirante Juan de Borbón (F-102) will become a part of the Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG-2) from September. The vessel set sail today from its home base in Ferrol to the eastern Mediterranean, where it will participate in NATO’s operations until mid-December. Upon
During the last few days EU Naval Force Warship ESPS Navarra deployed as part of EU Naval Force, has been conducting counter-piracy operations in the Indian Ocean. The Spanish frigate’s embarked AB 212 helicopter, during a routine flight, visually detected two vessels sailing northwards to the Yemen
Italian Navy’s destroyer Andrea Doria (D553) docked in the port of Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, where it was visited by the Ambassador of Italy to the United Arab Emirates, Giorgio Starace. Prior to the docking, the vessel spent a long period of time at sea during which it took part in a replen
A huge section of hull for HMS Prince of Wales, the second Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carrier, has today begun its delivery voyage from HM Naval Base Portsmouth – the future home of the Queen Elizabeth Class. Mick Ord, Managing Director at BAE Systems Naval Ships, said: “This is a significant
HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën is on her way home after a successful three months deployment to the EU Naval Force Operation Atalanta, the counter-piracy mission of the European Union. Before joining Operation Atalanta, the ship conducted two-weeks of pre-deployment training on her way to the Suez Cana
HNLMS Van Speijk, the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN) multipurpose frigate, arrived on the African east coast for her participation within the EU Naval Force. However, before entering the area of operations further preparation was necessary: additional specific training for the mission and the integ
HMS Argyll has seized nearly 600 kilos of cocaine with a UK street value of £21 million after a 12-hour pursuit across the Caribbean. After receiving information that a suspicious-looking vessel had been spotted by a Maritime Patrol Aircraft, HMS Argyll, which is on counter-narcotic operations in th
