Surface Vessels
Canada, France achieve supersonic firsts during missile defense drill off Scotland
The 9-nation live-fire integrated air and missile defense exercise Formidable Shield 2019 concluded at the UK defense ministry’s Hebrides Range off Scotland on May 19. The US-led drill helped allies hone interoperability in defending against missiles but it also saw Canadian and French Navy ships ac
HMS Albion deploys for Baltic Sea task group deployment
Royal Navy amphibious transport dock HMS Albion has deployed to the Baltic Sea where it will lead a multinational task group as part of a UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF). All three service branches of the UK armed forces will take part in the first JEF maritime deployment, which started as HM
UK approves Type 26 frigate engine contract for GE’s Rugby site
The UK defense ministry has approved an engine order for the second batch of Royal Navy Type 26 frigates, securing the immediate future of the General Electric’s Rugby site. The contract is important because GE had previously announced the site’s closure with its work being moved to Nancy in France
HMS Queen Elizabeth CO relieved over “misuse of official car”
Captain Nick Cooke-Priest, the commanding officer of Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth has been relieved of his duties. The navy confirmed that he has been reassigned to a new role without providing a specific reason. UK media outlets, however, widely report that the reason for Cooke-P
Damen launches first Pakistan Navy OPV in Romania
The first of two Pakistan Navy offshore patrol vessels (OPV) was launched in Galata, Romania, the Pakistan Navy announced on May 17. The ship was launched after starting construction in a keel-laying ceremony in April 2018. While the navy refers to them as corvettes, the two vessels built by Dutch s
Repairs of sunken Norwegian frigate would cost well over $1B, inquiry finds
The undertaking would cost almost three times as much as it cost to buy the ship in 2000.
French carrier trains with Australian, Japanese, US ships in Bay of Bengal
French Navy aircraft carrier FS Charles de Gaulle (R 91) met up with ships from the navies of the US, Australia and Japan for a series of maneuvers in the Bay of Bengal. The exercise involving US destroyer USS William P. Lawrence (DDG 110), Australian Navy frigate HMAS Toowoomba (FFH 156) and submar
German corvette deploying for Lebanon mission
German Navy corvette FGS Ludwigshafen am Rhein and her crew of 64 will depart naval base Warnemünde on May 17 to start an eight-month deployment to the Mediterranean Sea. The corvette will support the maritime task force of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, currently led by the Brazilian
Spanish frigate breaks off from US carrier strike group heading for Strait of Hormuz
Spanish Navy frigate ESPS Mendez Nunes broke off from the US aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and its carrier strike group (CSG) as it headed for the Strait of Hormuz amid heightened tension between the US and Iran. The Spanish frigate’s withdrawal from the carrier strike group was first reporte
Spain hosts 16 nations for mine warfare drill in Western Med
The Spanish Navy-hosted mine countermeasures exercise ESP Minex 19 concluded in the Western Mediterranean Sea on May 10, after two weeks of evolutions. ESP Minex 19 is an advanced annual exercise for mine countermeasures units and surface, submarine, and air mining and force protection assets. Parti
Irish Navy commissions final P60-class OPV LÉ George Bernard Shaw
The Irish Navy commissioned its fourth and final P60 class offshore patrol vessel (OPV) LÉ George Bernard Shaw in a ceremony in Waterport on April 30. The vessel was commissioned after being floated out at Babcock’s shipyard in Appledore, North Devon, in April 2018. Babcock built the four OPVs under
USS Abraham Lincoln jets take part in close air support drill in Romania
US Navy fighter jets embarked aboard aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln joined US Air Force’s 603rd Air Control Squadron to complete a close air support (CAS) exercise with Romania between May 3 and 5. The CAS involved coordination with US Air Force tankers for in-flight refueling and Romanian joi
Navies gather in Scotland for live-fire missile defense drill Formidable Shield 19
Navy ships from nine NATO states have gathered in Scotland where they will take part in the US Navy-led exercise Formidable Shield 19. The two-week exercise will take place at the UK defense ministry’s Hebrides Range located on the Western Isles of Scotland. It kicks off on May 7. Naval Striking and
USS Abraham Lincoln joins major Italian exercise Mare Aperto
US Navy aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and ships from its carrier strike group (ABECSG) have joined Italian Navy aircraft carrier ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi as part of exercise Mare Aperto, an Italian multilateral maritime warfare exercise designed to promote interoperability and proficiency. The