Belgium has chosen a consortium led by France’s Naval Group for the construction of 12 new minehunters for the navies of Belgium and the Netherlands. Belgium Naval & Robotics, as the consortium made up of Naval Group and ECA Robotics is named, will build the minehunters and their drone systems under
Royal Navy’s Type 23 frigate HMS Argyll returned to her homeport at HMNB Devonport, completing a nine-month deployment to Asia Pacific. The service’s oldest frigate deployed to Asia on June 18, 2018, and sailed all the way to Japan for drills with Japanese and US Navy units. The warship covered the
The White Ensign was raised for the first time on the second of five Batch 2 River-class offshore patrol vessels, HMS Medway, as BAE Systems handed the ship over to the Royal Navy. Medway was handed over as the crew of lead ship HMS Forth are in the final stages to resume trials and training, [&hell
US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) returned to Naval Station Rota, Spain, after completing its eighth forward-deployed naval forces (FDNF) patrol of Europe and Africa. Donald Cook began its patrol Nov. 17, 2018 to conduct naval operations in the US 6th Fl
Royal Navy minehunter HMS Penzance has completed a 10-month overhaul at Babcock’s Rosyth site in Fife, the defense contractor has announced. The refit included the replacement of both main engines, multiple glass reinforced plastic (GRP) repairs and addition and alteration packages. A team of over 5
The French Navy’s sixth FREMM frigate Normandie returned from her first sea trials in late February, achieving the milestone a year after being launched at Naval Group’s Lorient shipyard. The anti-submarine warfare configured frigate tested propulsion and navigation system during the first underway
Assets from the navies of Japan, the UK and US are scheduled top take part in their second trilateral exercise later this week. The inaugural Asia Pacific exercise took place in December 2018. The drill will take place in the Western Pacific and is scheduled for kick off on March 14. Japan will be r
Royal Navy frigate HMS Argyll rescued 27 sailors from the Italian Con/Ro ship Grande America which caught fire in the Bay of Biscay on March 11. The frigate was on her way home to Plymouth after nine months away in the Asia-Pacific region when she responded to a mayday during the night from the 28,0
The Philippines defense ministry has awarded French defense contractor MBDA a contract to deliver surface-to-air missiles for its two José Rizal-class frigates currently under construction in South Korea. The contract is worth EUR 10.6 million (approx. USD 12 million) and will see the French company
Royal Navy’s Type 23 Frigate HMS Montrose arrived in Japan on March 8, becoming the fourth Royal Navy ship to visit the country in a year. HMS Montrose pulled into Tokyo for a six-day stay at Harumi Wharf before starting exercises with Japan’s Maritime Self Defence Force and the US Navy’s Seventh Fl
NRP Setúbal, the Portuguese Navy’s fourth Viana do Castelo-class offshore patrol vessel, arrived at its homeport at Lisboa Naval Base on March 9. The ship arrived at the homeport after entering service in a ceremony at the West Seas shipyards in Viana do Castelo early February. The ship and crew are
Royal Navy’s Type 45 destroyer HMS Duncan departed her Portsmouth homeport on March 8 for a six-month operational deployment which will include high-profile cooperation with the French Navy. Duncan will spend the first part of the deployment in the Mediterranean Sea, providing air defense to the Fre
Several months after returning the Royal Navy’s new aircraft carrier from F-35B trials off the US coast, the ship’s commanding officer took up the new role of the Royal Navy Fleet Commander. The March 5 ceremony took place in Portsmouth on board HMS Queen Elizabeth, which Vice Admiral Jerry Kyd comm
A Russian Navy task group is being escorted through the English Channel as they head towards the Mediterranean Sea. The task group, composed of frigate Admiral Gorshkov and three auxiliary ships, are escorted by the Royal Navy destroyer HMS Defender and Dutch Navy offshore patrol vessel HNLMS Friesl
