Surface Vessels
French Navy’s sixth FREMM frigate completes first sea trials
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
Second US, UK, Japan drill in Western Pacific starting this week
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 rescues 27 from burning ship
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
MBDA to supply surface-to-air missiles for new Philippine frigates
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 frigate arrives in Japan on three-year deployment to Middle East
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
Portuguese Navy’s fourth OPV arrives home for first time
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 destroyer gets underway for deployment with French aircraft carrier
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
Former HMS Queen Elizabeth CO becomes Royal Navy’s new Fleet Commander
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
Russian task group escorted through English Channel
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
Rolls-Royce to power Malta’s new OPV
Italian shipbuilder Cantiere Navale Vittoria has awarded Rolls-Royce a contract for the supply of a marine propulsion package for the new offshore patrol vessel being built for the Armed Forces of Malta. The 1800-ton, 74.8-meter, twin-screw vessel will get a pair of PROMAS controllable pitch propell
French aircraft carrier gets underway for first deployment since 2016
French Navy aircraft carrier FS Charles de Gaulle got underway from its homeport in Toulon on Tuesday, March 5, to start Clemencau 2019 – its first operational deployment since 2016. The carrier got underway after completing carrier strike group and flight trials, following an 18-month mid-life over
HMS Prince of Wales loads first stores ahead of sea trials
The second of two Royal Navy aircraft carriers – HMS Prince of Wales – loaded first stores aboard in another step towards the ship’s maiden voyage. More than 62 tonnes of supplies – bandages, pots, pans, camp beds, pipe clamps, hoses, valves and firefighting equipment – have been moved on to the shi
HNoMS Helge Ingstad salvage a success as frigate arrives at Haakonsvern naval base
The Royal Norwegian Navy’s sunken frigate HNoMS Helge Ingstad arrived at the main navy base aboard submersible barge “Boa barge 33” on Sunday, marking the end of a successful salvage operation. The frigate was transported to the Haakonsvern navy base from the sea floor of Hjeltefjorden fjord where s
USS Donald Cook exits Blacks Sea, closely followed by Russian frigate
US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) transited the Bosphorous Strait on March 1, wrapping up ten days of Black Sea operations. While in the Black Sea, the ship conducted operations at sea with the Turkish Navy and completed a port visit to Odesa, Ukraine in