Surface Vessels
Fincantieri begins construction of first Qatari Navy OPV
Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri officially started construction of the first of two Qatari Navy offshore patrol vessels in a ceremony at its Muggiano shipyard on February 27. The two OPVs will be built as part of a larger, 4 billion euro, contract which will see Finantieri deliver a total of seven s
Helicopter carrier, frigate kick off French Navy’s annual Asia-Pacific mission
Mistral-class helicopter carrier BPC Tonnerre and frigate FS La Fayette kicked off the French Navy’s annual Jeanne d’Arc mission which sees a task group spend five months on operations around the world. During this year’s edition, Tonnerre and La Fayette will first sail to the Eastern Mediterranean,
Operation to lift sunken Norwegian frigate gets underway
The Royal Norwegian Navy’s sunken frigate HNoMS Helge Ingstad is ready to get out of the water after spending over four months on the sea bottom in the Hjeltefjorden fjord. As informed by Norway’s defense ministry, weather conditions and forecasts have finally allowed for the operation to start. HNo
Royal Navy frigate, submarine hone ASW skills off Scotland
Royal Navy attack submarine HMS Astute and Type 23 frigate HMS St Albans met up in the tough waters of the Atlantic Ocean recently to work together on their anti-submarine warfare capabilities and conduct personnel transfer training. St Albans’ Merlin helicopter from 814 Naval Air Squadron – aka the
Finland buying Raytheon’s ESSM for Squadron 2020 corvettes
The Finnish defense ministry on February 21 announced it is buying Raytheon’s Evolved SeaSparrow Missile (ESSM) systems for its Pohjanmaa-class corvettes of the Squadron 2020 project. The surface-to-air missile system (ITO20) will be installed on all four ships in the class. The exact number of miss
French Navy’s fifth FREMM frigate officially enters service
FS Bretagne, the French Navy’s fifth FREMM frigate, has officially entered service after completing its maiden deployment. The French Navy admits ships into active service only after they complete their first operational tasking. Anti-submarine warfare (ASW) configured FS Bretagne started constructi
Danish frigate gets underway for deployment with French aircraft carrier
Royal Danish Navy frigate HDMS Niels Juel got underway from Naval Base Korsør en route to the Mediterranean Sea port of Toulon where it will join French aircraft carrier FS Charles de Gaulle for almost two months of training and operations. Denmark’s defense ministry expressed its interest in sendin
Royal Navy frigate joins US Navy oiler for South China Sea drills
US Navy fleet replenishment oiler USNS Guadalupe (T-AO 200) and Royal Navy frigate HMS Montrose (F236) met up in the South China Sea on February 18 for a series of maritime security and logistics training. The drills involved Royal Marine commandos, Royal Navy sailors and Guadalupe crew members. Dur
US destroyer, NATO ships enter Black Sea after Dardanelles Strait transit
US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook and ships from NATO’s Standing Mine Countermeasures Group 2 (SNMCMG2) entered the Black Sea on February 19. Donald Cook entered the Black Sea after last visiting the region in January 2019, when it visited Batumi, Georgia and con
Dynamic Guard concludes off Norway
NATO-led exercise Dynamic Guard concluded off the coast on February 15. Ships from Standing NATO Maritime Group One (SNMG 1), commanded by U.S. Rear Adm. Edward Cashman, were joined by other ally units in the region for ten days of evolutions. The exercise is executed concurrently with Norwegian led
In a first: Italian Navy uses new M-40 target drones in carrier protection exercise
The Italian Navy recently used the new Leonardo-developed M-40 target drones in an exercise involving the aircraft carrier ITS Cavour and Durand de la Penne-class destroyer ITS Francesco Mimbelli. The exercise saw the aircraft carrier and its complement of AV8B+ fighter aircraft training alongside t
France’s Naval Group officially starting work on Argentine Navy OPV contract
French shipbuilder Naval Group on Thursday announced it is starting work on the Argentine Navy offshore patrol vessels (OPV), thereby officially confirming the four-ship contract with the South American country. As outlined by the shipbuilder, the first patrol boat to be delivered will be the L’Adro
USS Porter in Spain for repairs after European patrol
US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78) returned to Naval Station Rota, Spain, for a scheduled training and maintenance availability (TRAV) on February 13. The maintenance is being conducted after the ship completed a patrol in the US 6th Fleet Area of Operations.
SNMG2 frigates conduct force integration training in Eastern Med
Ships from NATO’s Standing Maritime Group Two (SNMG2) are currently underway in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, taking part in what the NATO Maritime Command describes as advanced Force Integration Training (FIT). The drills are being conducted as part of the group’s patrols in the region. Composed o