A Portsmouth based destroyer has been undertaking target practice in the Gulf to test her state-of-the-art equipment. HMS Dragon has fully automated systems but sometimes they may not be available and the crew have to revert to doing things manually. As a result the Ship’s Company need to know how t
The Royal Navy’s head of training Rear Admiral Clive Johnstone leaves the South West after seeing through major changes. As Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST) he oversees the famous realistic weekly ‘Thursday War’ training exercise off the South West Coast which prepares ships for operations worldwide
Portsmouth-based Royal Navy minehunter HMS Ledbury sails on Tuesday (May 7) for a four-month NATO mission in the Mediterranean. She will be working as part of a permanent multinational maritime force in the area known as Standing NATO Mine Counter Measures Group 2 (SNMCMG2). The group works througho
A key milestone has been marked with the delivery by Babcock of the final major component of the Integrated Waste Management System (IWMS) for the new Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers. The last of the six Waste Water Treatment Plants was delivered in April following successful Factory Accepta
Divers from minehunter HMS Middleton swapped England’s south coast for the warm waters of Gibraltar for a week of high-tempo training. The five-strong team made full use of the facilities on the Rock, practising search techniques, helping stricken divers, lifting mines from the seabed and carrying o
Only 36 hours after taking over the Gulf patrol duties from HMS Monmouth, HMS Dragon seized a unique opportunity to replenish her fuel supplies. Whilst this is not an unusual method of sustaining a unit on Operations it would normally involve just two units side by side at sea. On this occasion howe
U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa (CNE-CNA) personnel Recovery team and an aircraft assigned to Commander, rask Force (CTF) 67 assisted the Greek Maritime Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC) during a search and rescue (SAR) event near Greece, after two cargo ships collided April 29. In conjunction with
A giant exercise off the coast of Scotland which involved more than 30 warships and 65 aircraft from 13 European countries has drawn to a close. Exercise Joint Warrior – a twice yearly event – saw the Royal Marines from 42 Commando return to their core amphibious skills as oppose to the land fightin
Royal Navy’s aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious has arrived at Dublin Port as part of an international naval flotilla, according to Independent.ie. She is the second of three Invincible-class light aircraft carriers built for the Royal Navy in late 1970s and early 1980s. This year has seen the warship
On 24 April the Force Commander of the EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia Operation Atalanta, Commodore Jorge Novo Palma, visited ESPS Rayo. It was the first time to personally meet Rayo’s Commanding Officer, Lieutenant-Commander Rafael Hernandez Rodriguez, and his crew. During the short visit Rayo’
Battle of the Atlantic veterans shared their wartime experiences with reservists when they called in at HMS Eaglet in Liverpool. Four survivors of the Royal Navy’s longest 20th-Century struggle at sea were being interviewed for a documentary on the battle, ahead of the 70th anniversary of the defeat
Renowned charity sailor Geoff Holt MBE, from ‘Wet Wheels’, took a few of the career sailors of HMS Iron Duke to sea in his wheelchair-friendly motor yacht. Three of the Ship’s Officer’s and a young sailor joined Geoff and, former Naval technician, Andy Le Seeleur of the ‘Wet Wheels’ charity and auxi
Plymouth-based warship HMS Monmouth is on her way home after handing over her Gulf Patrol duties to HMS Dragon in typical naval fashion. The two Welsh-affiliated warships, Type 23 frigate HMS Monmouth and Type 45 Destroyer HMS Dragon, met up in the warm waters of the Gulf of Aden to conduct a formal
Italian Fincantieri Muggiano (La Spezia) shipyard has delivered the patrol boat ‘Salahah’ to the United Arab Emirates’ Navy. The patrol vessel measures 55 metres in length and 8.60 in width and has the ability to reach over 20 knots speed. It can accommodate a crew of 28. Its main feature is its par
