Surface Vessels
Portugal receives fourth Viana do Castelo-class OPV
The Portuguese Navy received its fourth Viana do Castello-class offshore patrol vessel in a ceremony at the West Sea Shipyards, in Viana do Castelo, on December 28. NRP Setúbal, as the vessel is named, was launched in September 2017 and joins sister ships NRP Viana do Castelo, NRP Figueira da Foz an
Italy’s seventh FREMM frigate returns from maiden deployment
FREMM frigate ITS Federico Martinengo returned to its homeport of La Spezia on December 20, completing its maiden deployment. The seventh Italian Navy FREMM frigate started its first operational deployment in August this year after entering service in April. In the past five months, the frigate oper
Russian Navy’s Admiral Essen returns from 300-day Mediterranean mission
The Russian Navy’s Black Sea frigate Admiral Essen (751) arrived in Sevastopol on December 26 after completing missions in the Mediterranean, the country’s defense ministry said. The crew of the frigate performed tasks as part of the country’s permanent formation in the Mediterranean Sea from August
French Navy receives second Camcopter S-100 UAS
The French Navy has taken delivery of its second Camcopter S-100 UAS from Austrian unmanned aerial system (UAS) manufacturer Schiebel, France’s defense procurement agency (DGA) has announced. As disclosed, the UAS was delivered in November when it performed its first flight test aboard amphibious as
Kearsarge ARG ships arrive in Europe
Ships from the US Navy’s Kearsarge amphibious ready group (ARG) and embarked 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) entered the US 6th Fleet area of operations on December 25 for a regularly-scheduled deployment. During its time in theater, the ARG/MEU team and its more than 4,500 sailors and marines
Russian Navy commissions sixth Project 20380 corvette Gromkiy
In the third commissioning ceremony in eight days, the Russian Navy welcomed its sixth Project 20380 corvette into the fleet. Corvette Gromkiy joined the Pacific Fleet in a ceremony in Vladivostok on December 25. In the previous two ceremonies this month, Russia commissioned the lead Karakurt-class
Second Admiral Gorshkov-class frigate starts sea trials
Project 22350 frigate Admiral Kasatonov, the Russian Navy’s second Admiral Gorshkov-class frigate, got underway from Saint Petersburg to start builder’s trials. The builder’s trials will take place over a three-week time period during which the ship’s navigation and communications systems, maneuvera
Russia commissions first Project 22160 patrol ship Vasily Bykov
Three days after welcoming the lead Karakurt-class corvette into its fleet, the Russian Navy commissioned first-of-class patrol ship Vasily Bykov in a ceremony on December 20. The Project 22160 patrol ship was commissioned at the Novorossiysk Naval Base on the Black Sea where it will serve as part o
Royal Navy joins US, Japan for inaugural trilateral Asia-Pacific exercise
Ships and submarines from the navies of Japan, the UK and US gathered in waters south of Japan for the first trilateral naval exercise on December 21 and 22. Focused on anti-submarine warfare, the exercise featured drills with Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force helicopter destroyer JS Izumo (DDH 183)
USNS Big Horn returns from European, Middle East deployment
US Military Sealift Command’s fleet replenishment oiler USNS Big Horn (T-AO 198) pulled into Naval Station Norfolk, Dec. 17, completing a 10-month deployment in the US Fifth Fleet and US Sixth Fleet area of responsibility. “Some of the missions USNS Big Horn undertook during this deployment included
German Navy frigate, tender wrap up NATO deployments
A German Navy frigate and a tender are set to return their homeports of Wilhelmshaven and Kiel on Friday, after concluding their NATO deployments. Tender Rhein is returning to Kiel after serving as flagship of the Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 2 (SNMCMG2) for over five months. The ship’s
Royal Navy minehunter HMS Chiddingfold returns to water after extensive refit
Royal Navy minehunter HMS Chiddingfold was launched at BAE Systems’ Portsmouth site after undergoing what the company described as the “most extensive package of work ever carried out to the plastic hulls of any Hunt Class mine countermeasure vessels.” The vessel was refitted after returning from a
Royal Navy destroyer nets largest drug haul in Combined Maritime Forces’ history
After making two narcotics interceptions in late November and early December, Royal Navy destroyer HMS Dragon has now carried out the largest drug haul in the history of the Bahrain-based Combined Maritime Forces (CMF). According to CMF, Dragon seized and destroyed just shy of 10,000 kg of illegal n
Australia, France, US wrap up ASW exercise in Arabian Sea
The navies of Australia, France and the US concluded a four-day ‘Ship Anti-Submarine Warfare Readiness and Evaluation Measurement’ (SHAREM) 195 exercise in the Arabian Sea on December 18. Participating ships included French navy F70AA-class air defense destroyer FS Cassard (D 614), and Royal Austral