Surface Vessels
NATO’s SNMG2 concludes Black Sea tour
Ships from NATO’s Standing Maritime Group Two (SNMG2) met with Turkish Navy units in the Aegean Sea as they wrapped up 20 days of operations in the Black Sea. Led by the Royal Navy’s Type 45 destroyer HMS Duncan, SNMG2 ships rendezvoused with Turkish fast patrol boats TCG Mızrak and TCG Volkan after
Italian FFG(X) contender arrives in Norfolk
The Italian Navy’s FREMM frigate ITS Alpino (F594) has arrived in Norfolk, Virginia, for the first stop of her North American tour. The tour will help Fincantieri, and the Italian industry, showcase the FREMM frigate design Fincantieri is offering for the US Navy’s next frigate, dubbed FFG(X). Alpin
Chesapeake 2018 comes to an end
The navies of US and France have concluded a “historic combined exercise” as the last French Navy Rafale jets took of from the flight deck of US Navy aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77). The exercise, named Chesapeake 2018, began in April this year at Naval Air Station Oceana and continue
Royal Navy selling former minehunter as potential “stylish restaurant or floating bar”
The Royal Navy is selling its decommissioned minehunter HMS Walney and is advertising the vessel as a “one of a kind opportunity” for potential buyers. Announcing the potential sale of the vessel, the navy said Walney has potential to be turned into “a houseboat, a stylish restaurant, a floating bar
Naval Group teams with SNC to offer Gowind design for Romanian corvette tender
Romanian Constanţa Shipyard (SNC) and French Naval Group have partnered up on four corvettes to be built for the Romanian Navy. On April 20th, 2018, the duo inked an “exclusive partnership” to deliver four Gowind 2500 newbuilds. As informed, the partnership agreement follows the memorandum of unders
France’s sole aircraft carrier refloated in mid-life refit milestone
French Navy’s sole aircraft carrier FS Charles de Gaulle has entered the water again after spending over 14 months in the dry dock as part of her mid-life upgrade. The aircraft carrier was refloated at the Toulon navy base on May 16 after entering the dry dock on February 8, 2017. FS Charles de Gaul
UK MoD issues tender for two and “optional” third Fleet Solid Support Ship
The UK defense ministry has issued a tender for the acquisition of Fleet Solid Support (FSS) ships which will be operated by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. Compared to the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review which confirmed the need for three Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability (MARS) Fleet
First British F-35Bs to arrive home early June, defense minister says
The first Royal Navy and Air Force F-35B jets are scheduled to fly into their new home at RAF Marham next month, the UK defense minister has announced. Four F-35Bs will arrive in the first tranche of stealth fighters to transfer from the USA to the UK, flying into RAF Marham in East Anglia. The Norf
SNMG2 stops in Georgia after concluding Romanian-hosted Sea Shield exercise
Ships from NATO’s Standing Maritime Group Two (SNMG2) arrived in Poti, Georgia, on May 14 after concluding their participation in the Romanian-hosted Black Sea exercise Sea Shield 2018. During the four-day port call to Poti, the ships’ crews will join Georgian Border Police for drills aimed at incre
UK allocates funds for seventh Astute-class submarine ‘Agincourt’
The UK defense secretary is set to announce a £2.5bn investment for new Royal Navy submarines during his visit to BAE Systems’ shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria on Monday. According to the UK defense ministry, the investment includes £1.5bn for the construction of the seventh Astute-class sub
Chesapeake 2018: French Rafale jets are flying from USS George H.W. Bush
After arriving from France to US early April, French Rafale jets have now joined the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) for a combined Chesapeake 2018 exercise. The George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group (GHWBCSG) and French Carrier Air Wing (Groupe Aerien Embarque) departed Norfolk May 7
Multi-lateral anti-submarine warfare drill starts in Norway
A multi-lateral anti-submarine warfare (ASW) exercise in the Norwegian Sea got underway May 9 as navy assets from five ally countries gathered in Bodo, Norway, for the pre-sail conference. The exercise is hosted by Norway and led by the US Navy. ASW forces from Canada, France, Norway, the United Kin
Turkish minehunter finds unexploded ordnance during Spanish MINEX
Turkish Navy minehunter TCG Anamur has discovered historical unexploded ordnance during mine countermeasures drills conducted as part of the Spanish-hosted multinational exercise MINEX 2018. According NATO Maritime Command, the ordnance was discovered by TCG Anamur on 8 May using the ship’s speciali
German corvette FGS Braunschweig deploys to Lebanon coast
German Navy corvette FGS Braunschweig is scheduled to deploy to the Mediterranean Sea to represent the German contribution to operation UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon). The K130 corvette is set to depart its homeport in Warnemünde, Germany, on May 14, under the command of Frigate Ca