Surface Vessels
German Navy acquiring new minehunters
The German Navy has launched the process of acquiring a fleet of new minehunters for its Kiel-based 3rd Minesweeping Squadron. A total of eleven vessels are to be acquired, according to Kieler Nachrichten who first reported the news. The project is still in the early phase, according to the German N
French frigate seizes heroin in Indian Ocean
French Navy frigate FS La Fayette seized over 400 kilos of heroin from a dhow it intercepted in the Indian Ocean in an operation on April 11. The drugs were intercepted after La Fayette’s Panther helicopter detected a suspicious vessel while on a routine surveillance in the international waters of t
NATO SNMCMG1 completes ordnance disposal ops off France
Ships from Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group One (SNMCMG1) wrapped up historical ordinance disposal operations (HODOPS) with the French Navy entering Saint Malo, France, for a port visit on April 15. During the HODOPS, SNMCMG1 surveyed more than 90 square kilometers in Dieppe Bight, on the Fr
US, UK, France launch strikes on Syrian chemical facilities
US, French and UK forces launched strikes on Syrian chemical facilities in the morning hours of April 14 in response to chemical attacks used by the Syrian government early April. US guided missile destroyer USS Higgins and USS Laboon, guided missile cruiser USS Monterey and Virginia-class submarine
Saudi Arabia, Spain finalize Avante 2200 corvette deal
Spain and Saudi Arabia have finalized a framework agreement which will see Spanish shipbuilder Navantia deliver five Avante 2200 corvettes for the Royal Saudi Naval Forces (RSNF). The deal, signed during Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s official visit to Spain, is worth around €2 bil
German Navy tender Mosel to join operation Sophia
On April 18, 2018, the German Navy’s tender Mosel will depart its homeport Kiel, heading to the Mediterranean Sea, the navy said. Under the command of Frigate Captain Jens Röder, the tender will participate in the EUNAVFOR MED operation Sophia. Crewed by 106 members, Mosel will replace the air defen
BAE Systems investing in AI, electronic warfare research
UK defense contractor BAE Systems has announced a £10 million (approx. $14.2m) investment into upgrades of the Maritime Integration & Support Centre (MISC) aimed at improving research into artificial intelligence, information and electronic warfare, unmanned vehicles and new weapons. Located in Port
USS Harry S. Truman deploying to the Mediterranean, Middle East
US Navy aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman and its associated carrier strike group are getting underway from Norfolk on Wednesday to start a deployment to the Mediterranean Sea and Middle East. Ships accompanying the aircraft carrier include guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60), guided-miss
Turkish frigate TCG Gediz joining NATO’s SNMG1
Turkish Navy frigate TCG Gediz is joining the NATO Standing Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1) for over two months of operations with international partners. The former US Navy Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate got underway from her Aegean Sea homeport of Aksaz Naval Base on April 6 and is currently on a port
USS Porter arrives in France for patrol’s 1st port call
The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78) arrived in Cherbourg, France, on April 7 for a scheduled port visit. The visit is aimed at enhancing US-France relations as the two nations work together to strengthen regional security and stability. During Porter’s time in Cherbo
Irish Navy’s fourth offshore patrol vessel enters water
The Irish Navy’s fourth Samuel Beckett-class offshore patrol vessel (OPV), future LÉ George Bernard Shaw, was floated out at Babcock’s Appledore, North Devon, shipyard, the shipbuilder has announced. The float out of the 90-meter ship was attended by representatives from the Irish Naval Service and
Counter-piracy operation welcomes new force commander
The EU-led counter-piracy operation off the coast of Somalia has welcomed a new force commander in a ceremony held in Djibouti on April 5. Italian Navy Rear Admiral Simone Malvagna will now be in charge of operation Atalanta from aboard his flagship, FREMM frigate ITS Carlo Margottini. The frigate i
French Rafale jets head for US and deployment aboard USS George H.W. Bush
A squadron of 12 French Navy Rafale M fighter jets, accompanied by three KC-135 refueling tankers, took off from the Landivisiau Naval Aviation Base in northwest France on April 4 to head to the United States for a two-month deployment. The aircraft usually fly from the French Navy aircraft carrier
Italian Navy research vessel ‘Alliance’ wraps up Iceland-Greenland Seas Project
Italian Navy’s multi-purpose research vessel ITS Alliance is set to return to its homeport in La Spezia, Italy, on April 6, concluding a 79-day mission in waters off Iceland and Greenland. Alliance’s mission was to support a project carried out under the custody of NATO’s Center for Maritime Researc