Surface Vessels
French amphibious task group leaves Toulon for Indian Ocean deployment
A French Navy amphibious task group got underway from the Toulon naval base on Wednesday, November 21, for a deployment to the Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean. Composed of Mistral-class amphibious assault ship LHD FS Tonnerre and the Horizon-class air defense destroyer FS Chevalier Paul, the task
Naval Group delivers new visual defense simulators to French Navy
The French Navy has received a new visual defense simulator (Simdav) at its base in Brest, the system manufacturer Naval Group announced on November 22. Brest is the second base to receive the Simdav after Toulon received one at the end of 2016. Both deliveries are part of a 5-year modernisation and
Royal Navy escorts Russian destroyer Vice Admiral Kulakov through English Channel
Royal Navy frigate HMS Somerset scrambled recently to shadow a Russian naval destroyer as it transited the Moray Firth, returning home from the Mediterranean Sea. It was not the Kulakov’s first visit to UK waters as the destroyer was also shadowed by HMS Somerset from the same position in the Moray
Polish Navy to commission first Kormoran II minehunter on Navy anniversary
The Polish Navy’s first Kormorant II-class minehunter ORP ‘Kormoran’ has passed all state and builder’s trials and was officially transferred to the navy on November 17. According to a navy announcement, the minehunter is now set to be commissioned in Gdynia on November 28, on the day of the Polish
Italian warship arrests pirates, seizes vessels after chase in Somali Basin
The crew of the Italian Navy frigate ITS Virginio Fasan has arrested six pirates and seized their vessels after a chase in the Southern Somali Basin over the weekend. The suspected pirates were apprehended after they attacked a 52,000 tonne container ship and a fishing vessel on November 17 and 18.
Royal Navy divers destroy bomb lying near North Sea gas pipeline
A team of Royal Navy divers was called upon to destroy a 500lb wartime bomb which was first dredged up and then dropped dangerously close to a major North Sea gas pipeline. The divers embarked aboard minehunter HMS Cattistock racing to the location 50 miles off the coast of Norfolk after a Dutch tra
UK defense ministry announces HMS Queen Elizabeth commissioning date
Royal Navy’s new aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth is to be commissioned by the Queen in a ceremony on December 7, the UK defense ministry announced. UK’s new defense secretary Gavin Williams made the announcement as he visited the carrier on Thursday, while at sea, sailing on trials around the s
French FREMM frigate Auvergne visits Western Australia on maiden deployment
French Navy frigate FS Auvergne docked in the Western Australian port of Freemantle on November 15, four months into her maiden operational deployment. Departing her homeport of Toulon with an embarked NH90 helicopter in August, the FREMM frigate spent most of the time in the Indian Ocean, as part o
French Navy’s fifth FREMM frigate wraps up first sea trials
French Navy’s future FREMM frigate FS Bretagne completed her first set of sea trials in Lorient, North Western France. According to the international organization for cooperation on arms (OCCAR), the organization which coordinates the Italian-French FREMM frigate program, Bretagne wrapped up the fir
Turkish maritime drill Dogu Akdeniz-17 coming to a close
Over twenty ships and a number of aircraft are winding up their participation in the Turkish-hosted multinational maritime exercise Dogu Akdeniz-17. The exercise is hosted by Turkey in the Mediterranean every two years and the 2017 iteration is the 20th time it is taking place since it first started
Turkey emerges as potential buyer of UK helicopter carrier HMS Ocean
The Turkish government is interested in buying the soon-to-be-decommissioned UK helicopter carrier HMS Ocean if it is not sold to Brazil. In a reply to a parliamentary question, the UK defense ministry confirmed that Turkey sent an expression of interest to UK about the potential sale of HMS Ocean.
Dutch minehunter discovers wreck of German Imperial Navy submarine
A Royal Netherlands Navy minehunter has discovered the wreck of the German Imperial Navy mine-laying submarine UC-69, 8.5 miles off the coast of Barfleur, northern France. Tripartite-class minehunter HNLMS Makkum made the discovery in late October but the wreck was identified in November. The wreck
Belgian minehunter BNS Primula wraps up SNMCMG deployment
Helping NATO’s Standing Mine Countermeasure Group 1 (SNMCMG1) clear historic ordnance off the coast of France was the final task of the crew of Belgian minehunter BNS Primula before they headed home. From October 20 to November 7, Belgians worked with their colleagues in French waters off the Norman
Dutch OPV HNLMS Zeeland wraps up four-month Caribbean stint
The Royal Netherlands Navy offshore patrol vessel HNLMS Zeeland concluded her deployment to the Dutch overseas territories in the Caribbean, returning to her homeport in Den Helder on Friday. The Holland-class vessel spent four months stationed in the region as part of a rotational Dutch Navy deploy