Surface Vessels
German minehunter Sulzbach-Rosenberg joining NATO mine countermeasures group
German Navy’s Frankenthal-class minehunter FGS Sulzbach-Rosenberg will be joining NATO’ Standing Mine Counter Measure Group 1 (SNMCMG1) operating in the Baltic and North Seas, the German Navy has announced. The minehunter is set to depart its home port of Kiel, Germany, on July 28 to spend the follo
Belgian frigate concludes Mediterranean migrant mission as scheduled
Belgian Navy frigate BNS Louise Marie concluded her deployment to the EU-led migrant crisis operation in the Mediterranean Sea setting sail home on July 23. The multi-purpose frigate left operation Sophia after the scheduled 34 days of duties, despite calls for the frigate’s earlier withdrawal due t
“World’s most beautiful ship” heads to New York for final port visit in America
The crew of the Italian Navy sail training ship ITS Amerigo Vespucci concluded their stay in Boston and are now en route to New York City for their final port visit in North America. The sail training ship’s visit to Boston was the first in seventeen years. Amerigo Vespucci visited Boston for the si
Germany to use recently decommissioned frigate as target ship
Less than a year after the German Bremen-class frigate FGS Karlsruhe returned from her last operational deployment, the navy announced it would sink the 35-year-old ship in upcoming tests. According to the navy, Karlsuhe will be detonated in the Baltic Sea sometime in 2018 after being fitted with va
Amphibious assault ship HMS Albion officially rejoins Royal Navy fleet
Royal Navy’s amphibious assault ship HMS Albion returned to active service following a July 21 rededication ceremony attended by Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal. The ship returned to her duties after spending six years in extended readiness in her home base of Devonport. Albion started a £90m
Carrier escort destroyer USS Laboon returns home
The U.S. Navy’s guided-missile destroyer USS Laboon (DDG 58) is back at her homeport of Norfolk, Virginia, after spending six months with the George H.W. Bush Carrier strike group in the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility (AOR). Under the leadership of Cmdr. Jason Labott, Laboon officers
Tods Defence to design and build Type 26 sonar domes
Tods Defence, a Unitech Aerospace Company, announced it has been selected by prime contractor BAE Systems to design and manufacture bow sonar domes for the Royal Navy’s Type 26 frigates. The company announced this contract after a steel-cutting ceremony on Thursday which marked the construction star
Russian Navy commissions Project 20380 corvette Sovershenny into Pacific Fleet
The Russian Navy has commissioned its fourth Project 20380 corvette, the Sovershenny, into the Pacific Fleet with a flag-raising ceremony in the Port of Vladivostok. The ship was commissioned after concluding builder’s and state trials in early July. Also referred to as Steregushchy-class corvettes,
UK starts construction of first Type 26 frigate HMS Glasgow
The name of the first Type 26 frigate to be built for the Royal Navy has been announced during a steel-cutting ceremony held at Govan shipyard in Scotland. Pressing the button which officially marked the ship’s construction start, UK Defence Secretary Michael Fallon announced that the first Type 26
German cartel office OKs newly-formed K 130 corvette construction consortium
Construction of additional five corvettes for the German Navy has been cleared for take-off by the German cartel office which ruled that the newly-formed shipbuilding consortium broke no cartel laws. This means that German Naval Yards Kiel GmbH will be able to join the ARGE K130 consortium – made up
Royal Navy Wildcat helicopter concludes German frigate integration
A Royal Navy Wildcat helicopter has wrapped up its integration aboard a German Navy frigate during her pre-deployment training which started in April this year. The Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) Yeovilton-based helicopter spent seven weeks aboard the Bremen-class frigate FGS Lübeck. This was also t
French destroyer set for Romanian drills after entering Black Sea
French Navy’s Horizon-class air warfare destroyer FS Chevalier Paul is scheduled to join Romanian Navy vessels for maritime exercises on July 19, two days after entering the Black Sea. FS Chevalier Paul is expected to be joined by three Romanian Navy vessels for a set of joint activities in the Blac
Italy blocks extension of EU migrant mission in the Med
Following an EU Committee report into the operation Sophia which said the undertaking is not working, EU members seem less willing to continue the mission. The mission which, as the report says, was failing to deliver its mandate of disrupting the migrant smugglers’ networks, was supposed to be exte
Chinese Navy task group heads for Baltic Sea and bilateral drills with Russian Navy
A Chinese Navy three-ship task group is sailing towards the Baltic Sea where it is set to take part in exercises with the Russian Navy. The bilateral drill, dubbed “Maritime Interaction 2017”, is scheduled to take place between July 21 and 28, and will involve an overall of 21 ships, according to a