Surface Vessels
Royal Navy, Spanish warships in another face off in Gibraltar waters
Royal Navy’s Gibraltar-based fast patrol boat HMS Scimitar was forced to respond to a Spanish warship incursion into Gibraltar waters for the second time in a month. The UK Ministry of Defence confirmed that Spanish Navy corvette Infanta Cristina was escorted out of Gibraltar waters on Thursday morn
French Navy receives fourth FREMM frigate ‘Auvergne’
French shipbuilder DCNS delivered the Marine Nationale’s fourth FREMM multi-mission frigate Auvergne on April 11, in Toulon. Auvergne is also the fourth anti-submarine warfare (ASW) variant ship. The French Navy has a total of eight frigates in the class on order, six ASW and two anti-air warfare va
Italian aircraft carrier leaves Mediterranean Sea operation
Italian Navy aircraft carrier ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi concluded its participation in the EU NAVFOR-led operation Sophia in the Mediterranean Sea. The carrier stepped down from its duty as flagship of the mission on April 4, some six month after joining the group. During its time spent with operation
German, Swedish Navy in cat and mouse games off Swedish coast
Only weeks after visiting her Swedish Navy counterparts from the Royal Swedish Navy’s 31. corvette squadron, German Navy corvette FGS Ludwigshafen am Rhein joined six Swedish ships for a series of maneuvers and drills. In one of the drills, Ludwigshafen am Rhein was to try and enter Swedish coastal
US, France, UK forces hone amphibious skills off Djibouti
Ships and personnel from U.S., UK and France have kicked off the two-week multilateral amphibious exercise Alligator Dagger 17. The drill is taking place in international waters off the coast of Djibouti and in the vicinity of Djibouti and Arta Beach, between April 5 and 20. Participating forces inc
Greek mine warfare drill Ariadne 17 concludes
Ships from eight countries have concluded their participation in the Hellenic Navy-led mine countermeasures (MCM) exercise Ariadne 17. The exercise took place between March 31 and April 7. The at-sea phase started April 3 in Greek territorial waters after a planning and harbour phase was conducted a
Damen submits tender for 12 Australian OPVs
Damen Shipyards Group has submitted a tender for the SEA 1180 Phase 1 Project to deliver twelve Offshore Patrol Vessels to the Royal Australian Navy. To demonstrate its commitment to on time and within specification delivery Damen submitted its response early. Damen has teamed with ASC Forgacs Shipb
Raytheon Anschütz integrates WECDIS in UK Type 26 Global Combat Ship Program
Raytheon Anschütz announces the successful integration of Warship Electronic Chart Display Information System (WECDIS) into their Integrated Navigation and Bridge Systems (INBS) for the UK Royal Navy Type 26 Global Combat Ships. In support of the Type 26 Global Combat Ship program, Raytheon Anschütz
Royal Marines’ wings ready for action
The wings of the Royal Marines are ready for action with their French counterparts after a month’s training aboard the FS Mistral. Two Merlins from 845 NAS are assigned to the assault ship throughout her six-month deployment to the Indian and Pacific Oceans – the first time the green Merlins have go
Babcock becomes Royal Navy system support partner under £360m deal
UK defense contractor Babcock has been selected to become marine systems support partner (MSSP) for the Royal Navy’s new Queen Elizabeth-class (QEC) aircraft carriers and Type 45 destroyers. The company said it was selected as preferred bidder for all four elements of a Ministry of Defence program t
Greece kicks off annual international drill Ariadne 2017
Warships from eight nations arrived in Greece for the annual exercise Ariadne which will be taking place from March 31 to April 7. In addition to ships, naval officers from some ten countries will be attending the exercise in the Ionian Sea in the Gulf of Patras. NATO ships from the Standing Mine Co
Navantia launches fifth Buque de Acción Marítima ship for Spanish Navy
Spanish shipbuilder Navantia launched the Spanish Navy’s fifth BAM (Buque de Acción Marítima) ship on March 30 at its Cadiz-San Fernando shipyard. Named Audaz, (which translates to bold or audacious) the modular offshore patrol vessel is the fifth of overall nine units the Spanish Navy plans to acqu
Australia issues Request for Tender for Future Frigates
The Australian government on Friday released the Request for Tender (RFT) for the Royal Australian Navy’s $35 billion Future Frigate project. The RFT was issued to the three shortlisted designers: British BAE Systems, Italy’s Fincantieri and Spain’s Navantia. Minister for Defence Industry, Christoph
BAE Systems introduces F35B simulator for Royal Navy carriers
A new flight simulator for the F-35B Lightning II aircraft is now ready to help prepare pilots to take the real aircraft on flight trials on the Royal Navy’s new aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth next year. The simulator will test pilots’ skills to the limits as they practise landing on the deck