Surface Vessels
Spanish ESPS Relampago returns from 6-month counter-piracy mission
Spanish Navy’s offshore patrol vessel Relámpago returned home on March 16, concluding a six-month deployment to operation Atalanta, a EU-led counter-piracy mission off the coast of Somalia. The crew sailed over 28,000 nautical miles, and has conducted over 50 approaches, greeting Somali fishermen an
Australian defence industry minister tours Spanish frigate
Australia’s minister for defence industry visited a Spanish Navy frigate downselected for the Future Frigate programme on Friday to inspect the capabilities of the ship. Minister Christopher Pyne went aboard the F-100 frigate ESPS Cristobal Colon for a tour of the ship and an update on the progress
US destroyer begins third forward deployed patrol from Spain
U.S. Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Carney (DDG 64) set sail from Naval Station Rota, Spain, on March 15, to begin it’s third forward deployed patrol in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations. “It’s time for our third patrol and we’ve worked hard preparing for it,” said Cmdr.
UK’s carrier strike capability could be delayed, watchdog warns
Technical issues and manpower shortage could cause delays in the Royal Navy’s plans for the deployment of its carrier strike group, a UK spending watchdog has warned. The UK ministry of defense plans to have an initial carrier strike operating capability by December 2020, something the UK has been w
German frigates to trade places at the helm of NATO group
German Navy’s anti-submarine warfare Type F123 frigate FGS Brandenburg is set to deploy to NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2) to relieve another German frigate, the Type F124 FGS Sachsen, as flagship of the task force. The lead ship in the class of four German Navy F123 frigates, FGS Brandenbu
Reawakened Royal Navy amphibious assault ship welcomes new commander
Royal Navy’s amphibious assault ship HMS Albion welcomed her new captain on March 14 at HM Naval Base Devonport. Captain Tim Neild assumed command as the warship is preparing to move from a docks basin to the river in Plymouth. HMS Albion recently welcomed aboard her first sailors and marines in alm
International defense students tour Royal Navy ships
Royal Navy warships in Plymouth hosted some 270 international students from the UK’s military leadership college for an insight into the professionalism of the senior service. A two-day dynamic demonstration of the Royal Navy’s capability was staged off the South West coast by warships HMS Dragon (P
Italian frigate arrives in Indonesia on Asia-Pacific deployment
Having wrapped up her participation in the Australian Navy exercise Ocean Explorer on March 5, Italian Navy FREMM frigate ITS Carabiniere headed for Jakarta, Indonesia as part of her deployment to the Asia-Pacific region. The Carlo Bergamini-class frigate arrived in Jakarta on March 9 and hosted the
German, South African Navy conclude drills in Baltic Sea
South African Navy frigate SAS Amatola and two German Navy ships returned to the port of Warnemünde on March 10, thereby concluding the bilateral exercise Good Hope. The 2017 edition of Good Hope started on February 24 and marked the first time the drill took place in the Baltic Sea. This was also t
HMS Iron Duke to make four-day visit to Hull
Royal Navy’s Type 23 frigate HMS Iron Duke is scheduled to visit Hull on Thursday for a four-day visit as part of the city’s year as UK capital of culture. The City of Culture award is given every four years to a city that demonstrates the belief in the transformational power of culture. The city of
HMS Monmouth visits Gibraltar on deployment’s first stop
Royal Navy’s Type 23 frigate HMS Monmouth made a port call in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar on the first mission stop of her nine-month deployment to the Middle East. Accompanied by HMS Sabre and Scimitar from the RN Gibraltar Squadron, and with her Wildcat airborne to scour the skies,
Royal Navy frigate returns from nine-month deployment
Royal Navy frigate HMS Portland returned home to Plymouth on Friday concluding her nine-month deployment. HMS Portland was welcomed to HM Naval Base Devonport by a crowd of family and friends while 42 lucky family members got an insight into life at sea by sailing as special guests on board from Por
German TKMS to support upgrade of South African frigates, submarines
South African defense contractor Denel has teamed up with German ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems for joint work on South African Navy frigates and submarines. The two companies signed a Memorandum of Understanding on board the SAS Amatola, in Rostock, Germany, during the frigate’s deployment to European
French shipbuilder opens Colombia office in bid for new frigate contract
French shipbuilder DCNS opened a new office in Bogota, Colombia, hoping to bolster its chances in securing work on the Colombian Navy’s Plataforma Estratégica de Superficie (PES) frigate acquisition programme. Under the programme, Colombia plans to acquire four frigates to replace the existing Almir