The two week long Northern Coast 2014 (NOCO14) exercise, arranged in August and September is the Finnish Navy’s main exercise this year. The main aim of the Northern Coasts exercise is to improve the multinational interoperability between the participating troops. The shallow and shoaly waters alo
HMS Sultan was recently transformed into a small fictional Island called Leander as part of the Establishment’s trainees’ Operational Sea Training weekend. Trainee technicians and officers from within the Royal Naval Air Engineering and Survival School (RNAESS) joined with their Defence School of
On 11 of August 2014 the Combat Support Ship FGS Berlin received a visit from the Force Commander of the European Union Naval Force Somalia Rear Admiral Guido Rando. It was the first visit aboard an Operation Atalanta unit other than the flagship since he assumed command on 6 August in Djibouti. T
A Royal UK Navy frigate has been training with the Nigerian Navy allowing for an exchange of skills and techniques. HMS Iron Duke paid a short visit to Lagos, Nigeria, West Africa’s most populous city where the frigate worked with the Nigerian Navy as well as hosting a UK Trade and Industry Expo.
The special purpose tugboat «Belukha» of project 16609 (building No 629) built for the Russian Ministry of Defense has successfully finished the sea part of the official state acceptance trials. During this year the tugboat will be delivered to the State Customer and put into operation within the
The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Vella Gulf (CG 72) arrived in Constanta, Romania, for a scheduled port visit, Aug 11. Vella Gulf’s presence in Romania and the Black Sea reaffirms the United States’ commitment to strengthening ties with NATO allies and partners, while working towar
HMS Penzance has completed a seven week transit, arriving in her new base port of Bahrain, a journey which covered 6,850 nautical miles in the Monsoon season. She arrived in Bahrain and was met by Captain Philip Warwick, the Deputy United Kingdom Maritime Component Commander (UKMCC). After a 47 da
The new flagship of EU Naval Force ITS Andrea Doria conducted its first friendly approach in the Gulf of Aden. To help strengthen mutual understanding and trust between the EU Naval Force and local seafarers, as well as obtain first hand information about possible piracy incidents in the area, EU
The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Vella Gulf (CG 72) conducted a division tactics exercise with the Turkish navy fast attack craft TCG Tuzla (P 1200) in the Black Sea, Aug. 8. Vella Gulf and Tuzla conducted tactical maneuvering during the exercise. U.S. Navy ships regularly hold sim
Pella Shipyards’s special purpose tugboat “Belukha” (Building No 629, project 16609), built for the Russian Ministry of Defense, has successfully passed its sea trials. In the current year the tugboat will be delivered to the State Customer and put into operation within the Baltic Fleet Navy. The
NATO’s Counter-Piracy Mission, Operation Ocean Shield, has bid farewell to the Italian destroyer ITS MIMBELLI. The ITS MIMBELLI left Task Force 508 on Wednesday, 6 August 2014, after a job very well done as part of Operation Ocean Shield. The continuous, main effort of Task Force 508 is keeping co
Lithuania is now in command of Standing NATO Mine Counter-Measures Group ONE. German Navy Commander Gunther Brassel handed over command of SNMCMG1 to Lithuanian Navy Commander Giedrius Premeneckas during a brief ceremony on Thursday, 7 August, 2014. The ceremony was conducted by NATO Allied Mariti
The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Vella Gulf (CG 72) has entered the Black Sea, Aug. 6, to promote peace and stability in the region. Vella Gulf’s mission is to improve interoperability and work toward mutual goals, demonstrating the United States’ commitment to strengthening the co
On Wednesday 6 August 2014 Rear Admiral Jürgen zur Mühlen (German Navy) handed over Force Command of the EU’s counter-piracy Operation Atalanta to Rear Admiral Guido Rando (Italian Navy). Brigadier General Dick Swijgman, who recently assumed the role of Deputy Operation Commander of the EU Naval F
