Training & Education
ESPS Meteoro Embarks UAV
On Tuesday 10 September, EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Spanish warship ESPS Meteoro embarked a Skeldar V-200 Reconnaissance Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) in the port of Djibouti. Prior to embarking the UAV on board the ESPS Meteoro, it was tested by the Spanish Navy in Canary Islands waters on board th
HMS Montrose, Hellenic Navy Exercise in Mediterranean
As part of the Response Force Task Group (RFTG), HMS Montrose Is currently in the Mediterranean as part of the COUGAR 13 deployment. One of the main aims of the RFTG and COUGAR 13 is to promote interaction with our allied forces in the region, and as such HMS Montrose Seized the opportunity to colla
UK: Royal Navy Frigate Arrived Home
The crew of the Royal Naval frigate HMS Argyll was given a rousing hero’s welcome yesterday (Thursday) by hundreds of cheering relatives and friends when the ship returned from a successful maritime policing patrol. About 500 banner-waving family members and friends welcomed the ship back home to Pl
RFTG Sails through Suez Canal
The Royal Navy’s Response Force Task Group (RFTG) has sailed through the Suez Canal on its way to operate in a number of countries as part of the long planned Cougar 13 deployment. The RFTG left UK waters in August briefly visiting Gibraltar, Rota, Lisbon and Palermo before arriving in Albania to co
HMS Penzance Heads for Mediterranean
Minehunter HMS Penzance has left Scotland to begin her stint with a NATO force patrolling the Mediterranean. Just three months after leaving refit on the Forth, the Faslane-based vessel is joining Standing Mine Countermeasures Group 2, taking over from HMS Ledbury. Just three months after emerging f
UK: HMS Argyll to Be Back Home Today
The Royal Naval frigate HMS Argyll is due to return to the South West on Thursday (12 Sept) after a successful maritime policing patrol. HMS Argyll’s deployment has seen the ship conduct a range of operations in the seas around Africa, the Falklands, the Eastern Pacific and the Caribbean. This scope
HMS Grimsby to Arrive in Inverness, Scotland
Royal Navy mine hunter HMS Grimsby – which is home-ported HM Naval Base Clyde – will arrive in Inverness on Friday, September 13 for a short affiliation visit after circumnavigating the north coast of Scotland. The ship will arrive alongside at the city’s Longman Quay No.3 berth around 7am and, thou
UK Warship Comes Through Major Test
HMS Dragon played with a dazzling array of air power in the Gulf – including a B1 bomber – as she tested her ability to direct a wealth of aircraft on to targets. The Type 45 destroyer linked up with US naval and air forces, including Hornet strike bombers, Apache gunships and drones to see [&hellip
UK: New Commander for HMS Ledbury
Royal Navy warship HMS Ledbury has a new commanding officer, but links with a West Sussex village live on. Outgoing captain, Lieutenant Commander Justin Hains, has welcomed a childhood friend to take over the helm of the Portsmouth-based minehunter. After two years in charge Lt Cdr Hains has handed
FGS Niedersachsen Members Evacuated to Hospital
On Saturday 7 September, two members of the EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) warship FGS Niedersachsen were evacuated due to medical reasons to a hospital in Salalah, Oman. The ship had been conducting counter piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden off the coast of Somalia. The ship broke from counter-pira
SNMCMG1 Tests Its Skills within Exercise NORTHERN COASTS 2013
On Monday, 9 September 2013, the ships of Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group One (SNMCMG1) joined more than 40 ships, 10 helicopters, and 2500 participants from 15 nations in Exercise NORTHERN COASTS 2013. The annual exercise, which runs through September 19, follows a fictitious scenario in w
Latvia: Final Planning for Upcoming Military Exercises Underway
The Final Coordination Conference for the upcoming military exercises “Steadfast Jazz 2013” and “Baltic Host 2013” is currently underway in Riga, Latvia. The conference, which is taking place from the 9th – 11th September, includes over 250 participants from NATO military staff as well as participat
Three SNMCMG2 Ships Dock in Batumi, Georgia
On Friday, 6 September 2013, three NATO ships assigned to Standing NATO Mine Counter-Measures Group TWO (SNMCMG2) arrived in Batumi for a scheduled visit to the Black Sea port. Under the command of Commander Matthias Seipel, German Navy, the Group includes the flagship FGS MOSEL and FGS ROTTWEIL of
ESPS Meteoro Assists Yemeni Dhow
On Thursday 5 September, Spanish warship ESPS Meteoro, which is part of the European Union’s counter piracy Naval Force operating off the Horn of Africa, gave assistance to a Yemeni dhow, which had suffered steerage difficulties, with a faulty rudder. In the early morning, the ship’s SH60B helicopte