On Thursday 11 July, Commodore Jorge Novo Palma, who is the Force Commander embarked in the EU Naval Force’s counter piracy flagship, NRP Álvares Cabral, welcomed on board Rear Admiral Yuan Yubai and a delegation from the Chinese PLA Navy. Rear Admiral Yuan Yubai commands the Chinese PLA Navy’s coun
Second Sea Lord Vice Admiral David Steel; personally met Crew 1 of the Second Mine Countermeasure Squadron yesterday during an informal ceremony onboard HMS Victory, in recognition of their achievements during a 6 and a half month deployment to the Gulf. MCM 2 Crew 1 who served onboard the Atherston
Last week EU Naval Force confirmed that the Malaysian flagged Motor Vessel, MV Albedo, held by armed pirates in an anchorage close to the Somali coast since November 2010, had sunk in rough seas. Since then EU Naval Force warships and a Maritime Patrol Aircraft have conducted sea and air searches in
The Golden Swordsmen of Patrol Squadron (VP) 47 flew their first mission July 16 in support of the multinational surface ships operating in the Black Sea on the first day of the underway operations phase of Sea Breeze 2013. Flying the P-3C Orion aircraft, the crew used their expertise in maritime do
Minehunter HMS Chiddingfold is nearing the end of her long road out of refit by coming through a month-long examination of the Navy’s Operational Sea Training in Scotland. The Portsmouth-based minehunter was out of action for 572 days undergoing a massive overhaul, including receiving new caterpilla
Fishery protection vessel HMS Severn has returned to Portsmouth following a major upgrade at Falmouth. Work during the two–month refit included overhauls to her two main engines and generators plus revamped accommodation areas. Her two seaboats have also been fully serviced and the freshwater produc
Whilst alongside in Djibouti port, staff from the EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Flagship, NRP Álvares Cabral, and members of the Djiboutian Navy and of the Djiboutian Coast Guard came together on board the Portuguese ship to conduct Local Maritime Capacity Building (LMCB) training to exchange maritime
Students from Wales University Royal Naval Unit (URNU), currently deployed in the Baltic on board HMS Express, made a visit to the Swedish National Defence College (SNDC) in Stockholm on 9th July. The SNDC is an important organisation for Sweden; it aims to be an instrument for change within the are
Multinational partners participating in Exercise Sea Breeze 2013 conducted an amphibious landing operation demonstration in support of simulated disaster relief activities July 11. As the Ukrainian PTS-2 amphibious assault vehicles deployed into the water toward Ukrainian navy vessel Konstantin Olsh
US Navy Delivers Final 35-Meter Patrol Boat to Iraqi Navy The U.S. Navy delivered the final 35-meter patrol boat (PB 312) to the Iraqi navy at the Umm Qasr naval facility July 5th, after successfully completing reactivation in Bahrain. Saudi Arabia Eyes 30 Mark V Patrol Boats The Defense Security Co
The crew of HMS Atherstone (MCM2 Crew 4) has had a busy first month of their six month tour of duty in the Persian Gulf. After taking over HMS Atherstone in early June from Crew 1, Crew 4 have spent their first month preparing and conducting a major combined UK/US/French Mine Countermeasure exercise
China and Russia on Wednesday completed an extensive naval exercise in the Far East, said a representative of Russia’s Pacific Fleet… [mappress] Source: Russian Navy, July 12, 2013; Image: facepunch
Rear Admiral Thomas Ernst, German Navy, relieved French Navy Rear Admiral Jacques de Solms as NATO’s Commander, Maritime Air (COMMARAIR) and Deputy Chief of Staff Maritime Air for NATO Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM), on Wednesday, 10 July 2013. During his tenure, de Solms led the complex consolida
More than 27,000 U.S. and Australian personnel are converging in Australia and the Coral Sea in preparation for the amphibious exercise Talisman Saber 2013, to be held off the coast of Australia July 15 through Aug. 6. Talisman Saber is a U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM)-sponsored exercise that trains f
