The Royal Navy’s contribution to the alliance has been praised as it approaches 45 years of continuous submarine nuclear deterrent patrols. NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen wrote to Defence Secretary Philip Hammond this week to thank the UK for its nuclear commitment to the alliance as t
On 3 April 2013, whilst on counter piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden, Rear Admiral Pedro García de Paredes, who is the Force Commander of EU NAVFOR, met with the Commander of the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) counter-piracy task force, Rear Admiral Giam Hock Koon. The meeting between the two force
On 3 April, German Frigate FGS Karlsruhe handed over counter piracy duties to her sister ship FGS Augsburg in a ceremony held in the port of Djibouti following a successful 5 month deployment as part of EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia – Operation Atalanta. The ceremony was attended by several dis
Faslane-based minehunter, HMS Ramsey, had the honour of berthing alongside a fellow Sandown class minehunter, owned by the Royal Saudi Naval Force, during a recent visit to Jubail. During her visit to King Abdullahaziz Naval Base, Ramsey tied up alongside the UK-built vessel, purchased by the Royal
The German Sachsen-class frigate Hamburg (F220) is the first German ship to fully integrate and deploy with an American carrier strike group, and April 3 marks her second week of operating in the North Arabian Sea with USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) (IKE). The Hamburg will stay a part of the stri
A Royal Navy frigate has been strengthening relations with the Cape Verde Islands by carrying out counter narcotics training drills. As part of a continuing effort by Her Majesty’s Government to support Cape Verde against the trade of illicit narcotics from South America to West Africa, Plymouth bas
NATO’s Standing Naval Mine Counter-Measures Group 2, headed by HMS Cattistock, has paid a visit to the country where she hosted NATO and Algerian Officers. While in the country’s capital, visiting officers were offered a capability demonstration as well as a presentation on NATO’s maritime role. Awa
Whilst departing from the port of Salalah, Oman, after a brief logistic stop, the EU’s counter-piracy flagship, ESPS Méndez Núñez enjoyed a brief rendezvous with fellow EU Naval Force warship HNLMS De Ruyter, who was about to enter the Omani port. ESPS Méndez Núñez did a ‘pass-by’ on the port side o
Raytheon Company was awarded a $155.6 million contract to manufacture Block 2 Rolling Airframe Missiles for delivery to the German navy. It represents the largest single RAM award by Germany. The contract was awarded in Raytheon’s first quarter of 2013. RAM is a cooperative program between the U.S.
The UK Navy’s new Type 45 destroyer, HMS Dragon, has got her maiden deployment off with a bang after testing every weapon onboard. HMS Dragon sailed from Portsmouth late last month, and working with other navies, will help keep the seas safe by preventing maritime terrorism, countering piracy, hunti
Troops of Russia’s Southern Military District have returned to their base after taking part in surprise Black Sea exercises ordered by President Vladimir Putin… [mappress] Source: Russian Navy, April 1, 2013; Image: Flot
Russia’s Amur-1650 Class Submarine Sparks Foreign Interest Foreign customers have shown high interest in Russia’s advanced Amur-1650 class submarine, state-run arms dealer Rosoboronexport said on Wednesday. ”Of the nine countries that are planning to modernize or develop their submarine fleets…three
Whilst operating in the Gulf of Aden as a part of the EU Naval Force counter-piracy mission, Operation Atalanta, the Dutch frigate HNLMS De Ruyter has refueled from the US auxiliary ship USNS Medgar Evers. The refueling was conducted via a Replenishment at Sea (RAS), an impressive event requiring co
Russian President Vladimir Putin unexpectedly ordered a snap large-scale military exercise on Thursday as concerns persist over armed forces… [mappress] Source: Russian Navy, March 29, 2013; Image: Sevastopol