On the morning of 27 March, the helicopter of Dutch EU Naval Force warship HNLMS De Ruyter landed on the flight deck of the Spanish EU Naval Force vessel ESPS Rayo, becoming the first helicopter from another Operation Atalanta unit to land on the Spanish warship. This helicopter landing occurred as
The head of the Royal Navy’s fleet in the South West is retiring after 37 years overseeing great changes. Commodore Jake Moores, commander of the Devonport flotilla’s 21 ships and submarines at Plymouth, says the Royal Navy has become smaller, but more committed and effective during his career. A De
The Deputy Operation Commander of EU Naval Force, Rear Admiral Eric Dupont (French Navy) recently visited Djibouti when on a regional visit to the Operation Atalanta area of operations. During the visit he met with Lieutenant Colonel Wais O. Bogoreh the Commander of the Djiboutian Coast Guard. Admir
HMS St Albans has shot her way into Royal Navy history – bringing an end to 40 years of gunnery with the legendary 4.5in gun. For four decades the distinctive round Mod 0 gun – fitted to all Type 42 destroyers, Type 23 and later Type 22 frigates – has been the Fleet’s principal weapon […]
Divers from HMS Quorn are preparing for the biggest minehunting exercise of the year in the Middle East. They will join counterparts from 20 or so nations in May at the second annual IMCMEX, which aims to show how the world’s navies can keep the sea lanes open – and deal with the mine threat. [&hell
The Spanish Oceanic Patrol Vessel ESPS Rayo, as part of the EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia – Operation Atalanta, has taken advantage of her second port visit in Djibouti to conduct training on 20 and 21 March 2013 with the Djiboutian Navy and Coast Guard. The Boarding Team of ESPS Rayo and Spani
IMO has pledged its support to assist in the implementation of a new Code of Conduct concerning the prevention and repression of piracy, armed robbery against ships and illicit maritime activity in west and central Africa, which has been adopted at a Ministerial meeting in Cotonou, Benin. The Code i
A Plymouth based frigate has played a starring role in a maritime security exercise off the coast of West Africa. Whilst on deployment on Atlantic Patrol Task (South) reassurance duties, the Type 23 frigate, HMS Argyll, has successfully completed the multi-national exercise, Saharan Express, off the
Some contributing nations support the EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia – Operation Atalanta with specialised assets to counter piracy off the Horn of Africa. Estonia supports Operation Atalanta with a Vessel Protection Detachment (VPD) on board the French frigate FS Courbet. VPDs are ready to emba
The Royal Navy’s last Type 42 destroyer has left New York and is heading home following a highly successful visit to the Big Apple. At the end of this month, HMS Edinburgh will return to her home port of Portsmouth and bring to an end 30 years of loyal service to the Royal Navy as […]
As HMS Monmouth hits the five-month mark on her Maritime Security patrol of the Gulf, it is worth taking stock of what is required to keep a Type 23 frigate and her Ship’s company of over 200 sailors and Royal Marines continuously on task and ready for action. Sustainability is the key theme running
On 17 March, during a visit by the EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia Operation Atalanta flagship ESPS Méndez Núnez to Salalah, the Force Commander, Rear Admiral Pedro García de Paredes, met with Omani officials in Salalah. The EU NAVFOR Force Commander met the Commander of the Royal Navy of Oman’s
A Portchester sailor has been presented with a medal for 17 years of service to the Royal Navy while serving on the icebreaker HMS Protector. In an unusual setting, Leading Seaman Scott Black was given the medal standing on an iceberg off Detaille Island on the edge of Antarctica – one of the most r
Two hundred sailors from HMS Sultan will exercise their freedom of the borough of Gosport by marching through the town on Friday (March 22). The parade – the first in eight years – marks Gosport Borough Council’s recent updating of the original freedom status granted to the engineering training scho
