Royal Navy Type 23 frigates HMS Westminster and HMS Monmouth returned to their homeports in Portsmouth and Devonport, respectively, on December 14. Westminster returned after an eight-week stint in the North and Baltic Sea where she trained with other NATO and ally ships as part of NATO’s largest ex
The UK and France have every interest in successfully completing the future cruise/anti-ship weapon (FC/ASW) program, the House of Commons Defence Committee and the Assemblée nationale’s Standing Committee on National Defence and the Armed Forces said in a joint report. The report marks the culminat
HMS Medway, the second of the Royal Navy’s next-generation patrol ships, will debut in Portsmouth in the New Year after completing her maiden sea trials. The offshore patrol vessel (OPV) spent 15 days in the Firth of Clyde testing her engines, maneuverability, sensors and main cannon under a mixed c
The French Navy plans to install seven tracking and illumination (STIR) radars on its frigates for their gun and missile fire control, defense technology company Thales said. As informed, five of the radars will be installed on board future intermediate-size frigates (FTI), and two will be placed on
The European Union Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) celebrated ten years of maritime operations on December 8. Commanded from its military HQ in Northwood, London, the European Union Naval Force was officially launched on December 8, 2008. Codenamed Operation Atalanta, it is a naval force generated by EU Mem
US Navy amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) returned to her homeport of Mayport, Florida, Dec. 4, after nine weeks of operations in the northern Atlantic Ocean. As flagship of the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), the ship returned to sea after completing a six-month deployment to part
Ships from NATO’s Standing Maritime Group Two (SNMG2) trained with Egyptian Navy vessels after concluding a visit to the Egyptian Navy base in Alexandria on December 4. Although hampered by the weather conditions, the passing exercise consisted of a tactical maneuvering exercise, helicopter operatio
The second Royal Navy Dreadnought-class ballistic missile submarine will be named HMS Valiant, the UK defense secretary has announced. In addition to naming the submarine, defense secretary Gavin Williamson announced a £400 million funding boost for the Dreadnought program. The planned funding relea
US Navy aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) worked out with the Italian Air Force in the Mediterranean Sea on November 29. F/A-18s from Carrier Air Wing One (CVW-1) embarked aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier worked with Italian Eurofighter Typhoon fighter aircraft. “Every time we fl
Royal Navy’s Type 23 frigate HMS Montrose met her former sister ship as she sailed to South America to mark the 200th anniversary of the Chilean Navy. The former sister ship is ex-HMS Marlborough, which now flies the Chilean flag as CNS Almirante Condell. A second Gulf War veteran, Marlborough was s
Royal Navy’s Type 23 frigate HMS St Albans and the nuclear-powered submarine HMS Astute honed their Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) skills recently, during joint training off Scotland. HMS St Albans and HMS Astute are two of the vessels that form the Royal Navy’s anti-submarine capability. This latest
After concluding a visit to the Algerian port of Algiers last week, NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2) arrived in Marmaris, Turkey, for a port call on November 27. The group is conducting the visits after resuming regular Mediterranean Sea patrols following their participation in NATO’s major
The navies of Egypt, Greece and Cyprus have wrapped up the main portion of the trilateral exercise Medusa 7 which took place in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea off Crete. Main units taking part in the exercise included the Egyptian Navy helicopter carrier ENS Anwar El Sadat (L1020) and Greek frigate H
After seizing three tons of hashish in the Middle East earlier this week, Royal Navy destroyer HMS Dragon arrived in India where it will join Indian Navy ships for the bilateral naval exercise Konkan 2018. The Konkan exercise provides a platform for the two navies to periodically exercise at sea and
