Tanker RFA Wave Knight and pirate-busting stores ship RFA Fort Victoria joined forces this week to exercise together in the Indian Ocean. The two Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships spent 24 hours in company with each other as they supported the ongoing naval effort to protect maritime trade east of Suez. ‘
Three of the Royal Navy’s minehunting quartet in the Gulf joined their American and Japanese counterparts for the first combined exercise together in two decades. HMS Pembroke was the UK’s initial contributor to Unified Shield, a large exercise involving two US minesweepers, Gladiator and Dextrous,
On the morning of 17 December, following coordination between the staffs in Task Force 508 and 465, EUNAVFOR Flagship SPS PATIÑO provided fuel to the Danish frigate ABSALON operating as part of the NATO counter-piracy task force. The huge expanse of the Indian ocean, where a number of different Task
Amphibious transport dock USS New Orleans (LPD 18) hosted more than a dozen members of the Royal Cambodian Navy (RCN) Dec. 14-15, during Cambodian Marine Exercise (MAREX) 2012. MAREX is a multi-day theater security cooperation exercise between the U.S. and Cambodian military designed to share expert
The Spanish auxiliary oiler and replenishment ship, the SPS PATINO, Flagship of the European Union Naval Force Somalia, with the Force Commander, Captain Jorge Manso Revilla embarked, has recently completed a “first” for the mission by escorting a three ship convoy of ships chartered by the World Fo
State commission analyzing development tests of submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) Bulava will determine date of the coming launch in the next few days; it will decide whether the test launch are held in 2011 or 2012, reports RIA Novosti on Dec 15 referring to a spokesman for Russian defens
Black Sea Fleet (BSF) divers are conducting scheduled practical dives to the depths down to 120 meters from BSF rescue ship Epron at deep-sea test range off Crimea. Drills are held under supervision of BSF Rescue Ship Brigade EO Capt 2 rank Sergei Ignatov. Such exercise is essential part of divers’
Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) ship Largs Bay has won the Firmin Sword of Peace for her role in the Haiti disaster relief effort last year. RFA Largs Bay supplied hundreds of tonnes of rations and equipment to Haiti after a terrible earthquake struck the Caribbean island last year. The ship, which has
Caspian Flotilla (CF) task units on Dec 12 left basing sites in Astrakhan and Makhachkala heading for central and southern parts of the Caspian Sea. According to plans, the CF task units will conduct anti-terror exercise in Russia’s maritime economic activity zones in the Caspian Sea. In total, up t
The current year has brought a record-breaking income to Somali pirates hijacking ships and crews for ransom, said deputy director of EU NAVFOR – Operation Atalanta in the interview to online Bruxelles2. According to the admiral, pirates have obtained over $135 mln ransoms in 2011, while in the past
Group of Baltic Fleet (BF) officers returned fr om St. Petersburg where they discussed the coming FRUKUS 2012 international exercise. It will take place in the Baltic Sea for the first time. During the session of working group, BF officers along with representatives of Russian Navy main HQ, Northern
First of three frigates built for Indian Navy has successfully passed the last trials before delivery, reported RIA Novosti on Dec 7 referring to Sergei Mikhailov, press secretary of JSC Yantar Shipyard (Kaliningrad, Russia). “Project 11356 frigate INS Teg has almost completed closing stage of trial
Baltic Fleet (BF) frigate Yaroslav Mudry and replenishment tanker Lena on Dec 7 left BF main naval base Baltiysk heading for the North Sea. The long-range cruise of BF task unit under command of Capt 1 rank Alexander Ivanovsky will be held in accordance with the Russian Navy Combat Training Plan. Th
In Djibouti on 6 December the Change of Command ceremony of Commander Task Force 465 was held on board the EU NAVFOR German frigate FGS BAYERN. Rear Admiral Thomas Jugel handed over the responsibility to Captain Jorge Manso, Spanish Navy, in a ceremony attended by military and civilian guests, inclu