The UK Ministry of Defence has delivered some of the most technologically advanced and well supported helicopter fleets in the world over the last year. In the last 12 months, the Merlin Mk2, Puma Mk2, Chinook Mk6 and both the Royal Navy and British Army Wildcats have all been declared ready for ope
The new Indian-built Offshore Patrol Vessel Barracuda was commissioned in the service of the National Coast Guard of Mauritius in Port Louis today, March 12. Due to the country’s vast exclusive economic zone, the vessel was much needed to maintain security and safety surrounding waters and the India
Royal Navy’s Sandown-class minehunter HMS Pembroke located nine WW2 bombs and mines in the murky waters off Kiel, Germany. The Faslane-based ship joined four other NATO vessels hunting for historic ordnance on the latest stage of her deployment with the international force. Wars past continue to occ
On Friday 6th March 2015 German frigate, FGS Bayern and Japanese destroyer, JS Harusame, met at sea for a joint tactical communications exercise in the Gulf of Aden. Prior to the start of the exercise the commander of the 20th Japanese Surface Force, Captain Masatoshi Kashihara, and members of his c
The USNS Spearhead and its embarked detachment of U.S. Navy Sailors, civil service mariners and U.S., Spanish and British Marines began the Cameroonian phase of Africa Partnership Station (APS) March 11, 2015 in Douala, Cameroon. Spearhead will function as a training platform for Cameroonian marines
The Indian Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral RK Dhowan PVSM AVSM YSM ADC, presided over the debrief of the recently concluded annual Theatre Level Readiness and Operational Exercise (TROPEX) at Kochi on 11 March. Commanders-in-chief of all the three naval Commands along with a number of senior operation
The Sailors and Marines of Commander, Amphibious Squadron (PHIBRON) 3 and the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (15th MEU) returned to San Diego March 10, following a twelve day at-sea PHIBRON-MEU Integrated Training (PMINT) off the coast of Southern California. During the nearly two-week underway peri
Clearance divers from Fleet Diving Unit (Atlantic) and underwater archeologists with Parks Canada conducted an Ice Dive Exercise at Quebec City Old Port from March 2-6, 2015 in preparation for planned diving operations in the Canadian Arctic. As part of an effort to unlock the secrets of Her Majesty
The Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2) fired a RIM-7 NATO Sea Sparrow Missile (NSSM). The operation was conducted in the Pacific Ocean, on March 9, during a live-fire exercise from the forward launcher aboard the vessel. Essex is underway conducting an amphibious squadron and Marin
Swedish Navy’s minesweeper HMS Ulvön (M77) experienced malfunctions during weapon fire tests yesterday south of Ronneby, Sweden. The malfunction resulted in the vessel’s gun swinging and four projectiles being sent in a different direction than intended. Fortunately, the projectiles did not contain
US Navy’s Arleigh-Burke class guided-missile destroyer USS Laboon (DDG 58) recently conducted a live-fire exercise. The vessel fired its MK 45 5-inch gun while it was sailing in the Atlantic Ocean on March 7. Laboon is conducting naval operations in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of responsibility in suppo
Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Groups ONE and TWO (SNMCMG1 and SNMCMG2) arrived in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on Friday, March 6, in advance of historic ordnance disposal (HOD) operation BENEFICIAL COOPERATION. Simultaneous participation by both Groups in HOD operations represents a great oppor
NATO ships assigned to Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG2) recently completed exercises in the Black Sea with ships from the Turkish Navy. SNMG2 is in the Black Sea to assure allies in the region of the Alliance’s commitment to collective defence and to enhance NATO’s maritime force interoperab
US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) conducted a replenishment-at-sea (RAS) yesterday. While the vessel was in the waters to the west of the Korean Peninsula, it met with the Military Sealift Command fleet replenishment oiler USNS Pecos (T-AO-197) for RA