The underway portion of Exercise Cutlass Express 2015 commenced as boarding team members from Comoros, Kenya, Mauritius, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda began visit, board, search, and seizure scenarios while at sea, Jan. 31, 2015. Exercise Cutlass Express 2015, sponsored by U.S. Afric
Placed into commission nearly 30 years ago, the guided-missile frigate USS Elrod (FFG 55) was decommissioned on Friday, January 30, during a Naval Station Norfolk ceremony, led by Cmdr. Brad Stallings, commanding officer. Elrod last deployed in 2014, to the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations to advan
The “Fighting Marlins” of Patrol Squadron (VP) 40 returned to Naval Air Station (NAS) Whidbey Island, Washington, Jan. 29, following a seven-month deployment to the Pacific in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility. The “Fighting Marlins” primarily conducted operations out of Kadena Air Base in J
UK’s New RFA Tankers to Get Military Capabilities The UK Ministry of Defence has awarded a £15 million contract to A&P Group to install high-end military capabilities in four new tankers so that they are ready for operations by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. Philippine Navy to Receive Two Vessels from A
As part of Baltic Sea tasks, the Standing NATO Mine Counter-Measures Group ONE provided a short update on the group’s operations. The Belgian minehunter Lobelia (M921), integrated in SNMCMG1, conducted a replenishment-at-sea with the German Navy’s Elbe-class replenishment ship FGS Donau. The vessels
At the Russian Navy’s Baltic Sea Fleet base (Baltiysk and Kronshtadt) crews of warships, boats and support vessels, started a naval exercise which will prepare the vessels for deployment. The exercise included all the vessels from the Baltic Fleet, the Nastoychivy, Steregushy, Soobrazitelny, Stoiky
The Northern Diving Group (NDG), based at HMNB Clyde at Faslane, the experts when it comes to a diverse range of Diving tasks and Explosive Ordnance Disposal, are trained for a highly unlikely event of a sinking incident involving a submarine. NDG play a huge part in the successful deployment of the
Maritime forces from East Africa, South Africa, Europe, Indian Ocean nations, the United States and several international organizations began the fourth iteration of the multinational maritime Exercise Cutlass Express, Jan. 28, 2015. Exercise Cutlass Express 2015, sponsored by U.S. Africa Command (A
The Spanish Navy’s vessels SPS Canarias (F86) and SPS Patiño A14 deployed for NATO’s Operation Active Endeavour on January 26. The vessels deployed from Rota Naval Base, and are expected to take part in the operation during February. They will be integrated in Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2).
Two Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2) vessels recently met with the German oil tanker FGS Spessart (A 1442) for a replenishment-at-sea operation. While on patrol in the Mediterranean Sea, the group’s vessels USS Vicksburg (CG 69) and Turkish ship TCG Turgutreis (F 241) were both approached by t
A Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship has been at the heart of a major exercise to safeguard oil platforms and harbours in the Persian Gulf. RFA Fort Austin was used as a stand in oil platform during a recent International Maritime Infrastructure Protection Exercise which tested the skills of navies and coas
Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces (USFF) and Commander, Navy Installations Command (CNIC) will conduct Exercise Solid Curtain-Citadel Shield 2015 (SC-CS15) Feb. 2-13 on Navy installations located in the continental United States. This annual anti-terrorism force protection (ATFP) exercise is designed to
Over the past week, Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 and the French Navy’s CHARLES DE GAULLE Carrier Strike Group (TF 473) conducted exercises across the Mediterranean Sea in a demonstration of the power of NATO maritime forces to rapidly come together in a crisis or for collective defence. The ongoin
The “Pathfinders” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 35, Det. 1, the Navy’s first composite expeditionary helicopter squadron, are currently deployed aboard the littoral combat ship USS Fort Worth (LCS 3) during her maiden 16-month rotational deployment to the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. HSM
