Standing NATO Mine Counter-Measures Group TWO (SNMCMG2) successfully joined 11 additional ships in the annual Turkish Mine Warfare Exercise NUSRET 13 in Saros Bay November 22-30. The SNMCMG2 units FGS MOSEL, FGS ROTTWEIL and TCG ERDEMLI were joined by the Hellenic Navy HS EVROPI. The Turkish Navy, u
On Sunday, 1 December 2013, the NATO counter-piracy Operation OCEAN SHIELD task group flagship HNoMS FRIDTJOF NANSEN rescued the crew of a Somalia-based dhow, which contained broken steering gear and two ill crew members. While patrolling the Gulf of Aden, NANSEN received a call from a Japanese Mari
Six Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) warships sailed from Halifax earlier this week to participate in a Task Group Exercise (TGEX) off the Canadian Atlantic coast from November 25 to December 6. “This Task Group exercise will have the added value of being a part of NORAD Exercise Amalgam Dart, proving inte
Leaders of the tactical group of the Ocean Shield operation discussed the operation results aboard the Ukrainian frigate Hetman Sahaydachnyi in relation to the rotation term completion. The parties analyzed the interoperability and summarized the joint work during this counter-piracy operation. Comm
Three federal politicians were given a hands-on experience of life in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) recently, when they visited HMAS Creswell as part of the Australian Defence Force Parliamentary Program 2013. Parliamentary Secretary for Defence, the Hon. Darren Chester MP, together with Parliamen
During the last two months, a Danish Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) Challenger (CL604) from the Royal Danish Air Force provided support to NATO’s counter-piracy Operation OCEAN SHIELD (OOS) under the control of Maritime Air Directorate (MARAIR). This MPA was stationed in the Seychelles between 23 Se
A unique system that merges the virtual and real worlds to train Sailors for combat scenarios was unveiled Dec. 2 in Orlando. The Office of Naval Research (ONR) is demonstrating the Fleet Integrated Synthetic Training/Testing Facility (FIST2FAC) Dec. 2-5 at the Interservice/Industry Training, Simula
The Royal Naval frigate HMS Monmouth has conducted the first in-service landings of a new helicopter on board at sea. The Wildcat of 700 Naval Air Squadron from Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton in Somerset landed on the flight-deck of the Plymouth-based ship to conduct the flight deck landings of t
Guided-missile destroyer USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51) departed Naval Station Norfolk to participate in a scheduled Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX), Nov. 22. “We are getting ready to deploy,” said Cmdr. Camille Flaherty, Arleigh Burke’s commanding officer. “We are forging a command team tha
Commander of NATO`s counter-piracy Task Force 508, Commodore Henning Amundsen, visited USS DE WERT Tuesday 26 November in advance of the ship’s departure from NATO’s counter-piracy Operation OCEAN SHIELD this week. Commodore Amundsen thanked DE WERT’s commanding officer, CDR Joseph C. Thomas, and hi
The littoral combat ship, USS Freedom (LCS 1), arrived in Guam, the furthest western U.S. territory, as part of her return transit across the Pacific Ocean, Nov. 29. While the crew will have time to rest, relax and reset, Freedom will receive fuel and supplies for the next underway period as the shi
On Thursday 28 November EU Naval Force warship, ESPS Meteoro made its ninth and last replenishment at sea (RAS) with the logistic American ship USNS Joshua Humphries. The meeting between both ships was close to the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor in the Gulf of Aden, and five days befor
Two NATO ships assigned to Standing NATO Maritime Group TWO (SNMG2), flagship ESPS ALVARO DE BAZAN and FGS SACHSEN, arrived Wednesday 27 November 2013 for a visit to the historic port city of Haifa, Israel. In conjunction with the port visit, Vice Admiral Peter Hudson, Commander of NATO Allied Marit
On November 28, the medical staff of the Hetman Sahaydachny frigate from Ukraine, participating in the NATO’s Ocean Shield counter-piracy operation, completed an appendectomy aboard the ship. The gas machine-room operator needed the emergency aid. A group of medical personnel led by Lt. Col. Serhiy
