Training & Education
Royal Navy frigate joins US Navy oiler for South China Sea drills
US Navy fleet replenishment oiler USNS Guadalupe (T-AO 200) and Royal Navy frigate HMS Montrose (F236) met up in the South China Sea on February 18 for a series of maritime security and logistics training. The drills involved Royal Marine commandos, Royal Navy sailors and Guadalupe crew members. Dur
US destroyer, NATO ships enter Black Sea after Dardanelles Strait transit
US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook and ships from NATO’s Standing Mine Countermeasures Group 2 (SNMCMG2) entered the Black Sea on February 19. Donald Cook entered the Black Sea after last visiting the region in January 2019, when it visited Batumi, Georgia and con
Dynamic Guard concludes off Norway
NATO-led exercise Dynamic Guard concluded off the coast on February 15. Ships from Standing NATO Maritime Group One (SNMG 1), commanded by U.S. Rear Adm. Edward Cashman, were joined by other ally units in the region for ten days of evolutions. The exercise is executed concurrently with Norwegian led
NAVDEX: MBDA unveils Mistral missile launcher module SPIMM
French defense contractor MDBA has unveiled a new shipborne module for the launching of Mistral missiles called SPIMM (Self-Protection Integrated Mistral Module). The air-defense module is based on the SIMBAD-RC system and designed to equip ships of all types, particularly those without a combat sys
In a first: Italian Navy uses new M-40 target drones in carrier protection exercise
The Italian Navy recently used the new Leonardo-developed M-40 target drones in an exercise involving the aircraft carrier ITS Cavour and Durand de la Penne-class destroyer ITS Francesco Mimbelli. The exercise saw the aircraft carrier and its complement of AV8B+ fighter aircraft training alongside t
Australian Navy task group gets underway for Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2019
A Royal Australian Navy task group composed of landing helicopter dock HMAS Canberra, frigate HMAS Newcastle, and tanker HMAS Sirius, departed Sydney Harbour on February 17 to start a series of exercises and engagements with regional allies. The task group will spend the next several weeks participa
Cobra Gold kicks off in Thailand
The 38th iteration of multi-lateral exercise Cobra Gold kicked off with an opening ceremony at the Akathotsarot Camp, Phitsanulok Province, on February 12. Representatives of the Royal Thai Armed Forces and US Indo-Pacific Command were joined by the ambassadors of Japan and the Republic of Korea and
USS Porter in Spain for repairs after European patrol
US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78) returned to Naval Station Rota, Spain, for a scheduled training and maintenance availability (TRAV) on February 13. The maintenance is being conducted after the ship completed a patrol in the US 6th Fleet Area of Operations.
SNMG2 frigates conduct force integration training in Eastern Med
Ships from NATO’s Standing Maritime Group Two (SNMG2) are currently underway in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, taking part in what the NATO Maritime Command describes as advanced Force Integration Training (FIT). The drills are being conducted as part of the group’s patrols in the region. Composed o
German frigate ‘Augsburg’ returns from final deployment
German Navy F122 frigate FGS Augsburg will return to her Wilhelmshaven homeport on Friday, Februrary 15, concluding her final operational deployment. The frigate is one of only two ships in her class and is scheduled to retire this year after 30 years of service. In addition to concluding her final
US submarine joining Japan’s large scale “Submarine Competition”
An unidentified US Navy Los Angeles-class attack submarine is set to take part in the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) Submarine Competition (SUBCOMP) exercise in waters south of Japan. The seven-day drill starts February 13. SUBCOMP is designed to evaluate and test Japanese crews across mu
USS Abraham Lincoln rehearses strait transit maneuvers
US Navy aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) and ships from its carrier strike group (ABECSG) participated in a simulated strait transit off the eastern coast of the United States, Feb. 7. Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 12 conducted the simulation as part of composite unit training exercise (CO
USS John C. Stennis arrives in Thailand for port visit
US Navy aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) arrived in Laem Chabang, Thailand, for what the navy said would be a brief port call on February 10. The aircraft carrier arrived in Thailand after concluding operations in the Persian Gulf, where it arrived early December 2018. “Our sailors are
Pakistan-hosted exercise AMAN-19 kicks off in Karachi
The Pakistan Navy-hosted biennial maritime exercise AMAN-2019 kicked off in Karachi on February 8, with 46 nations in attendance. The four-day exercise will involve a port and at-sea phase with a focus on maritime security, counter terrorism and humanitarian assistance operations. Based on this, the