Training & Education
Canadian frigate HMCS Charlottetown wraps up six months of NATO operations
Royal Canadian Navy frigate HMCS Charlottetown arrived at its Halifax homeport on January 19, wrapping up a six-month deployment with NATO’s Standing Maritime Group One (SNMG1). HMCS Charlottetown joined SNMG1 in August 2017, sailing in the Baltic Sea, Northern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean S
Major fire at Vladivostok submarine base is a “drill”, Russian Navy says
Video footage of smoke billowing near two submarines at the Russian submarine base in Vladivostok emerged on Sunday, but the navy says it is all part of a damage control exercise. According to Russian news agency Interfax, the press service of the Russian Pacific Fleet has denied earlier Russian med
US, France, Denmark, Germany help Royal Navy train for carrier strike group operations
The Royal Navy hosted a “multi-national fleet synthetic training group command exercise” recently at HMS Collingwood with the aim of preparing to work as part of a battlegroup with the country’s new aircraft carriers. Personnel from five Royal Navy ships took part in the latest validation exercise r
Canadian frigate HMCS St. John’s deploys to NATO SNMG1
Royal Canadian Navy’s Halifax-class frigate HMCS St. John’s departed Naval Station Halifax on January 16 to join the Standing NATO Maritime Group 1. The bad weather delayed the frigate’s departure by two hours, but the crew are now en route to Europe where they will represent the Canadian contributi
Belgium takes the helm of SNMCMG1
The Belgian Navy is now in charge of the Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group One (SNMCMG1) after taking over from the Latvian Navy in a ceremony on January 15. Commander Peter Ramboer of the Belgian Navy relieved Latvian Commander Gvido Laudups in Zeebrugge, Belgium. Commander Laudups has led t
Norway hands over command of SNMG1 to Denmark
Norwegian Navy Commodore Petter Kammerhuber handed over command of the Standing NATO Maritime Group One (SNMG1) to his Royal Danish Navy counterpart, Commodore Søren Thinggaard Larsen, in a ceremony on January 15 in Bergen, Norway. SNMG1 has been under Norwegian command since January 2017, under the
US Navy Admiral visits Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth
US Navy Rear Admiral Patrick Piercey, US Pacific Command operations director, recently paid a visit to the Royal Navy’s carrier strike group commander Commodore Andrew Betton onboard HMS Queen Elizabeth. The Admiral was visiting the home base of the Royal Navy’s carriers as part of a wider UK visit
USS Carney leaves Black Sea after ASW drill with Romania and Turkey
US Navy destroyer USS Carney exited the Black Sea on January 13 after making a port call in Ukraine and taking part in an anti-submarine warfare drill a Romanian frigate and a Turkish submarine. Carney spent a total of eight days in the Black Sea. “Our time in the Black Sea provided the opportunity
Royal Navy minehunter ‘Cattistock’ deploys to Baltic with NATO SNMCMG1
Royal Navy Hunt-class minehunter HMS Cattistock got underway from naval base Portsmouth on Thursday to join the Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1 (SNMCMG1). Cattistock will be spending the next three months in the Baltic Sea contributing to NATO mine countermeasure operations. “The ship’s c
OCEAN2020: Leonardo chosen to lead major European autonomous systems project
Italian defense company Leonardo was selected to lead the first European Defence Fund’s initiative project which will see the integration of unmanned platforms in surveillance and interdiction missions. OCEAN2020, as the project is called, is issued by the European Union under the ‘Preparatory Actio
Royal Marine engineers test amphibious support skills
A squadron of Royal Marines engineers took to the shores of western Scotland recently for an exercise that tested their ability to provide support to an amphibious unit in the field. On paper, the boat group from Plymouth’s 539 Assault Squadron should be able to deploy two hovercraft, eight ORC raid
German air-defense frigate ‘Hessen’ deploying to US for drills with US carrier strike group
German Navy’s F124 air-defense frigate FGS Hessen will be joining a US Navy aircraft carrier strike group off the US east coast for joint drills. Hessen is scheduled to depart her homeport of Wilhelmshaven on January 15 and will be joined by a Norwegian frigate which will also be integrating into a
Royal Navy frigate HMS Sutherland starts Asia Pacific deployment
Royal Navy frigate HMS Sutherland and her crew started a somewhat out-of-the-ordinary deployment on January 9, getting underway from their homeport at HM Naval Base Devonport. What is special about the Type 23 frigate’s deployment is that Sutherland will be the first Royal Navy vessel to operate in
iXblue to provide navigation systems for new French FTI frigates
French shipbuilder Naval Group has selected navigation and positioning systems company iXblue to deliver its Marins systems for the French Navy’s new FTI (Fregate de Taille Intermediaire) medium-size frigates. As a prime contractor on the FTI project, Naval Group signed a contract with iXblue for th