Training & Education
SNMG2 ships take part in NATO research center experiments
Ships from NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 2 joined NATO’s Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation (CMRE) in La Spezia, Italy, to take part in a series of experiments and trials last week. Royal Navy’s HMS Diamond, Turkish Navy’s TCG Barbaros and Spain’s ESPS Blas de Lezo visited Italy after
RFA Cardigan Bay hosts US, Royal Navy sailors for mine countermeasure drill
Mine countermeasure experts form the UK and US navies embarked the Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship Cardigan Bay to complete the Mine Identification and Exploitation Exercise 2017 . The exercise allowed for US and UK forces to share knowledge of mine countermeasures (MCM) capabilities in searching, identi
Norwegian frigate KNM Otto Sverdrup visits Algeria during operation Sea Guardian
Norwegian Navy frigate and NATO Standing Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1) flagship, KNM Otto Sverdrup, wrapped up her four-day visit to the Algerian capital of Algiers on October 19. The frigate arrived to Algiers together with Spanish Navy’s ESPS ESPS Numancia visiting the country as part of NATO operation
NATO’s SNMCMG1 set for ordnance disposal ops off France
Ships from NATO’s Standing Mine Countermeasures Group 1 (SNMCMG1) are heading to France for a scheduled port visit and ordnance disposal operations. The ships are scheduled to arrive in Cherbourg on October 20 where they will coordinate with the French Navy in preparation for historical ordnance dis
Formidable Shield 2017 concludes with supersonic target engagement
Europe’s premier integrated air and missile defense drill Formidable Shield concluded October 17 with ally ships engaging a supersonic target off the coast of Scotland. The US Navy-led exercise began September 24 and saw the participation of warships from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherla
German combat support ship Frankfurt am Main ready for NATO tasks after repairs
German Navy’s combat support ship EGV Frankfurt am Main which damaged its stern in March this year is ready to deploy again after undergoing repair works in Kiel. The ship sustained stern damage while reversing into a sea lock at Wilhelmshaven navy base and had to sail for Kiel where it was repaired
Cyprus hosts oil and gas industry security drill
The Cypriot defense ministry and Joint Rescue Coordination Center (JRCC) Larnaca hosted warships from France, Israel and Greece among others for the fourth consecutive exercise Nemesis 2017. The one-day exercise took place on October 17 in the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Republic of Cyprus, with
Tanker carrying 1000 tonnes of fuel lifts torpedo on anchor
Royal Navy’s bomb disposal experts carried out an unusual operation recently after a tanker carrying some 1,000 tonnes of fuel caught a test torpedo with its anchor. The tanker’s anchor had speared the torpedo in Portland, UK, and had dragged it up from the seabed, 15 meters below. Portsmouth-based
SNMG1 joins operation Sea Guardian in the Mediterranean
Breaking away from its usual duties in the North and Baltic Sea, NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 1 has sailed to the Mediterranean Sea where it will be contributing to the Mediterranean operation Sea Guardian. Led by Norwegian frigate HNoMS Otto Sverdrup and commander Petter Kammerhuber, the SNMG1 wi
Italian Navy decommissions ITS Prometeo after 40 years of service
The Italian Navy has decommissioned its deep sea tugboat ITS Prometeo after over 40 years of service. The vessel was decommissioned on October 5 at naval base Augusta in a ceremony attended by the chief of Coastal Defence Forces (COMFORPAT). Prometeo was the second of two Atlante-class tugboats buil
Allies defend against subsonic anti-ship cruise missiles during Formidable Shield 2017
In a live-fire integrated air and missile defense (IAMD) scenario organized as part of exercise Formidable Shield 2017 off the coast of Scotland, ally ships worked together to defend against three subsonic anti-ship cruise missiles on October 7. During the collective self-defense scenario, Canadian
Romanian frigate joins NATO operation Sea Guardian
The Romanian Navy has deployed its flagship frigate ROS Regele Ferdinand to NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 2 for a month of joint operations and exercises. The former Royal Navy Type 22 departed Constanta, Romania, on October 6 and will integrate into the NATO task group for operation Sea Guardian.
Russian Navy to receive navalized Pantsir-ME weapon system soon
The Russian Navy will soon receive the first batch of the Pantsir-ME naval missile and anti-aircraft artillery weapon systems, the weapon manufacturer said recently. Alexander Denisov, general director of the High Precision Complex holding company, which includes Pantsir-ME manufacturer KBP, told jo
Dutch, Royal Navy perform ‘easiest RAS ever’
A Dutch and a Royal Navy ship recently completed what was termed by the Royal Navy as “the easiest RAS ever”, as support vessel RFA Mounts Bay took on fuel from Dutch ship HNLMS Karel Doorman in the Caribbean. A difficult – potentially dangerous – manoeuvre it’s typically performed mid-Ocean between