Training & Education
Brilliant Mariner kicks off in France
Ships from 13 nations are taking part in the French-hosted exercise Brilliant Mariner which kicked off September 29. The exercise is attended by Standing NATO Maritime Groups one and two and the Standing Mine Countermeasure Group 2 in addition to the French Aero-Naval Rapid Reaction Force (FRMARFOR)
UK-led international exercise Joint Warrior begins
Warships taking part in the UK-hosted multinational drill Joint Warrior got underway on October 1 for a fortnight of exercises off the coast of Scotland. This is the second time this year the biannual drill is being held. The first one took place in March and featured or incorporated Information War
Dutch sailors train with Seychelles military personnel aboard HNLMS Rotterdam
Sailors from the Royal Netherlands Navy’s landing platform dock HNLMS Rotterdam carried out a local maritime capacity building (LMCB) exercise with Seychelles military personnel. The activity took place on September 25 and 26 and was part of the ship’s regular EU NAVFOR activities. The LMCB focused
NATO’s underwater communication tool debuts at submarine rescue drill
Taking part in the submarine escape and rescue exercise Dynamic Monarch for the first time, NATO’s Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation (CMRE) supported the exercise using a new digital underwater acoustic communications capability providing more effective command and control to escape a
US, Spanish, Italian marines train together in Spain
US Marines assigned to Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team (FAST) Company Europe worked alongside their Spanish and Italian counterparts to complete a two-week exercise in Morn, Spain. The exercise was named Lisa Azul and saw the participation of Spanish Marines from Tercio del Sur, Brigada de Infante
US Navy amphibious group returns from seven-month tour in Middle East, Africa
Ships from the US Navy’s Bataan Amphibious Ready Group (BAT ARG), together with 4,000 sailors and marines aboard, returned to Naval Station Norfolk and Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story on September 23 following a seven-month deployment. The amphibious group consists of assault ship U
Ballistic missile defense exercise begins off Scotland
The US-led live-fire integrated air and missile defense (IAMD) exercise Formidable Shield 2017 got underway on Sunday at the UK’s Hebrides Range in the vicinity of the Western Isles of Scotland. More than 14 ships, 10 aircraft, and approximately 3,300 personnel from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, t
UK preparing for 14-nation maritime exercise Joint Warrior
The United Kingdom and Royal Navy are set to host 14 nations for a major two-week drill off its coasts next week. Starting on October 1, exercise Joint Warrior will see ships, aircraft and troops carry out maneuvers at military ranges across the country and in maritime exercise areas off the west an
NATO’s submarine rescue drill concludes in Turkey
The international, NATO-led, submarine search and rescue exercise Dynamic Monarch 2017 concluded off the coast of Marmaris in southwestern Turkey on Friday. Canada, France, Italy, Norway, Poland, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States took part in the exercise, which focused on subm
US, UK navies complete mine countermeasure drill in Persian Gulf
Navy ship from the UK and US concluded their regularly scheduled mine warfare drill in the central Persian Gulf on September 21. Mine Countermeasures Exercise (MCMEX) 17-3 is a quarterly bilateral exercise aimed at ensuring undisturbed operations of naval and support vessels, as well as commercial s
HMS Diamond gets underway from Montenegro as SNMG2 flagship
Royal Navy’s Type 45 destroyer HMS Diamond assumed command of NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 2 operating in the Mediterranean and Black Sea. The ceremony, in which Diamond relieved sister ship HMS Duncan, took place in Montenegro over the weekend. Duncan was originally to be replaced by helicopter c
Watch Russian nuclear-powered cruiser Pyotr Velikiy launch a Granit anti-ship missile
Russian Navy cruiser Pyotr Velikiy, the world’s only nuclear-powered cruiser, recently performed a test-firing of its Granit anti-ship missile during a mayor Northern Fleet drill. Taking place in the Barents Sea, the training exercise gathered over 20 combat ships, some 10 submarines and up to 30 ai
Canadian Navy ‘X-Ship’ frigate arrives in Europe
Royal Canadian Navy frigate HMCS Montréal arrived in Western Europe on September 18 for three months of exercises with European and NATO partners. Deploying as part of the Royal Canadian Navy’s overarching deployment Neptune Trident 17-02, HMCS Montréal is to take part in the US-led ballistic missil
Danish sailor dies aboard HDMS Absalon during Baltic Sea drill
A Royal Danish Navy able seaman died in an accident aboard support ship HDMS Absalon on Monday, September 18. According to the Danish defense forces command, the sailor sustained a severe head injury while the ship was at sea, taking part in an international drill in the Baltic Sea. The ship called