Training & Education
NATO SNMG1 joins UK-US carrier-centric drill Saxon Warrior
When the joint UK-US exercise Saxon Warrior kicked off in waters north of Scotland on August 1, 9000 NATO-sailors on 15 warships got underway for the drills. In addition to U.S. and Royal Navy assets, the exercise is joined by the flagship of NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 1, the Norwegian Navy frig
Egyptian, Hellenic Navy in aeronautical drills in the Med
Ships, submarines and aircraft from the navies of Greece and Egypt started training activities as part of the bilateral exercise Medusa 1/2017. The aero-nautical exercise runs from July 30 to August 3 and is being held in the Mediterranean Sea in waters north of Cairo, as well as in Alexandria Naval
Russia lays down first two Project 636.3 Varshavyanka-class submarines
Russian shipbuilder Admiralty Shipyards has laid the keel for the first two of an additional six Project 636.3 Varshavyanka-class diesel-electric submarines (NATO reporting name: improved Kilo-class). The ceremony took place on Friday, July 28, in St. Petersburg. The two submarines will be named Pet
Royal Navy frigate HMS Montrose wraps up sea trials after upgrade
Royal Navy’s Type 23 frigate HMS Montrose has returned to Plymouth after successful machinery and weapons trials at sea, the navy said. Montrose returned to port three weeks after leaving dry dock where it spent three years undergoing a mid.life upgrade. The ship’s engines have been pushed to the li
Italy takes over command of counter-piracy mission Atalanta
Italian Navy Rear Admiral Fabio Gregori took over command of the EU counter-piracy operation Atalanta from Spanish Navy Rear Admiral Rafael Fernández-Pintado during a ceremony in Djibouti on July 27. EU NAVFOR’s deputy operation commander, Rear-Admiral Alfonso Pérez de Nanclares (Spanish Navy), also
USS George HW Bush arrives in UK ahead of Saxon Warrior 17
U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush and ships from its carrier strike group arrived in Portsmouth, UK, today ahead of a major two-week drill. Accompanied by the USS Philippine Sea, USS Donald Cook and Norwegian ship HNoMS Helge Insgstad, the aircraft carrier is on the final leg of its de
Royal Navy submarine HMS Astute wraps up maintenance
Royal Navy’s nuclear-powered hunter-killer submarine HMS Astute has returned to the fleet after completing a major capability upgrade and a sea training period. HMS Astute’s sea training process tested all aspects of the equipment and crew, ensuring that she is ready to respond to emergency situatio
Destroyer HMS Duncan first Royal Navy ship to visit Ukraine in eight years
A visit by Royal Navy destroyer HMS Duncan to the Ukrainian port of Odessa on July 24 marked the first UK warship visit to Ukraine in eight years. The Portsmouth-based destroyer led a NATO task group into the Ukrainian port at the start of a three-day visit ahead of exercises with the host nation’s
USS Ross completes four-month forward-deployed patrol
U.S. Navy’s forward-deployed Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ross (DDG 71) returned to Naval Station Rota, Spain, after completing a four month patrol that began April 3, 2017. At the beginning of the ship’s fifth forward-deployed patrol, Ross and the Arleigh Burke-class guided-miss
Chinese task group bound for Finland after Baltic Sea drills with Russia
After concluding their drills with the Russian Navy in the Baltic Sea, ships from the Chinese Navy’s task group are scheduled to visit Finland for a regularly scheduled port call. Three Chinese warships, Type 052D destroyer Hefei (DDG-174), Type 054A frigate Yuncheng (571) and Type 903 replenishment
German minehunter Sulzbach-Rosenberg joining NATO mine countermeasures group
German Navy’s Frankenthal-class minehunter FGS Sulzbach-Rosenberg will be joining NATO’ Standing Mine Counter Measure Group 1 (SNMCMG1) operating in the Baltic and North Seas, the German Navy has announced. The minehunter is set to depart its home port of Kiel, Germany, on July 28 to spend the follo
Royal Navy clearance divers recover WWII bouncing bombs
Clearance divers from the Royal Navy’s Faslane-based Northern Diving Group (NDG) helped recover historic World War Two bouncing bombs from the bottom of Loch Striven. On Wednesday, July 19, three of the famous “Highball” bombs broke the surface of the Argyll Loch for the first time in over 70 years.
Royal Navy Wildcat helicopter concludes German frigate integration
A Royal Navy Wildcat helicopter has wrapped up its integration aboard a German Navy frigate during her pre-deployment training which started in April this year. The Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) Yeovilton-based helicopter spent seven weeks aboard the Bremen-class frigate FGS Lübeck. This was also t
Chinese Navy task group heads for Baltic Sea and bilateral drills with Russian Navy
A Chinese Navy three-ship task group is sailing towards the Baltic Sea where it is set to take part in exercises with the Russian Navy. The bilateral drill, dubbed “Maritime Interaction 2017”, is scheduled to take place between July 21 and 28, and will involve an overall of 21 ships, according to a