EU NAVFOR welcomed a German Maritime Patrol Reconnaissance Aircraft (MPRA) which will operate off the Horn of Africa. Based in Djibouti, the Lockheed Martin P-3C ‘ORION’, will add to the mission’s capabilities until December. In a letter to the detachment, the Force Commander, Rear Admiral Thomas Ju
The German frigate FGS BAYERN, part of the Operation ATALANTA counter-piracy mission off the Horn of Africa, has recently escorted the merchant vessel “SEA MASTER I” safely into the port of Bossasso on the northern coast of Somalia. The ship was loaded with humanitarian-aid as part of the World Food
HMS Somerset’s first act upon beginning her security patrol east of Suez was an exercise with the Saudi warship HMS Taif. The two vessels met in the Red Sea and Somerset’s Royal Marines carried out a practice boarding of the Saudi vessel.. A Royal Marine from HMS Somerset wields his weapon as the co
Marines from large ASW ship Severomorsk released Greek tanker United Emblem captured by pirates on Sept 10, told Mikhail Voitenko, Maritime Bulletin‘s editor. Full-loaded tanker United Emblem was sailing from port of Fujairah to Marseille. On Sept 10 at 6.27 am (GMT) the tanker’s crew sent distress
On September 12, EU NAVFOR welcomed the German frigate FGS KÖLN to Operation ATALANTA. Commanded by Commander Christopher Karow, the ship and her 219 crew members will operate in the area of operations off the Horn of Africa for the next three months; the ship previously deployed to the mission duri
USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG 58) arrived in Port Louis, Mauritius, for an 8-day goodwill port visit as part of Africa Partnership Station (APS) East’s hub, Sept. 5. APS is an international security cooperation initiative, facilitated by Commander, US Naval Forces Europe-Africa, aimed at strengthening
With a flash of fire from her saluting gun, the Fortress of the Sea makes her ceremonial entry into the home of the South African Navy. HMS Edinburgh sails into Simons Town where, despite being late winter it’s already warmer than the destroyer’s home base of Portsmouth (over 20˚C). The veteran wars
On September 5, the Spanish frigate SPS SANTA MARIA ended her participation in Operation ATALANTA after 131 days as a part of the EU NAVFOR Task Force. During the deployment, SANTA MARIA served under the command of two Force Commanders and two Operational Commanders and had the opportunity to perfor
NATO warplanes bombed a Libyan warship docked in Tripoli harbour after observing that weapons were being take from it that were expected to… (reuters) [mappress] Source: reuters, August 10, 2011;
France’s aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle will next week return home for maintenance from its mission supporting NATO airstrikes on Libya… (brecorder) [mappress] Source: brecorder, August 9, 2011;
The Royal Navy’s Flagship, HMS Albion, and its largest ship, HMS Ocean, are reunited off the coast of Libya for a transfer of stores, ammunition and personnel. The two Devonport based amphibious ships are both part of the Royal Navy’s Response Force Task Group, but for the past six weeks HMS Albion
HMS Sutherland fires her main 4.5-inch gun as part of NATO’s Operation Unified Protector to safeguard the civilian population of Libya. Destroyer HMS Liverpool has returned to front-line duties off Libya, taking over from frigate HMS Sutherland. The type 23 had a busy week on the NATO tasking, runni
HMS Liverpool has been in action off the coast of Libya this weekend where she intercepted three rigid-hulled inflatable boats (RHIBs) suspected of belonging to the Colonel Gaddafi regime. The Type 42 destroyer was on patrol off Misurata on Friday afternoon when the three RHIBs were detected in the
Royal Navy minehunter HMS Brocklesby was given a hero’s welcome by friends and family yesterday as she returned to Portsmouth Naval Base after five months supporting operations against Libya from the Mediterranean. HMS Brocklesby sailed into Portsmouth under her own version of the Jolly Roger black