U.S. Fleet Forces Command (USFF) and Commander, 2nd Fleet began phase two of a merged staff functional assessment June 27, in advance of consolidating the two headquarters into one command by Sept. 30. Phase two is a four-day exercise designed to evaluate the merged command’s ability to react to a c
Guided-missile frigates USS Boone (FFG 28) and USS Thach (FFG 43) arrived in Valparaiso, Chile to begin the Pacific Phase (PAC) of UNITAS 52, June 24. The frigates will participate in the Chilean hosted, two-week multinational exercise along with naval partners from Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, June
Libyan television demonstrated wrecks of an aircraft, having declared that was AH-64 Apache helicopter shot down by Gaddafi’s army. However, under close examination it turned out to be American unmanned air vehicle (UAV) MQ-8B Fire Scout. According to Flight Daily News, NATO coalition confirmed that
While underway in support of the 2011 Gulf of Mexico (GOMEX) Quick Draw exercise, guided-missile frigate USS John L. Hall (FFG 32) responded to a mayday issued by a U.S. flagged vessel, June 16. At approximately 9:30 pm, John L. Hall’s embarked SH-60B Light Airborne Multipurpose System (LAMPS) helic
THE SAINTS are ready to deal with sinners after honing their boarding skills in Crete. HMS St Albans has completed her final stint of training before entering her operational theatre east of Suez, ready to strike a blow at terrorists, smugglers and pirates. After a brief pit-stop in Gibraltar, the P
The Governor General, Her Excellency Quentin Bryce, AC, formally graduated the Navy’s newest batch of Officers from the Royal Australian Naval College. For the 115 graduates the ceremony, which was held at HMAS Creswell in Jervis Bay, spelt the completion of the six-month-long New Entry Officers Cou
Latvia is about to claim NATO’s compensation if Russia deploys French Mistral class helicopter carriers in the Baltic, reports Telegraph referring to Inga Salenietse, advisor to Latvian defense minister. The head of Latvian defense ministry Artis Pabriks confirmed that information. As for him, if th
Ships of the forward-deployed Essex Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) got underway June 23 for a patrol of the Western Pacific region and to participate in the bilateral exercise Talisman Sabre 2011 (TS11). Essex ARG includes amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2) and amphibious dock landing ship USS
Guided-missile frigates USS Boone (FFG 28) and USS Thach (FFG 43) participated in a series of exercises with the Chilean navy submarine CNS Carrera (SS 22), and Chilean navy ships CNS Condell (FF 06) and CNS Blanco (FF 15), June 22. During the three-day passing exercise (PASSEX), ships from both nav
In Aksaz on Friday 17 June, Commodore Michiel Hijmans handed over command of Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 to his Turkish counterpart, Commodore Sinan Tosun. Commodore Hijmans and his staff have led this NATO flotilla for the past year. The multinational flotilla SNMG2 forms the maritime component
Britain’s newest operational warship – HMS Dauntless – has arrived in the world’s largest naval base ready to show international navies what she can do. Fresh from working with the Americans’ newest carrier, the USS George H W Bush in the Western Approaches, the Portsmouth-based Type 45 has made her
Sailors participating in FRUKUS 2011 received firefighting and damage control training at the Farrier Firefighting Facility at Naval Station Norfolk, Va., June 21. FRUKUS 2011, scheduled for June 20 to July 1 in Norfolk, Va., is an invitational exercise designed to enhance communication and interope
The Afloat Training Group (ATG), Commander Task Force (CTF) 70, and Commander, Naval Air Forces (CNAF) began drills aboard USS George Washington (CVN 73) for the ship’s annual Command Assessment Readiness and Training (CART) II, June 21. The ATG group, flown in from San Diego and Norfolk, evaluates
Family members and friends welcomed Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 25 Det. 6 Sailors home from a six-month deployment during a homecoming ceremony aboard the Anderson Air Force Base, Guam, June 17. “They deployed just before Christmas so unfortunately they missed the holidays,” said Cmdr. Kyle
