Royal Navy mine disposal experts watched their Japanese counterparts work during the large-scale exercise 2JA 2016. Two British observers joined the Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force at its major annual test of its minehunting forces in Mutsu Bay at the northern tip of main island of Honshu. Some
German Navy minehunter FGS Datteln rescued 133 migrants 75 kilometers north-west of Tripoli, Libya on August 1. The ship was initially tasked by the Force Headquarters to neutralize two empty rubber boats. While doing so, the ship’s crew spotted an overcrowded rubber boat in the vicinity. Upon rescu
A division of NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 2 and maritime assets from other allied nations joined the U.S.-Ukraine co-hosted international exercise Sea Breeze in the Black Sea from July 27 to 30. Personnel from Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Lithuania, Italy, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Sweden, Ukraine,
German Navy minehunter FGS Fulda is scheduled to depart its homeport in Kiel, Germany to join NATO’s standing mine countermeasures group two on Friday, August 5. Manned by the 42 man strong ‘Charlie’ crew, Fulda will spend the next five months with the maritime group under the command of Captain lie
The U.S. Coast Guard maritime engagement team (MET) and the Royal Navy from HMS Portland (FS 79) recently carried out a visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) exercise at a training site in Bahrain. The exercise was held between July 26- 27 aboard Naval Support Activity Bahrain which included a Shi
Dutch Navy’s De Zeven Provincien-class frigate HNLMS De Ruyter will be taking over as flagship of the NATO mission in the Aegean Sea in September 2016. The German Navy said the Dutch ship would take place of the frigate FGS Karlsruhe which is currently at the helm of the Standing NATO Maritime Group
Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 2 (SNMCMG2) recently completed its third Black Sea deployment under the command of Turkish Navy Captain Ramazan Kesgin. SNMCMG2 started its deployment on July 8 in support of NATO’s assurance measures regarding alliance resolve and commitment to collective de
The UK’s Ministry of Defence has signed a £183 million contract for a weapons system which will sit on board the Royal Navy’s new next generation Type 26 Global Combat Ship. The Maritime Indirect Fire System (MIFS) will be integrated onto the Type 26 Global Combat Ships, currently being designed by
Operation Atalanta’s warships are deployed off the coast of Somalia to ensure that the pirate attacks that terrorized seafarers in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden for a number of years are not allowed to resurge. In order to ensure that the EU NAVFOR warships are able to maintain their counter-pir
Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ross (DDG 71) pulled into Odessa, Ukraine, July 23 for a scheduled port call as part of Sea Breeze 2016. While in port, Ross plans on hosting a reception as part of Sea Breeze 2016 and conducting a community relations project. “We are looking forward
Ukrainian naval forces participated in the Sea Breeze 2016 air component demonstration at the Kulbakino Air Base in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, July 22. The air component of the exercise is designed to showcase the air-based capabilities of the Ukrainian Naval forces and training conducted by allies and part
Military leaders and maritime forces from participating nations attended the Sea Breeze 2016 opening ceremony in Odessa, Ukraine, July 24. Sea Breeze, now in its 15th iteration, is an air, land and maritime exercise designed to improve maritime safety, security and stability in the Black Sea. “The t
Commander Tim Berry has assumed command of the Royal Navy warship HMS Somerset based at Plymouth Navy Base. Tim was born and raised in South Somerset and joined the Royal Navy as a Warfare Officer in 1997. He has seen active service in a number of global hot-spots in the last 19 years. He said: [&he
More than 250 multinational military service members participated in the Sea Breeze 2016 land component demonstration at the Shyrokyi Lan training facility in Shyrokyl Lan, Ukraine, July 21. The land component of the exercise is designed to showcase the land-based capabilities of NATO allies and par
