Training & Education
Sea Breeze 2016 opening ceremony takes place in Odessa
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
HMS Somerset gets new commander
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
Forces take to the field for Sea Breeze 16
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
Spanish Aegis-equipped frigate tests missiles off US East Coast
Spanish Navy’s Aegis-equipped frigate Cristóbal Colón (F-105), the most modern Spanish warship, recently fired SM-2 and Evolved SeaSparrow missiles off the U.S. East Coast during a test attended by the Spanish Navy Chief and the Minister of Defense. The ship is currently in the process of testing an
Royal Navy nuclear submarine collides with merchant vessel off Gibraltar
HMS Ambush, a nuclear-powered Astute-class submarine, collided with a merchant vessel off Gibraltar on July 20, the Royal Navy confirmed in a statement. According to the Navy, the submarine suffered some external damage but there is “absolutely no damage” to her nuclear plant and no member of the sh
Lithuanian minehunter LNS Skalvis joins NATO mine countermeasure group
LNS Skalvis (M53), a Lithuanian Navy minehunter arrived in Kiel, Germany, last weekend to join the Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group One (SNMCMG1). The Lithuanian ship will take part in SNMCMG1 activities and exercises in the Baltic and the North Seas until December. Eight ships from Belgium,
HMS Ocean heads Mediterranean anti-submarine warfare exercise
Royal Navy’s amphibious assault ship HMS Ocean took center stage during a multinational anti-submarine warfare exercise. The helicopter carrier and navy flagship took command of Exercise Deep Blue II in the Mediterranean this month. Ships and aircraft from the UK, US and France spent 10 days honing
Royal Marines join US Navy assault ship for European exercises
Royal Marines joined their U.S. counterparts aboard the USS Whidbey Island assault ship as it entered European waters to begin a deployment with the USS Wasp battle group. The USS Whidbey Island is an assault ship – a slightly smaller version of Britain’s Albion and Bulwark which uses hovercraft rat
Sea Breeze 2016 takes off in Ukraine
The U.S.-Ukraine co-hosted multinational maritime exercise Sea Breeze 2016 started in Odessa, Ukraine on July 18. First Deputy Commander of the Ukrainian Navy Rear Adm. Andrii Tarasov welcomed the United States and the participating nations at the opening ceremony. “We are delighted to host our mari
Canadian Navy frigate joins NATO in Black Sea
Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Charlottetown, joined NATO’s standing maritime group 2 (SNMG2) on July 18 and will work and train in the Black Sea with vessels from several allied and partner nations until August 2, 2016. While operating in the Black Sea, the Halifax-class frigate will participat
British Marines train in Dutch wetlands
Royal Marines traveled 850 miles to reach the Netherlands from Devonport Naval Base in order to top off their 14-week training cycle. An idyllic nature reserve in the heart of the Netherlands was chosen for the final test of future landing craftsmen and landing craft officers. The wetlands of De Bie
GALLERY: Italian Navy’s counter pollution exercise Caralis 2016
Italian Navy’s most important counter pollution exercise, Caralis 2016, was held in Cagliari, Italy, on July 7 and 8. This year, the exercise took place off the Southern Sardinian coast, and – as in past editions – consisted in two main parts, one technical/theoretical and one practical-operational.
Gallery: French, US Navy in maritime security operation drill
Two U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers recently took part in a bilateral Maritime Security Operation (MSO) exercise with a French Navy destroyer. USS Mason (DDG 87) and USS Roosevelt (DDG 80) together with the French Marine Nationale’s Horizon-class air defence destroyer FS Forb
German tender gathers Lithuanian, Estonian ships for NATO’s mine countermeasure task force
German Navy tender Elbe departed her homeport in Warnemünde, Germany on July 14 to meet up with Estonian and Lithuanian ships before they join NATO’s standing mine countermeasure group 1 (SNMCMG1). The tender is to meet with the Estonian minehunter Sakala and the Lithuanian patrol boat Skalvis in Ki