Vessels
Operation to lift sunken Norwegian frigate gets underway
The Royal Norwegian Navy’s sunken frigate HNoMS Helge Ingstad is ready to get out of the water after spending over four months on the sea bottom in the Hjeltefjorden fjord. As informed by Norway’s defense ministry, weather conditions and forecasts have finally allowed for the operation to start. HNo
Rolls-Royce gets Royal Navy submarine propulsion upkeep contract
The UK defense ministry has awarded Rolls-Royce Submarines Limited a £235 million (US$309 m) contract to support nuclear propulsion systems on board the current fleet of Trafalgar, Vanguard and Astute class submarines until 2022. The deal will see the company provide the support, advice and material
Royal Navy frigate, submarine hone ASW skills off Scotland
Royal Navy attack submarine HMS Astute and Type 23 frigate HMS St Albans met up in the tough waters of the Atlantic Ocean recently to work together on their anti-submarine warfare capabilities and conduct personnel transfer training. St Albans’ Merlin helicopter from 814 Naval Air Squadron – aka the
Third Royal Navy Dreadnought-class SSBN named HMS Warspite
The sixth Warspite, a Queen Elizabeth-class battleship, earned more battle honors than any other single warship in Royal Navy history.
First proposal for the Royal Navy’s new Littoral Strike Ships unveiled
British risk advisory company Prevail Partners has unveiled its proposal for the Royal Navy’s two new littoral strike ships which were announced by the UK defense secretary earlier this month. Prevail say their multi role vessel (MRV) was designed as a mobile logistic and helicopter base, enabling n
Finland buying Raytheon’s ESSM for Squadron 2020 corvettes
The Finnish defense ministry on February 21 announced it is buying Raytheon’s Evolved SeaSparrow Missile (ESSM) systems for its Pohjanmaa-class corvettes of the Squadron 2020 project. The surface-to-air missile system (ITO20) will be installed on all four ships in the class. The exact number of miss
French Navy’s fifth FREMM frigate officially enters service
FS Bretagne, the French Navy’s fifth FREMM frigate, has officially entered service after completing its maiden deployment. The French Navy admits ships into active service only after they complete their first operational tasking. Anti-submarine warfare (ASW) configured FS Bretagne started constructi
Royal Navy tanker RFA Tidesurge enters service
The Royal Navy’s third Tide-class tanker RFA Tidesurge entered service in a ceremony on February 20. The 39,000-tonne fleet replenishment tanker is the latest of four new Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships. “Royal Fleet Auxiliary Tidesurge is the third of our four new fleet replenishment tankers,” said Com
Danish frigate gets underway for deployment with French aircraft carrier
Royal Danish Navy frigate HDMS Niels Juel got underway from Naval Base Korsør en route to the Mediterranean Sea port of Toulon where it will join French aircraft carrier FS Charles de Gaulle for almost two months of training and operations. Denmark’s defense ministry expressed its interest in sendin
Royal Navy frigate joins US Navy oiler for South China Sea drills
US Navy fleet replenishment oiler USNS Guadalupe (T-AO 200) and Royal Navy frigate HMS Montrose (F236) met up in the South China Sea on February 18 for a series of maritime security and logistics training. The drills involved Royal Marine commandos, Royal Navy sailors and Guadalupe crew members. Dur
Abu Dhabi Ship Building, Italy’s Leonardo team up for naval collaboration
Abu Dhabi Ship Building has signed a memorandum of understanding with Italy’s Leonardo to step up cooperation in the naval sector at the IDEX International Defence Exhibition in Abu Dhabi. The new MoU will see the two sides collaborate to create a combat management system (CMS) integration laborator
US destroyer, NATO ships enter Black Sea after Dardanelles Strait transit
US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook and ships from NATO’s Standing Mine Countermeasures Group 2 (SNMCMG2) entered the Black Sea on February 19. Donald Cook entered the Black Sea after last visiting the region in January 2019, when it visited Batumi, Georgia and con
Dynamic Guard concludes off Norway
NATO-led exercise Dynamic Guard concluded off the coast on February 15. Ships from Standing NATO Maritime Group One (SNMG 1), commanded by U.S. Rear Adm. Edward Cashman, were joined by other ally units in the region for ten days of evolutions. The exercise is executed concurrently with Norwegian led
In a first: Italian Navy uses new M-40 target drones in carrier protection exercise
The Italian Navy recently used the new Leonardo-developed M-40 target drones in an exercise involving the aircraft carrier ITS Cavour and Durand de la Penne-class destroyer ITS Francesco Mimbelli. The exercise saw the aircraft carrier and its complement of AV8B+ fighter aircraft training alongside t