Vessels
Babcock opens Portsmouth office for work on Royal Navy MSSP contract
UK-based defense contractor Babcock International has opened a new office in Portsmouth in support of its five year Marine Systems Support Partner (MSSP) contract with the UK’s Ministry of Defence (MOD). Located close to the home of the Royal Navy’s surface fleet, the office opening coincided with M
German Navy drops out of Mediterranean Sea operation Sophia
German Navy units will no longer be taking part in operation Sophia – an EU-led effort to tackle migrant smugglers in the Mediterranean sea, German officials have announced. Bremen-class frigate FGS Augsburg is currently deployed to operation Sophia and will not be replaced by another German Navy sh
German submarine U36 starting five-month training mission in Norway
The training deployment of U36 in Norway is part of the bilateral cooperation between the two countries which are jointly procuring six Type 212 CD (Common Design) submarines.
CNIM to build 14 amphibious landing craft for French Navy
French contractor CNIM announced it has been selected to deliver fourteen new Standard Amphibious Landing Crafts (EDA-S) to the French Navy in collaboration with Socarenam, Mauric and CNN MCO. The EDA-S are to be built over a ten-year period, the company said. “Winning this European tender reasserts
Canadian CH-148 returns from first operational deployment
Royal Canadian Navy frigate HMCS Ville de Québec returned to Halifax on Monday, completing a six-month deployment with Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG2). During the frigate’s deployment in European waters, an embarked CH-148 Cyclone maritime helicopter completed its first operational deployme
Russia scrambles corvettes to escort US destroyers in Baltic Sea
The Russian Navy’s Baltic Sea Fleet has deployed two corvettes to escort two US Navy destroyers currently underway in the Baltic Sea. Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Porter transited the Skagerrak Strait on January 20 during its patrol of the US 6th Fleet area of operations while sister ship USS G
Spanish Navy commissions sixth BAM ship – ‘Furor’
The Spanish Navy’s sixth Buque de Acción Marítima (BAM) ship – ESPS Furor – entered service in a ceremony in Ferrol, Spain, on January 21. The ship was commissioned after officially starting construction in a keel laying ceremony in April 2016. Furor (pennant number P-46) is the second of two ships
Royal Navy celebrating 50 years of nuclear deterrence missions
The Royal Navy announced it would be staging a number of events to mark the 50th anniversary of nuclear deterrent patrols performed by Royal Navy submarines. Patrols carried out as part of operation Resolute are the longest operation ever carried out by the UK armed forces. Since April 1969 there ha
USS Donald Cook enters Black Sea on European patrol
US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) entered the Black Sea after transiting the Dardanelles Strait on January 19. The destroyer will operate in the region for up to 21 days, as allowed by the Montreux Convention, conducting maritime security operations. Don
Malta signs deal for second offshore patrol vessel
The Armed Forces of Malta have signed a €35 million contract for the construction of a second purpose-built offshore patrol vessel that will be used in patrolling Malta’s territorial waters. The new vessel will complement the Diciotti-class patrol vessel P61 which was built in 2005 and a former Iris
New Zealand’s new dive support vessel gets Cougar XT ROV
The Royal New Zealand Navy’s new multi-purpose support vessel will receive the Saab Seaeye Cougar XT underwater robotic vehicle before it is transferred to New Zealand. Norway-based Østensjø Rederi is contracted to deliver the future HMZS Resolution (formerly known as ‘Edda Fonn’) to the New Zealand
German Navy Sea Lynx makes emergency landing in Kiel
A German Navy Sea Lynx helicopter was forced to make a “safety landing” at the Kiel airport on January 16, the navy has informed. The helicopter was conducting training with tender FGS Werra in the Kiel Bight when the crew noticed a warning light in the cockpit. The crew then proceeded to land at th
Italian Navy sailor dies after mooring cable snaps aboard FREMM frigate
An Italian Navy sailor died from injuries sustained in an accident aboard the FREMM frigate Carlo Bergamini, the Italian defense ministry informed on January 16. The non-commissioned officer, who has been identified as First Marshall (primo maresciallo) Gioacchino Verde, sustained the fatal injuries
Navantia cuts steel for first Saudi Navy Avante corvette
Spanish shipbuilder Navantia held a steel cutting ceremony at its San Fernando shipyard on January 15 to officially mark the start of construction of the first Royal Saudi Navy Avante 2200 corvette. The ceremony was attended by company officials and representatives from the navies of Saudi Arabia an