Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth was at the center of an important milestone for the F-35 program as an F-35B performed the first ever shipborne rolling vertical landing (SRVL) British test pilot Peter Wilson conducted the landing this weekend. Previously the jets have conducted only
After welcoming her first F-35B fighter jets on the flight deck as part of first-of-class flight trials, the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth recently welcomed two US Navy helicopter heavyweights on the deck. The first to land was the United States Navy’s biggest helicopter – the MH-5
Finland will be hosting a total of 4,000 personnel and over 40 vessels for this year’s edition of the Baltic Sea drill Northern Coasts 2018 (NOCO). This will be the third time Finland is hosting the German Navy-led international exercise. According to the Finnish defense ministry, NOCO18 will involv
US Navy aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) will be joining the largest NATO exercise which is set to take place in Norway later this month. This is likely the first time an aircraft carrier will be taking part in Trident Juncture – an exercise whose 2018 edition is often referred to as on
The Turkish Navy-hosted exercise Mavi Balina concluded on October 9, after a week of evolutions in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. Mavi Balina consisted of a port phase which started September 27 and transitioned to the at-sea portion on September 30. The biannual anti-submarine warfare exercise also
Libyan Navy and Coast Guard personnel started a new phase of training, dubbed “Package 2”, with the Italian Navy in La Maddalena, Italy, on October 8. The training is conducted as part of the EU-led Mediterranean Sea migrant-response operation Sophia. A total of 69 personnel will be trained in this
Underwater systems developer JFD has launched a new life support equipment rebreather dubbed the Stealth CDLSE Mk2 and Mk2-ED (extended duration). The new rebreathers are used primarily for mine countermeasures explosive ordnance disposal (MCM-EOD) and are said to represent a new benchmark in underw
The second multilateral maritime exercise Mare Aperto in 2018 has begun in the Mediterranean Sea, with the participation of the Italian, French and the US navies. The exercise, designed to improve combined combat capability, increase operational capacity, and strengthen relationships among exercise
French autonomous systems specialist ECA Group joined forces with maritime solution provider MAURIC to design a patrol vessel-sized ship specialized for carrying and deploying mine countermeasure autonomous vessel of all sizes. The design is named Octopoda and comes in two ranges, a 30-meter Octopod
The eight Type 26 frigates being built for the Royal Navy will be homeported in Devonport, UK defense secretary Gavin Williamson has announced. The 6,900-tonne frigates will be anti-submarine warships and will provide protection for the UK nuclear deterrent and the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft car
Royal Navy frigate HMS Kent formally rejoined the fleet in a ceremony on October 5, after undergoing an 18-month keel-to-mast revamp. The Type 23 frigate’s most significant upgrades included a new command system and the Sea Ceptor missile system. Replacing the veteran Seawolf across the fleet, Sea C
US Navy aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman arrived into Portsmouth on October 6 for a port visit while on a Mediterranean Sea deployment. The carrier most recently visited France and Greece and will continue with her program early this week. Arriving early Saturday morning into a foggy Solent, she
The UK defense ministry announced it has awarded over £1 billion worth of contracts for the maintenance of Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships and the Royal Navy’s survey and hydrographic fleet over the next ten years. The deal covers 17 ships and will improve how spares, repairs and maintenance work are ca
Ships from NATO’s Standing Mine Counter Measures Group One (SNMCMG1) transited the Kiel Canal and arrived in Wismar, Germany, October 5, returning to the Baltic Sea for another routine patrol. The SNMCMG1 visit to Wismar included courtesy calls with local authorities, a force reception and ships ope
