A Turkish Navy minehunter deployed to NATO’s Standing Mine Countermeasures Group Two (SNMCMG2) discovered a historic mine during routine training in the Black Sea on February 7. According to NATO Maritime Command, minehunter TCG Akcay discovered the mine using her mine hunting sonar to scan the sea
Construction of a new class of Israeli Navy corvettes started in Germany on February 7, with a steel-cutting ceremony at the Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems shipyard in Kiel. The high profile ceremony was attended by the head of the Israeli Navy, Admiral Eli Sharvit, and German Navy inspector Vice-admir
Turkish shipbuilder Sedef has held a keel-laying ceremony for the Turkish Navy amphibious assault ship TCG Anadolu at its shipyard in Tuzla, Istanbul. Once commissioned, the landing helicopter dock will be the first of its kind in the Turkish Navy. It is designed by Navantia and based on the Spanish
The Polish Navy recently awarded Teledyne RESON a contract to deliver a multibeam system for its rescue vessel ORP Piast. The company announced on February 8 that the SeaBat T50-R multibeam sonar system was delivered and is currently being installed in the hull of the rescue vessel at the Nauta Ship
Royal Navy’s Type 23 frigate HMS Montrose recently visited the NATO weapon and sensor range at Stavanger, in southern Norway, for a week of weapons and sensors checks. The ship arrived for a weekend alongside in Stavanger and after a day of harbour checks, went to sea on the test range for 3 days, w
French defense and technology company Thales announced it was awarded a 42-month contract from the French defense procurement agency (DGA) to carry out a set of studies and technological developments in support of a sonar system that will equip the third-generation of the French nuclear-powered ball
HMS Albion, the Royal Navy’s recently refurbished amphibious assault ship, deployed on Tuesday to become flagsip of NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2). The ship sailed from Devonport Naval Base in Plymouth and will operate in the Mediterranean for five months. Captain Tim Neild, HMS Albion com
Finland is looking to acquire a total of $730 million worth of US-built missiles for its future multi-role corvettes and for the upgrade of its Hamina-class missile boats. The US State Department approved the possible sale on Monday, which, if realized, would be the first time Finland has bought eit
Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth embarked 820 Naval Air Squadron (NAS) on February 5 in what is the first time that any squadron has embarked the ship. The Merlin Mk 2 helicopters of 820 NAS have been working with the ship since she sailed for the first time from Rosyth in June last [
Dutch Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) has contracted Safran to deliver its Sigma 40 inertial navigation units and the associated computers to modernize the Royal Netherlands Navy’s Walrus-class submarines. “We chose Safran Electronics & Defense because we have great confidence in their long expe
Italy’s Fincantieri announced it has signed a share purchase agreement for the acquisition of 50% of the share capital of STX France from the French state. The agreement provides for a purchase price of euro 59.7 million (approx. USD$74M). The signing takes place after the resolution of the share pu
Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri launched the Italian Navy’s eighth FREMM frigate ‘Antonio Marceglia’ (F-597) at its Riva Trigoso shipyard in Genoa on February 3. The eighth of a series of 10 FREMM vessels was launched during a ceremony attended by Italian defense minister Roberta Pinotti and, on beh
Royal Navy helicopter carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth welcomed Chinook helicopters on board for the first time as she got underway from Portsmouth for her next round of trials. HMS Queen Elizabeth sailed from Portsmouth on February 2 for the first time since being officially commissioned into the Royal
US Navy ships centered around the Harry S. Truman carrier strike group (HST CSG) got underway on February 1 to start the composite training unit exercise (COMPTUEX), their final pre-deployment exercise. COMPTUEX is an intensive, month-long drilldesigned to fully integrate units of HST CSG, while tes