Royal Navy’s Type 45 destroyer HMS Duncan got underway from naval base Portsmouth on December 8 to start her deployment to NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2) and the Royal Navy’s operation Kipion tasking. HMS Duncan is the first Royal Navy destroyer to deploy in 2018. The remaining five destro
The US State Department approved the sale of RGM-84L Harpoon Block II surface launched missiles, Block II Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) tactical missiles and MK 54 Mod 0 lightweight torpedoes to the government of Mexico. Mexico requested the systems, worth an estimated $98.4 million, for use on the
UK defense contractor Babcock will be leading a team of industry partners in a bid for the Royal Navy’s new £1.25 billion Type 31e general purpose light frigate program, the company announced on Monday. According to the announcement, Babcock and Thales have joined forces with BMT, Harland & Wolff an
Finland’s Patria has contracted Swedish defense contractor Saab for work on the Finnish Navy Squadron 2000 mid-life upgrade program. The contract awarded to Saab is worth SEK 960 million (approx. US$117.7 million) with deliveries set to start in 2018. According to Patria, the total value of the upgr
The Royal Navy and residents of the Orkney Isles are set to mark the centenary of the sinking of two destroyers off South Ronaldsay in a snowstorm on January 12 1918. Just one man survived when HMS Opal and Narborough ran aground when they were caught a snowstorm during a patrol. One hundred years t
Dutch Navy frigate HNLMS Van Speijk intercepted 1,600 kilos of cocaine during a New Year’s Eve operation in the Caribbean region. The drugs were discovered on a Tanzanian flagged merchant ship en route to the Dominican Republic. An embarked NH-90 detected the suspicious ship prompting a US Coast Law
F124 air defense frigate FGS Sachsen will become the first German Navy vessel to deploy in 2018, getting underway from her homeport of naval base Wilhelmshaven on January 5. The lead ship of the F124 frigates is joining the EU-led operation Sophia in the Mediterranean Sea. The goal of the mission is
The Russian Navy’s diesel-electric icebreaker ‘Ilya Muromets’ arrived at its Northern Fleet homeport on January 2, the Russian Navy announced. The ship’s crew made their first crossing from the Baltic Sea to the Kola Bay and were welcomed in Severomorsk by Northern Fleet commander Admiral Nikolay Ev
UK helicopter carrier HMS Ocean has reportedly been bought by Brazil. The purchase was confirmed by Brazilian defense minister Raul Jungmann, according to UK Defence Journal. Brazil is reportedly paying £84 million for the UK helicopter carrier which recently returned from her final deployment as a
Naval Today team wishes all our readers joyous holidays and a happy and prosperous New Year! We would also like to thank our readers for the continuous support over the year and we look forward to bringing you the latest stories about the naval world next year as well. May 2018 bring you fair winds
Russia’s Sredne-Nevsky Shipyard held a keel-laying ceremony for the Russian Navy’s fifth Project 12700 minesweeper at its shipyard in St. Petersburg on December 26. By order of the Russian Navy chief Admiral Vladimir Korolev, the ship was named after the Soviet Union hero Yakov Balyayev. The vessel
The Russian Navy will be establishing a permanent presence at its Syrian bases after a deal signed with Syria was ratified by the lower house of the Russian Federal Assembly. According to Russian news outlet RIA, the bill – submitted earlier this month – was ratified on Tuesday. In addition to the n
US Marines embarked aboard French amphibious assault ship LHD Tonnerre (L9014) concluded ten days of amphibious operations in the vicinity of Djibouti during the Alligator Dagger exercise. US marines and sailors from the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit and Naval Amphibious Force, Task Force 51/5th Ma
Russian shipbuilder Yantar delivered the third Project 11356 frigate ‘Admiral Makarov’ to the Russian Navy after a series of prolonged acceptance trials. The main reason for the delay were problems with the frigate-launched Shtil-1 surface to air missile system which had been unstable during operati
