Divers from the US, German and Dutch navies concluded several days of expeditionary mine countermeasures (ExMCM) training as part of exercise Bold Alligator 2017 (BA17). The combined ExMCM force had members from the Royal Netherlands Navy Defense Dive Group Very Shallow Water (VSW) Dive Platoon, Ger
The Royal Dutch Navy’s De Zeven Provinciën-class frigate HNLMS Evertsen has returned to her homeport at naval base Den Helder after a six-month deployment to NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1). The air defense and command frigate spent the majority of her deployment in the Baltic Sea patrollin
UK-based ship repair and conversion company A&P Group is launching a defense division to better position itself for UK defense ministry’s future Type 31 frigate and Type 45 destroyer contracts. The new division will be headquartered at A&P Falmouth and managed by Gerald Pitts, who now takes the role
Recognizing sailors’ desire to use smartphones at sea, French-based defense technology company Thales has developed a new shipboard information distribution system dubbed COMTICS. COMTICS is a multimedia communication device resembling a smartphone that allows naval personnel permanent shipboard mob
UK-based navigation systems supplier Kelvin Hughes announced it has been awarded a contract to deliver its navigation radars for the Philippine Navy’s two new frigates currently being constructed by Hyundai Heavy Industries. The contract for the construction of the 2,600 ton frigates was awarded to
Queen Elizabeth visited Royal Navy’s Type 23 frigate HMS Sutherland in London on October 23 to mark the frigate’s 20th birthday. The Queen was welcomed on board the Devonport-based frigate by the ship’s commanding officer, Commander Andrew Canale, and First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Philip Jones. The vis
French Navy’s D’Estienne d’Orves-class aviso FS Ducuing completed its second deployment to the European Union’s Mediterranean Sea operation Sophia. Taking over from FS Commandant Birot, Ducuing spent 43 days deployed to the Mediterranean Sea where it helped fight people- and arms smugglers operating
The US-hosted amphibious drill Bold Alligator will be joined by Mexican, Canadian and French Navy ships in addition to personnel from a number of other ally countries. Bold Alligator 2017 (BA17) started in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, on October 18 and will run through October 30 around Camp Lejeun
Ships from NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 2 joined NATO’s Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation (CMRE) in La Spezia, Italy, to take part in a series of experiments and trials last week. Royal Navy’s HMS Diamond, Turkish Navy’s TCG Barbaros and Spain’s ESPS Blas de Lezo visited Italy after
Mine countermeasure experts form the UK and US navies embarked the Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship Cardigan Bay to complete the Mine Identification and Exploitation Exercise 2017 . The exercise allowed for US and UK forces to share knowledge of mine countermeasures (MCM) capabilities in searching, identi
The second in a batch of five new Batch 2 River-class patrol vessels has been named in a ceremony in Scotland. Future HMS Medway was named on Friday by Wendy Fallon, wife of UK defense secretary Michael Fallon. The Royal Navy has previously named the first and third ship in the class. While being th
The prime contractor on the Swedish Navy’s Göteborg-class corvette upgrade project has contracted Kongsberg Maritime to deliver ST2400 VDS (Varial Depth Sonar) systems to enhance the corvettes’ anti-submarine warfare capabilities. HSwMS Gävle and HSwMS Sundsvall, the two remaining corvettes in the c
Norwegian Navy frigate and NATO Standing Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1) flagship, KNM Otto Sverdrup, wrapped up her four-day visit to the Algerian capital of Algiers on October 19. The frigate arrived to Algiers together with Spanish Navy’s ESPS ESPS Numancia visiting the country as part of NATO operation
Ships from NATO’s Standing Mine Countermeasures Group 1 (SNMCMG1) are heading to France for a scheduled port visit and ordnance disposal operations. The ships are scheduled to arrive in Cherbourg on October 20 where they will coordinate with the French Navy in preparation for historical ordnance dis
