Navies and security agencies around the world are increasingly relying on unmanned aerial vehicles for their reconnaissance and surveillance needs, thereby contributing to the development of the overall “drone” market that is expected to reach USD 14.9 billion by 2020. Naval Today recently spoke w
Bahrain was the stage for the 39th Shared Awareness and Deconfliction (SHADE) conference which was held November 30. The conference was a forum to discuss counter-piracy in the Gulf of Aden and in the Indian Ocean and the importance of cooperation between naval units in the region, industry and othe
Spanish Navy’s F-100 frigate Álvaro de Bazán returned to her home port after integrating into the Defense and Air Operations Command (MDOA in its Spanish initials). The purpose of this deployment was to conduct air surveillance and naval presence in several western Mediterranean areas. F-100 frigate
U.S. Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Porter departed Rota, Spain on November 30 to begin its regularly scheduled deployment. Porter’s operations will provide the ship and crew an opportunity to strengthen and build naval capabilities with allies and partners in the region and
Airbus Helicopters has delivered the first three of eleven AS565 MBe Panther helicopters to Indonesia. The helicopters were delivered at a ceremony at Airbus Helicopters’ headquarters in Marignane, France, in the presence of representatives from Indonesia’s Ministry of Defence and the Indonesian Nav
Denel’s Umkhonto surface-to-air missile that was installed on the Algerian Navy’s second Meko frigate is set to undergo extensive testing in early 2017. The two frigates, with an option for another two, are built at the Blohm + Voss shipyard in Northern Germany. Denel Dynamics supplies the SAM syste
Airbus Defence and Space has signed a a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with UK’s Aeronautical & General Instruments (AGI) to work on the integration of Airbus DeckFinder products into AGI’s ship based visual landing aid systems. The companies have agreed to jointly market a system that will provi
U.S. Navy’s guided-missile destroyer USS Mason (DDG 87) commanders and French officials from the Charles de Gaulle Strike Group (CDGSG) met while operating together in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, Nov. 25, 2016. Having replaced the guided-missile destroyer USS Ross (DDG 71), Mason is deployed to s
An independent report into UK’s naval shipbuilding has concluded that the small Royal Navy fleet is a result of too long procurement cycles, late orders for new ships and the policy of retaining old ships in the fleet beyond their sell date. Sir John Parker’s Independent Report into naval shipbuildi
The European Council extended operation Atalanta’s mandate to deter, disrupt and repress acts of piracy off the coast of Somalia until 31 December 2018. Operation Atalanta’s two-year mandate extension comes amidst concerns within European Union member states that whilst pirate attacks on merchant sh
Spanish company Indra has partnered with the Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPM) to jointly develop and integrate the sensors for Spanish Navy’s future F110 frigate. The partnership agreement has been reached within the industrial plan for the PROTEC F110 program, through which Indra will boost c
Ships from several nations concluded their participation in the Turkish-led exercise Mavi Balina in the Mediterranean Sea. Participating nations included Pakistan, Romania, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States. NATO Maritime Group 2, as well as observers from Algeria, Nigeria, and Georg
The crew of a Royal Navy patrol boat rescued a 61-year-old kayaker on Sunday after his upturned kayak was spotted in the Solent following a mayday call. A student aboard HMS Smiter spied a black object in the water off Lee-on-the-Solent as the boat and RNLI responded to an SOS: a kayaker had capsize
Chilean Navy frigates Almirante Cochrane, Almirante Condell and Almirante Lynch are set to undergo an obsolescence upgrade that will be undertaken by Cohort subsidiary Sea. The programme is being carried out in preparation for a major revamp of the Chilean Navy ships’ air warfare systems. The Britis
