US, French and UK forces launched strikes on Syrian chemical facilities in the morning hours of April 14 in response to chemical attacks used by the Syrian government early April. US guided missile destroyer USS Higgins and USS Laboon, guided missile cruiser USS Monterey and Virginia-class submarine
Spain and Saudi Arabia have finalized a framework agreement which will see Spanish shipbuilder Navantia deliver five Avante 2200 corvettes for the Royal Saudi Naval Forces (RSNF). The deal, signed during Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s official visit to Spain, is worth around €2 bil
A new naval support facility in Bahrain for Royal Navy operations was officially opened in a ceremony on April 5. The facility will be the hub of the Royal Navy’s operations in the Gulf, Red Sea and Indian Ocean. The base will be capable of meeting the needs of British warships operating in the regi
French Navy destroyer FS Jean de Vienne intercepted 570 kilos of heroine from a dhow in the Arabian Sea, achieving its second successful drug interception on its deployment as part of the Combined Maritime Forces. The operation took place on March 25 in international waters of the Arabian Sea. Jean
UK-based engineering consultancy BMT and Turkey’s ARES Shipyard have received a new order from the Qatari Coast Guard which includes an additional nine vessels. The order was officially signed during Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference (DIMDEX) last week. The new order cove
The Qatar Emiri Naval Forces have ordered two cadet training ships (CTS) from Turkish shipbuilder Anadolu Shipyard during the DIMDEX exhibition held in Qatar between March 12 and 14. The 90-meter ships will be constructed with practical and theoretical training facilities for cadets and instructors,
Qatar’s defense ministry has signed a contract with Airbus Helicopters for the purchase of 28 NH90 military helicopters during the DIMDEX exhibition which is hosted by Qatar every two years. The agreement, which includes 16 NH90s in tactical transport (TTH) configuration and 12 NH90s in naval (NFH)
Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri and Barzan Holdings, a company wholly owned by the Qatari Ministry of Defense, could possibly cooperate in the coastal defence surveilllance sector in the future. Fincantieri and Barzan Holdings, responsible for empowering the military capabilities of the national arm
US Navy and Coast Guard units joined Iraqi Navy and Kuwait Naval Force and Coast Guard vessels for a trilateral exercise (TRILAT) in the Persian Gulf. The exercise concluded on February 22 and was the third of its kind executed since March 2017. The exercise was led by Task Force (TF 55) and is part
Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) continued its recent string of success by seizing 132 kgs of heroin in the Arabian Sea on March 6. Her Majesty’s Australian Ship (HMAS) Warramunga boarded her third vessel in just four days, interdicting over USD 30 million worth of heroin. Combined Task Force (CTF) 15
On 5 March 2018, the French Marine Nationale destroyer Jean de Vienne seized over four tons of hashish during an operation in the international waters of the Arabian Sea, Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) said. Jean de Vienne’s seizure is the third for CTF150 in recent days. Together with Her Majesty’s
US Navy’s Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) arrived off the coast of Israel on March 6 to take part in exercise Juniper Cobra 2018. Although Iwo Jima and the embarked 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) will not participate directly in the ballistic missile defense portion of
Kuwait’s Marine surveillance department has contracted Spanish shipbuilder Freire Shipyard to build a new 42-meter fisheries surveillance patrol vessel. The contract for this patrol vessel came into force in February 2018, Freire announced, and the vessel is scheduled to be delivered in the fourth q
Three of Britain’s five ships permanently based in the Gulf joined the Americans and French as guests of the sultanate for the 23rd iteration of Khunjar Hadd (‘Sharp Dagger’). Minehunters draw their daggers in Omani exercise which tests the ability of the Omani Navy to work with warships from other
