Ships of the Standing NATO Maritime Group ONE (SNMG1) arrived in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, for a scheduled port visit February 5, during their deployment to the North and Baltic Seas to enhance maritime security and to contribute to international stability. SNMG1’s visit to Amsterdam precedes the
Russia’s re-emergence as a strategic challenge and how NATO is going to respond to it was the center-discussion at the Surface Warship Summit in Bucharest, Romania, held January 26-28. Speaking at the summit, Vice Admiral Clive Johnstone CB CBE, Commander of Allied Maritime Command, said: “The combi
After spending six months at sea, German Navy’s Frankenthal-class mine hunter Weilheim returned to its homeport in Kiel, Germany on February 7. The German Navy 3rd Squadron ship was part of both the German contribution to NATO’s mine countermeasures group, the Standing NATO Mine Counter Measures Gro
German Navy’s combat support ship EGV Bonn, together with the Italian frigate ITS Libeccio and the Canadian frigate HMCS Fredericton, headed for the eastern Mediterranean. Turkish frigate TCG Barbaros joined them in Aksaz, Turkey. The group conducted a range of drills before and after their port cal
Italian aircraft carrier, ITS Cavour, currently flagship of the EUNAVFOR MED operation Sophia, on February 3 carried out cross training with the Norwegian Multipurpose Platform Supply Vessel Siem Pilot using one of its embarked helicopters. An Italian EH-101 helicopter took off from ITS Cavour testi
The Letter of Intent, signed February 4 between the Netherlands and Germany, breaks the ground for the development of the Joint Support Ship initiative and the amphibious operation capability. Germany is thereby acquiring new capabilities while the Dutch Navy is enabled to equip its ships more effic
Royal Navy’s Type 45 frigate HMS Defender has visited the island nation of Sri Lanka on its return from the Arabian Gulf. The warship visited Colombo to take on stores and fuel and give the ship’s company a rest from their nine month deployment to the Gulf where they are conducting Air Command and C
HMS Defender’s embarked helicopter held training drills in the middle of the Indian Ocean as the destroyer made her way to the port of Visakhapatnam in India. The Portsmouth-based warship is one of two dozen vessels from the navies of the world attending the Indian International Fleet Review, which
Royal Navy’s River class offshore patrol vessel, HMS Mersey, has sailed from Florida, USA after completing her final preparations to start Counter Drug Operations in the Caribbean and Central America. The ship arrived in Key West, Florida after battling storms en route. Key West is home to the Joint
30 surface ships, motorboats and auxiliary vessels, more than 1000 servicemen and over 100 pieces of military equipment will be involved in the Russian naval exercise Caucasus 2016. The Russian Navy said that ship formations and Marine units of the Caspian flotilla started preparations for the strat
General Dynamics Mission Systems announced February 2 that the U.S. Navy recently awarded a follow-on, omnibus contract that continues work on fire control systems and subsystems aboard U.S. Navy and United Kingdom’s Royal Navy nuclear ballistic-missile submarines (SSBN). According to General Dynami
Even though the German Navy’s combat support ship EGV Berlin was more than 24 hours early, around 250 people gathered at the Naval Base Wilhemshaven to welcome the ship’s crew home. EGV Berlin was forced to sail into port earlier due to a strong hurricane warning, as locking in the harbor would have
HMS Ramsey, a Royal Navy minehunting vessel joined her NATO counterparts in Kiel January 21 to practise mine countermeasure operations. The Sandown-class minehunter, usually based in Faslane, arrived in Kiel after first sailing through the famous 98-kilometre Kiel-canal. It took the ship 9 hours to
The Royal Navy has said their new strike fighter will make its UK debut later this year. The F-35B Lightning II stealth jet which will fly from the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers is due to appear at the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford in July. Royal Navy personnel are current
