On Friday 5 December EU Naval Force Spanish frigate, ESPS Navarra, rendezvoused at sea with the EU Naval Force flagship, ITS Andrea Doria, off the coast of Somalia. After sailing near to each other, the Commanding Officer of ESPS Navarra, Commander Alejandro Cuerda Lorenzo, and two Spanish journalis
General Dynamics UK has been awarded a contract by AgustaWestland to provide mission system equipment for UK AW101 Merlin Mk4/4a helicopters. This contract is part of the Merlin Life Sustainment Programme (MLSP), which was awarded to AgustaWestland by the UK Ministry of Defence in January 2014 to co
Pyotr Velikiy, Russian Navy’s fourth Kirov-class battle cruiser, yesterday deployed on a mission to undertake submarine seeking exercises. The main goal of these drills is to provide the crew of Pyotr Velikiy, as well as the submarines involved in the exercise, with practical experience. The exercis
On Sunday 7 December Djiboutian Prime Minister Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed awarded Commander Bernard Baron (French Navy) the rank and dignity of Officer of the National Order of 27th of June. Commander Baron was presented with the award for his ‘outstanding service and assistance given to the Djibouti
The Royal Navy’s drug busting warship HMS Argyll is heading home for Christmas having dealt another blow to the drugs trade in the North Atlantic. The frigate has been deployed for six months and the final nine weeks of this have been spent on highly successful counter narcotics operations in the Ca
The US is increasing its military presence in Europe by adding two more ballistic missile ships to its Rota Naval Base in Spain. These are the first American ships home-ported here since Polaris-missile submarines left in the 1970s, U.S. base officials said. Guarding Against Missile Attack, Pirates
The Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe (DSACEUR), General Sir Adrian Bradshaw, KCB OBE, visited NATO Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM) to meet with Commander MARCOM Vice Admiral Peter Hudson, CBE, and discuss relevant developments in the maritime domain with the MARCOM command staff. Discussion a
Vard Holdings Limited, a designer and shipbuilder of offshore and specialized vessels, held a naming ceremony for Norway’s new surveillance vessel “Marjata” at Vard Langsten. The vessel was contracted by the Norwegian Defence Logistics Organisation in 2011 and will be operated by the Norwegian Intel
Defence and security company Saab has received an order from the Swedish Defence Material Administration (FMV) to provide new sensor systems for two A26-type submarines and two Gotland-class submarines. The contract is valued at SEK 420 million (USD 55,5 million). This order is one of the terms incl
The Royal Navy frigate HMS Northumberland returned to Devonport Naval Base in Plymouth on Friday, 5 December, after a successful patrol policing international shipping lanes in the Middle East. The vessel’s return marks the end of a successful seven-month patrol in the Arabian Gulf and Indian Ocean.
HMS Queen Elizabeth Progress on Track UK Defence Secretary Michael Fallon visited Scotland to see the progress being made in building the UK’s Queen Elizabeth Class (QEC) aircraft carriers. UK Navy’s New Strike Fighter Flies Fully Bombed-Up This is UK Navy’s next-generation strike fighter fully bomb
Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112) conducted a Passing Exercise (PASSEX) with the French frigate FS Vendemiaire (F734), Nov. 28, while operating in the South China Sea. The allied ships conducted weapons and maneuvering exercises, as well as training for the vi
QinetiQ has secured a contract to provide support for the testing and acceptance trials for Artful, the third and latest Astute-class nuclear-powered submarine of the Royal Navy. QinetiQ will support four separate work packages addressing a variety of trials to support Acoustic, Magnetic signatures,
After a period of three years in extended readiness, HMS Albion is finally turning into the nation’s future flagship. The assault ship has been in extended readiness since 2011 in her home base of Devonport, while her sister HMS Bulwark – currently leading the Royal Navy’s annual amphibious Cougar d
