A blinding flash of fire announces the moment the fifth of the Royal Navy’s Type 45 destroyers is ready to take her place in the line of battle. Leaving its launcher on the forecastle of HMS Defender is Sea Viper – the Royal Navy’s principal shield against air attack. Seconds after bursting free f
BMT Defence Services (BMT), a subsidiary of BMT Group, has undertaken a major contract with the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD), Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl). To enable the MOD to effectively aggregate, communicate and share information that is captured by Military Stabilisation S
HMS Lancaster sailed up the Elbe and into the great port of Hamburg as the harbour celebrated its 825th birthday. More than 100 vessels from around the world attended the Hafengeburtstag (‘harbour birthday’) festival in the heart of the Hanseatic city. Despite leaden skies in Germany’s greatest po
Phoenix Express 2014, a multinational maritime exercise between North African, European, and U.S. naval forces, commenced its inport phase at the NATO Maritime Interdiction Operation Training Center (NMIOTC) in Souda Bay, May 13. The U.S. Africa Command-sponsored exercise, now in its eighth year,
The Royal Navy’s HMS Pembroke will sail into Pembroke Dock next week to support the Dockyard Founders Day celebrations. Arriving at No1 Berth Pembroke Dock on May 13, the 52.5 metre ship will remain in port until Saturday (May 17) – and she has two rather proud Pembrokeshire locals on board. “It i
Royal Navy sailors from the Faslane Patrol Boat Squadron recently took part in a charity event to commemorate one of the legendary incidents of the Second World War. On Wednesday, May 7, patrol boat HMS Tracker helped transport an exact replica of the bagpipes used by Piper Bill Millin during the
The Contact Group on Piracy off the coast of Somalia (CGPCS) will hold its Sixteenth Plenary Session at the UN Headquarters in New York on 14 May 2014, under the Chairmanship of the European Union. The meeting will focus on three major policy areas: (i) capacity building in the region off the coas
After three months of contributing in the fight against piracy with the EU Naval Force Somalia Operation Atalanta, the Hellenic warship HS Psara heads home to Greece. It was the second time HS Psara has participated in the Counter-Piracy Operation Atalanta as she previously joined the EU Naval For
The U.S. State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Turkey for MK 48 Mod 6 Advanced Technology All-Up-Round (AUR) Warshot torpedoes and associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $170 million. The U.S. Defense
The Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate USS Taylor (FFG 50) participated in a bilateral underway engagement with the Turkish Navy in the Black Sea, May 11. The exercise was aimed at improving maritime capabilities and reassuring NATO allies and partners of the United States’ commitment to the allian
Members of US Navy’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 8 (EODMU 8) are participating in the international naval force exercise Open Spirit 2014, which kicked off its active phase in the Irbe Strait and the waters off the western Latvia coast, May 12. Held annually in one of the Baltic States
The Ukrainian Navy’s fleet of ships and boats Pryluky, Kirovograd, Skadovsk, AK-1, and AK-2 completed a range of drills and training on May 11th. Capt. Lt. Vitaliy Lejnyuk, Commander of Boats Division, said: “We’ve completed all the scheduled training and exercises: gun practice in different areas
This week, Standing NATO Maritime Group ONE (SNMG1), presently engaged in NATO’s counter-terrorism Operation ACTIVE ENDEAVOUR, will be gaining three frigates in support of NATO maritime assurance measures. The first of the three, USS TAYLOR, joined SNMG1 yesterday. Over the next few days, SNMG1 fl
During the afternoon of May 6th, the Nimitz-class aircraft-carrier ‘George H. Bush’, the Ticonderoga-class destroyer ‘Philippine Sea’ and the F-100 frigate ‘Cristóbal Colón’ carried out an exercise in the Arabian Sea to enhance joint training in air defense procedures. Before the exercise the chie
