The French Naval Ship (FNS) La Grandiere visited the port of Richards Bay, South Africa, from 14 to 18 February 2015. The Officer Commanding (OC) of FNS La Grandiere, Lt Cdr N. Napal paid a courtesy call to the mayor’s office to meet with the mayor, chief magistrate, police commissioner and the port
French Navy’s Foudre-class amphibious assault ship Siroco (L9012) officially deployed on Sunday, February 8, from Mindelo, Cape Verde. This is the vessel’s tenth deployment in less than twenty years of active service. In Mindelo, the vessel was supplied with equipment necessary for cooperation missi
On Tuesday 10 February, Royal Netherlands Navy warship, HNLMS Johan de Witt, joined the EU Naval Force. The warship, which is a Landing Platform Dock, will be deployed in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden for three months as the EU Naval Force flagship. It will accommodate the Force Headquarters sta
On Sunday 15 February, the EU Naval Force flagship, HNLMS Johan de Witt, and Japanese warship, JS Harusame, met at sea in the Gulf of Aden. The new Force Commander of the EU Naval Force, Rear Admiral Jonas Haggren, welcomed the Commander of the Japanese Escort Division 2, Captain Masatoshi Kashihara
OSI Maritime Systems (OSI) was awarded a contract to provide the South African Navy with Tactical-Asset Control and Tracking Systems (T-ACT). The systems will be installed on rigid-hull inflatable boats to support maritime security operations. T-ACT is a navigation and command, control and communica
On 5 February, while conducting maritime security and counter-terrorism operations under Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) counter-piracy task force CTF-150 in the Gulf of Aden, the French frigate Guépratte quickly responded to an incident, transporting a critically injured seafarer to Djibouti. At 9:2
US Navy Names New Virginia-Class Submarine US Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus recently announced that SSN 795, a Virginia-class attack submarine, will bear the name USS Hyman G. Rickover. Royal Navy’s New Jets Carry Out Operational Testing The first British squadron has begun operational testing of
This week, warship TCG Buyukada (F-512), employed in the NATO counter piracy operation Ocean Shield, conducted several exercises with international naval forces from Japan, Australia, the Republic of Korea, and Oman. Vice Admiral Bruno Paulmier, Deputy Commander of NATO’s Allied Maritime Command, sa
Royal Navy’s destroyer HMS Dragon arrived in Simon’s Town, South Africa, on Friday, February 6, 2015. The vessel was accompanied by HMS Gold Rover. HMS Dragon announced her arrival with a traditional naval 21-gun-salute which was returned by Lower North Battery in Simon’s Town. The ships are current
On Friday 6 February, during her visit to Port Victoria, Seychelles, EU Naval Force warship, ESPS Rayo, conducted Local Maritime Training. This was in support of the EU maritime capacity building mission and in coordination with EUCAP Nestor. After receiving a safety brief onboard the ship’s sea boa
On Sunday 7 February 2015, the EU Naval Force counter-piracy flagship, ITS Andrea Doria, provided urgent medical assistance to an injured seafarer, who had suffered a serious burns injury whilst at sea in his cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden. The cargo ship, which was transiting through the Internatio
Turkish Navy’s Corvette TCG Buyukada (F-512) joined NATO’s counter piracy Operation Ocean Shield on Friday, February 6. The ship will conduct regular counter piracy patrols in Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean and provide support to NATO’s regional capacity building efforts in order to enhance interoper
US Navy’s USS Simpson (FFG 56), an Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided-missile frigate, engaged in counter-piracy operations, has taken the role of one of “the bad guys” during Exercise Cutlass Express 2015. Exercise Cutlass Express, sponsored by U.S. Africa Command, is designed to improve regional coo
On the 7th February 2015, the Italian Task Force Air (TFA) in Djibouti completed its deployment with the EU Naval Force. The detachment, which boasts a Predator Unmanned Aircraft Vehicle (UAV), arrived in Djibouti last August and performed its first flight on the 4th September 2014. Since then, the
