Vessels
BAE Systems bags US Navy communications and electronics contract
U.S. Navy’s Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) has awarded BAE Systems a two-year contract to support its Special Communications Mission Solutions Division with a range of technical services. Under the contract, valued at $34 million, BAE Systems will support and maintain the life c
USS Texas back from second Western Pacific deployment
Having completed its second scheduled deployment to the Western Pacific, U.S. Navy’s Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Texas (SSN 775) returned to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, March 9. During deployment, the boat steamed over 27,000 miles and conducted four port-call visits in two foreign
Netherlands, Germany kick off Karel Doorman cooperation
The Netherlands Navy’s Joint Logistic Support Ship HNLMS Karel Doorman will enter Warnemünde, Germany on March 12 to mark the start of the Dutch-German joint support ship use. The 204.7-meter ship, biggest in the Dutch Navy, will host mutual exercises between the two countries. Soldiers of both coun
Coast Guard Cutter Valiant returns home with $141 million of drugs seized
Having seized more than $141 million worth of illegal narcotics, the United States Coast Guard Cutter Valiant returned to its Naval Station Mayport homebase on March 9 from an eight-week counter-drug deployment. The Valiant was deployed to the Eastern Pacific Ocean in support of Joint Interagency Ta
Australia awards replenishment ships contract to Spanish Navantia
Although an official announcement has still not been made, Spanish newspapers reported that the Australian Department of Defence has chosen Spanish shipbuilder Navantia as the “preferred bidder” for the construction of two replenishment ships. This news sparked some outrage in Australia as the gover
HNLMS Van Amstel joins NATO in the Aegean Sea
The Royal Netherlands Navy’s Karel Doorman-class frigate HNLMS Van Amstel is joining NATO’s fight against people-smugglers in the Aegean Sea. The De Schelde Group-built frigate will integrate into NATO’s Standing Nato Mine Maritime Group 2 (SNMG 2). The ship was already at sea and is now sailing tow
German patrol aircraft deploys to Operation Atalanta
German Navy’s maritime patrol aircraft, ‘Orion’ P-3C , took off from the naval airbase Nordholz, Germany on March 9 and headed for the Horn of Africa. With a stop-over in the Mediterranean, the aircraft is expected to reach Djibouti on March 10. According to the German Navy, 50 soldiers from the Nav
Dutch Navy Commodore visits USS Fort McHenry
The Royal Netherlands Navy Commodore Rob Kramer visited U.S. Navy’s dock landing ship USS Fort McHenry during exercise Cold Response 2016 on March 8. Cold Response is a biennial Norwegian exercise featuring maritime, land and air operations to underscore NATO’s ability to defend against any threat i
Indian Navy ship visits Mauritius for National Day celebrations
Indian Navy’s guided missile frigate INS Tabar entered Port Louis, Mauritius where it will participate in the Mauritius National Day celebrations. On the occasion, the ship would be fielding a marching contingent in addition to a fly-past by the embarked Chetak helicopter and a performance by the In
Dutch Navy, Caribbean Coast Guard intercept 600 kilos of cocaine
Dutch Navy’s HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën, in collaboration with the Caribbean Coast Guard, intercepted around 600 kilos of cocaine north of the Venezuelan coast, March 5. The intervention came shortly after the frigate’s first bust on its Caribbean deployment when the ship captured more than 400 kilog
US, ROK Navy kick off exercise Ssang Yong 16
Soldiers from the U.S., Australia, New Zealand and Republic of Korea, along with the Bonhomme Richards strike group and ROK Navy vessels started exercise Sang Yong 16 in the Republic of Korea on March 9. Ssang Yong, which translates to “Twin Dragons,” is a biennial combined exercise conducted by Nav
Spanish OPV Atalaya works with Mauritanian Navy, Cape Verdean Coast Guard
Spanish Navy’s offshore patrol vessel (OPV) Atalaya (P-74), under command of the Maritime Security and Surveillance Center, has conducted a series of cooperative security operations with the Mauritanian Navy last week, and is now collaborating with the Cape Verdean Coast Guard. While in Mauritania,
USS Mount Whitney heads for Croatia and C5I repairs
The U.S. Navy’s 6th Fleet command and control ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) departed Gaeta, Italy, and headed for Croatia on March 8. The flagship is returning to the Viktor Lenac Shipyard in Rijeka, Croatia, for critical Command and Control, Computers, Communications, Combat Systems and Intellige
NATO starts patrols of Turkish and Greek waters
German Navy’s combat support ship EGV Bonn, flagship of NATO’s SNMG 2 was the first ship to enter the area of activity for a first patrol around the Greek island of Lesbos last weekend. In the last days, NATO expanded the area of activity into the territorial waters of Turkey and Greece, in close co