Vessels
HMAS Melbourne returns from Middle East deployment
Royal Australian Navy’s Adelaide-class guided-missile frigate HMAS Melbourne returned to her Sydney homeport on February 28 after 203 days of deployment and five narcotics seizures. In the five interceptions, the frigate seized a total of 977 kg of heroin valued at approximately $390 million. Melbou
GALLERY: Italian Navy transports floating dry dock
The Italian Navy transferred the ‘GO59’ floating dry dock from the Sicilian Augusta Naval Base to the Brindisi Naval Base, February 24. The undertaking was part of the rationalization of the Armed Forces resources and was planed out in December 2015. The new dock will replace the old, no longer usab
HMAS Tobruk and Sydney make space for new ships
The Royal Australian Navy is relocating two of its decommissioned ships so that new ships, primarily the 27,500 tonne, 230m long Canberra class amphibious ships, HMA Ships Canberra and Adelaide, have more space. Decommissioned Navy ships Tobruk and Sydney will shortly be moved to the eastern side of
NATO’s SNMG2 trains during Aegean patrol
NATO’s Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2) has been patrolling in the Aegean Sea between Greece and Turkey since February 12, 2016. The group arrived in the area to participate in national and international efforts to cut the lines of illegal trafficking and illegal migration in the Aegean Sea, a
USS Maryland completes engineered refueling overhaul
Norfolk Naval Shipyard completed the engineered refueling overhaul (ERO) on U.S. Navy’s Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine has USS Maryland (SSBN 738) on February 24. EROs are complex, major shipyard availabilities that extend a submarine’s service life. In addition to being refueled, The U.S. N
Singapore hosts Pacific Partnership 2016 planning conference
Representatives of the U.S. Navy and other Pacific Partnership nations gathered in Singapore February 22-26 for a planning conference in preparations for the 2016-mission. Now in its 11th year, Pacific Partnership is the largest annual multilateral humanitarian assistance and disaster relief prepare
Allied warships come together for exercise Cold Response 2016
A total of 20 ships from NATO member countries are set to take part in the NATO’s, Norway-hosted, exercise Cold Response. The operational phase of the exercise will start on March 3 in Trondheim, Norway. Most of the ships from Norway, Denmark, England, France, Poland, The Netherlands, and Spain have
Australian Defence White Paper doesn’t go unnoticed
Australian Prime Minister and the Minister of Defence unveiled the long-awaited 2016 Australian Defence White Paper February 25. The plan is set to increase defence spending by AUS $29.9 billion (approx. US $21.5 billion) over the following ten years. A Defence Industry Policy Statement (DIPS) and a
HMS St Albans rescues two from sinking vessel
Royal Navy’s Type 23 frigate HMS St Albans has rescued two men trapped on a sinking vessel in the Gulf of Oman. Whilst carrying out maritime security operations the frigate was contacted by an Omani Air Force surveillance aircraft and asked to respond to a stricken dhow in the Gulf of Oman. The airc
Swedish Navy spotted foreign sub last year-Dagens Nyheter
A Swedish Navy surface ship spotted a periscope of an unknown submarine during military exercises in Swedish waters last year, local news site Dagens Nyheter reported. The news caught international attention because it happened only half a year after the 2014 major submarine hunt in the Stockholm ar
US Navy research vessel Sally Ride completes builder’s trials
R/V Sally Ride, U.S. Navy’s Auxiliary General Purpose Oceanographic Research Vessel (AGOR), completed builder’s trials, February 21, off the coast of Anacortes, Washington. Builder’s Trials for Sally Ride tested various shipboard systems and ensured readiness prior to conducting Acceptance Trials wi
Australian Navy sends helicopters for Fiji humanitarian assistance mission
The Royal Australian Navy is contributing to the humanitarian assistance mission to Fiji in the aftermath of Tropical Cyclone Winston with three helicopters. Two MRH-90 helicopters will depart HMAS Albatross to join another MRH-90 from 808 Squadron onboard HMAS Canberra in Brisbane, Australia before
HMAS Darwin crew dry runs boarding operations
Boarding party teams of the Royal Australian Navy’s Adelaide-class frigate HMAS Darwin recently sharpened their counter-terrorism skills as the ship begins maritime patrols in the Middle East region with Combined Maritime Forces (CMF). During Darwin’s stopover in Bahrain, the Australian sailors cond
Attack submarine USS Bremerton visits Singapore
U.S. Navy’s oldest Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Bremerton (SSN 698) docked in Sembawang, Singapore for a port visit during its Indo-Asia-Pacific deployment on February 22. USS Bremerton, nicknamed “Bad Fish” by the crew, has had routine presence throughout the region for more than 30 years