Finland will be hosting a total of 4,000 personnel and over 40 vessels for this year’s edition of the Baltic Sea drill Northern Coasts 2018 (NOCO). This will be the third time Finland is hosting the German Navy-led international exercise. According to the Finnish defense ministry, NOCO18 will involv
US Navy aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) will be joining the largest NATO exercise which is set to take place in Norway later this month. This is likely the first time an aircraft carrier will be taking part in Trident Juncture – an exercise whose 2018 edition is often referred to as on
Royal Navy frigate HMS Kent formally rejoined the fleet in a ceremony on October 5, after undergoing an 18-month keel-to-mast revamp. The Type 23 frigate’s most significant upgrades included a new command system and the Sea Ceptor missile system. Replacing the veteran Seawolf across the fleet, Sea C
Spanish shipbuilder Navantia announced it has received a contract extension for the maintenance of four US Navy destroyers forward-deployed to the Spanish Navy base Rota. The original contract first entered into force in November 2013 and includes one-year extension options until November 2020. Acco
Ships and personnel from the US, Spain, Germany and France concluded the four-day Smart Defense Exercise (SMARTEX) on September 28. SMARTEX is a NATO initiative designed to enhance interoperability and training between participating countries. During the exercise, Spanish sailors embarked aboard the
The US State Department has approved the sale of three SEAL Delivery Vehicles (SDV) MK 11 Shallow Water Combat Submersibles (SWCS) to the United Kingdom. The contract is worth an estimated $90 million and includes spares, handling and test equipment, and program support. According to the statement,
Russian shipbuilder Admiralty Shipyards has launched the Russian Navy’s second Project 677 (Lada-class) submarine ‘Kronshtadt’. The launching ceremony took place in St. Petersburg, on Thursday, September 20 – 13 years after construction works first started on the submarine in 2005. The first submari
US Navy aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman has resumed operations in the US 6th Fleet area of operations after returning to its Norfolk home in July for a month-long deployment pause. The Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group (CSG) initially deployed to the European theater April 11, 2018, and returned
Naval Group has started deconstruction operations on French Navy’s five first-generation ballistic missile submarines (SSBN) in Cherbourg, France. The project was awarded by French defense procurement agency to Naval Group in 2016. Subsequently, Naval Group has entrusted Veolia with the contract rel
A World War One U-boat propeller was handed back to the German Navy on August 31 following a joint operation between the UK’s Maritime & Coastguard Agency, Historic England and North Wales Police. The propeller was formally handed over onboard FGS Bonn, a German replenishment ship which is currently
The Croatian Navy has sent the first contingent of troops to participate in the NATO maritime security operation Sea Guardian in the Mediterranean Sea. A ceremony for the navy’s warship, RTOP-41 Vukovar, and her crew of 50, was held in Split on September 3, Croatian defense ministry said in a statem
The German Navy is sending its Frankenthal-class minehunter Homburg (M 1069) to participate in the Standing NATO Mine Counter Measures Group 1 (SNMCMG 1). On Tuesday, September 4, the ship is scheduled to depart its Kiel homeport. Homburg, which belongs to the navy’s 3rd Minesweeping Squadron, will
Just days after media reports on Russia’s naval buildup in the Mediterranean Sea first emerged, the country’s defense ministry on Thursday announced a large-scale drill in the Mediterranean. Prior to the defense ministry’s announcement, the Russian Navy was said to have a little over ten warships sa
Russia’s Pacific Fleet recently held a cruise-missile drill which saw guided-missile cruisers, nuclear submarines and mobile coastal defense missile systems launch a total of seven cruise missiles at surface targets in the Sea of Okhotsk. Sava-class cruiser Varyag launched the P-1000 Vulkan anti-shi
