.... and throws its hat into the ring On 5 April, the government presented a long-term plan for the development and structure of the Norwegian armed forces. Ten days later, a Norwegian shipbuilder ventured out of cover to respond to the outlined needs. With the "Vard Resilience Series", the...
The integration of the Belgian frigate "Louise-Marie" (F931) into the European naval operation EUNAVFOR ASPIDES to protect shipping against attacks by Houthi militias in the Red Sea will have to wait. According to a statement from the Brussels Ministry of Defence on 12 April 2024, the frigate will now remain in the Mediterranean for training purposes and will postpone its...
By decision of 4 April 2024, the EU amended the mandate of EUNAVFOR Operation ATALANTA in order to create better conditions for EUNAVFOR Operation ASPIDES to ensure freedom of navigation in the Red Sea. Accordingly, Operation ATALANTA is to ensure close coordination with Operation ASPIDES and to strengthen its role...
During a state visit to the White House, US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida concluded a total of around 70 agreements for closer cooperation in the defence sector. These include the modernisation of the US military command structure in Japan - the biggest change of this kind since the 1960s,...
A fire broke out in the engine room of the USNS Sgt. William R. Button (T-AK-3012, 2nd Lt. John P. Bobo class) in late March, causing her to lose propulsion about 24 miles (about 38 km) off the coast of Dauphin Island in the Gulf of Mexico. Four tugs took the ship to the Alabama shipyard...
The Ukrainian military reported that they had attacked the Russian landing ships "Yamal" and "Azov" as well as the "Konstantin Olshansky" captured in 2014 (all three Ropukha-class, approx. 112 metres, up to 4,400 tonnes). A communications centre and other infrastructure used by the Russian Black Sea Fleet on the annexed Crimean peninsula were also hit. The landing ships were...
At the beginning of March, a Russian sea transport consisting of the two cargo ships "Sparta IV" and "Ursa Major" left the Syrian coastal area around Tartus and made its way to Baltiysk and St. Petersburg under varying western guard/escorts. On 20 March, the convoy was intercepted by the Russian ship that had left Baltiysk the day before and...
Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed the announced ten-year security agreement in Kharkiv on 1 March. The agreement focuses on medium and long-term military and political support. In addition to the Netherlands, countries such as the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Canada and the EU had previously...
The Dutch government has informed the House of Representatives and the public that HNLMS "Tromp" (De Zeven Provinciën class, 144 metres) will also be transiting the Red Sea on its way to the Indo-Pacific. The anti-aircraft frigate departed from Den Helder on 9 March and will be deployed for around 25 days at the end of March on the US-led maritime...
The Department of Material Maintenance (DMI) of the Dutch Ministry of Defence has signed a five-year contract with the Kinderdijk-based shipyard group Royal IHC in September 2023 to carry out dock-related maintenance work on the two hydrographic survey vessels HNLMS "Snellius" (A802) and HNLMS "Luymes" (A803) and the submarine support and torpedo workboat HNLMS "Mercuur".
English 
German