Naval News – EUNAVFOR Operation Irini nets embargo buster – 18.07.2022

Last Monday 18th July the EUNAVFOR MED Operation IRINI found cargo in breach of the United Nations (UN) arms embargo on Libya on the ro/ro vessel VICTORY RORO after she was spotted by French Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA). She has been on the radar for a while when she delivered military vehicles to the country […]

Breaking Up – 4 Italian Navy Units loaded on YACHT EXPRESS – 19.08.2021

An Interesting operation by a semi submersible vessel done at Augusta, Sicily was the DYT Yacht transport vessel YACHT EXPRESS that loaded 4 x decommissioned Italian Navy Units for breaking up at Aliaga, Turkey. The 4 naval units were – Toti Class (1075 Type) Submarine – ITS ATTILIO BAGNOLINI S 505 commissioned on 16th June […]

Naval News – Maiden Deployment for HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH R 08 – 2021

In the afternoon of Saturday 30th May, 2021 the Aircraft carrier HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH R 08 left her home in Portsmouth ahead of her first operational deployment. She will lead the UK’s Carrier Strike Group, which is taking part in an exercise off Scotland before departing for a tour of the Indo-Pacific region. Image by […]

Passers By – Naval Units during February & March 2021.

Various naval units pass the Malta-Sicily straits like other ships and to mention some – On Friday 5th February, 2021 the 103 metre Spearhead Class Expeditionary Fast Transport Ship USNS CARSON CITY T-EPF 7 passed by on her way to Sudan, the first US Navy ship to visit Port Sudan since the founding of U.S. Africa Command […]

Haifa Port – February 2021 Movements

The Port of Haifa  is the largest of Israel’s three major international seaports, the others being the Port of Ashdod, and the Port of Eilat. It has a natural deep water harbor, which operates all year long, and serves both passenger and merchant ships. It is one of the largest ports in the eastern Mediterranean in terms of freight volume and […]

Naval News – Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 in Sicily – February 2020.

Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2) is a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) standing maritime immediate reaction force which consists of four to six destroyers and frigates. Its role is to provide NATO with an immediate operational response capability. From Saturday 22nd February to Monday 24th February SNMG 2 units consisting of 6 naval ships was at Catania Port berthing at […]

Ship of the Week – ITS AMERIGO VESPUCCI A 5312

The magnificent tall ship around the world ITS AMERIGO VESPUCCI A 5312 sailed around the Maltese Coast on Tuesday 21st July, 2020. With the Motto of –  Non Chi Comincia Ma Quel Che Persevera she was launched on 22nd February, 1931 from the Royal Shipyard of Castellamare di Stabia, Naples and commissioned into the Italian […]

Casualties – Fire on cargo ship BELLATRIX off Sicily – 08.04.2020

On Wednesday 8th April, 2020 morning the Italian Coast Guard (Guardia Costiera) received a mayday distress call from the Russian flag general cargo ship BELLATRIX with fire on board. BELLATRIX was more than 180 miles southeast of Catania, when she launched the distress call for a fire which was out of control in the engine […]