Breaking Up – Italian Navy Maestrale Class Frigates – March 2024
After the semi submersible heavy lift vessel (sshl) YACHT EXPRESS loaded 4 former Italian Navy units at Augusta, Sicily back to August 2021, it was the turn of the sshl SEAWAY ALBATROSS to load more naval units, this time – Maestrale Class Frigates from La Spezia, Italy. These were the lead ship of her class […]
Casualties – Fire Aboard Brazilian Navy frigate f 49 RADEMAKER – 17.10.2023
On Tuesday 17th October, 2023 early morning the Brazilian Navy Frigate F 49 RADEMAKER reported that she had fire aboard south of Rio de Janeiro (RDJ). She left RDJ on Monday 16th October, sailed west but returned back to base. She’s the former Royal Navy Type 22 Class frigate HMS BATTLEAXE F 89 that was […]
Naval News – Decommissioning of ITS ZEFFIRO F 577 – 05.10.2023
Last Thursday 5th October @ 1830hrs the Marina Militare Italiana (Italian Navy) Maestrale Class Frigate ITS ZEFFIRO F 577 was decommissioned after 38 years of service at Mar Grande Naval Station of Taranto, with 21 gun salute. Moored at Augusta Navy Base back to 27th April, 2019. Launched on 19th May 1984 built by Fincantieri […]
Malta Naval Visits – RFS MB-304 – 23-28.10.2012
On Thursday 25th October, 2012 the Russian Navy Sorum Class (Project 745) Ocean Going Tug MB-304 entered Grand Harbour, Malta for the first time berthing at Boiler Wharf. She was built at the Yaroslav Zavod Shipyard as yard no 409 in 1973 and commissioned 29th July 1977 and was assigned to the Black Sea Fleet. […]
Malta Naval Visits – ESPS PRINCIPE DE ASTURIAS R 11 – 16 to 17.03.2021
The only Spanish Navy (Armada Espanola) Aircraft Carrier that visited Malta so far is ESPS PRINCIPE DE ASTURIAS R 11. She entered Grand Harbour, Malta on Friday 16th March, 2007 around 0835 hrs piloted with the late harbour pilot Austin Vella. She was assisted by Tug Malta twin screw tugs FELICA and MARI. She berthed […]
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 […]
Naval News – HMS BRISTOL D 23 paid off after 47 years of service – 28.10.2020
The only vessel of her class in the Royal Navy , a Type 82 destroyer – HMS BRISTOL D 23 paid off last Wednesday 28th October after 47 years of naval service. She was laid down by Swan Hunter & Tyne Shipbuilders Ltd on 15 th November 1967. She was launched on 30th June 1969, and accepted […]
Malta Naval Visits – TCG GEMLIK F 492 – 21-24.07.2020
The first naval vessel to host a diplomatic visit after the chaos of the Pandemic Disease COVID-19 was the Turkish Navy Gabya Class Frigate TCG GEMLIK F 492 which entered Grand Harbour on Tuesday 21st July, 2020. Originally a US Navy Oliver Hazard Perry Class Guided Missile Frigate USS FLATLEY FFG 21, she was the […]
Naval News – Friendly Fire Incident Kills 19 In Iranian Navy Drill – 10.05.2020
On Monday 11th May the Iranian Navy said in a statement that one of its own missiles has struck the Hendijan Class support ship KONARAK on Sunday 10 th May in a friendly fire incident during a training exercise in the Sea of Oman near the Iranian port city of Jask, off the southern coast […]
Naval News – Body Found After NATO Helicopter Crash In Mediterranean – 01.05.2020
The body of the Canadian Armed Forces Marines Systems Engineering Officer, Sub-Lieutenant Abbigail Cowbrough, has been found after a military Cyclone Sikorsky CH-148 helicopter crashed in the Ionian Sea. Five other crew members are still missing. Jody Thomas, Canada’s Deputy Minister of National Defence, said: “This tragedy hits home especially hard, as I know it does […]
