Current Events in Europe

Delivery of the first FREMM frigate (Defense Aerospace)

Ónly 5xF-35A available at start, apparently equipped with only 4xAIM-120C-5. IOC from 1 March 2018: https://theaviationist.com/2018/03/08/the-italian-f-35a-stealth-jets-declared-operational-in-the-air-to-air-role/

Euronaval 2022: Latest PANG Aircraft Carrier Design Breaks Cover (Naval News)

A handy guide to defence related acronyms in the European sphere (and beyond) has been issued by the European Defence Agency. You can find it (in PDF) here.

From Defence Talk Russia walks away from CFE arms treaty Agence France-Presse | Dec 13, 2007 MOSCOW: Russia on Wednesday walked out of a key Cold War treaty setting limits on troops and weapons across Europe, but promised there were no immediate plans for a major military build-up. Russia's participation in the Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) treaty was suspended from midnight in Moscow (2100 GMT Tuesday), the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "Such a step has been caused by the exceptional circumstances connected to the content of the treaty which concern the security of Russia and demand that we take immediate measures," the ministry sta…

From Jane's Greek flagship heads EU's first naval force By Tim Fish and Lauren Gelfand 16 December 2008 The Hellenic Navy's Hydra-class frigate, HS Psara , sailed from Salamis naval base near Athens on 10 December to serve as flagship for the EU's first-ever operational naval force (EU NAVFOR). EU NAVFOR Somalia was approved by the European Council on 8 December, at an estimated cost of around EUR8.3 million (USD11.2 million), to provide anti-piracy patrols off the Horn of Africa under the banner of Operation 'Atalanta'. A spokesman told Jane's on 15 December that the first phase of the deployment will include naval vessels from France, Germany, Spain an…

First use of US KC-135 refuelling Romanian F-16: http://www.f-16.net/f-16-news-article5054.html

From RIA Novosti Russian carrier-based fighters exercise over Atlantic 15:21 | 16/ 12/ 2008 MOSCOW, December 16 (RIA Novosti) - A Russian naval group led by the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier, en route to the Mediterranean, conducted a series of training flights over the Celtic Sea, a Navy spokesman said on Tuesday. Capt. 1st Rank Igor Dygalo said Su-33 ship-based fighters had flown a total of 10 sorties. The naval group left the Northern Fleet base in Severomorsk on December 5 and set course for the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. In addition to the Admiral Kuznetsov, it includes the Admiral Levchenko destroyer and a support ship and will begin a…

From Flight International DATE: 18/03/09 SOURCE: Flight International UK signs for first three F-35B Joint Strike Fighters By Craig Hoyle The UK has kept its commitment to the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter programme despite massive pressure on its procurement budget, today signing for its first three production aircraft to support initial operational test and evaluation (IOT&E) of the fifth-generation fighter. Signed during a visit to Washington DC by defence secretary John Hutton, the deal will see the UK take delivery of its first short take-off and vertical landing F-35Bs in 2011, with the aircraft to be drawn from the JSF programme's …

There's a Harpoon Classic scenario depicting a very similar mine clearance operation. Check it out on StrategyZoneOnline archives: MCMForceNorth.

Some photos of the SSN HMS Astute on sea trials. Is the first new submarine for delivery to Royal Navy after the SSBN HMS Vengeance in 1999 http://www.meretmarine.com/article.cfm?id=111628 http://www.meretmarine.com/article.cfm?id=111686 (in French)

Sounds like great scenario fodder for a Kobayashi Maru scenario. Fire aboard Russian nuclear sub kills two September 07 2006 at 09:53AM IOL Moscow - A fire broke out aboard a Russian nuclear submarine belonging to the Northern Fleet late on Wednesday, killing two of its crew, the Defence Ministry said. The submarine was anchored north of the Rybachiy peninsula near the Finnish border when it caught fire, Interfax news agency reported, quoting navy sources. The agency said there was no threat of a radiation leak. The submarine was now being towed to the port of Vidyayevo, a base for Russian submarines in the Barents Sea, Interfax said. "There w…

From ARES Adieu Atlantic Posted by Nicholas Fiorenza at 6/23/2010 1:33 PM CDT The German navy has parted with its last Breguet Atlantic maritime patrol aircraft. Marinefliegergeschwader (MFG) 3 "Graf Zeppelin" based in Nordholz, northern Germany, held an "air day", an open house, on 20 June which ended with the last flight and touchdown of its last Atlantic, BR 1150 Atlantic (61-03), accompanied by three Sea Lynx helicopters. The commander of MFG 3, Capt. Christoph Beer, gave the last crew certificates marking the event, Andrea Bocelli's schmaltzy song, "Time to say goodbye", played on the loudspeakers and the public applauded. Photo credit: © 2010 Bundeswe…

Russia’s Upgraded Tu-22M3M Long-Range Bomber to Make Maiden Flight in August (The Diplomat)

Dutch and Belgian M class frigates (Karel Doorman) are receiving new squared mast with Seastar/Sea Watcher 100 four faces radar with some 40 Km range, for continuous detection of small naval sea crafts in asymetrical confrontations, also they will receive Gatekeeper new LLTV and IR sensors (in French): http://www.meretmarine.com/fr/content/un-nouveau-mat-pour-la-fregate-belge-leopold-ier

British Destroyer Versus the Russian Navy (War is Boring blog) British Royal Navy Type 45 class destroyer HMS Dragon closely "escorting" the Russian Navy's Kirov class battlecruiser RFS Pyotr Velikiy in the English Channel on 8 May 2014.

Naval Air Station Keflavik Closed After 45 Years Navy News | September 11, 2006 Military.com Keflavik, Iceland - Naval Air Station Keflavik (NASKEF) disestablished Sept. 8 during a ceremony officially ending its 45 years of operations in support of the defense of Iceland. More than 100 Sailors attended the event, representing a majority of the forces that remain of a population that once exceeded 5,000 military and civilian personnel and family members. Special guests included U.S. Ambassador to Iceland Carol Van Voorst and special envoy for Iceland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Thorsteinn Ingolfsson. Commander, Navy Region Europe, Rear Adm. Noel Preston sa…

From Portsmouth News [excerpt]

By the year 2025 Russia plans to increase its ocean going fleet size to a total of 300 battleships, exceeding the level it maintained during the 'cold war'. The Russian Navy plans to maintain six battlegroups, each consisting of an aircraft carrier and various combat support and auxiliary ships. Three attack groups are to be based in the Northern Fleet with three others in the Pacific Fleet. This expansion will address Russia's strategic aspirations especially its territorial demands in the melting arctic zone. According to the Russian Fleet’s Commander-in-Chief, Admiral Vladimir Masorin, three attack groups will be based in the Northern Fleet with three others in th…

In Return to Cold War Posture, U.S. Sending Sub Hunting Planes to Iceland (Foreign Policy)