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Adm. Mark Ferguson at The Atlantic Council on Oct. 6, 2015. Atlantic Council Image
Russia has found ways to slow NATO military responses while simultaneously quickening its own ability to mobilize, the commander of U.S. naval forces in Europe and Africa said, and NATO needs to find ways to adapt. Read More
The two Mistrals built for Russia. Reuters Photo
The French government is planning to sell two Mistral-class amphibious warships — built for Russia — to Egypt, according to a Wednesday morning statement from Élysée Palace. Read More
An undated photo of Russian-ordered Mistra
French president François Hollande told reports on Thursday France will have little trouble finding new buyers for two Mistral-class amphibious warships originally built for the Russian Navy. Read More
A screen grab from a video thought to show a Som-class submarine discovered last week off the coast of Sweden. Ocean X Photo
When the news broke on Monday that the Swedish marine salvage company Ocean X had discovered a sunken submarine close to Sweden’s coast it jarred a region otherwise deep in its summer lull. Read More
Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Jonathan Greenert and First Sea Lord of the Royal Navy Adm. Sir George Zambellas participate in a moderated talk focused on the future of the British-American naval alliance at Chatham House, the Royal Institute of International Affairs on July 15, 2015. US Navy Photo
LONDON — Five years ago the Royal Navy was reeling from the impact of the British government’s 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR), a financially-driven undertaking that resulted in the scrapping of the last two Invincible-class light aircraft carriers, the withdrawal from service of their Harrier jets, the sale of one amphibious-dock ship and the mothballing of another and severe cuts to the destroyer and frigate force. Read More
A Russian Tupolev Tu-95 Bear ‘H’ off the coast of Scotland in 2014. UK Royal Air Force Photo
A Russian Air Force strategic bomber has crashed outside the city of Khabarovsk, near the Chinese border, according to a Tuesday statement from the Russian Ministry of Defense via local media. Read More
Amphibious assault ships participating in exercise Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) 2015 transit in formation off the coast of Sweden on June 12, 2015. US Navy Photo
NATO may be best known for its protracted counterinsurgency campaign in Afghanistan, or for its current efforts to shore up defenses in Eastern Europe with air and ground exercises. But moving forward NATO must also consider its role in the global maritime domain, as it is central to the twin security challenges of an increasingly aggressive Russia and a crumbling Middle East order that the Alliance faces right now. Read More
Royal Marine Commandos are pictured during a Green Ops exercise conducted over a two day period in various areas around Woodbury Common and Tregantle Ranges in Devon. UK MoD Photo
PENTAGON — The U.S. Department of Defense is lauding the British government’s decision to maintain its defense spending to meet NATO suggested targets. Read More
USS Laboon (DDG-58) sails into Souda Bay, Greece, during a scheduled port visit on April 29, 2015. US Navy Photo
An American guided missile destroyer and a French surveillance ship entered the Black Sea on Sunday, according to a Turkish ship spotting website. Read More
Maritime forces from 17 nations are underway in formation for BALTOPS 2015. BALTOPS is an annually recurring multinational exercise designed to enhance flexibility and interoperability, as well as demonstrate resolve of allied and partner forces to defend the Baltic region on June 8, 2015. US Navy Photo
The naval exercise BALTOPS 2015 is bringing the U.S. Navy and its European friends and allies to a Nordic-Baltic region that is newly tense in the wake of the Ukraine crisis. The exercise also indicates that the Baltic Sea is playing a new role as a maritime space, and that anti-access/area-denial challenge is more than just a Pacific problem. Read More
