Navy International 

*Push and pull: Pakistan's navy confronts an east/west divide
The terrorist attacks by Al-Qaeda on New York and Washington, DC, in September 2001 effectively forced the Pakistan government into a new alliance with ...
19-May-2011
*Ambitions for a blue water fleet tempered by stark realities
In response to growing maritime threats, the Republic of Korea Navy seeks to balance fleet augmentation, technological advancement and cyber defences with a revised...
20-Apr-2011
*Testing times ahead as Iraq strengthens its sea legs
This is a revised version of an article published on 16 December. The fledgling Iraqi Navy celebrated Navy Day on 26 September at its ...
22-Dec-2010
*France takes a leap with government support
When the French Navy (Marine nationale) took delivery of its first NH90 NFH helicopter in May, some five years behind schedule, few commentators complained ...
28-Sep-2010
*Norway extends seafaring range: addendum
The Norwegian Coast Guard (KystVakt), which is under the command of the Royal Norwegian Navy, has undergone substantial redevelopment following the expansion of its ...
26-Aug-2010
Israel tests soft-kill defence system for fast attack craft
The Israel Navy (IN) is testing a new soft-kill missile defence system to protect its fleet of fast attack craft from the advanced missile ...
25-Aug-2010
*New role, new look - Norway extends seafaring range
During the Cold War the Royal Norwegian Navy (RNoN) had up to 50 fast patrol boats in its inventory; soon they will be replaced ...
20-Aug-2010
*Australia seeks to convert naval ambition into reality
In May 2009 the Australian government published a defence White Paper - entitled 'Defending Australia in the Asia Pacific Century: Force 2030' - in ...
21-Dec-2009
*Belgian Navy: international ops on a shoestring budget
At 0800 h on 14 September, the frigate BNS Louise-Marie was patrolling the Gulf of Aden when it chanced upon a sinking skiff. As ...
22-Oct-2009
*Japan rises to the challenge of cuts and new threats
On 18 March, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) commissioned the first of two Hyuga-class ships, an 18,000-ton design that the service describes as...
23-Apr-2009
*Swedish navy takes stock of mission away from home
The deployment of 200 marines to Chad in early 2008, as part of an EU peace-enforcement mission in the deeply troubled sub-Saharan state, was ...
19-Sep-2008
*Hellenic Navy prepares for transformation and renewal
On 20 April the first of the Hellenic Navy's Laskos (La Combattante III)-class fast attack craft (FAC) completed a refit at Elefsis Shipyard in ...
22-May-2008
*Irish Naval Service: small fish sets its sights on a bigger pool
The Irish Naval Service (INS) is beginning to spread its wings as a mature maritime force with a desire to participate in overseas deployments ...
24-Sep-2007
*Dire strait: Taiwan looks to US for naval deterrent effect
The Republic of China (Taiwan) remains something of a geopolitical curiosity, with most of the trappings of statehood but few of the security benefits. ...
28-Aug-2007
*Mexican standoff: overstretched navy battles political uncertainty
Due to its geopolitical position on the southern border of the US and the northern tip of Latin America, Mexico faces multiple security threats. ...
22-Mar-2007
*Adapting to change: multipurpose French Navy seeks force balance
Today's French Navy boasts an enviably balanced force, but 15 years into its 2015 strategic plan, the navy's role, operations and perceived threats have ...
21-Sep-2006
*Italy prepares for confined straits
Since the end of the Cold War - and more recently after 9/11 - the Italian Navy has seen its spectrum of operations widen, in...
24-May-2006
*Israel innovates for the asymmetric
The state of Israel knows better than most the price to be paid for protecting national security. Since its establishment in May 1948, its defence...
21-Mar-2006
*Spain pins future on role reversal
Spain's chief of the navy, Admiral Sebastian Zaragoza Soto describes his force as an international navy, operating closely with allies and largely in international waters....
16-Feb-2006
*Danish fleet command organisation
The Royal Danish Navy (RDN) - the Søværnet - is in the midst of a radical change, the like of which the service has not...
21-Oct-2005
*New frigates herald a step change
Although Singapore's Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) has frequently characterised the six new Formidable-class frigates as replacements for the RSN's ageing 45 m Sea Wolf-class MGBs,...
01-May-2005
Maritime aviation assets
Maritime patrol aircraft (MPAs), in the shape of the five Fokker Enforcer Mk 2S Enforcer aircraft of 121 'Gannet' Squadron come under the 'ownership' of...
01-May-2005
*Out of little acorns grow
The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) will celebrate the 38th anniversary of the founding of its antecedent, the Singapore Naval Volunteer Force, on 5 May...
01-May-2005
*Hellenic Navy merges old with new
In common with the two other armed services in Greece, the Hellenic Navy is faced with limited budgets at a time when it has to...
16-Mar-2005
*Transformation: a bridge too far?
A metaphor comes to mind when looking at the US Navy (USN) in early 2005: "...caught between a rock and a hard place". Four ...
18-Feb-2005
*South Africa's fleet pursues transition from rust-out to rebirth
Something of a geopolitical curiosity, South Africa is indisputably the most developed country in sub-Saharan Africa and, sitting on vast natural and mineral resources, is...
19-Nov-2004
*Portugal discovers a new naval future
Portugal has one of the richest maritime histories in the world and, having invented and refined new means of navigation, was almost single-handedly responsible -...
23-Sep-2004
*Dutch navy suffers painful contractions
The Netherlands armed forces are in a state of major change. In September 2003 the centre-right government of Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende detailed a...
15-Jun-2004
*Royal Navy poised to perform another rebalancing act
Framing a 'snapshot' of the UK Royal Navy (RN) in early 2004 very much depends on which way you choose to point the camera. One...
08-Mar-2004
*Rebuilding the RAN for high-tempo ops
After almost four years of intensive maritime operations that began with the UN-led intervention in East Timor and continue in the Persian Gulf and the...
11-Dec-2003
New Zealand's navy follows a new heading
After several years of uncertainty regarding roles, missions and capabilities, the Royal New Zealand Navy is preparing to follow a new course charted by last...
09-Oct-2003
Canada's navy sets a new course
When the Canadian government needed to show its commitment to the fight against terrorism, it looked to the Canadian Forces Maritime Command (MARCOM). Towards the...
12-Feb-2002
Finland refines its future navy
There is a view that Finland's armed forces take turns to benefit from the government's quadrennial defence reviews, and for the next five years the...
28-Nov-2001
Finland's Coastal Defence Forces
Detached since 1952, Finland's coastal infantry, 'Jaeger' and artillery units were reintegrated into the navy in 1998. Missions have evolved from static defence to rapid...
27-Nov-2001
Finland's Coastguard
Controlled by the Ministry of Interior, Finland's Frontier Guard (the Rajavartiolaitos) covers Coastguard and land border-guard functions. Reporting to the minister and the Frontier Guard's...
27-Nov-2001