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French Navy Kicks Off Jeanne d’Arc 2024 Deployment – DZIRHAN MAHADZIR FEBRUARY 25, 2024 10:03 PM

FS Tonnerre departing Toulon on Feb. 19, 2024. French Navy Photo

The French Navy began its Jeanne d’Arc 2024 deployment last week with the departure of amphibious assault ship FS Tonnerre (L9014) and frigate FS Guépratte (F714) from Toulon Naval Base, with this year’s mission involving a near circumnavigation of South America.

The Jeanne d’Arc mission is an annual deployment for the French Navy – named for former helicopter cruiser Jeanne d’Arc (R97), which primarily served as a training ship for the French naval academy. Following the ship’s decommissioning in 2010, the French Navy continued the mission name, with one of its three Mistral-class amphibious assault ships and a surface escort carrying out the deployment. The mission combines the end stage of the training course for French naval academy cadets with an operational presence and engagement deployment. Last year’s deployment saw the mission circling the globe. The Jeanne d’Arc task group also will serve as a ready response force for any nearby crises that occur during its deployment.

A total of around 800 service members are taking part in the deployment, comprising 640 sailors (including 162 naval cadets) and 150 soldiers of an embarked French Army battlegroup. The battlegroup comprises two light cavalry platoons, an infantry platoon, a command element and medical team, a section of combat engineers, an artillery forward-observer team and an aviation detachment with two Gazelle helicopters. A French Navy Dauphin helicopter also is embarked for the deployment. A total of 40 ground vehicles operated by the battlegroup – a mix of combat, transport and engineering vehicles – are also included.

A French Ministry of Armed Forces release stated the deployment will last 149 days with three major amphibious exercises planned – in Brazil, Chile and the United States – along with 11 port visits. The release did not give dates for each stop or activity execution. The Jeanne d’Arc mission is heading toward the port city of Mindelo, Cape Verde, for its first stop and then crossing the Atlantic Ocean to arrive at Cayenne, French Guiana. The mission also will conduct activities supporting maritime enforcement operations in French territorial waters before conducting amphibious drills with Brazil off the coast of Belum, Brazil.

The mission then heads to Rio de Janeiro to carry out a port visit and the Rio 24 amphibious exercise with the Brazilian Navy, and then heads to Buenos Aires, Argentina, for a port visit. It then sails around Cape Horn to make a port visit to Valparaiso, Chile, and to conduct an amphibious exercise there. Following that, a port visit to Lima, Peru, will be carried out, with a maritime enforcement exercise to take place there. The Jeanne d’Arc mission will then transit the Panama Canal and subsequently call in to Cartagena, Colombia.

A port visit to Fort-de-France, in the French territory of Martinique, follows, where maritime enforcement operations will be carried out, along with the multinational Caraibes 24 exercise. “This major exercise will reinforce the integration of the French Armed Forces in the Antilles-Caribbean zone,” stated the release.

From the Caribbean, the Jeanne d’Arc task group will make its way to Norfolk, Va., for a port visit and also to carry out Chesapeake 24 with the U.S. Navy, which will “highlight the joint ability to plan complex amphibious operations and commemorate the anniversary of the historic alliance between France and the United States,” according to the release.

The mission will then cross the Atlantic to the French port city of Brest and then both ships will head to the Mediterranean, with Guépratte also visiting Lisbon, Portugal. Both ships will then link up to transit the Strait of Gibraltar to enter the Mediterranean before heading back to their home port of Toulon.

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Ukrainian Forces Shot Down Russian Vital A-50U AWACS Using Soviet-Era S-200 Missile Ukraine – Russia conflict war 2022 POSTED ON SUNDAY, 25 FEBRUARY 2024 15:21

 

According to information published on February 24, 2024, by “Pravda” a Ukrainian newspaper, the Ukrainian armed forces shot down on February 23, 2024, one A-50U Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft, crucial for the Russian forces deployed in Ukraine. It was intercepted by an old S-200 air defense missile system, NATO code-named SA-5 Gammon, developed by the Soviet Union in the 1960s The primary role of the A-50U is to provide all-weather surveillance, command, control, and communications (C3) for the Russian Air Force and Navy.

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Nov. 7, 2015 – Chinese warships arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam on Sunday for a multiday port visit and relationship-building event, the latest in a series of goodwill visits with Western navies.

 

The Chinese Luyang II-class guided missile destroyer Jinan (DDG 152), top, the Jiangkai-class frigate Yiyang (FFG 548), the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Mason (DDG 87), center, the Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser USS Monterey (CG 61) and the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Stout (DDG 55), bottom, steam in formation during a passing exercise on Nov. 7, 2015, in the Atlantic Ocean. US Navy photo.

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RNZN/NZ Division of RN – Ship of the day RFA Nucula

 

RFA Nucula

HMS Philomel at the Training Jetty and RFA Nucla (oiler) alongside. Unknown in dock.Devonport Naval Base, Auckland Possibly 1933

The NZ Division, of the Royal Navy. – RFA Nucula, 17 April 1937 at Auckland, New Zealand while going alongside HMAS SYDNEY to refuel her she was caught heavily by a rip tide and hit the cruiser causing damage to HMAS SYDNEY’s port side propeller and forcing her into the wharf causing further damage to her quaterdeck. Nucula was not damaged.1

RFA NUCULA (Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship) is pictured leaving Sydney on 17 January 1931. This photograph was taken by Frederick Wilkinson while travelling on a ferry between Bradley’s Head and Rose Bay.

The Story Of RFA Nucula

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RFA Nucula, a tanker was built as the s.s. Hermione and completed in Newcastle by Armstrong, Whitworth & Co in September 1906 for C T Bowring & Co Ltd of London. She was completed as coal burning but converted in October 1907 to oil-fired. By April 1908 she was sold to the Japanese company Toyo Kisen Kaisha and her name was changed to Soyo Maru when Bowring had a new tanker named Hermione completed. She carried oil from California to Japan.

 

RFA Nucula, a tanker was built as the s.s. Hermione and completed in Newcastle by Armstrong, Whitworth & Co in September 1906 for C T Bowring & Co Ltd of London. She was completed as coal burning but converted in October 1907 to oil-fired. By April 1908 she was sold to the Japanese company Toyo Kisen Kaisha and her name was changed to Soyo Maru when Bowring had a new tanker named Hermione completed. She carried oil from California to Japan.

 

In 1915, she was passed back to British service and the Admiralty gave her the name RN Oiler No.73 and she served as a fleet tanker in European waters. In 1917 she was bought by the Anglo-Saxon Petroleum (now known as Shell Oil) who changed her name to Nucula as it was their practice to name their ships after seashells. She remained in commercial service until 1922 when she became a Royal Fleet Auxiliary and the civilian crew were replaced by RFA personnel. RFA Nucula was posted to the China Station as a Fleet Attendant Oiler based at Hong Kong. From September to November 1923 she was based at Nagasaki to act as a base oiler during the earthquake relief operations.

 

With the change from coal powered to oil-fired warships the New Zealand Division (hereafter NZDiv) of the Royal Navy required replenishment support for its new cruisers HMS Diomede and Dunedin. With the imminent arrival of HMS Dunedin on station in 1924 the New Zealand Government negotiated for an oiler to enable navy controlled supplies of fuel oil. On 27 May 1924 RFA Nucula was transferred to NZDiv control as a Fleet Attendant oiler and hired by the New Zealand government. The formal handover took place at Suva where she had stopped on a voyage from Singapore to Auckland. RFA Nucula arrived at Auckland on 5 June 1924. Due to her design, she could not undertake replenishments at sea or underway oiling. She would act as a supply ship for the sloops HMS Wellington and Leith along with the two cruisers. When they would depart on the island cruises, a feature of the interwar period in the South Pacific, Nucula would refuel the vessels in sheltered ports and anchorages.

 

Her designated task was to maintain supplies of fuel oil at the naval base at Devonport, Auckland. To do so, she undertook two to three seven-week voyages to California a year to load supplies of fuel. In 1934 three voyages were made to Abadan in the Persian Gulf. Some oil was also supplied to the Royal Australian Navy base at Sydney. In June 1934 during one of the voyages back to New Zealand she nearly sank in huge seas off the south-eastern coast of Australia during a cyclone. She suffered damage to the superstructure that needed extensive repairs upon reaching Auckland.

 

RFA Nucula picture

 

The second task the Nucula was hired to complete was to extend the range of the cruisers operation from New Zealand into the South Pacific and so there were refuelling rendezvous with Diomede and Dunedin at such ports as Suva, Bora Bora and Apia. During the Depression of 1930 it became necessary to man the Nucula with a Royal New Zealand Navy crew to collect another supply of fuel oil.

 

When Diomede and Dunedin left New Zealand service it brought about the redundancy of RFA Nucula. Her last voyage from America with a cargo of oil was completed on 10 June 1937 and so she was laid up as a storage hulk with effect from 5 July 1937 in Shoal Bay, Waitemata Harbour. Nucula remained in this role through out World War 2. She was sold for disposal in March 1947 and was partially dismantled. On 24 October 1947 she was towed to a position eleven nautical miles ENE of Cuvier Island in the Hauraki Gulf where she was scuttled in a depth of 183m where she remains to this day.

 

(With thanks from the Royal New Zealand Navy Museum staff).

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US NAVY ATTACK SUBMARINE MASSACHUSETTS FLOATED OUT – By Baird Maritime – February 25, 2024.







Photo: Huntington Ingalls Industries

Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) division launched the future US Navy attack submarine USS Massachusetts at its facilities in Virginia on Friday, February 23.

The future Massachusetts is the 25th Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarine and will be the 12th delivered by NNS, which is one of only two shipyards capable of designing and building nuclear-powered submarines for the US Navy.

As with its Virginia-class sisters, the submarine will be capable of operating in littoral and deep waters. Missions will include anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface ship warfare, strike warfare, special operations forces support, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), irregular warfare, and mine warfare.

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GAO Outlines Ongoing Challenges With Coast Guard’s Offshore Patrol And Polar Cutters

The Coast Guard’s top two shipbuilding acquisitions continue to suffer from design challenges, raising the potential for further delays and cost increases, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) says in a […]

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Russian Air Force to receive four new Tupolev Tu-160M strategic bombers – On February 21, 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the Kazan Aviation Plant to oversee the presentation of four new Tu-160M strategic bombers, set to join the Russian Aerospace Forces. These aircraft, referred to as the “White Swan” within Russia and as the Blackjack by NATO, are recognized as one of the largest and heaviest supersonic military aircraft with a variable-sweep wing configuration ever constructed. Read full defense news at this link…

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Among the four Tu-160M bombers presented, two were newly constructed models of the Tu-160M variant, and the remaining two were upgraded from the original Tu-160 configuration to the updated Tu-160M standard. (Picture source: Kazan Aviation Plant)


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HII announced this week that its Newport News Shipbuilding division recently began topside testing of the electromagnetic aircraft launch system catapult on the future Ford-class supercarrier USS John F. Kennedy (CVN 79), something which was supposed to have started last year. JFK was awarded in 2009 (!) laid down in 2015, christened in 2019, and is scheduled to be delivered in 2025. Anyway, it is always fun to see test sleds weighing up to 80,000 pounds go from zero to 150 knots in 300 feet and careen Wile E. Coyote-style into the James River.

Roll that beautiful bean footage.

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NZ Defence Force Honors Animals in Armed Forces: Purple Poppy Day Commemoration Purple Poppy Day in New Zealand is a heartfelt commemoration of the animal veterans who have served alongside the New Zealand Defence Force. Discover the stories of bravery, loyalty, and sacrifice that highlight the enduring bond between humans and animals in times of conflict.

Honoring Four-Legged Heroes: New Zealand Commemorates Purple Poppy Day

Imagine the clamor of battlefields, the heroes who tread fearlessly into the fray, and among them, the silent, four-legged warriors whose bravery often remains unsung. In a poignant tribute to these valiant beings, New Zealand sets the stage for a heartfelt commemoration. As the sun rises on 24 February, the nation prepares to honor its most unique veterans on Purple Poppy Day, a testament to the animals that have served alongside the New Zealand Defence Force for over a century.

A Day of Remembrance and Recognition

Purple Poppy Day is not just another date on the calendar; it is a profound acknowledgment of the sacrifices made by animals in warfare. The National Museum of the Royal New Zealand Navy in Auckland and the National Army Museum in Waiouru are the focal points of this year’s commemoration, hosting events that pay homage to these unsung heroes. This occasion also marks the sixth anniversary of an equally significant milestone – the unveiling of New Zealand’s first Animal Memorial at the National Army Museum. The memorial stands as a permanent reminder of the steadfast companionship and service of animals in the line of duty.

Expanding the Narrative of Valor

Among the stories to be highlighted is that of First World War soldier Thomas Hartnell-Stone, whose service alongside animals will be specially recognized in Canterbury, coinciding with Purple Poppy Day. This narrative extends beyond the human experience of war, shedding light on the indomitable spirit of animals that have stood by soldiers through thick and thin. From the horses that carried troops into battle, to the dogs and pigeons that delivered critical messages, these animals have displayed unwavering courage and loyalty. Their contributions, though not always recorded in history books, have been integral to military operations across the globe.

A Legacy of Companionship and Bravery

The inception of Purple Poppy Day was a groundbreaking moment for New Zealand, signaling a shift in the collective memory of warfare to include the animal allies that have long stood beside human soldiers. This recognition is not only about remembering the past; it’s about acknowledging the ongoing relationship between humans and animals in the context of service and sacrifice. The annual observance has grown in significance, resonating with people both nationally and internationally, and reinforcing the message that courage knows no species.

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