Hessen News

A German warship shot down two drones in the Red Sea on Tuesday amid escalating attacks by Yemen's Houthis and efforts by the European Union to protect international shipping, German officials said.Shipping risks have increased due to repeated strikes by the Iran-aligned Houthis in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait since November in what they describe as acts of solidarity with Palestinians against Israel in the Gaza war.U.S. and British forces have responded with several airstrikes on Houthi facilities but have so far failed to halt the attacks.The German navy frigate Hessen…

Germany is expected to participate in a European Union naval mission to protect shipping in the Red Sea that EU foreign ministers will approve this month, the head of the German parliamentary defence committee said.Speaking at her party's reception for the new year on Sunday, Maria-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann said the aim of the mission would be for EU frigates to protect commercial vessels passing through the strait.The approaches to the Suez Canal, one of the world's most important shipping lanes…

Shipbuilder VARD announced it has secured a new contract for the design and construction of one stern trawler for Deutsche Fischfang-Union GmbH & Co. KG in Germany. The contract value  is in excess of  NOK 500 million.The stern trawler has been developed by VARD in close cooperation with Deutche Fischfang-Union (DFFU). The new vessel will be the first trawler of VARD’s own design sold to Germany.The VARD 8 03 trawler design is developed to meet the latest demands for fish health management, efficiency, and environmentally friendly operations.

USS Harry S Truman (CVN 75), the Carrier Strike Group EIGHT (CSG-8) flag ship, passed through the Strait of Gibraltar and entered the Mediterranean Sea, April 27. "I'm proud of the professional seamanship our Sailors showcased as we transited through one of the busiest sea lanes in the world," said Truman's Commanding Officer, Capt. Nicholas Dienna. Along with Truman, the guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60) and the guided-missile destroyer USS Forrest Sherman (DDG 98) made the journey from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea through the second busiest waterway in the world. But this event carried with it more than breathtaking visuals of the Gibraltar landscape. More importantly, it served as a strategic step for the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group (HSTCSG).

The Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group (HSTCSG) entered the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations April 18, 2018 as part of a routine deployment in support of NATO allies, European and African partner nations, coalition partners, and U.S. national security interests in Europe and Africa. The presence of the HSTCSG demonstrates the multi-mission capability of the U.S. Navy’s globally deployed force and is part of an ongoing rotation of forward-deployed forces to support maritime security operations in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations.

The Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group (HSTCSG) departed Naval Station Norfolk, April 11, for a regularly scheduled deployment. The strike group, including aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 1, USS Normandy (CG 60), several destroyers of Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 28 and German frigate FGS Hessen (F 221), is scheduled to conduct operations in the U.S. Navy's 5th and 6th Fleet areas of responsibility. The deployment is part of an ongoing rotation of U.S. forces supporting maritime security operations in international waters around the globe. Additionally, HSTCSG units will work alongside allied and partner maritime forces, focusing on theater security cooperation efforts, which help to further regional stability.

Two coalition naval vessels arrived at Norfolk naval base Jan. 26 and 28, to conduct training and operations as part of the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group (HST CSG). The Royal Norwegian Navy frigate HNoMS Roald Amundsen (F 311) and the Sachsen-class German frigate Hessen (F 221) arrived to participate in the strike group's upcoming Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX). "Any time we can operate with another one of our allies anywhere in the world, we gain from it and they gain from it," Rear Adm. Gene Black, commander of HST CSG. "I've always had great success working with coalition partners and this is just a similar task with a more complex mission set.

It’s not every day that passengers on board a civilian cruise liner would get so close to a warship on operations that they could wave to each other, but this is just what happened when the German cruise liner, AIDAdiva, with over 2,000 passengers on board, met German frigate FGS Hessen at sea, informs EUNAVFOR. The German Navy warship FGS Hessen, which is currently operating with the EU Naval Force, was conducting routine counter-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden, when the AIDAdiva, which was built in Papenburg, Germany came over the horizon.

On January 21, EU Naval Force warships, FS Siroco, FGS Hessen and ESPS Tornado rendezvoused at sea for a joint replenishment at sea (RAS) with the logistics American ship, USNS Joshua Humphreys from Task Force 53. The RAS saw more than 600 men and women from the EU Naval Force gathered in the same sea area in the Somali Basin, with the excellent coordination between all four ships ensuring that the refueling was carried out quickly and efficiently. On completion, the crews from EU Naval Force ships saluted the crew from USNS Joshua Humphreys and each other…

Atlas Elektronik and Thales Deutschland have been jointly commissioned to modernize the combat system of the German Class F124 frigates. The CEOs of both enterprises recently signed the contract at the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) in Koblenz. With completion scheduled for 2017, the “HW Regeneration CDS F124” consortium formed by the two companies will refurbish the hardware of the Combat Direction System (CDS) and also adapt and update the software. The regeneration process is driven by the sweeping implementation of commercial hardware and software because technological development in this field is progressing at a rapid pace.

China (Shanghai) International Boat Show (CIBS) participating companies preview China's boating market. On April 11th 2013 the China (Shanghai) International Boat Show  (CIBS) comes of age to shows itself a key player in the Chinese water leisure market. CIBS has grown virtually every year since its birth in an underground car park 18 years ago and 2013 is no exception with its exhibition area up by 37% to 48,000 sq m, confirmed booths so far up 20% and a projected trade up around 30% to 3Bn RMB.

Soundview Maritime, LLC, an owner and operator of mid-sized container ships for charter to leading global ocean and intermodal transportation companies, today announced it has engaged Dr. Moritz Mittelbach, a maritime industry veteran, as its exclusive strategic advisor. In this role, Dr. Mittelbach will advise Soundview on the purchase, financing, and long term charter of container vessels as well as other strategic initiatives to grow and improve the company. Littlejohn & Co. and Northern Shipping Funds (Northern) established Soundview Maritime in 2010 and have made equity commitments that enable the acquisition of between 10 and 20 containerships in the 1,000 to 4,000 TEU range.

Nov. 5, 2009, the German navy frigate Hessen (F221) pulls alongside the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) for a refueling at sea. This is the first time Dwight D. Eisenhower has provided fuel for a German ship. Dwight D. Eisenhower is conducting a three-week Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX) in preparation for its upcoming 2010 deployment. COMPTUEX is a training exercise along the East Coast from Va. to Fla. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Gina K. Wollman/Released)

First Ship Lease Ltd., a commercial finance company focused on diverse shipping assets, today announced the successful completion of a $100 million mezzanine financing facility. The mezzanine facility, combined with previous equity financing and senior debt to be raised on a transactional basis, allows First Ship Lease to provide in excess of $500 million in operating and finance leases to shipping and industrial companies that meet its credit criteria. The mezzanine financing was fully underwritten by BTM Capital Corporation of Boston, a subsidiary of Japan's premier bank, The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi, Ltd.; Germany-based HSH Nordbank AG, the world's largest ship mortgage lender; and Vereins -und Westbank Group, a subsidiary of Germany's second-largest bank, HypoVereinsbank.