The commander of US 6th Fleet, VADM Frank Craig Pandolfe, made an official visit to Greece in 28th and 29th March 2012. According to official Greek Navy web site, VADM Pandolfe visited the Fleet Headquarters where he met with Chief of Navy Rear Admiral Konstantinos Mazarakis Ainians, on 28th March 2012 Navy and boarded the submarine and S-120 HS Papanikolis and fast attack... Continue Reading →
Between 1998 and 2009 Turkish, US and Israeli navies conducted an annual naval exercise called Reliant Mermaid. This exercise is discontinued now in accordance with the deteriorating bilateral relations between Turkey and Israel in the last couple years. Last year Greece has replaced Turkey and these there nations held to naval exercise Noble Dina 2011. While the Reliant Mermaid was marketed as a trilateral humanitarian search and rescue (SAR)... Continue Reading →
While the families of the crew of the Greek frigate F-452 HS Hydra celebrate, her early return from Horn of Africa, this shows the dire fiscal situation the Greek armed forces are facing. In early February, HS Hydra was send by Greek Navy to participate in the Operation Atalanta, the anti-piracy operation of EU off the coast of Somalia. She... Continue Reading →
The Greek Navy deployed the MEKO 200HN class frigate F-452 HS Hydra for the European Union Naval Force Somalia - Operation Atalanta. She has arrived to her Area of Operation two days ago. Following passage south through the Red Sea, the HS HYDRA will join the multi-national EU NAVFOR off the Horn of Africa on... Continue Reading →
As a photographer I am a firm believer of the saying "one photo is better that thousand words". The above is a photo from the official web page of Greek Naval Forces. Please mind that the photo is only in the Greek part of the web site and cannot be found on the English part. The... Continue Reading →
Tomorrow NATO's SNMCMG-2 will start a 3 day visit in Patras, Greece. SNMCMG-2 is currently led by Captain Abdulhamit Şener of Turkish Navy. Last month the task force made a visit to Spit, Croatia. Following their departure from Split, the ships of SNMCMG-2, led by the flagship A-579 TCG Cezayirli Gazi Hasanpaşa, conducted underway exercises with... Continue Reading →
Last weeks events especially the death of Mr. Jobs, turned the attention of the public's focus away from the Eastern Mediterranean. The number of articles published, the war mongering and empty threads diminished with the public general interest. May be it is good so. Now is the era of back office diplomacy. It is time... Continue Reading →
In July I posted the above photo of the Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 and asked if this was the lamest NATO fleet ever? The answer was "No" as at that time SNMG-1 was made of only one Italian destroyer. Today SNMG-1 has 4 ships. In the mean time, the SNMG-2 has indeed become the lamest NATO fleet.... Continue Reading →
This beautiful building in the old city of Istanbul was the head quarters of Düyun-u Umumiye-i Osmaniye Varidat-ı Muhassasa İdaresi, between 1897-1933. The Düyun-u Umumiye can be translated into English as General Debts or General Obligations was an administration established to collect the tax on stamps, alcoholic drinks, fish hunting, salt, tobacco and silk in the Ottoman Empire.... Continue Reading →
The submarine deal, Greece made with Germany back in 1998 is continuing to make headlines. Last time when the project was in headlines was in May. At that time the German DA's were accusing several former executives of Ferrostaal, the Germany firm that was part of the consortium which won the contract, for paying kickbacks to... Continue Reading →
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