HMS Cattistock completes NATO deployment
Royal Navy minehunter HMS Cattistock has completed a four month deployment in the Baltic Sea with Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1.
The vessel took part in a series of multinational exercises and operations during its deployment, with the focus on clearing historic mines from the seabed.
Cattistock spent time in Norwegian waters, locating and identifying ordnance dropped during the Second World War to disrupt German shipping in Oslo.
This was followed by navigational training off Denmark, joint force protection exercises off Holland and then two weeks in Zeebrugge testing seamanship skills in a variety of challenging conditions, including rafting, towing and damage control exercises.
The deployment ended with mine clearance operations off the north coast of France, with the vessel’s crew successfully identifying and safely disposing of a historic 1000lb US air dropped bomb.
More from Naval Warfare
-
![Euronaval 2026: Red Cat’s Blue Ops follows USV demand from Asia to the Andes]()
Euronaval 2026: Red Cat’s Blue Ops follows USV demand from Asia to the Andes
With its B-26 USV in full-rate production, Blue Ops is seeking to turn overseas interest into orders through a combination of lower operating costs, UAV integration and local manufacturing.
-
![Euronaval 2026: ‘I want to sell 31 Type 31s by 2031’ - CGO maps Babcock’s global push]()
Euronaval 2026: ‘I want to sell 31 Type 31s by 2031’ - CGO maps Babcock’s global push
Chief growth officer Sir Nick Hine tells Shephard how Babcock is lining up New Zealand, Chile, Denmark and the US for its Arrowhead 140 frigate, speaks on the hybrid navy offer and talks AUKUS.
-
![Euronaval 2026: by the power of six, Fincantieri’s MMMV reflects modular naval shift]()
Euronaval 2026: by the power of six, Fincantieri’s MMMV reflects modular naval shift
The 50m, six-person ship from the Italian shipbuilder carries swappable, containerised payloads instead of a fixed mission, reflecting a shift that is becoming increasingly evident.
-
![Canada’s submarine availability under pressure as Chicoutimi is unlikely to return to front-line duties]()
Canada’s submarine availability under pressure as Chicoutimi is unlikely to return to front-line duties
HMCS Victoria and HMCS Windsor could return from their current deep maintenance, but unconfirmed operational timelines leave questions over patrol capacity before the first CPSP arrives.
