The UK defense ministry has announced an investment of £75 million into new Royal Navy robot and autonomous mine-hunting technologies. The funding boost will be spent on two new autonomous mine-hunter vessels with sonars to enable remote mine-hunting at higher range, speed and accuracy in the Persia
The Royal Australian Air Force-organized exercise Diamond Shield provided an opportunity for the Australian Navy’s second air warfare destroyer HMAS Brisbane to integrate and operate with the fifth-generation F-35A fighter jet for the first time. Brisbane embarked three Fighter Controllers from the
The US Navy’s forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) arrived in Subic Bay, on March 30, ahead of exercise Balikatan. Wasp arrived in the Philippines with embarked Marines from Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force (SPMAGTF) 4, which are led by 4th Marine Regiment. This will
Royal Australian Navy’s Adelaide-class frigate HMAS Melbourne got underway from her Sydney homeport to start a two-month deployment to the Pacific and South East Asia. “It’s sad to think about those at home when we sail from Sydney on deployment, but I’m excited about what the ship and crew will ach
The US Naval Sea Systems Command has awarded Australia-based shipbuilder Austal a $261.7 million contract for additional work on Expeditionary Fast Transport Ships (EPF) 13 and 14. The contract award extends the EPF program to 2022, with construction of EPF 13 to commence in late 2019 and EPF 14 to
The Royal Australian Navy’s third Hobart-class air warfare destroyer Sydney is set to enter operations a year earlier than originally planned following an accelerated capability upgrade. As explained, the defense ministry was able to streamline a technical upgrade to the ship during its build at the
The Australian government has awarded a contract for the second stage of upgrades at the Royal Australian Navy’s Garden Island base in Sydney. The latest contract represents “stage two” of the Critical Infrastructure Recovery Program which is valued at AUD 286 million. The works represent the govern
The Australian government has awarded Safran Electronics & Defense Australasia (SEDA) a contract for in-service support to the Royal Australian Navy’s infrared search and track systems. Australian defense minister Christopher Pyne said as the prime contractor, SEDA would provide maintenance and supp
Mine countermeasures ships from eight NATO and ally navies are set to gather in the Baltic Sea at the end of May for the “Baltic Mine Countermeasures Squadron Exercise”. The exercise is hosted by the German Navy’s 3rd Mine Minesweeping Squadron and is in its third iteration. The two-week drill will
The keel for the lead ship in the new class of Royal Australian Navy Arafura-class offshore patrol vessel has officially been constructed, Australia’s defense minister has announced. More than 50 tonnes of Australian steel has been assembled at Osborne Naval Shipyard, satisfying the contractual requ
The US Naval Sea Systems Command has awarded General Dynamics Electric Boat a $2 billion contract modification to procure long lead time material to support construction of Block V Virginia-class submarines. The award modifies a contract awarded in 2017 that provides funding for long lead time mater
UK defense contractor BAE Systems announced it has started work on the integration of Meteor air-to-air and SPEAR surface attack missiles on to the UK’s fleet of F-35B fighter jets. As explained by the company, it has received an initial funding award from Lockheed Martin, the prime contractor on th
Thales UK announced it has recently completed the first of six new replacement bow sonar arrays for the upgrade of the Royal Australian Navy’s Collins-class submarines. The company says that the bow sonar array was delivered in time to meet the Royal Australian Navy’s accelerated upgrade of HMAS Wal
The Royal Australian Navy kicked off the Indo-Pacific Endeavour 19 (IPE 19) deployment on March 11 as HMA Ships Canberra, Success, Newcastle, and Parramatta set sail from Fremantle in Western Australia. 1000 embarked ADF personnel will carry out a series of engagement activities and military trainin
