Contracts
UK starts construction of new maritime patrol aircraft hub
The UK defense secretary cut the first turf on April 19 for a new facility at RAF Lossiemouth which will house the UK’s new fleet of Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft (MPA). The £132m site will be the future home to the country’s nine-strong, new P-8A Poseidon MPA fleet. The aircraft’s key role will
US Navy forward-deploys ballistic missile defense destroyer to Japan
The US Navy announced that its ballistic missile defense (BMD)-capable guided missile destroyer USS Milius (DDG 69 is leaving her homeport of San Diego to join the US Navy Forward Deployed Naval Forces-Japan. The destroyer is getting underway on April 20 and will be forward deployed to Commander Fle
Italian Navy decommissions Soldati-class patrol vessel ITS Bersagliere
The Italian Navy decommissioned its third Soldati-class patrol ship ITS Bersagliere in a ceremony at Italian naval base La Spezia on April 17. Bersagliere was decommissioned after 23 years of service in a ceremony attended by Italian Navy Chief Admiral Valter Girardelli and other government and defe
BAE Systems picks Future Frigate steel suppliers
BAE Systems Australia will partner separately with each of BlueScope and Liberty OneSteel for the supply of more than 48,000 tons of Australian steel, should the company be selected to build nine Future Frigates as part of the Federal Government’s SEA 5000 program. BAE Systems is offering its Global
US Navy establishes forward-deployed readiness command in Japan
The US Navy announced it has officially established the Commander, Naval Surface Group Western Pacific (CNSG WP), which will be in charge of overseeing the Forward Deployed Naval Force Japan (FDNF-J) surface ship maintenance, training, and certification. In October 2017, US Pacific Fleet established
US Marine Corps F/A-18 complete first operational flights with APKWS
US Marine Corps’ F/A-18 squadrons recently completed operational flights with the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) 2.75 rocket that provides air-to-ground weapon support. APKWS allows the F/A-18A-D to maintain a forward-firing, moving-target capability while increasing available ordnanc
Civmec, Luerssen finalize Australian OPV contract
Civmec has been awarded a contract from Luerssen Australia in relation to the SEA1180 Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) project. As informed, the awarded scope includes the supply and processing of steel for all twelve vessels to be built for the Royal Australian Navy. The construction of the first vesse
Malaysia contracts Boustead for Lekiu-class frigate communications upgrade
BHIC Defence Techservices Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Boustead Heavy Industries Corporation Berhad, announced it has finalized a contract with the Malaysian defense ministry for the upgrade of Lekiu-class frigate communication suites. The RM19,500,000 (approx. US$5 million) contract was signed on Febru
HMS Forth enters service
HMS Forth, the first of Royal Navy’s five new Batch-2 River-class offshore patrol vessels, entered service in a ceremony held at her Her Majesty’s Naval Base Portsmouth, on April 13. At the ceremony, the ship’s Lady Sponsor, Rachel Johnstone-Burt, was joined by UK government and defense officials, a
F-35 program completes final developmental test flight
A US Navy test aircraft on April 11 performed the final developmental test flight of the F-35 System Development and Demonstration (SDD) phase, marking the end of “the most comprehensive, rigorous and the safest developmental flight test program in aviation history.” “Completing F-35 SDD flight test
BAE Systems investing in AI, electronic warfare research
UK defense contractor BAE Systems has announced a £10 million (approx. $14.2m) investment into upgrades of the Maritime Integration & Support Centre (MISC) aimed at improving research into artificial intelligence, information and electronic warfare, unmanned vehicles and new weapons. Located in Port
HII reactivating facilities ravaged by Hurricane Katrina
US shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries said on Wednesday that its Ingalls Shipbuilding division plans to reactivate its shipbuilding facilities on the east bank of the Pascagoula River. The site of the original Ingalls Shipbuilding Corp., founded in 1938, was decimated by Hurricane Katrina in
General Dynamics orders BAE’s Mk110 guns for Independence variant LCS
General Dynamics has awarded BAE Systems a contract to provide two additional Mk110 naval gun systems for the Independence variant of the US Navy’s littoral combat ship (LCS). The additional guns are part of a follow-on to a current contract, bringing the total number of Mk110 systems to 15 for the
French Rafale jets head for US and deployment aboard USS George H.W. Bush
A squadron of 12 French Navy Rafale M fighter jets, accompanied by three KC-135 refueling tankers, took off from the Landivisiau Naval Aviation Base in northwest France on April 4 to head to the United States for a two-month deployment. The aircraft usually fly from the French Navy aircraft carrier