After spending four years in mothballs and another two undergoing a £90m refit, the Royal Navy’s amphibious assault ship HMS Albion is deploying early next week to become the flagship of NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 2. “It is a huge privilege for us to fly the flag of the NATO task group commander
The Republic of Korea Navy has received the first of eight Daegu-class (FFX II) frigates, ROKS Daegu (FFG-818), South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) announced on Thursday. Daegu is expected to become operational in the second half of 2018. The frigate was built by Daewoo S
Construction of the Royal New Zealand Navy’s largest ever vessel, the HMNZS Aotearoa, officially started on January 31 with a steel cutting ceremony at Hyundai Heavy Industries’ Ulsan shipyard in South Korea. The ice-going tanker will be launched in March next year, and enter service in 2020. The ta
The Royal Navy’s smallest commissioned vessel, Her Majesty’s Survey Launch Gleaner, returned to Devonport homeport one last time on Tuesday ahead of her decommissioning. In mist and rain, and with a 16-metre decommissioning pennant tied to the stern rail to prevent it flapping around uncontrollably,
French autonomous systems developer ECA Group announced its participation in the EU-led autonomous systems integration project OCEAN2020. With Italy’s Leonardo at the helm, ECA Group will join partners from 15 European countries to work on the first cross-European military research program to-date.
The US Navy has awarded General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) a contract to develop advanced, high energy density capacitors for use in High Power Microwave (HPM) systems. GA-EMS is applying advanced technologies to create high energy density capacitors that will enable the deployment of
The US Navy has awarded BAE Systems two contracts totalling $54.8 million to modernize the amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) and the guided missile cruiser USS Cape St. George (CG 71). Both contracts include options that, if exercised, would bring the total cumulative value of the awards t
US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) announced it has completed testing and trials of the Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel (ACTUV) vessel. The technology demonstration vessel, christened Sea Hunter, has now been delivered to the Office of Naval Research (
French shipbuilders STX France and Socarenam joined forces with Belgium’s EDR to try and secure a contract for the construction of 12 mine counter measure vessels for the navies of Belgium and the Netherlands. The two navies are jointly procuring mine countermeasure (MCM) vessels and frigates with B
Indian shipbuilder Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) launched the third Scorpene-class diesel-electric submarine for the Indian Navy at its shipyard on January 31. The submarine was named ‘Karanj’ and was launched by Mrs Reena Lanba, President Navy Wives Welfare Association. The launch ceremon
Finnish Navy’s Hamina-class missile boats will be receiving new Bofors 40 Mk4 naval guns delivered by BAE Systems under a contract with Finland’s Patria. Patria is the prime contractor selected by Finland’s defense ministry to coordinate the missile boat upgrades. “Finland is the third country to se
US Navy ships assigned to the Carl Vinson carrier strike group arrived in Guam on January 30 and 31 for the first port call of their Western Pacific deployment. The aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) and guided-missile destroyers USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112) and USS Wayne E. Meyer (DDG 108) a
Royal Canadian Navy auxiliary oiler replenishment (AOR) vessel Asterix has entered service after completing sea trials and testing. Asterix performed daily replenishment-at-sea (RAS) exercises with the RCN and conducted extensive RCAF CH-148 Cyclone helicopter operations to prove and demonstrate its
Ships from NATO’s Standing NATO Mine Counter Measures Group One (SNMCMG1) under command of Commander Peter Ramboer of the Belgian Navy arrived in Hull, UK on January 26. The group made a routine port visit to Hull as part of their annual schedule of operations. While in Hull, officers made courtesy
