Mine countermeasure ships from the navies of Finland and Estonia met up on October 2 for four days of bilateral drills as part of exercise Baltic Shield 2017. The exercise is hosted by the 4th Mine Counter-Measures Squadron of the Coastal Fleet and is taking place in Finland, in the Archipelago Sea.
The Finnish defense forces have been cleared to sign a letter of intent and a pre-design activities contract with Patria for the upgrade of Hamina-class missile boats. The mid-life upgrade (MLU) of the four vessels in the class will be performed as part of the Squadron 2000 upgrade program and will
Royal Australian Navy’s Anzac-class frigates are getting upgraded air search radars which are to be delivered by CEA Technologies under a A$148 million contract. The frigates will be receiving the new CEAFAR2-L radar as part of a larger Mid-Life Capability Assurance Program (AMCAP). AMCAP will modif
US Navy aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) is to start its deployment on October 6, getting underway from San Diego together with guided-missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill (CG 52). Theodore Roosevelt, the flagship of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 9, and Bunker Hill will join USS Halsey (DDG
Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri has started construction of the second Italian Navy multipurpose offshore patrol ship (PPA). The steel-cutting ceremony took place on October 3 at the shipbuilder’s Riva Trigoso, Genova, shipyard. The unit will be delivered in 2022 and is part of the Italian Navy vess
The US Navy has awarded Saab a contract to deliver its Sea Giraffe agile multi beam (AMB), multi-mode radar (MMR) for the US Coast Guard’s offshore Patrol Cutters. The current contract is worth $16.8 million and contains options for further deliveries which could bring the overall contract value to
The Indonesian Navy has recently received its new sail training ship KRI Bima Suci from the Spanish shipbuilder Freire Shipyards. Measuring in at 111 meters, the new-build is among the largest sail training vessels currently in service; with the Peruvian Navy’s BAP Unión in the lead at 115 meters. K
The Australian Navy’s fleet of Future Frigates are to be equipped with the Aegis combat systems, the Australian government announced on October 3. The Aegis will be coupled with a tactical interface developed by SAAB Australia. The government said this decision is aimed at maximizing the frigate’s a
Warships taking part in the UK-hosted multinational drill Joint Warrior got underway on October 1 for a fortnight of exercises off the coast of Scotland. This is the second time this year the biannual drill is being held. The first one took place in March and featured or incorporated Information War
US Navy’s forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) anchored in Hong Kong Harbor together with guided-missile destroyer USS Chafee (DDG 90) on October 2. The ships arrived in Hong Kong for a regular port call during their regional patrol. “The sailors and airmen of Carrier Strike
The Royal New Zealand Navy has contracted Saab to deliver their TactiCall communications system for New Zealand’s future fleet tanker. The new Maritime Sustainment Capability vessel, HMNZS Aotearoa, will be fitted with the integrated communications system which interconnects communication technologi
US defense contractor Lockheed Martin Space Systems has been awarded a $418.6 million contract to manufacture additional Trident II (D5) missiles. The US defense department did not specify the exact quantity of missiles to be built and the contract has options which could drive its value up to over
The Brazilian Navy’s first upgraded Super Lynx Mk21B helicopter has performed its maiden flight from the Yeovil facility in southwest England. The flight success was announced by aerospace and defense company Leonardo which is in charge of upgrading eight Mk21B helicopters under a US$160 million con
The US Navy has awarded General Dynamics Bath Iron Works a contract modification fully funding the construction of two new Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, DDG 126 and DDG 127. DDG 126 was awarded under the contract that was part of a multi-year competition for DDG 51-class destroyers in 2013. DDG 12
