Sensors & Combat Systems
Thales establishing UK office to develop Tacticos for Type 31 frigates
France-based defense contractor Thales is opening a UK office for work on the Royal Navy’s future Type 31 frigate program. The company said it would be joining the Babcock-led team which is proposing the Arrowhead design for the new class of general-purpose frigates for the Royal Navy. Should the Ar
Italy starts construction of first fully-configured PPA ship
Construction on the fourth Italian Navy Multipurpose Patrol Ship (PPA) kicked off with a steel-cutting ceremony at Fincantieri’s Riva Trigoso Shipyard in Genoa on March 14. While being the fourth in its class, this ship will be the first in the “full” configuration, meaning it will be equipped with
French Navy’s sixth FREMM frigate completes first sea trials
The French Navy’s sixth FREMM frigate Normandie returned from her first sea trials in late February, achieving the milestone a year after being launched at Naval Group’s Lorient shipyard. The anti-submarine warfare configured frigate tested propulsion and navigation system during the first underway
Thales UK sends first Collins-class replacement bow to Australia
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
Israel’s Elbit to supply combat suites for Hellenic Coast Guard patrol vessels
Italian shipbuilder Cantiere Navale Vittoria has awarded Israeli defense company Elbit Systems a contract to supply combat suites and perform systems integration for the three new Hellenic Coast Guard patrol vessels. The three boats are built by Cantiere Navale Vittoria under a contract announced in
Thales to develop air warfare mission suite for new Dutch, Belgian frigates
The Netherlands Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) has contracted Thales to develop a new anti-air warfare system, dubbed the Above Water Warfare System (AWWS), which will be used on the new generation of frigates to be built for the Netherlands and Belgium. The current multi-purpose (M) frigates i
Royal Navy frigate, submarine hone ASW skills off Scotland
Royal Navy attack submarine HMS Astute and Type 23 frigate HMS St Albans met up in the tough waters of the Atlantic Ocean recently to work together on their anti-submarine warfare capabilities and conduct personnel transfer training. St Albans’ Merlin helicopter from 814 Naval Air Squadron – aka the
US clears sale of Growlers to Finland
Finland could become the third country to operate the airborne electronic attack aircraft
NAVDEX: MBDA unveils Mistral missile launcher module SPIMM
French defense contractor MDBA has unveiled a new shipborne module for the launching of Mistral missiles called SPIMM (Self-Protection Integrated Mistral Module). The air-defense module is based on the SIMBAD-RC system and designed to equip ships of all types, particularly those without a combat sys
In a first: Italian Navy uses new M-40 target drones in carrier protection exercise
The Italian Navy recently used the new Leonardo-developed M-40 target drones in an exercise involving the aircraft carrier ITS Cavour and Durand de la Penne-class destroyer ITS Francesco Mimbelli. The exercise saw the aircraft carrier and its complement of AV8B+ fighter aircraft training alongside t
France’s Naval Group officially starting work on Argentine Navy OPV contract
French shipbuilder Naval Group on Thursday announced it is starting work on the Argentine Navy offshore patrol vessels (OPV), thereby officially confirming the four-ship contract with the South American country. As outlined by the shipbuilder, the first patrol boat to be delivered will be the L’Adro
Germany issues RFI for new radars for Sachsen-class air defense frigates
Germany’s defense procurement agency BAAINBw is seeking to replace the current SMART-L radars aboard the German Navy’s Sachsen-class (F124) air-defense frigates, according to a request for information (RFI) issued on January 28. As stated in the RFI, the goal is to replace the Dutch-built radars cur
US, Spanish, Italian warships start drills with French aircraft carrier off Toulon
Ships form the navies of Spain, Italy, and the US got underway from the French naval base in Toulon on February 3 to join the French aircraft carrier FS Charles de Gaulle and ships form its carrier strike group on their final pre-deployment exercise. The carrier is on the final leg of deployment pre
Atlas pitches MCM toolbox for new Belgian, Dutch minehunters
German-based technology company Atlas is offering a set of mine countermeasures (MCM) systems for a new class of minehunters that are to be built for the Belgian and Dutch Navy. The current minehunters operated by Belgium and the Netherlands were integrated by Atlas Elektronik and are equipped with