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 US Naval Air Systems Command has awarded Boeing a $4 billion contract for the procurement of 78 Super Hornet aircraft. The contract for the The Block III configuration aircraft is a multi-year procurement (MYP) of 72 between fiscal years 2019-2021, and six from fiscal year 2018. Navy officials e
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
The US Navy’s fifth Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyer will be named in honor of Medal of Honor recipient, Hospital Corpsman Master Chief William Charette, US Navy secretary Richard V. Spencer has announced. Charette, a native of Ludington, Michigan, joined the Navy in 1951 and served in the K
US 5th Fleet’s Task Force 55 and commercial shipping industry representatives joined forces recently to complete exercise Lucky Mariner 19. The annual exercise concluded March 15 and was led by the task force’s Naval Cooperation and Guidance for Shipping (NCAGS) detachment designed to exercise comma
Royal New Zealand Navy frigate HMNZS Te Mana has arrived in Canada to start her combat management system upgrades. The ship pulled into Canadian forces base Esquimalt on March 12 and will be modernized at Seaspan’s shipyard in Victoria, British Columbia. Te Mana is starting the upgrade after complet
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 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 lead ship of US Navy’s Zumwalt-class guided-missile destroyers, the USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000), got underway from San Diego on March 8 to start its first operational underway. The underway represents a milestone for the new class of ships, of which only three will be built. Zumwalt’s crew recently c
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
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
The US Navy has completed developmental testing for the AN/AQS-20C mine-hunting sonar system for littoral combat ships at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Panama City Division, February 26. The AQS-20C is the next generation of the AN/AQS-20 system designed to be incorporated into the LCS mine coun
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
The Brazilian Navy has ordered three H135 light twinengine helicopters to be operated by the 1st General Purpose Helicopter Squadron (HU-1). According to Airbus, the aircraft is being procured for special operations, transport of troops and freight, naval inspection, search and rescue and medical ev
