French and UK Royal Navy ships will be joining their US counterparts in challenging China’s territorial claims in disputed regions of the South China Sea, the two countries’ defense ministers have announced. The announcement was made at the Shangri La security dialogue in Singapore which was attende
The Finnish defense ministry has awarded Kongsberg Maritime a contract to deliver its ST2400 variable depth sonar (VDS) for the Hamina-class missile boats. The contract was awarded to Kongsberg as part of the Squadron 2000 mid-life upgrade (MLU) program which will extend the missile boats’ service l
Royal Navy destroyer and NATO SNMG2 flagship HMS Duncan has rescued two Algerian fishermen who had been stranded at sea for four days. A lookout from the Portsmouth-based Type 45 destroyer noticed the men’s boat by chance in the western Mediterranean – and the warship immediately offered food, fuel
Karel Doorman-class frigate BNS Louise-Marie F931 recently became the first Belgian Navy ship to fire the Harpoon anti-ship missile during live firing drills off Norway. The event, which took place off Tromsø, Norway, from May 28 to 31, was captured on video and shared by the Belgian Navy. Though th
The Japan Coast Guard has acquired its fifth Falcon 2000 maritime surveillance aircraft (MSA), aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation has announced. The Coast Guard had previously ordered four MSA aircraft, which are based on the 4,000 nm Falcon 2000LXS. The first aircraft is scheduled to be delive
US Navy littoral combat ship Sioux City (LCS 11) completed its acceptance Trials in the waters of Lake Michigan, Lockheed Martin has annonced. The future USS Sioux City is the sixth Freedom-variant LCS designed and built by the Lockheed Martin-led industry team, and is slated for delivery to the US
A Babcock-led industry team has officially unveiled the Arrowhead 140 concept as their design for the UK defense ministry’s Type 31e general purpose light frigate program. Babcock, Thales, OMT, BMT, Harland and Wolff and Ferguson Marine are all part of the team bidding for the UK MoD’s £1.25 billion
Australia’s second air warfare destroyer ‘Brisbane’ recently completed her Category 5 (CAT 5) sea trials off the coast of Adelaide, the Royal Australian Navy has announced. The destroyer got underway for the trials in November 2017. The Air Warfare Destroyer Alliance which is in charge of delivering
Canada’s GeoSpectrum Technologies Inc (GTI), an Elbit Systems subsidiary, has received a contract to deliver an underwater sound source system (USSS) and software package to the Republic of Korea Navy. The contract was awarded GTI by the South Korean marine propulsion systems cmpany STX Engine Co. T
US defense contractor Raytheon Company on May 30 announced it is expanding the footprint of its Forest-based manufacturing center. The company said a new building in Forest, Mississippi, will be a hub for test, integration and production of s-band radars – including the US Navy’s next generation SPY
The US Navy’s newest amphibious transport dock ship, USS Portland (LPD 27), arrived in Pearl Harbor May 29 for combat systems ship qualification trials. During its time in the 3rd Fleet, the ship is also scheduled to take part in the large international exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC). Portland
A US Navy Arleigh Burke-class destroyer and a Ticonderoga-class cruiser sailed near South China Sea islands claimed by China in a freedom of navigation operation (FONOP) on May 27. USS Higgins (DDG-76) and USS Antietam (CG-54) sailed within 12 nautical miles of the Paracel Islands, which are control
A 2015 expedition aboard the Colombian Navy research ship ARC Malpelo discovered the famous shipwreck of 300-year-old Spanish ship San José which is believed to have sunk with a cargo gold, silver, and emeralds worth billions of dollars. The shipwreck was discovered on November Nov. 27, 2015, but Wo
A new anti-air missile system designed to protect the Royal Navy’s new aircraft carriers as well as other ships in the fleet has been declared operational, the UK defense ministry has announced. Developed at a cost of about £850m (approx. US$1.1b), the Sea Ceptor is the Royal Navy’s new short-range
