Sensors & Combat Systems
US Navy EASR passes preliminary design review
The U.S. Navy, together with Raytheon, completed the preliminary design review (PDR) for the new Enterprise Air Surveillance Radar, confirming system development is on track for delivery to the designated ship classes. EASR is the U.S. Navy’s advanced radar for aircraft carriers and amphibious warfa
USS Jackson tests SeaRAM against drone target
U.S. Navy’s Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Jackson (LCS 6) tested its SeaRAM missile against an aerial drone, destroying the target in a test off the Southern California coast, April 22. The drone was simulating an anti-ship missile as part of a combat system ship qualification trials
USNS Kanawha replenished ESPS Galicia
Earlier this month USNS Kanawha replenished ESPS Galicia of EU NAVFOR Operation Atalanta at sea (RAS). Having sailed into the counter-piracy sea areas in the Gulf of Aden, the flag ship of Operation Atalanta, ESPS Galicia went alongside USNS Kanawha to replenish fuel and stores in preparation for he
France starts construction of five FTI frigates
French Minister of Defense Jean-Yves Le Drian on Friday authorized shipbuilder DCNS to start the construction of five FTI (Fregate de Taille Intermediaire) medium-size frigates for the French Navy. The 4,000-tonne front-line frigates, equipped for anti-submarine warfare with widened self-defence and
Australian Navy MATV completes sea trials
The Australian Navy’s Multi-role Aviation Training Vessel (MATV) MV Sycamore has completed sea trials, Dutch shipbuilder Damen announced. MV Sycamore was built at Damen’s Vietnam shipyard and will now be prepared for her maiden voyage to her home port of Sydney, Australia, where she is expected to a
Raytheon gets $113M contract for Standard Missile work
The U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command has awarded Raytheon Missile Systems a $113 million contract to perform work on the Standard Missile in use by the U.S. and other ally navies. Under the contract, Raytheon will be performing engineering and technical services on Standard Missile 2, 3, and 6 for fis
USS Gerald R. Ford starts preparations for acceptance trials
The lead ship of the next generation of U.S. Navy aircraft carriers, the future USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), has completed builder’s sea trials and is now starting preparations for the acceptance trials. The aircraft carrier returned to Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia on April 14 after seven days of
US Coast Guard to refit Navy training craft
The U.S. Navy is joining forces with the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) to refit and modernize up to five of the Yard Patrol (YP) 676 class training craft. Work will be performed at the USCG Yard in Baltimore, Maryland, and will allow the midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy (USNA) to continue training onb
BAE Systems gets post shakedown contract for two US Navy destroyers
The U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command has awarded BAE Systems San Diego Ship Repair a $19.4 million contract to perform post shakedown availability (PSA) work on the U.S. Navy’s two new Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers. The contract will see BAE Systems perform maintenance and eventual rep
Raytheon tests new electric gun for Phalanx CIWS
U.S. defense contractor Raytheon announced it has tested a new electric gun for the Phalanx close-in weapon system. The company said the new upgrade allowed soldiers and sailors to fire at varying rates, which uses less ammunition. The goal of the live-fire test was to ensure the electric gun can op
US Navy cruiser passes ballistic missile defense certification
U.S. Navy’s Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Erie (CG 70) completed ballistic missile defense (BMD) certification on April 5, off the coast of Southern California as part of deployment preparations. The goal of BMD is to use surveillance and interception techniques to defend the U.S
UK MoD contracts SEA for Royal Navy ambient noise prediction system upgrade
The UK Ministry of Defence has awarded Cohort company SEA a contract to upgrade the ambient noise prediction system (ANPS) for the Royal Navy. The ANPS takes meteorological and oceanographic forecasts, together with oceanographic databases, and performs complex acoustic propagation calculations to p
Finland picks combat system tenderers for Squadron 2020 vessels
The Finnish Defence Forces’ Logistics Command announced the names of three shortlisted combat system bidders for its Squadron 2020 project vessels. Of a total of 8 companies competing for the contract, Finland has chosen German Atlas Elektronik GmbH, the Canadian Lockheed Martin Canada Inc and the S
Royal Navy Lynx Mk8 tests Sea Venom/ANL missile
A Royal Navy Lynx Mk 8 helicopter recently performed air carriage and jettison trials of the MBDA-made Sea Venom/ANL anti-ship missile. According to the missile manufacturer, the trials proved that the missile can be integrated onto the Lynx and Super Lynx helicopters. Sea Venom/ANL has been develop