Sensors & Combat Systems
France: BPC Dixmude Comes to Toulon for Combat System Integration, Testing
BPC Dixmude – the third Mistral/BPC-type force projection & command vessel for the French Navy – arrived in Toulon after sailing from Saint-Nazaire on 6 July. Over the coming six months, DCNS will settle the ship’s combat system. The ship will be delivered to the French defence procurement agency DG
UK: HMS Echo Leads HMS Albion on Gulf Exercise
Survey ship HMS Echo stepped up to the mark when she was charged with leading the nation’s flagship in for a beach assault as week-long exercises with the United Arab Emirates reached their climax. The Devonport-bases hydrographic vessel – six months into a two-year deployment east of Suez, where sh
UK: Construction on Forward Island Structure for Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carrier Begins
Portsmouth, United Kingdom: Construction on the forward island structure for the first Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carrier began today at BAE Systems’ facility in Portsmouth Naval Base. Employees and guests watched as Second Sea Lord and Commander in Chief Naval Home Command, Vice Admiral Charles
UK: HMS Diamond Starts Service
Following commissioning in May this year, HMS Diamond, one of the Royal Navy’s new Type 45 advanced air defence destroyers, has entered service following extensive sea trials, the MOD announced today. The vessel’s capability is based around the sophisticated Sea Viper missile defence system, which i
UK: HMS Trenchant Returns to Fleet with Upgraded Thales Sonar
HMS Trenchant, the Royal Navy’s (RN’s) most capable and up-to-date Trafalgar-class nuclear-powered hunter-killer submarine (SSN), has been ceremonially welcomed back into the operational fleet this month with upgraded state-of-the-art sonar from Thales. As part of a major refit programme that starte
UK: HMS Duncan to Start Her Engines Soon
THE waters will be swirling around Britain’s newest destroyer again in a matter of weeks as work proceeds apace on HMS Duncan. The sixth and final Type 45 destroyer has been in dry dock for the past nine months following her launch on the Clyde as she goes through the lengthy process of completion.
Norway: KONGSBERG Bags Extensions to Command & Weapons Control Systems Contract
KONGSBERG has signed a contract for extensions to the Command & Weapons Control Systems already under contract for delivery to the two new U212A 2nd Batch submarines under construction in Italy for the Italian Navy. The contract was made between the Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri and KONGSBERG. The
HMS Dauntless Improves Performance after Exercises in USA
HMS Dauntless’ sea boat rides the fairly choppy surf somewhere off the Eastern Seaboard of the United States as a two-week international exercise comes to a close. The Navy’s most advanced destroyer was Britain’s input to FRUKUS (pronounced froo-kus apparently, not fruck-us), an annual get-together
UK: HMS Tyne Goes to Tyne Festival, Opens for Public
Royal Navy warship HMS Tyne will go alongside Northumbrian Quay in North Shields this Friday for the start of a four-day whistlestop visit to her affiliate region. She is visiting in support of the seventh annual Mouth of the Tyne Festival and is very much looking forward to representing the Royal N
UK: Construction of Queen Elizabeth Aircraft Carrier Takes Significant Step Forward
Construction of the first Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carrier took a significant step forward today, as the final rings of the forward hull section came together for the first time at BAE Systems’ facility in Portsmouth Naval Base. Two huge ring sections of Lower Block 02 were joined together in
DCNS Delivers Third-of-Class Fast Patrol Boat to Royal Norwegian Navy
On the 30th of June 2011, DCNS delivered the third-of-class fast patrol boat P963-Steil, to the Royal Norwegian Navy. The six-boat Skjold programme is led by a consortium comprising DCNS and two Norwegian contractors with DCNS acting as the combat system design authority and co-supplier. The Norwegi
UK: HMS Brocklesby Returns Home from Libya
Royal Navy minehunter HMS Brocklesby was given a hero’s welcome by friends and family yesterday as she returned to Portsmouth Naval Base after five months supporting operations against Libya from the Mediterranean. HMS Brocklesby sailed into Portsmouth under her own version of the Jolly Roger black
HMS Bangor Reaches Libya
HMS Bangor has arrived in the Mediterranean where she will serve as part of NATO forces off the coast of Libya. The Sandown Class vessel left HM Naval Base Clyde on 6 June 2011 and sailed over 2,500 miles (4,023 km) to arrive in the warm waters of the Med to relieve fellow mine […]
UK: BAE Systems Signs USD 73.61 Million MFR Contract
BAE Systems has been awarded a six year, £46m contract to support the Sampson multi-function radars (MFR) on board the fleet of six Royal Navy Type 45 Destroyers. This support contract, awarded by MBDA, is designed as a forerunner to a full ‘contract for availability’ arrangement and will generate d