Shipbuilding
Qinetiq unveils design of new Portsdown Technology Park facility
Construction of a new naval testing facility at the Portsdown Technology Park (PTP) in Portsmouth, UK, is set to begin soon, UK defense technology company Qinetiq announced as it unveiled the facility’s design. Together with the Solent Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), Qinetiq is investing £23m in
Elettronica, partners ink MOUs for Aussie frigate program
Italian-based electronic warfare specialist Elettronica has laid the groundwork for further collaboration with Thales Australia and the Australian systems house Daronmont related to the potential construction of nine new frigates for the Royal Australian Navy. Under the Memoranda of Understanding, t
UK MoD awards £160m Type 45 destroyer propulsion repair contract
The UK defense ministry has awarded a £160 million (approx. $226.5m) contract to a BAE Systems-led team to resolve the power and propulsion system issues experienced by Royal Navy’s Type 45 destroyers. The Power Improvement Project (PIP) will improve the resilience of the Type 45 class by installing
Photo: US Coast Guard cutter reaches Atlantic Beach homeport
The US Coast Guard’s 27th fast response cutter (FRC), Richard Snyder, arrived at its new homeport in Atlantic Beach, North Carolina, on March 21. Richard Snyder is the first of its class to be homeported in Atlantic Beach. The FRC was buuilt by Bollinger Shipyards and received by the US Coast Guard
RFA Mounts Bay helping Turks and Caicos Islands tackle surge of migrant arrivals
Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship Mounts Bay arrived in Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) waters on March 19 to help the the British overseas territory with a recent increase in the number of migrant arrivals from Haiti. TCI police and border control officials observed a surge in the number of illegal sloops
US Coast Guard cutter Galveston Island retires after 26 years of service
The US Coast Guard decommissioned the Island-class cutter Galveston Island (WPB 1349) in a ceremony held at Coast Guard Base Honolulu on March 16. The 110-foot patrol boat was decommissioned after nearly 26 years of service as part of recapitalization efforts. Its years of service included law enfor
Damen wants to build German MKS180 ships in Hamburg
The Netherlands-based shipbuilding group Damen Shipyards is ready to build Germany’s new MKS180 frigates at the Blohm+Voss shipyard in Hamburg, the company has told German parliament members. This is according to a letter seen by German news agency Welt in which Damen, together with its bidding part
Third River-class OPV officially named
Trent, the third of five River-class offshore patrol vessels (OPV) being built for the Royal Navy, has been named. The naming ceremony took place in Govan, Glasgow on March 13, BAE Systems Maritime informed. Trent is now set to take to the water for the first time and make the short journey across t
Contract for seventh Astute submarine in the works, UK MoD confirms
UK’s defense procurement minister Guto Bebb on March 6 informed MPs that the UK defense ministry received the treasury approval to award a construction contract for the Royal Navy’s seventh Astute-class submarine. Negotiations are still ongoing, it was noted, and the new contingent liabilities assoc
Australia awards AU$1.2 billion contract for Anzac frigate upkeep
Australian defense industry minister on March 2 announced the signing of a AU$1.2 billion program for the five-year upkeep of Royal Australian Navy Anzac-class frigates. The sustainment contract has secured the jobs of almost 1700 workers minister Christopher Pyne said on Friday. The contract is an
HMS Cardiff returns to Royal Navy fleet as a Type 26 frigate
The Royal Navy’s next Type 26 frigate will be named HMS Cardiff, First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Philip Jones has announced. HMS Cardiff is joining HMS Glasgow and HMS Belfast as the final ship in the first batch of three frigates to be built under a contract from 2017. Cardiff was named on St David’s Da
Plasan to provide armoring for UK Type 26 frigates
Israel-based ballistic protection company Plasan will be delivering armoring solutions for the Royal Navy’s new Type 26 frigates, the company announced on Thursday. Plasan received the armoring contract from BAE Systems, the main contractor for the Type 26 program. The frigates are to be built at BA
First River-class OPV HMS Forth arrives home
The Royal Navy’s first Batch-2 River-class offshore patrol vessel HMS Forth arrived in her new homeport at Portsmouth Naval Base on February 26. She is the first of five vessels in the class, designed for counter-piracy, anti-smuggling, fishery protection, border patrol, counter terrorism and mariti
Australian Navy contracts Saab for Anzac-class frigate upkeep
The Australian defense department has awarded Saab a contract to continue sustainment works for the Royal Australian Navy Anzac-class frigates under the Warship Asset Management Agreement (WAMA). WAMA is a strategic partnership which includes Saab Australia, BAE Systems Australia Defence and Naval S