Surface Vessels
Future Russian Navy’s main warships mentioned in Moscow
On April 21st, the session of the Russian Defence Ministry Board has been held in Moscow under the leadership of the head of the military department General of the Army Sergei Shoigu. In his opening speech, the Minister of Defence stated that such multipurpose frigates as the Admiral of Soviet Union
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
Video: German F 125 frigate tests RAM, Harpoon missiles
The German Navy recently shared a video of its giant 7,000-ton frigate FGS Baden-Württemberg conducting further firing tests. This is the second video of the lead ship of a new class of F 125 frigates firing its weapons in the North Sea’s Helgoland shooting range. The previous one showed the Baden-W
UK MoD awards MBDA £539M in missile contracts
The UK Ministry of Defence has awarded missile manufacturer MBDA a total of £539 million worth of contracts for delivery of new and service of existing missiles in the UK armed forces. More specifically, the contract will see MBDA deliver the Meteor air-to-air missiles for the F-35B jets that will o
Work begins on Royal Navy’s fifth River-class offshore patrol vessel
Works on the Royal Navy’s fifth follow-on River-class offshore patrol vessel began with a steel cutting ceremony on Friday, April 21. Tony Douglas, head of UK’s defense procurement organisation, pressed the button to cut the first sheet of steel for the HMS Spey at BAE Systems’ Govan shipyard in Sco
South Korea joins anti-piracy drill in Gulf of Aden
A South Korean Navy ship already patrolling the Horn of Africa as part of an EU-led task force was sent to participate in an international anti-piracy drill that took place in the Gulf of Aden. The Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin-class destroyer ROKS Choe Yeong joined U.S., Japanese and Royal Navy warships i
US Navy cruiser arrives in Norway
U.S. Navy’s Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55) made a stop in Haakonsvern, Norway, en route to the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations. The cruiser arrived in Norway on April 20 after departing its homeport in Norfolk, Virginia, March 27. “Port visits such as this are unco
Italian Navy receives sixth FREMM frigate
The Italian Navy received its sixth FREMM frigate from Fincantieri during a ceremony held at the shipbuilder’s Muggiano (La Spezia) shipyard on April 20. The Carlo Bergamini-class frigate Luigi Rizzo is the second general-purpose variant with the previous four vessels being built for the anti-submar
New K130 corvettes too expensive for German defense ministry
Germany’s accelerated acquisition of five additional K130 corvettes could get stalled following a report that shipbuilders Lürssen and Thyssen-Krupp Marine Systems set the price too high. The shipbuilding duo is asking €2.9 billion for the five corvettes and two training facilities for corvette-oper
Video: Russian frigate tests Shtil-1 missile during acceptance trials
Admiral Makarov, the third Project 11356 frigate built for the Russian Navy at the Yantar shipyard, is currently being tested before being delivered to the navy. The frigate was launched in September 2015 and recently took to sea for the final phase of the navy’s acceptance trials. Admiral Makarov p
BAE Systems gets £1.4B to build Royal Navy’s sixth Astute-class submarine
The UK Ministry of Defense has announced a new £1.4 billion contract for the construction of the Royal Navy’s sixth Astute-class submarine. Named HMS Agamemnon, the submarine is the sixth of overall seven boats to be built for the Royal Navy. The nuclear-powered submarines are being built by BAE Sys
German frigate and NATO flagship runs aground in Greece
German Navy frigate and current flagship of NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 2 – FGS Brandenburg – ran aground on Monday morning while departing the port of Piraeus, Greece. The frigate collided with a jetty and sustained considerable damage. According to German media, FGS Brandenburg damaged her rudd
Indian warships stop in Greece on overseas deployment
An Indian Navy fleet of four warships made a port call at Souda Bay, Greece during their overseas deployment to the Mediterranean Sea and the West Coast of Africa. Indian Naval Ships (INS) Mumbai, Trishul, Tarkash and Aditya pulled into Souda Bay on Monday and are scheduled to stay until Wednesday.
Royal Navy frigate escorts Russian warships through the Channel
A Royal Navy frigate escorted two Russian corvettes which sailed through the English Channel on the night between April 15 and 16. Type 23 frigate HMS Sutherland located the two Russian ships in the early hours of Friday morning as they sailed through the North Sea towards the Dover Straits. The two