Vessels
US 7th Fleet flagship visits Hong Kong
The flagship of the US Navy’s Japan-based Seventh Fleet, USS Blue Ridge ,arrived in Hong Kong on April 20 for its first visit to the port in more than three years. “Hong Kong is always an incredible port visit and I’m thrilled Seventh Fleet and Blue Ridge sailors can enjoy this world-class city,” sa
Contenders invited to submit final bids for Germany’s MKS180 project
Shipbuilders German Naval Yards Kiel (GNYK) and Damen have been invited to submit their final bids for the German Navy’s MKS 180 multi-purpose warship project. According to GNYK, the invitation was issued by the German defense ministry on April 12. The shipyard will now have three months to prepare
French aircraft carrier headed for drills with Indian counterpart, “largest bilateral exercise ever”
French Navy aircraft carrier FS Charles de Gaulle and its carrier strike group are set to sail to India where they will be joined by Indian Navy aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya and other units for what was described as the largest naval exercise between the two countries ever. The drill, which is
Second batch of German K130 ships making headway with first keel laying
German shipbuilder Lürssen is set to host a keel-laying ceremony for the first of a second batch of Germany Navy K130 (Braunschweig-class) corvettes at its Peene shipyard in Volgast on April 25. The keel-laying for future FGS Köln comes two months after construction under the program got underway in
France launches seventh FREMM frigate Alsace
The French Navy’s seventh FREMM frigate was floated out Naval Group’s Lorient shipyard on April 18. In addition to being the seventh unit in the class, FREMM Alsace is also the first of two air-defense variants that will be delivered to the navy under the program. Alsace was launched thirteen months
Lockheed contracts OSI for Canadian Type 26 integrated bridge design
The integrated bridge and navigation system (IBNS) for the Royal Canadian Navy’s Type 26 surface combatants will be designed and delivered by OSI Maritime Systems. OSI said the contract was awarded by Lockheed Martin Canada, who is working with Irving Shipbuilding to deliver a fleet of 15 warships u
US destroyer Ross stops in Bulgaria on first Black Sea port visit
US Navy’s guided-missile destroyer USS Ross (DDG 71) arrived in Varna, Bulgaria, April 15 for the first port visit of its Black Sea tour. The ship transited the Bosphorus Strait to enter the Black Sea on April 14. The navy did not say how long the destroyer would stay in the region but the 1936 [&he
Kership delivers final B2M multi-mission ship to French Navy
The French defense procurement agency has accepted delivery of the fourth and final d’Entrecasteaux-class multi-mission ship from the Kership joint venture. Dumont d’Urville, as the unit is called, was delivered to the French Navy in a ceremony on April 5. Like its predecessors, the ship will sail f
Royal Navy seeking proposals for autonomous XLUUV development
The UK defense ministry is seeking proposals for the development of an autonomous version of an existing extra large unmanned undersea vehicle (XLUUV). The development would be part of a Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) multi-year themed competition which will seek to develop a platform to un
USS Fitzgerald refloated in post-collision repair milestone
US Navy’s guided-missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) came a step closer to rejoining the fleet after it was launched and moored pier-side at Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) – Ingalls Shipbuilding shipyard, April 16. The ship is undergoing a complex repair and restoration following a collis
US, French aircraft carriers meet up in the Red Sea
Two groups of ships assembled around aircraft carriers from the navies of the US and France gathered in the Red Sea for a three-nation passing exercise (PASSEX) on April 15. France’s Charles de Gaulle carrier strike group, composed of Marine Nationale’s FS Charles De Gaulle (R 91), F70AA-class air d
Indian Navy loses helicopter in Arabian Sea, crew escapes unharmed
An Indian Navy Chetak helicopter landed into the Arabian Sea last week, with all three crew escaping the accident unharmed, the Indian Navy has informed. The helicopter was operating from aboard an undisclosed navy warship at the time of the accident. The navy said the helicopter experienced a techn
Anti-Submarine Warfare – Market Report 2019
Anti-Submarine Warfare has once again risen high on the agendas of NATO’s maritime forces. To help give an overview of the current state of investment and procurement, Defence IQ have compiled an exclusive market report detailing ongoing ASW and submarine programmes from nations around the world – g
Italian Navy receives eighth FREMM frigate Antonio Marceglia
The Italian Navy has taken delivery of FREMM frigate Antonio Marceglia from shipbuilder Fincantieri at its Muggiano, La Spezia, shipyard. The eighth frigate in its class overall and the fourth in multipurpose configuration was delivered on April 16. The future ITS Antonio Marceglia was delivered aft