Vessels
Mexican Navy launches ARM Reformador
The Mexican Navy floated out the SIGMA design-based long-range off-shore patrol vessel (Patrulla Oceánica de Largo Alcance – POLA) in a ceremony in Oaxaca on November 23. The launch ceremony of ARM Reformador – as the vessel is named – coincided with Mexican Navy Day. The 107-meter ship was floated
Sheffield, Newcastle announced as two new Royal Navy Type 26 frigate names
Additional two names for the Royal Navy’s Type 26 City-class frigates were announced on two separate occasions on November 22. UK defense minister Stuart Andrew announced that the fifth Type 26 frigate would be named Sheffield during a visit to Chesterfield Special Cylinders in Sheffield, a key supp
BAE confirms Lockheed, Saab as Australian Type 26 frigate combat system integrators
BAE Systems Australia, the main contractor in the Royal Australian Navy’s Hunter-class frigate acquisition project, announced that it has selected Lockheed Martin Australia and Saab Australia for combat system integration on the frigates. The decision further supports the development of an Australia
NH90 Sea Lion helicopter progresses towards 2019 delivery to German Navy
The NHIndustries-developed NH90 Sea Lion has recently achieved two important milestones ahead of the official first delivery of the helicopter to the German Navy at the end of 2019. As announced by Airbus, all ground and flight tests for the qualification of the new NH90 variant were concluded in th
Royal Navy Merlins hone skills at US Navy’s Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center
Royal Navy’s submarine-hunting Merlin helicopters recently left the flight deck of aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth for three weeks of exercises at the US Navy’s Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center (AUTEC). The ranges off Andros Island – south-west of Nassau – are centered on a natural
BAE Systems investing into AR/AI for future combat systems
UK defense company BAE Systems announced it is investing £20 million into the development of augmented reality and artificial intelligence which will improve the capability of future combat systems. As explained by the company, the innovations will help naval personnel improve their decision making
Republic of Korea Navy receives final tank landing ship from HHI
The Republic of Korea Navy received its fourth and final Cheon Wang Bong-class tank landing ship LST-2 on November 21, the country’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) announced. The vessel is named ROKS No Jeok Bong (pennant number 689) and is the third to be delivered by South Korea
HMS Queen Elizabeth wraps up second round of F-35B trials
The Royal Navy’s new aircraft carrier has completed the final round of F-35B trials for this year and is heading home after spending two months off the US East Coast. F-35 Lightning stealth fighter jets took off from the carrier’s flight deck on November 19, after a total of 202 takeoffs, 187 vertic
Philippine Navy shows off integrated Spike ER missile
The Philippine Navy has carried out a test firing of the recently-integrated Spike-extended range (ER) surface-to-surface missile system which it received from Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems in April this year. The November firing follows an acceptance test on August 9 off the peninsula of
USS Donald Cook starts European patrol
US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) got underway from its forward-deployed homeport of Naval Station Rota, Spain, On November 19 to start its eighth patrol in the US 6th Fleet area of operations. Donald Cook deployed two days after sister ship USS Carney (
Ocius gets A$1.7m for unmanned systems control network development
The Australian government has awarded Sydney-based unmanned systems developer Ocius a $1.7 million contract to explore the viability of an intelligent command and control network of persistent unmanned surface vessels. Awarded as part of the Australian Defence Innovation Hub initiative, the contract
Littoral Combat Ship Tulsa (LCS 16) arrives at San Diego homeport after maiden voyage
The US Navy’s newest Independence-variant littoral combat ship has arrived at her future homeport of Naval Base San Diego ahead of her commissioning ceremony next year. Tulsa (LCS 16) arrived in San Diego on November 21, after completing the ship’s maiden voyage from the Austal USA shipyard in Mobil
US destroyer Shoup concludes Indo-Pacific deployment
US Navy’s guided-missile destroyer USS Shoup (DDG 86) returned to its homeport of Naval Station Everett, Wash., November 21. While on deployment Shoup supported the Oceania Maritime Security Initiative (OMSI) and participated in exercise Valiant Shield 2018. OMSI is a secretary of defense initiative
UK deploying Royal Navy ship to Ukraine in 2019
The Royal Navy will deploy multi-role hydrographic survey ship HMS Echo to Ukraine next year in response to what the UK defense secretary identified as Russia’s intensifying threats and aggression. In a meeting with the visiting Ukrainian defense minister General Stepan Poltorak, UK defense secretar