The Australian government on Thursday announced that the Air Warfare Destroyer project was removed from the Projects of Concern list due to continuing improvements in shipbuilding performance. Following an independent review by Professor Don Winter and Dr John White and a review by the Australian Na
Australian shipbuilder ASC signed a collaboration agreement with international engineering consultancy BMT to meet increasing demand for ASC’s submarine platform expertise and experience. The 12-month collaboration agreement, signed at ASC’s submarine headquarters at Osborne, South Australia, will s
The Australian government on January 31 announced it signed the patrol vessel construction contract with German shipbuilder Lürssen. Australian defense industry minster Christopher Pyne said the contract with Lürssen to lead the design and build is worth at least $3 billion for 12 OPVs. “The vessels
Navantia Australia announced it has teamed with Tasmanian firm Taylor Bros for work on the Royal Australian Navy’s Future Frigates. Navantia embedded a Taylor Bros team into its design and production teams for the SEA 5000 program creating the “Integrated Product Team” which the company said will “i
The Australian federal government has unveiled a new defense export strategy aimed at turning Australia into a major defense exporter. The document, unveiled by defense industry minister Christopher Pyne on Monday, sets out the policy and strategy to make Australia one of the top ten global defense
A New Zealand Defence Force aircraft and an Australian Navy frigate joined forces in the Western Indian Ocean to interdict 915 kilos of heroin worth AUD$274 million. A Royal New Zealand Air Force P-3K2 aircraft detected a suspicious vessel on January 23 prompting a boarding and investigation by the
A US Navy aircraft carrier is likely to visit Vietnam in March, in what would be a first since the Vietnam war ended in 1975. This was announced on Thursday by officials from both countries during a two-day visit of US defense secretary Jim Mattis to Vietnam, according to media reports. No specific
RFA Tideforce, the final of four Tide-class tankers being built for the UK in South Korea, was named on January 24 in a ceremony at the Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering shipyard in South Korea. The ceremony was attended by Royal Marine General Gordon Messenger, British ambassador to Republic
US Navy’s forward-deployed command ship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) completed her dry dock maintenance, undocking and mooring pierside at Fleet Activities Yokosuka on January 21. Blue Ridge is the oldest operational US Navy ship and this dry-docking period extended her life by approximately 20-plus year
US Navy’s Virginia-class attack submarine USS Mississippi (SSN 782) pulled into Fleet Activities Yokosuka on January 22, for her second visit to the city during her deployment to the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. Mississippi is visiting Yokosuka after two months at sea. “It is great to be back in Yokosu
US destroyer USS Hopper sailed within 12 miles of the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea under what the US Navy refers to as a freedom of navigation operation. Hopper sailed near the China-claimed island on January 17 as part of its Western Pacific deployment. China’s foreign ministry
Royal Australian Navy and Northern Territorry community marked the 75th anniversary of the sinking of HMAS Patricia Cam in World War II. Nine lives were lost when, on 22 January 1943, a Japanese seaplane bombed and sank the auxiliary minesweeper as it sailed from Milingimbi to Elcho Island on a supp
The Royal Australian Navy has teamed with the Australian Army and industry to set up a new training system for a joint helicopter school. Rotary wing crews are now set to benefit from the newly-established Helicopter Aircrew Training System (HATS) at a dedicated facility at HMAS Albatross. The first
The Philippines Coast Guard has contracted French shipbuilder OCEA for the delivery of four 24-meter patrol boats and one 84-meter offshore patrol vessel, the French company announced on January 8. According to the French shipbuilder, the smaller boats will be based on the company’s FPB 72 MKII desi
