British Defence Secretary Michael Fallon attended the steel cutting ceremony for the first Successor submarine yesterday at BAE Systems’ Barrow-in-Furness site. The event marked the official start of the production of four nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines which will replace Royal Navy’s
Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency (NDMA Naval Systems) has contracted Kongsberg Defence Systems to upgrade parts of the main weapon system of the Norwegian ULA-class submarines. Kongsberg is to carry out the work over the next four years under a contract that has a value of 220 million Norwegian Kro
Atlas Elektronik Finland has completed work on the Finnish Navy’s minelayer Pansio and delivered the vessel to the navy on October 3. Atlas Elektronik said the mid-life upgrade had been carried out together with Uki Workboat Oy (Uudenkaupungin Työvene Oy) as a subcontractor. According to the company
The United Kingdom is starting construction work on the next-generation nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines. UK Defence Secretary Michael Fallon revealed this as he announced nearly £1.3 billion of funding was awarded to BAE Systems to start the ‘Delivery Phase 1’ of the Successor program.
French shipbuilder DCNS has informed that the fourth French Navy FREMM frigate, FS Auvergne, started sea trials on September 26. Auvergne left the shipyard just days after DCNS launched the fifth of overall eight frigates the French Navy is to acquire. In its first out at sea, the new frigate will s
The Spanish Navy has recently concluded an anti-air missile firing exercise in the Gulf of Cadiz with the F-80 frigates Victoria, Numancia and Canarias. The navy said the training exercises were designed to verify the proper functioning of all systems (fire control, launcher, programs, etc.) and the
Vladimir Monomakh, the Russian Navy’s newest strategic nuclear submarine, arrived at its permanent base in Viluchinsk, Kamchatka, on September 26, the Russian Ministry of Defense informed. The submarine moored at a modern berth, created for submarines of new generations, after performing a transit f
The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) is preparing a £30M contract which will see a number of companies join together to develop a Laser Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) capability demonstrator that will give the government an insight into laser weapon possibilities. Led by the missile producer MBDA, the in
Following a request for information (RFI) for its Squadron 2020 project to construct four ice-going offshore patrol vessels, the Finnish Navy has now signed a letter of intent (LOI) with the Rauma-based shipbuilding company Rauma Marine Constructions. If the LOI is realized, the company will build f
U.S Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Ross (DDG 71) pulled into Toulon, France for a scheduled port visit September 13. While in port, Ross plans on conducting a community relations project and hosting a tour of the ship. Toulon will be Ross’ fifth port visit since getting unde
Royal Navy’s Type 23 frigates were given a major anti-air capability upgrade with the Sea Ceptor missile which was recently put on display to soldiers in charge of shooting down enemy aircraft. The HMS Westminster is in the closing stages of a major overhaul in Portsmouth Naval Base which has seen h
Nineteen times longer, 15 times wider and a staggering 3,000 times heavier, the new carrier dwarfed the small survey craft HMS Gleaner as she scanned the huge inner basin at Rosyth, where Queen Elizabeth is in the final stages of completion. The smallest vessel in the Royal Navy, previously used to
Northrop Grumman Corporation said it would be participating in the Royal Navy’s Unmanned Warrior exercise where the company intends to put its unmanned mine hunting capabilities on show. The unmanned mine hunting element of Unmanned Warrior will feature Northrop Grumman’s AQS-24B towed mine hunting
European missile developer MBDA signed a contract with the Qatari Emiri Naval Forces (QENF) for the supply of a coastal defense system to the Middle East country. According to MBDA, the coastal missile system will deploy two different munitions, Marte ER (the Extended Range version of the Marte miss
