The U.S. Navy’s AN/AES-1 airborne laser mine detection system has achieved initial operational capability, Northrop Grumman announced January 12. Designed and manufactured by Northrop Grumman Corporation, ALMDS provides rapid wide-area reconnaissance and assessment of mine threats in sea lanes, litt
A new U.S. Navy development contract will see Lockheed Martin upgrade the navy MH-60 helicopters with enhanced electronic warfare surveillance and countermeasure capabilities against anti-ship missile (ASM) threats. Lockheed Martin’s advanced off-board electronic warfare (AOEW) active mission payloa
U.S. Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112) is departing Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on January 13 for a regularly-scheduled deployment with the Carl Vinson carrier strike group to the Indo-Asia-Pacific Region. Michael Murphy will deploy with a crew of approximately 320 sailors a
German industry and defense giant Thyssenkrupp is buying the remaining 49% stake in the Atlas Elektronik group that was held by Airbus, the company announced on Thursday. Through this acquisition Thyssenkrupp will become the sole owner of Atlas Elektronik. The purchase price has not been disclosed.
The U.S. Navy together with Raytheon as the developer completed two flight tests of the Tomahawk Block IV cruise missile to demonstrate how missions can now be planned in real time to strike time-sensitive targets. Two Tomahawk missiles containing inert warheads were launched from the vertical launc
The commissioning ceremony for future USS Ralph Johnson (DDG 114) will take place in the late hero’s hometown of Charleston, South Carolina, U.S. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced January 11. The ship is named for Marine Pfc. Ralph Henry Johnson, a native of Charleston, who posthumously rece
The U.S. Department of Defense has cleared Raytheon’s Standard Missile-6 for sale to several international customers, the company announced January 10. “Many of the approved countries are seeking the multi-mission SM-6 to bolster their shipbuilding programs,” the company said without specifying whic
South Korea, Japan and Taiwan have all scrambled jets in the past 36 hours to intercept China’s military aircraft and the Liaoning aircraft carrier and its strike group as they returned from a training deployment to the South China Sea. Taiwan’s ministry of defense on Wednesday said that China’s air
The U.S. Navy has awarded Raytheon a $19.2 million contract modification for the delivery of another seven configuration D multi-spectral targeting systems (MTS). The MTS is an airborne, electro-optic, forward-looking infra-red, turreted sensor package that provides long-range surveillance, high alt
Pakistan’s ministry of defense confirmed on January 9 that it has successfully test fired its nuclear-capable submarine launched cruise missile (SLCM). The Babur-3, as the missile is named, was launched from a submerged position in the Indian Ocean. Pakistan’s military said the missile test was a su
HMAS Anzac, the lead ship of the Australian Anzac-class frigates, changed command in a ceremony onboard the ship as she was alongside in Sydney. Commander Belinda Wood formally handed over command of HMAS Anzac to Commander Michael Devine. Commander Wood thanked her crew for all their efforts in a t
U.S. Navy’s final Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush was launched on this day, January 10, at the Newport News shipyard, Virginia. The 332-meter-long, nuclear-powered ship was laid down on May 19, 2003 and launched on October 9, 2006 with Dorothy W.B. Koch, daughter of President Bush
The French defense procurement agency DGA contracted Safran Electronics & Defense to developed an improved version of its global navigation system that is used on the country’s Triomphant class ballistic missile nuclear submarines. In a announcement on Monday, the company said the new version capita
Responding to challenges from ‘near-peer’ competitors, the U.S. Navy has released a new surface force strategy under which it will strengthen its naval power at and from the sea. The objective of the strategy is to achieve and sustain sea control which the navy sees as a pre-requisite to achieving t
