Archive: News & Articles

Naval Group has completed the modernisation of the third and last French Navy La Fayette-class frigate scheduled to receive such a refit, Aconit, after six months of work followed by a series of dockside and sea trials, the company announced on 13 February 2024. With the delivery of this ship refurbishment, which was completed at […]

Ukrainian special forces using bomb-laden unmanned surface vessels have sunk another Ropucha-class landing ship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, according to the Main Directorate of Intelligence (GUR) of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence. The GUR announced on its website on 14 February 2024 that earlier that day special forces of the GUR’s Group 13 […]

The Aurora Engineering Partnership (EDP) – comprising QinetiQ, AtkinsRéalis and BMT – has been awarded a new GBP 13 million (EUR 15.3 million) contract by the UK Ministry of Defence’s Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) organisation to provide specialist maritime combat systems, Aurora EDP announced on 12 February 2024. The new four-year contract will provide the combat systems […]

Babcock has been awarded a new five-year contract by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) to continue providing in-service support for the Royal Navy’s ship protective systems (SPS), the company announced on 6 February 2024. The contract consists of degaussing, cathodic protection, and active shaft grounding to ships and submarines, restricting the rate of hull […]

US and UK forces launched a third joint strike on Houthi military targets in Yemen on 3 February 2024 in response to the Houthis’ continued attacks against commercial shipping and naval vessels transiting the Red Sea. UK Royal Air Force (RAF) Typhoon FGR4s joined US forces in conducting strikes against 36 Houthi targets at 13 […]

Operation ‘Aspides’, the EU naval mission in the Red Sea, has cleared a major hurdle in Brussels. Although it was only at an informal meeting of EU defence ministers without a decision-making character, it was enough to set the course for the future. “Our aim is to set up and launch Operation ‘Aspides’ by 19 […]

The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on its X/Twitter account on 1 February 2024 that its forces had sunk the Russian Tarantul-class corvette Ivanovets, posting dramatic infra-red footage of the attack to corroborate its claim. The footage showed numerous attacks on the ship using bomb-laden unmanned surface vessels (USVs) zig-zagging their way to the […]

UK-based advanced maritime technology company SubSea Craft announced the appointment of Camilla Martin – as chief executive officer on 30 January 2024. Previously the company’s CFO, Martin replaces Scott Verney, who was CEO for the past four-and-a-half years, following Verney’s decision to step down in December 2023. Martin originally joined SubSea Craft in 2019, following a career […]

The ongoing issue of how to effectively counter the Yemen-based Houthi militia was again highlighted on 26 January 2024 when the British-registered tanker Marlin Luanda was struck by a missile in the Gulf of Aden. The strike resulted in a blaze on board the ships that lasted for 18 hours, although Trafigura, the nultinational trading […]

NATO’s Exercise ‘Steadfast Defender 24’ began on 24 January 2024. Planned to highlight and exercise NATO’s ability to deploy forces rapidly from North America and other parts of the Alliance to reinforce the defence of Europe, it is the largest NATO exercise since the last ‘Reforger’ exercise near the end of the Cold War. Running […]

UK underwater and CBRN defence system provider Avon Protection announced on 15 January 2024 that it has been selected by the German Navy to supply its Multi-Role Rebreather for military diving operations. The chosen Avon rebreather will provide the German Navy with enhanced, safety, training and operational performance. The contract also includes ongoing technical support to […]

US forces in the Red Sea region conducted a fourth strike against Houthi militia targets on 18 January 2024. US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it “conducted strikes on two Houthi anti-ship missiles that were aimed into the Southern Red Sea and were prepared to launch. “US forces identified the missiles in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen […]

Defying the retaliatory US and UK air strikes that were aimed at deterring them, the Yemen-based Houthi militia have continued to target shipping in the Red Sea and on 15 January 2024 struck the US-owned cargo vessel with an anti-ship ballistic missile. In a statement the same day US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the container […]

ELAC Sonar, a German subsidiary of UK-based Cohort, has been awarded a 60-month succeeding contract worth EUR 16 million by Italy’s Leonardo for the supply of a further sonar system for an additional unit in Italy’s new-build U212 NFS (Near Future Submarine) programme, the company announced on 22 December 2023. The U212 NFS programme is […]

In the first half of 2024 20,000 UK service personnel from the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force (RAF) will deploy across Europe to take part in Exercise ‘Steadfast Defender 24’, UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps has announced. Delivering a speech at Lancaster House in London on 15 January 2024, Shapps stated, “We […]

The current Red Sea crisis is revealing the urgency of developing increased naval and commercial collaboration to maintain capacity in world trade, argues Charlotte Kleberg, a research assistant in the defence and security team at RAND Europe. In mid-January 2024 the United States and United Kingdom carried out air strikes against the bases of Iran-backed […]

MBDA has been awarded a contract by Poland to equip the Polish Navy’s three new Miecznik-class frigates with the Sea Ceptor naval air defence system, MBDA announced on 12 January 2024. The contract builds upon a series of strategic agreements between MBDA and Poland around MBDA’s CAMM family of air defence missiles, which the Sea […]

The US State Department has approved potential Foreign Military Sales (FMS) to Egypt of 28 m patrol craft production kits and technical support worth an estimated USD 129 M (EUR 117.4 M) and additional Light Tactical Vehicle chassis and fleet build plus related equipment worth an estimated USD 200 M, the US Defense Security Cooperation […]

The Yemen-based Houthi militia launched a “complex attack using Iranian-designed one-way attack uncrewed aerial vehicles [UAVs], maritime homing and cruise missiles” at maritime traffic in the Red Sea, according to reports from US Central Command on X (formerly Twitter) on 9 January 2024. The 9 January attack was the largest attack yet on Red Sea […]

Delivering a keynote address entitled ‘America’s Warfighting Navy’ at the Surface Navy Association’s National Symposium in Washington, DC, on 9 January 2024, the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) of the US Navy (USN), Admiral Lisa Franchetti, outlined her priorities as “Warfighting, Warfighters, and the Foundation that supports them”. Noting that the threats to the United States are “real […]

BAE Systems has been awarded a contract by the Australian government to upgrade the Mk 45 Mod 2 naval gun systems on Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Anzac-class frigates with a Common Control System (CCS), the company announced on 8 January 2024. The upgrade modifies existing Mk 45 systems to eliminate obsolescence issues and extend the […]