Archive: News & Articles

The US government announced on 21 September 2023 that it is sending an additional security assistance package to Ukraine: the Biden Administration’s 47th tranche of equipment to be provided to Ukraine from US Department of Defense (DoD) inventories since August 2021. The package, valued at up to USD 325 M (EUR 305 M), comes as […]

BAE Systems announced at DSEI 2023 on 12 September that, in a collaboration with Canadian subsea specialist Cellula Robotics, it would put its Herne Extra Large Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (XLAUV) technology demonstrator in the water in September 2024. The Herne XLAUV is a militarised version of Cellula Robotics’ 12 m-long Solus-XR that will ‘test the […]

With Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stating on 20 September 2023 that his forces had taken back the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh after a rapidly executed offensive launched the previous day, Armenia appears to have suffered indirect fallout from the war in Ukraine. Although internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan, the landlocked region of Nagorno Karabakh […]

UK underwater systems specialist JDF presented a ‘productionised’ version of its Shadow Seal swimmer delivery vehicle (SDV) at the DSEI 2023 defence exhibition, held in London from 12-15 September. The latest Shadow Seal features a number of upgrades, the most notable of which is a bank of eight 10 kW batteries for a total power […]

The UK Royal Navy (RN) has flown a fixed-wing uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) on and off one of its aircraft carriers for the first time. The historic event, which an RN source confirmed to ESD occurred on the afternoon of 5 September 2023, involved a twin-engine, twin-boom UAV from UK firm W Autonomous Systems (WAS) […]

After Finland joined NATO the interest in the proven Watercat M18 AMC (Armoured Modular Craft) fast landing crafts used by the Finnish Navy is growing in many NATO countries. This AMC multipurpose high-speed landing craft is designed to fulfil all modern requirements for future combat support vessels. It is suitable for: Troop transport, medivac, evacuation, […]

It is with great pride I can share the news that European Security & Defence has received 15 nominations at the 2023 Defence Media Awards. This is an extremely impressive result, and I’m very grateful to all of our contributors and ESD staff who worked so hard to help make this happen – well done […]

The Polish Ministry of National Defence (MND) has awarded Kongsberg a contract for four squadrons of Naval Strike Missile Coastal Defence Systems (NSM CDSs), the Norwegian company announced on 5 September 2023. The contract, which is worth around NOK 16 Bn (EUR 1.39 Bn), “is the largest single contract in the history of Kongsberg and […]

Russia’s RS-28 Sarmat heavy intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) has entered operational service. A 1 September 2023 report from Russian news agency TASS quoted Yury Borisov, the head of Russia’s Roscosmos state space corporation, as saying that day that the Sarmat system “has assumed combat alert posture”. One of six new Russian strategic weapons heralded by […]

Rohde & Schwarz celebrated the official opening of its new naval centre of competence in Wissenschaftspark Kiel (Kiel science park) on 30 August 2023. The move into the new facilities is aimed at expanding the company’s traditionally close collaboration with the German Navy and naval industry. Prominent guests present at the opening included Daniel Günther, […]

Italy-based Rheinmetall subsidiary RWM Italia has won an Australian order for “a significant quantity of smart sea mines”, Rheinmetall announced on 31 August 2023. The contract, which the company said “is worth a figure in the “low three-digit- million euro range with potential growth in the coming years”, will strengthen Australia’s maritime defence capabilities with […]

The US Navy has awarded Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky business a USD 2.77 Bn (EUR 2.56 Bn) contract to build and deliver 35 additional CH-53K King Stallion heavylift helicopters, the US Department of Defense announced on 24 August 2023. The contract, which constitutes the largest procurement of the CH-53K to date, covers 12 Lot 7 aircraft for […]

The Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) has doubled the number of MQ-9A Reaper uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) it is procuring from four to eight, manufacturer General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) announced on 21 August 2023. The first four MQ-9A Block 5 Reapers and associated ground control stations were delivered to the RNLAF in 2022. […]

Babcock International and Polish Armaments Group (Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa – PGZ) have entered into a framework agreement with the intention of forming a joint venture (JV) that further strengthens their strategic partnership, the two companies announced on 16 August 2023. The JV will see both companies work more closely together to deliver Poland’s Miecznik frigate […]

The first composite was cut on 15 August 2023 for the first of four masts that Saab is making for the Finnish Navy’s future Pohjanmaa-class multi-role corvettes, Saab announced on 17 August. The masts, which are as high as a five-storey building, are manufactured with the same composite material used in the production of Sweden’s […]

The Ingalls Shipbuilding division of Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced the successful launch of the US Navy’s third Flight III Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, Ted Stevens (DDG 128), in Pascagoula, Mississippi, on 15 August 2023. During the launch process the ship is translated from a land level facility to a dry dock in preparation for floating […]

Personnel from the participating nations of the Australia, United Kingdom, and United States (AUKUS) security partnership reported to Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PHNSY&IMF) on 14 August 2023 in support of the pact’s Pillar One initiative, US Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) reported the following day. Australia will acquire conventionally armed nuclear-powered […]

Admiral Mike Gilday relinquished his post as the US Navy’s Chief of Naval Operations on 14 August 2023 after successfully concluding his four-year tenure as the navy’s top military leader. In a ceremony at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, Adm Gilday handed over to Vice Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Lisa Franchetti, […]

Construction started on the future USNS Hector A Cafferata Jr (ESB 8), the US Navy’s sixth Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB), at General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (GD NASSCO) on 8 August 2023, Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) reported on 11 August. The ESB ship class is “highly flexible and used across a broad […]

The UK armed forces have completed a six-month programme training Ukrainian marines, the UK Ministry of Defence announced on 11 August 2023. The training, announced by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to the UK in February, saw British Commandos training nearly 1,000 Ukrainian marines in small boat amphibious operations […]

The Romania Ministry of Defence (MApN) has cancelled the long-delayed EUR 1.2 Bn deal it had with France’s Naval Group to acquire four Gowind 2500 corvettes. According to the DefenseRomania website the decision was approved on 7 August and covers the whole process, meaning that a runner-up bid by Damen of the Netherlands will not […]