Archive: News & Articles

The US Navy (USN) will field a High Energy Laser with Integrated Optical-dazzler and Surveillance (HELIOS) on a destroyer for the first time later this year. The USS PREBLE will be the first to be equipped with HELIOS, which will function as a close-in weapon to defend against enemy cruise missiles. The 60-kilowatt HELIOS is much […]

Saab has received the first order from prime contractor Thales, acting as System Integrator of the end to end solution, for the Multi-Shot Mine Neutralisation System (MuMNS). The order value is approximately 300 MSEK and deliveries of the first systems will take place in 2022. The order received from Thales is part of the Franco-British […]

The signing of a basic agreement for production and delivery of 127 mm practice ammunition for the BADEN-WURTTENMBERG (F125) class frigate allows Diehl to introduce a new type of naval ammunition to the market. Additionally, the ammunition family comprises High-Explosive (HE) and Illuminating (ILL) projectiles including appropriate propellant charges. The delivery of the practice ammunition pilot […]

Brazil has ordered 90 UNIMOG 5000 series off-road trucks, according to a press release by the Brazilian Navy, with Mercedes-Benz to deliver the vehicles between 2021 and 2027. They are intended for use by the Marines (Corpo de Fuzileiros Navais, CFN) to transport troops and material. The purchase also includes tippers and container transporters (by […]

Babcock has awarded a £31.5M contract to Robertson Construction for the development of a new Assembly Hall at its Rosyth site. The construction project will support around 100 positions locally, and a further 100 nationally, throughout the supply chain. At a small Covid-19 safe ceremony marking the beginning of the steel structure construction, Babcock also […]

The aircraft carrier CHARLES DE GAULLE will be replaced by a new nuclear-powered vessel by 2038. French President Emmanuel Macron’s announcement this week is a major boost for the French defence industrial and technological base as this project will mobilise several hundred jobs in France, followed by several thousand each year in the implementation phase. Pierre […]

The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Republic of Korea at an estimated cost of US$39M. The country has requested to buy: Two MK 15 MOD 25 PHALANX Close-In Weapons System (CIWS) Block 1B Baseline 2 (IB2) systems 4,000 rounds 20MM cartridge API linked Spare parts Support […]

The Dutch Defence Materiel Organisation has recently confirmed the order for a Hull Vane® to equip the 108m Oceangoing Patrol Vessel HNLMS ZEELAND, marking two firsts for the Dutch company. It is the first Hull Vane® on both a naval ship and a vessel over 100m in length. Sometimes called “underwater spoiler”, the Hull Vane® is a […]

Thales and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) have signed a contract for the delivery of High Frequency Synthetic Aperture Sonar (HFSAS) SAMDIS to equip MHI’s OZZ-5 Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV), enabling Thales to contribute to Japan’s national security by introducing combat proven technology to a domestic manufacturer. The Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF) relies on Thales and […]

Lürssen Group has signed a contract to build two patrol boats for the Bulgarian Navy. From the scarce information available, it can be deduced that the “Multipurpose Modular Patrol Vessels” (MMPV) mentioned in the Bulgarian communiqué could be a derivate of the Lürssen OPV 90, though no comments were received from the company. According to […]

Pakistan’s Navy has commissioned its new Corvette, a Damen OPV 1900 named PNS TABUK, at the Port of Constanta, Romania. The ship is part of a two vessel order with Damen, signed by the Pakistan Ministry of Defence in 2017. Both ships are built at Damen Shipyards Galati in Romania with the first vessel, PNS […]

Two strategic Belgian companies, ABC and FN Herstal, have been selected to provide equipment for the twelve Mine Countermeasures Vessels (MCMV), equipped with drone systems (Toolbox), led by Belgium Naval & Robotics, Naval Group and ECA Group consortium for the Belgian and Dutch navies. FN Herstal and ABC will deliver critical capabilities of the vessels, […]

Naval Group has unveiled its 2020 concept vessel, a vision of submarines in 2040.

The INS MAGEN has officially been handed over to the Israeli Navy by manufacturer ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS), marking another important milestone in the ongoing programme to build four SA’AR corvettes for the service. The handover took place on 11 November under strict coronavirus prevention measures. These ships have a stealthy design with tailour made […]

Canada will buy 100 Standard Missile 2 (SM-2) Block IIIC missiles and an equal number of MK 13 Vertical Launch Systems (VLS) from the US at an estimated cost of US$500M for installation on its planned 15 Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) ships. This will ensure the country’s ability to operate alongside US and allied naval forces […]

Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group One (SNMCMG1) has completed a Historical Ordnance Disposal Operation (HODOPS) in Estonian territorial waters between 20 and 29 October 2020. The NATO Group, together with Estonian Mine Countermeasure Vessels (MCMV), covered an area of 34 square nautical miles and identified 20 historical ordnance objects, including two torpedoes. 19 of these, and […]

The RAPIDFire system, developed by a consortium formed of Thales and Nexter, has been chosen by the French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA) to equip future French Navy vessels with new artillery. This system will provide the Navy’s surface vessels with an effective close-in defence capability against modern air and surface threats. Naval forces are exposed to […]

The keel of the third MILGEM class corvette that Turkey has sold to Pakistan was laid on 25 October in a ceremony attended by top defence officials on both sides, local media reported. The MILGEM project, undertaken by Turkish National Defence Ministry firm ASFAT, aims to build four vessels and is continuing as planned. The project […]

The first of six nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs) in France’s BARRACUDA programme has successfully completed the test firing of Missile de Croisière Naval (MdCN) naval cruise missile. The firing completes the qualification phase of the integration of all the vessel’s weapon systems, carried out as part of its sea trials, conducted by France’s Defence Procurement Agency, the […]

More than four years after she was first delivered, the futuristic destroyer USS ZUMWALT has conducted her first live-fire Standard Missile 2 (SM-2) test. The exercise is a step towards gaining Initial Operational Capability certification, which is expected sometime next year. The SM-2 is the Navy’s workhorse anti-aircraft missile, and it has a secondary anti-ship role. […]

Israeli defence company Meteor Aerospace has successfully completed a series of sea trials with its ORCA Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV). The trials were held in Israeli waters, demonstrating ORCA’s technical and operational capabilities, including autonomous unmanned operation, use of its various mission payloads and high speed intercepts of a maritime target. The ORCA trials were remotely monitored […]