A keel-laying ceremony for first Fininish Navy Squadron 2020 corvette was held at Rauma shipyard on 11 April. (Rauma shipyard)  Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC) laid the keel for the first Squadron 2020 Pohjanmaa-class multirole corvette on order for the Finnish Navy during a ceremony at its shipyard in Rauma on 11 April.  Announcing the milestone the same day, RMC said the yard has been making good progress on the first ship since the first steel was cut on 30 October 2023. “It has been five months since the start of construction, and the op...

The MRC weapon system (pictured above from its trials in June 2023) is a containerised version of the Mk 41 VLS that can be integrated and fired from the bed of a M983A4 Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck. (US Army)  The US Army's 1st Multi-Domain Task Force (1MDTF) has deployed its Mid-Range Capability (MRC) weapon system – also known as the Typhon Weapons System – at Northern Luzon in the Philippines as part of Exercise ‘Salaknib 24', the US Army Pacific said in a press release on 15 April.  This deployment aims to enhance the Philippin...

HII has made capital expenditure investments at its shipyards, including Newport News Shipbuilding, shown here. (Janes/Michael Fabey)  US shipbuilders should invest more money in their facilities to help the US Navy (USN) meet fleet requirements, USN Secretary Carlos Del Toro testified on 16 April to the Senate Appropriations Committee (SAC).  “Shipyards are not making enough of a contribution,” Del Toro testified during the SAC hearing on navy posture, pointing out that while the USN has invested billions in shipbuilding plans, shipbuilders...

The V-Bat UAV, shown here during testing, is becoming the UAV of choice for US forces. (US Navy)  Military planners and operators are beginning to consider unmanned surface and aerial vehicles in a more operational light given recent successes in experiments and in the battlespace, according to defence analysts.  One case in point is the Long-Range Unmanned Surface Vessel (LRUSV) the US Marine Corps (USMC) plans to use as a semi-autonomous vessel for extended travel and transporting loitering munitions that accurately track and destroy target...

The Royal Navy is planning to deploy the DragonFire laser weapon (pictured) from one of its warships in 2027. (Crown Copyright)    The UK Royal Navy (RN) will install the DragonFire laser directed energy weapon (LDEW) onboard    one of its warships five years earlier than planned under new procurement reforms introduced by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) in April.   Announcing the accelerated schedule on 12 April, the RN said that earlier plans to deploy the system in 2032 are being brought forward to 2027 as the need for...

A mock-up of the Sky Sword II – locally known as TC-2 land-based missile – is pictured at TADTE 2023. The missile structure consists of the active radar seeker, followed by the electronics section, proximity fuze, warhead, and rocket motor, ending in the exhaust. (Janes/Kapil Kajal )  The Republic of China Army (RoCA) test-fired a land-based short-to-medium-range air-defence system known as the Sky Sword II for the first time in Pingtung County, the Taiwan Ministry of National Defense (MND) said via its Military News Agency on 16 April.  The...

The MRC weapon system (pictured above from its trials in June 2023) is a containerised version of the Mk 41 VLS that can be integrated and fired from the bed of a M983A4 Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck. (US Army)  The US Army's 1st Multi-Domain Task Force (1MDTF) has deployed its Mid-Range Capability (MRC) weapon system – also known as the Typhon Weapons System – at Northern Luzon in the Philippines as part of Exercise ‘Salaknib 24', the US Army Pacific said in a press release on 15 April.  This deployment aims to enhance the Philippin...

NRP  Bérrio,   which was decommissioned in 2020, will be replaced by two replenishment and logistics ships as part of the Portuguese Navy's national fleet renewal programme.  (Victor Barreira)    The Portuguese Navy is acquiring two fleet replenishment and logistics ships as part of its national fleet renewal programme, the service has confirmed to   Janes  .   Competitors interested in meeting the tender have until 27 April to deliver their proposals.  A EUR100 million (USD106.4 million) budge...

The keel was laid for guided-missile frigate   Constellation  , the lead ship for the new class of surface ships.  (US Navy)    The keel for the guided-missile frigate   Constellation  (FFG 62), the lead ship of the new Constellation-class of ships, was laid on 12 April, the US Navy (USN) confirmed.   Speaking at the keel-laying ceremony on the same day, USN Secretary Carlo Del Toro noted the need to augment the fleet with ships like FFGs, especially with recent events in the Red Sea.    “...

The Netherlands has ordered seven additional GM200 MM/C radars from Thales after having ordered an initial nine in February 2019. Pictured is the first GM200 MM/C radar being handed over to the Royal Netherlands Army in Hengelo in February 2024. (Dutch MoD/Sgt Maj Gregory Fréni)  The Dutch Command Materiel and IT (COMMIT) procurement authority has ordered seven additional Ground Master 200 Multi-Mission/Compact (GM200 MM/C) radars from Thales.  The contract includes an option for two additional radars, according to a Thales announcement on 15...

USS   Michael Monsoor  is being outfitted with the latest Mk 57 vertical launching system universal canister electronics unit.  (US Navy)  The US Navy (USN) announced a contract worth USD74 million to HII's Mission Technologies division on 9 April during the Navy League Sea-Air-Space 2024 global maritime exposition in National Harbor, Maryland, to research, analyse, and develop enhanced capabilities for the Mk 41 and Mk 57 vertical launching systems (VLSs) onboard USN surface ships.    The work includes outf...

The US Navy lost amphibious assault ship  Bonhomme Richard  to fire damage.  (US Navy)  US Navy (USN) leaders are touting the investments being planned for the country's naval amphibious fleet and associated resources, even as government analysts are questioning the costs of some of these acquisitions and the navy is studying requirements and maintenance issues associated with amphibious forces.  Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the chief of naval operations (CNO), confirmed that the USN and the US Marine Corps (USMC) wil...

A graphic depiction of the NFS U212 submarine. (OCCAR)  Tests of the lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery system for the Italian Navy's Improved Todaro (Type 212 NFS)-class submarines are moving forward, according to the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR), which manages the programme.  Speaking at the Undersea Defence Technology (UDT) 2024 conference and exhibition in London on 10 April, Commander Alessandro Irvia, Platform Officer, U212 Near Future Submarine (NFS) Programme, confirmed that a thermal propagation test conducted on 9 A...

Two US Navy Saildrone Explorer USVs take part in maritime security operations in the Arabian Sea in early 2023. (US Navy)  Saildrone's family of wind- and solar-powered unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) offer a way to free up manned naval assets for more important missions, Richard Jenkins, founder and CEO of Saildrone, told Janes at the Navy League Sea-Air-Space 2024 global maritime exposition in National Harbor, Maryland, on 10 April. The USVs are already operating under contracts with the US Navy (USN) and other agencies, he said.  The wind...

A scale model of the active array for the miniature version of Düfas on display at UDT 2024. (Janes/Kate Tringham)  Turkish manufacturer Aselsan is progressing development of a miniature version of its Düfas low-frequency towed active sonar system for unmanned surface vessels (USVs), which it expects to complete this year.  Speaking to Janes at the Undersea Defence Technology (UDT) 2024 conference and exhibition in London on 10 April, an Aselsan spokesperson said the company has been working on the smaller version, dubbed Düfas-M, since 2022...

A full-scale model of Aselsan's first Deringöz AUV under development on display at UDT 2024. The company is set to start work on a smaller version this year. (Janes/Kate Tringham)  Aselsan has outlined plans to start expanding its family of Deringöz autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) this year as the first prototype under development progresses through its trials programme.  Speaking to Janes at the Undersea Defence Technology (UDT) 2024 conference and exhibition in London on 9 April, an Aselsan spokesperson told that the first prototype i...

A recent US Navy shipbuilding review of carrier, submarine, and other major projects noted significant programmatic issues. (Janes/Michael Fabey)  Rocked by results of a recently completed shipbuilding study lambasting progress on new aircraft carriers, submarines and other major US Navy (USN) programmes, USN Secretary Carlos Del Toro is looking elsewhere for advice and examples to improve USN shipbuilding efforts.  “As the findings of the 45-day comprehensive shipbuilding review have underscored, too many of our industry partners are behind...

DSIT's DogFish sonar system is designed for use on underwater vehicles. (DSIT)  DSIT Solutions publicly unveiled its new multimission sonar system designed for operation onboard underwater vehicles at the Undersea Defence Technology (UDT) 2024 conference and exhibition, held in London from 9 to 11 April.  The system, named DogFish, was developed in response to the proliferation of threats in the underwater environment from manned and unmanned vessels. It has the capability to autonomously detect, track, and classify submarines, mini-submarine...

Saildrone has partnered with Thales Australia to enhance the capabilities of its Surveyor-class USVs (pictured) by equipping them with Thales Australia's BlueSentry thin-line fibre-optic towed array. (Saildrone)  Thales Australia has signed an agreement with California-based Saildrone to collaborate on integrating its BlueSentry sonar system into Saildrone's Surveyor-class unmanned surface vessels (USVs).  The agreement, announced at the Navy League Sea-Air-Space 2024 global maritime exposition in National Harbor, Maryland, on 8 April, will h...

Dry dock work has been completed for the mid-life overhaul of aircraft carrier USS   John C Stennis  .  (US Navy)  HII's Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) division completed the dry dock portion of the refuelling and complex overhaul (RCOH) of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C Stennis (CVN 74), HII confirmed on 8 April during the Navy League Sea-Air-Space 2024 global maritime exposition in National Harbor, Maryland.  NNS flooded the dry dock with 100 million gallons of water to float Stennis and move the carr...