A model of Schiebel's Camcopter S-300 vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Schiebel in collaboration with South Korea's Hanwha Systems and UI Helicopter will provide three Camcopter S-300s equipped with locally developed synthetic aperture radars (SARs) and electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensors to the RoK Navy. (Janes)    The Republic of Korea (RoK) Navy plans to equip two undisclosed classes of its vessels with Schiebel's Camcopter S-300 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the company confirmed to  Ja...

An artist's visualisation of Singapore's future MRCV. Steel for the first-of-class was cut on 8 March 2024. (Singapore Ministry of Defence)  Singapore's ST Engineering Marine held a steel-cutting ceremony for the country's first multirole combat vessel (MRCV) on 8 March.  The steel was ceremonially cut by Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) Chief Rear Admiral Sean Wat, who was joined by representatives from the country's Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA).  “This marks a significant milestone for the MRCV project, which is projected to...

HMS   St Albans  heads back out to sea after a longhaul refit at HMNB Devonport in Plymouth.  (Crown Copyright)    The UK Royal Navy's (RN's) Duke-class Type 23 frigate HMS   St Albans   (F 83) has returned to sea following the completion of a major life-extension (LIFEX) refit.   St Albans  departed HMNB Devonport on 1 March to begin a period of post-refit trials, the RN announced the same day.   After completing sea trials and subsequent UK-based training, the ship is planned to be...

USS   Portland  has been outfitted with a Laser Weapon System Demonstrator.  (US Navy)  US Navy (USN) Secretary Carlos Del Toro highlighted milestones and development of surface ship combat systems equipment and directed energy weapons on 7 March during the 2024 McAleese Defense Programs Conference.  “We are pushing the bounds of tactics and capability with the future [landing transport dock] USS Richard M McCoolJr (LPD 29),” Del Toro said. “Earlier this year, she was fitted with the Enterprise Air Surveillance R...

A GQM-163 Coyote target overflies a mobile ship target. (Orbital Sciences)  The US Navy (USN) is looking to expand the kinematic envelope of the GQM-163A Coyote supersonic aerial target to enable more stressing and realistic threat representations.  US Naval Air Systems Command's (NAVAIR's) Aerial Targets program office (PMA-208) in February issued a pre-solicitation of its intent to contract Northrop Grumman for a 12-month study to increase the target's performance envelope. A contract award is anticipated in the first quarter of fiscal year...

A computer-generated image of Damen's MPSS 7000 design, with the larger MPSS 9000 behind. (Damen)  The Portuguese Navy has signed a contract covering the design, construction, and outfitting of one of Damen's new Multi-Purpose Support Ships (MPSSs), the Dutch shipyard group announced during the DIMDEX 2024 show held in Doha from 4 to 6 March.  It said in a press release that it has specifically developed the 107 m MPSS for the Portuguese Navy's requirement for a “truly multi-purpose vessel” designed for oceanic research, search-and-rescue, em...

An artist's impression of the FAC 50 that the Qatar Emiri Naval Forces has ordered. (Dearsan)  Dearsan has been awarded a contract to design and build two 50 m fast attack craft (FAC) for the Qatar Emiri Naval Forces (QENF), the Turkish shipyard announced during the DIMDEX 2024 show held in Doha from 4 to 6 March.  The contract was also reported by Qatar News Agency, which said the QENF signed a contract to “implement the fast attack craft project (Halul 11)”. It cited QENF Commander Major General Abdullah Hassan Al-Sulaiti as saying that the...

A Tactical Resupply Vehicle-150 takes off from a Stern Landing Vessel to conduct a ship-to-ship experimentation as part of Project Convergence Capstone 4. (US Army 24th Theater Public Affairs Support)  The US Marine Corps' (USMC's) experimental Stern Landing Vessel (SLV) made an impact at one of its first joint experiments as one of three support vessels participating in the 2024 Project Convergence Capstone 4 event.  The vessel is meant as a bridging solution to get a better understanding of what the USMC wants for the US Navy's Landing Ship...

China Coast Guard vessels dousing Philippine supply boat   Unaizah May 4  with water cannons in the latter's mission to resupply BRP   Sierra Madre  with provisions on 5 March 2024.  (Philippine Coast Guard)  A Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Parola-class patrol boat and a Philippine government-operated supply boat have been damaged after a 5 March encounter with China Coast Guard vessels in disputed waters of the South China Sea.  In a statement issued later that day, the Philippine government's Nati...

The overhaul of HMS  Victorious  will allow the boat to carry out deterrent patrols until the next generation of SSBNs, the Dreadnought class, enters service.  (Babcock)    Babcock has been awarded a contract by the UK Submarine Delivery Agency to carry out the non-refuelling deep maintenance and life-extension (LIFEX) programme for the UK Royal Navy's (RN's) second Vanguard-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN), HMS  Victorious.  The full-cost recovery contract, worth an estimated GBP...

Images released by Babcock in February 2024 showing progress being made on the hullform and superstructure of the future HMS   Venturer   at its facilities in Rosyth, Scotland.  (Babcock International)  Thales has successfully completed factory acceptance tests (FATs) for the first Type 31 mission system, the company announced on 28 February.  UK shipbuilder Babcock, leading the ‘Team 31' consortium, is delivering five Type 31 Inspiration-class general-purpose frigates based on the Arrowhead 140 design for the Roy...

An Indian Navy Scorpene submarine. Indonesia has begun negotiations to procure the Scorpene Evolved variant of the boat, which will be equipped with lithium ion batteries. (Naval Group)  Representatives from French shipbuilder Naval Group have arrived in Jakarta to begin contract negotiations for two lithium ion batteries-equipped Scorpene Evolved diesel-electric submarines (SSKs).    Separate sources have confirmed to  Janes  that negotiations for the possible contract began at the Indonesian Ministry of Defense's (MoD's) offi...

Hessen  is pictured departing Wilhelmshaven naval base on 8 February to join the EU's new maritime security mission to protect commercial shipping in the Red Sea.  (Bundeswehr/Julia Kelm)    The German Navy's Type 124 Sachsen-class air-defence frigate FGS   Hessen   (F 221) successfully repelled two one-way attack unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the Red Sea launched by Yemen-based Ansar Allah (commonly known as the Houthis) militants on 27 February.   Briefing media at a German government press conference o...

Repair work on attack submarine USS   Boise  is just one of the programmes that could be at risk during a year-long continuing resolution restricting funding.  (Newport News Shipbuilding)  Officials for the US Navy, US Air Force, and US Army painted a grim picture for the services if they are saddled with a full-year Continuing Resolution (CR) and unauthorised supplemental funding for fiscal year (FY) 2024 during a 28 February round-table media briefing at the Pentagon.  “I'm so very concerned about where we are...

The Indian MoD is procuring an undisclosed number of Jaga unmanned aerial vehicles (pictured) from Noida-based IG Drones to enhance the surveillance capabilities of the Indian Armed Forces. (IG Drones)  Noida-based IG Drones has secured a contract from the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) to provide its 5G-enabled Jaga unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to enhance the surveillance capabilities of the Indian Armed Forces.  A spokesperson for IG Drones told Janes on 28 February that the company plans to complete the supply of an undisclosed number...

The Santa María-class frigate   Canarias  with the now-removed Meroka CIWS above the hangar. The frigate has embarked a counter-UAV system for the first time.  (Spanish Ministry of Defence)  The Spanish Navy has deployed a counter-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system on the Santa María-class frigate Canarias (F 86) for the first time ahead of the frigate's deployment to European Union Naval Force's (EU NAVFOR's) Operation ‘Atalanta' in the Indian Ocean.  Announcing the frigate's departure from Rota on 15 February...

Malaysia has installed Lockheed Martin's AN/TPS-77 multirole radar (pictured) in Labuan to enhance maritime domain awareness. (Lockheed Martin)  The Malaysian Armed Forces has installed a long-range ground-based radar developed by Lockheed Martin in East Malaysia.  A spokesperson for the Malaysian Ministry of Defence (MoD) told Janes in mid-February that the Malaysian Armed Forces has installed Lockheed Martin's AN/TPS-77 multirole radar in Labuan island, located off the coast of the state of Sabah in East Malaysia.  According to Janes C4ISR...

The Hellenic Navy's frigate   Hydra  is pictured at Salamis Naval Station prior to departing for the Red Sea on 26 February.  (Hellenic MoD)  The Hellenic Navy has despatched its lead Hydra (MEKO 200 HN)-class frigate to the Red Sea where it will participate in the European Union's (EU's) new maritime security mission Operation ‘Aspides'.  The EU officially launched Operation ‘Aspides' on 19 February to help protect commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden from the ongoing attacks by Iran-backed Ansar...

Gas emanates from a leak on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea in September 2022 following sabotage to the pipeline. Concerns are growing about seabed infrastructures security. (Swedish Coast Guard)  Arctic countries need to recalibrate the way they oversee and protect subsea infrastructure in the Arctic regional waters, given the increasing interest in augmenting the pipelines, cabling, and related equipment that make up these networks and recent actions off Nordic coasts, according to Rolf Einar Fife, Norwegian ambassador to t...

Antares  , the Spanish Navy's remaining Castor-class survey ship, was decommissioned on 16 February.  (Spanish Navy)    The Spanish Navy has retired its remaining operational Castor-class survey ship   Antares  (A 23) after 50 years of service. A formal decommissioning ceremony was held at Puntales Naval Station in San Fernando, Cádiz, on 16 February, the Spanish Navy announced the same day.     Built by Bazán (now Navantia) and commissioned into service in 1974,   Antares  is the third of an o...