Victa integrated with Capewell's UMCADS. (SubSea Craft)

UK-based SubSea Craft has joined forces with Capewell Europe to explore the air deployability of its Victa diver delivery unit (DDU) prototype when integrated onboard the latter's newly developed Universal Maritime Craft Aerial Delivery System (UMCADS).

Speaking to Janes on 1 May, Lee Ebsworth, SubSea Craft's chief commercial officer, said the partnership has mutual opportunities as the two companies work together to increase the evidence bank for Victa as a deployable air asset as well as to demonstrate the flexibility of Capewell's UMCADS.

“While we continuously push the technological edge in our platforms to give operators the advantage, their effectiveness hinges on successful deployment into the area of operations,” he said. “We've prioritised ensuring Victa's flexibility in deployment, and conducting feasibility studies with Capewell enables us to expand the available options against the most demanding scenarios.” What is particularly valuable about UMCADS is its configurable nature, which not only supports Victa but also complements other concepts currently in development, he added.

Based around a monohull design constructed of carbon fibre and Diab core, SubSea Craft's

A model of the Gibbs & Cox International-class light frigate displayed at the Navy League Sea-Air-Space exposition in April 2024. (Janes/Jeremiah Cushman)

Gibbs & Cox, a wholly owned subsidiary of Leidos, has developed a platform to meet global demand for smaller frigates, William Cowardin Jr, vice-president for global ship design, Gibbs & Cox, told Janes in April during the Navy League Sea-Air-Space 2024 global maritime exposition in National Harbor, Maryland. What the company calls the International class began as an internal research and development effort to develop a next-generation hull and test it to determine how big or small it could be and various mission packages that could be integrated, he said.

The design is simpler to construct so that it can be produced by smaller shipyards or yards that have not previously built warships. It employs mature technologies, such as the GE Aerospace LM2500 gas turbine with a basic combined diesel-electric and gas (CODLOG) propulsion architecture, Cowardin Jr said. Gibbs & Cox brings significant experience in working with shipyards, including being able to tailor production packages to meet a yard's specific needs.

PT PAL Multi-Role Support Ship model on display at DSA 2024. (Janes/Vinod Kumar CV)

Lumut Naval Shipyard Sdn Bhd (LUNAS) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Indonesian state shipbuilder PT PAL at the Defence Services Asia (DSA) 2024 exhibition held in Kuala Lumpur from 6 to 9 May.

The MOU seeks to “explore future collaborations in shipbuilding projects, fostering knowledge sharing and technological advancements within the region”, said Azhar Jumaat, CEO of LUNAS, in his welcome speech at the event.

“Through this collaboration, LUNAS shipyard aims to leverage its expertise to contribute to the construction of new vessels, as well as enhancing the repair and modernisation capabilities of existing fleets,” he added.

LUNAS was formerly known as Boustead Naval Shipyard and has been contracted for Malaysia's five-vessel littoral combat ship (LCS) programme.

At the event, LUNAS' head of Corporate Strategy and Development Hanif Muhammad told Janes that the first LCS is 75% completed.

It is expected to go into the water for sea trials in mid-2024, he added. The commissioning is expected by 2026 and the remaining ships are to be delivered with a gap of eight months each.