29 April 2022
by Michael Fabey
The US Navy's fiscal year 2023 budget supports execution of at-sea testing following the successful completion and installation of Mk 5 Mod 0 High Energy Laser with Integrated Optical-dazzler and Surveillance (HELIOS). (US Navy)
The US Navy (USN) proposed fiscal year (FY) 2023 budget requests of USD35.3 million for the Navy Laser Family of Systems (NLFoS), which is designated as “an accelerated acquisition initiative to provide near-term, ship-based laser weapon capabilities”, according to USN budget documents released on 14 April.
“The NLFoS efforts form the foundation of an incremental strategy for increased laser weapon capability as it is matured. NLFoS includes the Surface Navy Laser Weapon System (SNLWS) and the Solid-State Laser Technology Maturation (SSL-TM),” the USN said in the documents.
SNLWS addresses anti-surface warfare and counter-intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C-ISR) gaps with the ability to dazzle and destroy unmanned aerial systems (UASs) and defeat fast inshore attack craft (FIAC), the navy notes.
SNLWS includes the development of an advanced prototype laser weapon system in the 60 kW or higher class.
23 April 2024
by Kate Tringham
Cayor , the third and final OPV 58S, was formally handed over to Senegal during a ceremony in Concarneau on 16 April. (Senegalese Navy)
French shipbuilder Piriou has delivered the final missile-armed Walo (OPV 58 S)-class offshore patrol ship to Senegal, completing the three-ship programme.
The last vessel in the class, named Cayor, was formally handed over during a ceremony held in Concarneau, France, on 16 April, the shipbuilder confirmed the same day.
According to Piriou, the shipbuilding programme was completed on time and “mobilised hundreds of employees for four years and represented more than 600,000 hours of work”.
Piriou built and delivered the three OPV 58 S ships under a contract signed with the Ministry of the Armed Forces of Senegal in November 2019. The construction programme was carried out with the support of Kership, the joint venture founded by Piriou and Naval Group in 2013.
23 April 2024
by Ridzwan Rahmat
Pilots from the French Navy surveillance frigate Vendémiaire (F734) practice landing aboard the amphibious command ship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) during an interoperability exercise. Blue Ridge is the flagship for Commander, US 7th Fleet. (US Navy)
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the US military have begun the most complex iteration of Exercise ‘Balikatan', which is seeing the first-time participation of a French Navy warship and vessels from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).
A ceremony to mark the start of the exercise was held on 22 April at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, Philippines. Drills under the annual bilateral exercise will be held at various locations across the Philippines till 10 May.
“With over 16,000 service members participating across Luzon from today until 10 May, ‘Balikatan' 2024 is designed to address the ever-evolving security landscape in the region and is poised to be the most complex and comprehensive iteration to date,” reads a statement issued by the AFP on 22 April.
23 April 2024
by Kate Tringham
MdCN is launched from the FREMM frigate Aquitaine on 18 April. (French Navy)
The French Navy has successfully conducted its first simultaneous test launch of the Missile de Croisière Navale (MdCN)naval cruise missile from a frigate and a submarine.
The test-firing was carried out by the service's lead multimission (FREMM) frigate Aquitaine, positioned off the coast of Brittany, and one of its Suffren (Barracuda)-class nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs), located off the coast of Biscarrosse, on 18 April, the Ministry of Armed Forces of France confirmed the same day.
During the test the two vessels launched a co-ordinated strike against a ground target located at the DGA's Biscarrosse missile test centre at Landes in southwestern France – with both missiles engaging their target “in perfect synchronisation”, the Ministry of Armed Forces of France said.
In a statement issued the same day the French Navy said the test was carried out in operational conditions to strengthen the operational know-how and combat skills of the service.
The US Navy (USN) proposed fiscal year (FY) 2023 budget requests of USD35.3 million for the Navy Las...
In this podcast Janes analysts discuss the Iranian attacks on Israel on the 14 April. They highlight the military systems used by Iran and the performance and impact of these on Israel. They also discuss the implications of this attack goi...
Listen now