09 September 2021
by Gabriel Dominguez
Stalwart, the second Supply-class AOR on order for the RAN, is seen here arriving in Australia from Spain on 21 June. Shipbuilder Navantia announced on 8 September that the DoD in Canberra had accepted delivery of the ship following the completion of a final fit-out and sea trials. (Royal Australian Navy)
Spanish shipbuilder Navantia announced on 8 September that the Australian Department of Defence (DoD) has accepted delivery of the second and final Supply-class auxiliary oiler replenishment (AOR) ship ordered for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).
The company's local subsidiary, Navantia Australia, said in a statement that the DoD signed the acceptance certificate for Stalwart (pennant number A304) on 30 August following two months of fit-out activities at HMAS Stirling in Western Australia, adding that the 173.9 m-long vessel has completed its final set of sea trials.
“Verifications and demonstrations of the combat, communications, and navigation systems conducted on 22 August reached a high degree of customer satisfaction in all areas,” noted the company, pointing out that the DoD's acceptance of the 19,500-tonne vessel also marks the commencement of the support contract in Western Australia.
24 April 2024
by Ridzwan Rahmat
Sentinel , the testbed for Australia's Patrol Boat Autonomy Trial project. (Austal)
Australian shipbuilder Austal has completed the sea acceptance trials phase for the country's Patrol Boat Autonomy Trial (PBAT), the company announced on 23 April.
The milestone, which included an endurance trial, was achieved by the project's testbed – a decommissioned Armidale-class patrol boat now known as Sentinel. The vessel was formerly in service with the Royal Australian Navy as HMAS Maitland and retired in 2022.
The PBAT is an Australian government-funded project. Besides Austal Australia, other stakeholders in the project include Fremantle-based engineering company Greenroom Robotics, research centre Trusted Autonomous Systems, and the Royal Australian Navy Warfare Innovation Navy (WIN) Branch.
It seeks to provide a proof-of-concept demonstrator for optionally crewed or autonomous operations.
As part of the trials, Sentinel carried out a series of remote and autonomous navigation events conducted off the Western Australian coastline between March and April, Austal said.
These events were carried out with a software known as Greenroom's Advanced Maritime Autonomy (GAMA) from a Western Australia-based company Greenroom Robotics.
Austral Australia took possession of the decommissioned Maitland
24 April 2024
by Michael Fabey
US Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro said the country needs more blue-collar workers to meet navy shipbuilding needs at yards like Newport News Shipbuilding, shown here. (Janes/Michael Fabey)
To address the shortage of workers needed to build the number of ships needed to meet US Navy (USN) fleet plans, the country should seek to bring in more legal immigrants from foreign shores, according to US Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro.
While acknowledging the impact of Covid-related issues on USN shipbuilding schedules on 23 April during an event at the Stimson Center, Del Toro said, “The bigger problem is the lack of blue-collar workers.”
Del Toro called on US lawmakers to “increase the amount of legal immigration” and work visas for potential shipbuilding work to come into country, despite the political divisions preventing such bipartisanship.
“We need to open up the spigot on legal immigration and allow blue-collar works to come here,” he said.
He underscored the need for retraining the new workforce for shipyard trades needed to build USN ships.
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.
Spanish shipbuilder Navantia announced on 8 September that the Australian Department of Defence (DoD...
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