21 July 2022
by Kate Tringham
The UK Royal Navy's (RN's) nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) HMS Vanguard (S 28) has returned to service following the completion of its planned deep maintenance and refuelling programme.
A rededication ceremony was held at Devonport Naval Base in Plymouth on 16 July.
Vanguard started what was originally intended to be a three-year Long Overhaul Period (Refuel) – (LOP[R]) – at Babcock International's Devonport facility in Plymouth in December 2015. However, the programme ended up taking almost seven years at significantly increased cost because of technical issues as well as further setbacks arising from the Covid-19 pandemic.
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.
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.
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.
The UK Royal Navy's (RN's) nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) HMS Vanguard (S 28) ha...
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...
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