A Mojave short take-off and landing unmanned aircraft lines up for the first landing aboard a Royal Navy Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier. (General Atomics)  The UK Royal Navy (RN) and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) have completed a first-of-its-kind trial of GA-ASI's Mojave remotely piloted air system (RPAS) from an aircraft carrier.  Undertaken off the US east coast on 15 November as part of the RN's Westlant 23 deployment, the demonstration saw the Mojave RPAS safely execute an unassisted take-off from, and recover...

The National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System – pictured above firing an AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile at Woomera Test Range in South Australia in mid-November – provides air defence against a variety of aerial threats, including UAV, missile, helicopter, and aircraft attacks within 40–50 km. (Commonwealth of Australia)  The Australian Army has test-fired the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) at Woomera Test Range in South Australia, the Australian Department of Defence (DoD) said in a press rel...

Lockheed Martin is under contract to continue PrSM development for the army. (US Army)  The US Army's Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) completed its shortest ever trip during a production qualification test on 13 November, according to a service announcement on 16 November.  Fired from an M142 High-Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), the missile demonstrated “successful target engagements” at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, according to the army release. The test announcement comes as PrSM is expected to reach early operational c...

The new antenna array associated with Project Strongbow is shown here in testing at SwRI's San Antonio, Texas, facility. (SwRI)  The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) has begun retrofitting an upgraded communications eavesdropping suite on its 12 Halifax-class frigates under Project Strongbow.  Work has started on the implementation phase, according to Canada's Department of National Defence (DND), with initial operational capability (IOC) planned for 2025. Initial shipboard installations on three frigates are following now-completed environmental qu...

The Royal Swedish Navy's Visby-class corvettes are to be fitted with the Sea Ceptor local area anti-air missile system. Space for a vertical launcher installation for CAMM missiles already exists in the weapon deck area beneath the main deck hatch. (MBDA)  Sweden is moving ahead with plans to retrofit MBDA's Sea Ceptor local area anti-air missile system to its five Visby-class corvettes as part of the mid-life upgrade (MLU) for the class.  The country's Defence Materiel Administration (Försvarets materielverk: FMV) on 16 November announced it...

Following its formal handover,   Bani Yas  departed Lorient on 23 October and is expected to arrive in the UAE in early December.   (Naval Group)  French shipbuilder Naval Group has delivered the first Gowind 2500 corvette on order for the United Arab Emirates (UAE).  The new vessel, named Bani Yas (P 110),was formally handed over during a ceremony held at Naval Group's shipyard in Lorient on 21 October, the shipbuilder announced on 11 November.  Following its delivery, the ship set sail from Lorient on 23 Octobe...

HSwMS   Artemis  will replace HSwMS   Orion  as Sweden's signals intelligence resource at sea.   (Saab/Glenn Pettersson)  The Royal Swedish Navy (RSwN) has taken delivery of its new signals intelligence (SIGINT) ship, HSwMS Artemis (A 202).  The new vessel was formally handed over by the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) in Karlskrona, on 15 November, FMV announced the same day.  Artemis will replace the RSwN's existing SIGINT vessel HSwMS Orion (A 201), which has been in service since the early...

Edge unveiled the MANSUP-ER, an extended-range version of Brazil's National Surface Anti-Ship Missile, at the Dubai Airshow. (Edge Group)  The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Armed Forces has signed a letter of intent covering a AED1.2 billion (USD327 million) order for anti-ship missiles, local defence group Edge announced during the Dubai Airshow on 15 November.  It said the order would cover the National Surface Anti-Ship Missile (MANSUP) that was originally developed for the Brazilian Navy and the extended-range MANSUP-ER version that was unve...

Lorraine,  the French Navy's eighth and final FREMM frigate overall, and the second of two modified for an enhanced air-defence role, has entered operational service.  (Marine Nacionale)  The eighth French Aquitaine-class FREMM (frégate européenne multi-mission) frigate has officially entered operational service, the French Navy confirmed on 15 November.  Lorraine  is the final unit in the eight-ship class built by Naval Group for the French Navy, and the second of two built to a modified FREMM DA (air defence) standard....

An SM-6 Block I missile arcs skywards following launch from a US Navy DDG-51 guided-missile destroyer. South Korea plans to integrate the missile onto its second batch of KDX-III guided-missile destroyers. (US Navy)  The US State Department has approved the possible sale of SM-6 Block I air-defence missiles to South Korea, the US Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced on 14 November.  DSCA said Congress was informed of the possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) – estimated to cost USD650 million – earlier the same day.  The deal f...

New defence export rules in Australia will provide licence exemptions for the UK and the US to facilitate the programme to develop and build the SSN-AUKUS submarine, a graphic depiction of which is above. (BAE Systems)  Australia has proposed amended defence export legislation to support its AUKUS partnership with the UK and the US while toughening rules on the transfer of technologies to other foreign countries.  The Department of Defence (DoD) in Canberra proposed the amended Defence Trade Controls Amendment Bill 2023 earlier in November, c...

A model of Hanwha Ocean's FFX-III frigate on display at MADEX 2023 in Busan, South Korea. (Janes/Ridzwan Rahmat)  Hanwha Ocean has received a contract to build the final two Chungnam (FFX-III)-class guided-missile frigates for the Republic of Korea Navy (RoKN).  The KRW791.73 billion (USD596 million) contract was inked with the country's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) on 10 November, the company announced on the same day.    South Korea conceived a requirement for the warships in the wake of the mishap that befell ROK...

The RN's Type 26 frigates are among one class of ship being installed with Elbit Systems' electronic intelligence solution as part of MEWSIC Increment 1. (BAE Systems)  The programme to deliver a next-generation electronic surveillance system for the Royal Navy's (RN) surface warships has passed the critical design review (CDR), the UK Ministry of Defence announced on 13 November.  Known as the Maritime Electronic Warfare System Integrated Capability (MEWSIC), the programme – being delivered by Babcock, Elbit Systems UK, and QinetiQ – aims t...

The RN has taken delivery of six REMUS 300 vehicles to meet its SAUV requirement. (HII)  The UK Royal Navy (RN) has begun training on the new REMUS 300 small autonomous underwater vehicles (SAUVs) delivered by HII's Mission Technologies division.  Being introduced to support mine-countermeasures (MCM) operations, the REMUS 300 is intended to enhance the capability of the RN's Hunt-class MCM vessels to deliver a full-spectrum ‘find-fix-finish' capability to maximum depth. The new 300 m-capable vehicles will also inform the next-generation Mine...

BAE Systems Australia displayed a model of its proposed new Hunter-class frigate design at the Indo Pacific 2023 show in Sydney. (BAE Systems Australia/Salty Dingo)  Potential design changes to the Hunter-class frigates contracted for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) from shipbuilder BAE Systems Australia would boost the number of vertical launch system (VLS) cells on the ships from 32 to 96 and add four deck-mounted quadruple canisters of anti-ship naval strike missiles (NSMs). The potential changes were disclosed by BAE Systems Australia at...

President Joe Biden's administration wants to fund expansion of the 155 mm shell production with an emergency supplemental funding request for fiscal year 2024. (US Army)  The US goal to produce 100,000 rounds of 155 mm ammunition per month by calendar year 2025 cannot be met if lawmakers do not pass the fiscal year (FY) 2024 emergency supplemental funding, US Army assistant secretary for acquisition, logistics, and technology Doug Bush said on 7 November.  The legislation – proposed by President Joe Biden's administration – contains USD3.1 b...

While the US Army's hypersonic weapon programme is delayed, the service's Mid-Range Capability is on track for operational capability. (US Army)  It is predicted that the US Army will not be able to field its hypersonic weapon by the end of the calendar year as planned after a critical test was cancelled before launch.  Similar to the cancelled tests in September and March 2023, the “problem” was identified before the launch schedule to take place from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. Doug Bush, US Army assistant secretary for acq...

The Royal Australian Navy Hobart-class destroyer, HMAS   Sydney  , firing a Harpoon missile during Exercise ‘Pacific Vanguard 2022'. Lockheed Martin has recently upgraded this class to enable integration of the Aegis Baseline 9 combat management system.  (Commonwealth of Australia)  Lockheed Martin has upgraded the design architecture of the Royal Australian Navy's (RAN's) Hobart-class destroyers to enable integration of the Aegis Baseline 9 Combat Management System (CMS) into these vessels.  The upgrades were de...

A model of the Tasman-class corvette, offered by Austal, Civmec, and Navantia Australia for the Royal Australian Navy's requirements, on display at Indo Pacific 2023. (via FTI Consulting)  Austal, Civmec, and Navantia Australia have jointly proposed a new corvette design in anticipation of the Royal Australian Navy's (RAN's) upcoming requirements.  The concept is being proposed “in recognition of the navy's urgent need for increased strike capability”, reads a statement issued by the teaming arrangement in conjunction with the Indo Pacific 20...

The first-of-class Type 125 frigate,   Baden-Württemberg  , which will be deployed to the Indo-Pacific region in 2024.   (TKMS)    The German Navy will deploy its first-of-class   Baden-Württemberg  (Type 125) frigate and its second Berlin (Type 702)-class combat support ship,   Frankfurt Am Main  , to the Indo-Pacific region in 2024.   Janes  was able to confirm this with the Chief of the German Navy, Vice Admiral Jan Christian Kaack, while he was in Singapore on 6 November....