Belarus is seeking to establish an indigenous Shahed production facility. An Iranian-made Shahed-136 is seen in an underground facility, in a video released by Iran's IRGC in March 2022. (IMA Media)  Belarus is likely seeking to establish an indigenous Iranian Shahed loitering munition production facility, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said on 31 July.  Belarusian Defence Minister Lieutenant General Viktor Khrenin and his Iranian counterpart Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Ashtiani met in Iran on 31 July to sign a memorandum of und...

A graphic depiction of the OPV. (Fincantieri)  Orizzonte Sistemi Navali (OSN), a joint venture between Leonardo and Fincantieri, has been awarded a contract by the naval armaments branch of Italy's General Secretariat of Defence to build three next-generation offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) for the Italian Navy.  The contract, valued at EUR925 million (USD1.014 billion), includes options for three additional units and related integrated logistics support.  The new-generation OPV is based on the FCX-20 variant of Fincantieri's FCX naval ship se...

Miilux Oy HY-100 steel. (Janes/Prathamesh Karle)    Miilux Oy will produce and supply high-yield HY-100 steel for Turkey's MILDEN-class submarines, a company official told   Janes  at the 16th International Defence Industry Fair (IDEF) held from 25 to 28 July in Istanbul.   A contract to supply HY-100 steel for Turkey's national submarine project MILDEN was signed with the Turkish Navy in 2022, and a sample of the steel was delivered to the navy in May 2023, the official added. The steel will also be used in the manufactur...

The US Navy awarded contracts for nine Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyers such as  Jack H Lucas  .  (HII)  The US Navy (USN) awarded contracts on 1 August to HII's Ingalls Shipbuilding division and General Dynamics' Bath Iron Works (GD BIW) for fiscal years (FY) 2023–27 multiyear procurement (MYP) of nine Flight III DDG 51 guided-missile Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, the service confirmed that day.  The USN did not disclose any amounts for the contract award. However, Frederick Stefany, acting assistant...

Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS   Theodore Roosevelt  underwent maintenance in San Diego in 2016. The navy awarded a contract to NNS for maintenance work on Nimitz-class and Ford-class carriers in the region.  (Tony Roper)  The US Navy (USN) awarded Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ), cost-plus incentive and award contract with a potential total value of USD528.4 million over five years, if all options are exercised, for aircraft carrier maintenance in San Diego,...

The four Horizon-class anti-air warfare frigates in service with the navies of France and Italy. (Thales)  Naviris and Eurosam have been awarded a EUR1.5 billion (USD1.7 billion) contract from the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) for the mid-life upgrade (MLU) of four Franco-Italian Horizon-class anti-air warfare (AAW) frigates.  The contract follows a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by representatives from Italy and France at the Paris Air Show on 20 June.  Built under a joint programme between Fincantieri and Nav...

The KNS   Shupavu  was lifted out of the water again in preparation for its rededication ceremony.  (Kenya Shipyards Limited)  Kenya's President William Ruto officially rededicated the Kenya Navy's patrol ship KNS Shupavu on 29 July in a ceremony that marked a major milestone for the East African country's investment in a new shipyard.  The 60 m ship received an extensive overhaul at Kenya Shipyards Limited's (KSL's) Mombasa Shipyard, which was built at Mtongwe Naval Base with the help of the Dutch shipyard Damen...

The French Navy's first new Félix Éboué-class OPV,   Auguste Bénébig  (P 779), was commissioned into service on 25 July.  (Marine Nacionale)  The French Navy commissioned its first new Félix Éboué-class offshore patrol vessel (OPV), also known as the Patrouilleur d'Outre-Mer (POM), into service on 25 July.  First-of-class Auguste Bénébig (P 779) is one of six Félix Éboué-class OPVs being procured to replace the French Navy's ageing P400-class patrol boats in France's overseas territories. They will be based in Ne...

Denmark will replace the RAT-31 DL radar situated in Bornholm, at the very east of Denmark in the Baltic Sea. (Selex ES)  Denmark is to replace two of its coastal air-defence radars to enhance the surveillance of its airspace, Janes has learnt.  A Danish Ministry of Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organisation (DALO) spokesperson informed Janes on 26 July that the authority plans to replace the Alenia Marconi Systems S-723 Martello 3D radar on the island of Bornholm and the Leonardo RAT-31 DL (previously Selex) radar in Skagen.  The spokesp...

A TV screen showing an image of the Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile at a North Korean military parade to mark the 70th anniversary of the signing of the armistice. (Kim Jae-Hwan/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)  North Korea has for the first time displayed its Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) at a public event. The weapon was showcased at a parade on 27 July to mark the 70th anniversary of Korean Armistice Agreement.  The Hwasong-18 is a nuclear-capable ICBM that has been test-fired twice thus far....

Sefine Shipyard's Marlin USV will be equipped with BMC Power's Azra Marine diesel engine, pictured here on display at IDEF 2023. (Janes/Prathamesh Karle)  Turkey-based BMC Power, a subsidiary of BMC Automotive and Trade Industry, will equip Sefine Shipyard's Marlin unmanned surface vessel (USV) with its Azra Marine diesel engine under an agreement signed between the two companies and Seft Engineering at the 16th International Defence Industry Fair (IDEF) held from 25 to 28 July in Istanbul.  Seft Engineering is responsible for integrating the...

RA 4 de Abril,   the first of two LCT 200-70 landing craft being built by CMN for Angola.  (CMN)  The first of two new 70 m landing craft being built by French shipbuilder Constructions Mécaniques de Normandie (CMN) in Cherbourg for the Angolan Navy has arrived in Angola, a CMN source confirmed to Janes.  RA 4 de Abril (ND 15) arrived at the Angolan port of Luanda on 19 July onboard the Dutch-registered heavy-load vessel MVYacht Express, completing a near month-long journey from Cherbourg.  The 70 m-long roll-on/off-type ships ar...

RAF Flylingdales in North Yorkshire supports the UK Space Operations Centre and is capable of tracking objects in space, including satellites and debris, up to 3,000 mile away. (DVIDS/Robert Lingley)  The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the UK Space Agency have published a joint space domain awareness (SDA) report that outlines their potential future requirements.  The requirements, as detailed in the Cross Government SDA Requirements Publication on 21 July, will be delivered within a dual-use military and civil SDA system of systems.  SDA i...

Armelsan's Orkun 2053 helicopter dipping sonar on display at IDEF 2023. (Janes/Prathamesh Karle)  Turkey's Armelsan Defence Technologies displayed for the first time a scale model of its locally designed and developed Orkun-2053 helicopter dipping sonar at the 16th International Defence Industry Fair (IDEF), held from 25 to 28 July in Istanbul.  The sonar is designed for operating in both deep and shallow waters. The overall weight of the system – including the winch and the cable – is around 270 kg. It has an operating depth of 350 m and is...

The US Government Accountability Office says the US Coast Guard needs to stablise the design of the service's proposed Polar Security Cutters. (VT Halter Marine)  The US Coast Guard (USCG) should put off construction of its proposed Polar Security Cutters (PSCs) until the PSC design is stabilised, according to a recently released US Government Accountability Office (GAO) report.  “The Polar Security Cutter's (PSC) design is not yet mature, which has led to an extended design phase and contributed to a three-year schedule delay in the shipyard...

A model version of the Çaka S-KUSV on display at IDEF 2023. (Janes/Prathamesh Karle)  Turkey's Havelsan, Roketsan, Kraken Marine, and Asisguard have jointly designed and developed a submersible kamikaze unmanned surface vessel (S-KUSV) named Çaka, which they unveiled for the first time at the 16th International Defence Industry Fair (IDEF) held from 25 to 28 July in Istanbul.  Kraken Marine, specialised in designing high-speed tactical vessels, is responsible for the construction of the USV; Asisguard is providing the optical systems for navi...

Unirobotics' Trakon Targan RWS on display at IDEF 2023. (Janes/Prathamesh Karle)    Turkey-based Unirobotics' remote weapon stations (RWSs) will be integrated on the Turkish navy's offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) and unmanned surface vessels (USVs), Unirobotics board member Cem Kurter confirmed to   Janes  at the 16th International Defence Industry Fair (IDEF) held in Istanbul.   Among the RWSs displayed by Unirobotics at IDEF 2023, the Trakon Targan, developed in partnership with Havelsan, will be integrated on the Hisar-c...

The new class of Dry Combat Submersible has reached initial operational capability. (Lockheed Martin)  A new class of Dry Combat Submersible (DCS) used by US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) and developed by Lockheed Martin reached initial operational capability (IOC) in June, the company confirmed on 24 July.  Lockheed Martin has been contracted to build three DCS undersea mobility vehicles, of which two hulls – DCS 1 and DCS 2 – have been delivered to date.  Intended to enable the safe, clandestine delivery of special operations forces...

The US Coast Guard is studying the use of unmanned vessels to recover space capsules and other materials in the sea. (SpaceX)  The US Coast Guard (USCG) has received approval to look at using autonomous vessels for the recovery of materials to help prepare for the rising tide of space launch capsules, equipment, and debris landing in the ocean in the coming years.    Congress authorised a pilot programme in December 2022 for the USCG, which may last for up to five years, the US National Academies noted in its report,   The Coast Gua...

One of the Abu Mahdi long-range anti-ship missiles that was displayed during the induction ceremony. (Islamic Republic News Agency)  The Abu Mahdi long-range anti-ship missile has entered service with both the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy (IRIN) and the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN), it was announced on 25 July.  At least 11 missiles were displayed during an induction ceremony attended by Minister of Defence Brigadier General Amir Mohammadreza Ashtiani, IRIN Deputy Commander Admiral Hamza Ali Kaviani, and IRGCN Commander Rear A...