During ‘Large Scale Exercise 2021', Marine KC-130J loadmaster deployed a Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System launcher. The US Navy and the US Marine Corps forces expect to conduct similar and expanded operations for ‘Large Scale Exercise 2023'. (US Marine Corps)  Leaders from the US Navy (USN) and the US Marine Corps (USMC) said they expect this year's ‘Large Scale Exercise (LSE) 2023', which takes place from 9 to 18 August, to push the US naval forces and command to the limit around the globe.  “We've not done anything like th...

A model of the new Ulaq Kama X-USV on display at IDEF 2023. (Janes/Prathamesh Karle)  Ares Shipyard and Meteksan Defence unveiled a new expendable unmanned surface vessel (X-USV), named Ulaq Kama, at the 16th International Defence Industry Fair (IDEF) held from 25 to 28 July in Istanbul.  Ares Shipyard is responsible for the design and manufacturing of the vessel, while Meteksan Defence is responsible for the integration of remote and autonomous command. The vessel can be remotely operated in a semi-autonomous mode, and in a fully autonomous...

Meteksan unveiled its new Yakamos-RT sonar at the IDEF 2023 exhibition in Istanbul. (Janes/Prathamesh Karle)  Turkey's Meteksan Defence unveiled a new retractable sonar, named Yakamos-RT, at the 16th International Defence Industry Fair (IDEF) held from 25 to 28 July in Istanbul.    The sonar is an improved version of the Yakamos 2020 developed by Meteksan and is designed for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) operations in shallow waters. It was developed with the need to equip smaller surface combatants, such as patrol boats and unmanned surf...

The image of a Royal Australian Air Force P-8A Poseidon aircraft overflying a Chinese Dongdiao-class intelligence ship, released by the Australian Department of Defence amid Exercise ‘Talisman Sabre' 2023. (Commonwealth of Australia)  The Australian Department of Defence (DoD) has released images of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessel that is said to be on passage near the country while Canberra hosts a large-scale military exercise.  These images, which were released by the DoD on 24 July, depict a Royal Australian Air Force (RAA...

The Royal Navy's aircraft carrier HMS   Prince of Wales  departs the harbour area of Rosyth dockyard on 22 July 2023 following nine months of repairs.  (Crown Copyright)    The Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier HMS   Prince of Wales  has completed repairs and capability upgrades at Rosyth Dockyard in Scotland ahead of its return to service later in 2023, the UK Royal Navy (RN) has announced.     The repairs were necessitated following damage suffered to   Prince of Wales'...

Impeccable  sailing into RSS    Singapura – Changi Naval Base.  (Singapore Ministry of Defence)  One of the four Invincible (Type 218SG)-class diesel-electric submarines (SSKs) acquired for the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) has arrived in the country, and the vessel will be undergoing local sea trials.  The trials are being conducted ahead of the boat's commissioning and are done as part of efforts to eventually operationalise the vessel, the country's Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) announced on 20 July.    M...

Leonardo's 76/62 Sovraponte medium-calibre gun will equip the new frigates. (Leonardo)  The Netherlands Ministry of Defence (MoD) has awarded Leonardo a contract for the supply of four 76/62 Sovraponte lightweight medium-calibre guns to equip a new class of Anti-Submarine Warfare Frigate (ASWF) on order for the navies of Belgium and the Netherlands.  Announced by the MoD on 20 July, the contract includes an option for additional Sovraponte mountings scheduled for the Royal Netherlands Navy's (RNLN's) amphibious and logistics ships. No value h...

The Ghanaian SBS's two new Defenders. (Ghana Navy)  The US government has donated two 38 ft Defender-class boats to Ghana's Special Boat Squadron (SBS), the Ghana Navy announced on 19 July.  It said a ceremony was held on 14 July at Naval Training Command (NAVTRAC) in Nutekpor to commission the boats that were delivered with associated equipment, as well as a new pontoon pier at the facility.  “The boats will enable the SBS to respond swiftly to maritime challenges and carry out critical operations with enhanced efficiency in the Gulf of Guin...

The PLAN has been deploying remotely operated vehicles alongside its Wozang-class vessels (pictured) to enhance mine countermeasure operations. (Chinese Ministry of National Defense)  The People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has been experimenting with remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) that can support mine countermeasure (MCM) operations.    The PLAN's Northern Theater Command explored “new patterns of unmanned integrated minesweeping procedures” using two ROVs in a recent exercise conducted in the Yellow Sea (West Sea), state-owned new...

The US Coast Guard could potentially save hundreds of millions of dollars by procuring Offshore Patrol Cutters through block buys, the Congressional Research Service says. (US Coast Guard)  A block buy of Offshore Patrol Cutters (OPCs) could save the US Coast Guard (USCG) a significant amount of money, according to the US Congressional Research Service (CRS).    “CRS estimates that if the coast guard were to use block buy contracting with EOQ [economic order quantity] purchases of components for acquiring the first several OPCs beginning...

Main features of the Blue Spear missile. (Janes/Ridzwan Rahmat)  In his May 2023 interview with Janes, Commander of the Republic of Singapore Navy's (RSN's) First Flotilla Colonel Ng Kok Yeng Daniel disclosed that the service will replace the Harpoon surface-to-surface missile (SSM) on its Formidable-class frigates with the Blue Spear SSM.  The missile will be incorporated as part of the Formidable class's mid-life upgrades (MLUs). This makes the RSN the first operator service to deploy the Blue Spear missile from seaborne units.  The Blue S...

A model of the FFX-III frigate on display at Hanwha Ocean's exhibition stand during MADEX 2023. (Janes/Ridzwan Rahmat)  South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean has emerged as the preferred bidder in a programme to supply the country with two more Chungnam (FFX-III)-class frigates, the company confirmed to Janes on 17 July.  The programme, which is also commonly referred to in-country as the ‘Ulsan-class Batch III' project, seeks to equip the Republic of Korea Navy with a class of six frigates that will progressively take on duties associated wi...

An illustrative view of the MCH-101 helicopter with the Northrop Grumman airborne laser mine detection system. The aircraft type has since conducted deck landing trials on a Mogami-class frigate. (Northrop Grumman)  The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) has conducted deck landing trials of the MCH-101 airborne mine countermeasures (AMCM) helicopter on one of its Mogami-class guided-missile frigates.    The milestone was confirmed by Fleet Air Squadron 51, a unit of the    JMSDF's Fleet Air Wing, on 13 July via an offici...

The first of the Portuguese Navy's two Viana do Castelo-class offshore patrol vessels, NRP   Viana do Castelo  , was commissioned into service on 30 December 2010.  (Victor Manuel Saraiva Barreira)  The Portuguese Navy is to progressively upgrade its Viana do Castelo-class offshore patrol vessels (OPVs), service representatives told Janes.  The four OPVs – NRP Viana do Castelo (P360), NRP Figueira da Foz (P361), NRP Sines (P362), and NRP Setúbal (P363) – will be upgraded throughout their maintenance cycles.  The p...

USS   Connecticut   is in the re-certified dry dock in Bremerton, Washington.  (US Navy)  The US Navy (USN) finished structural upgrades meant as interim seismic mitigation on Dry Dock 5 at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility in Bremerton, Washington, the USN confirmed on 12 July.  The USN has tested and re-certified the dry dock, the service said in a statement.    Seawolf-class attack submarine USS   Connecticut  (SSN 22) docked for its Extended Dry-dock Selected...

The Ukrainian Navy's two newly acquired ex-Royal Navy Sandown-class minehunters completed their latest phase of training in the multinational ‘Sea Breeze' exercise, held in UK waters in late June/early July. (Armed Forces of Ukraine)  The Ukrainian Navy has completed its first multinational exercise series, ‘Sea Breeze 2023', operating the service's two newly acquired ex-Royal Navy (RN) Sandown-class minehunters, Chernihiv (ex-HMS Grimsby) and Cherkasy (ex-HMS Shoreham).  In a Twitter announcement on 12 July the UK RN said the exercise marked...

A model of the DP16 UAV displayed at the Defense & Security show in Bangkok in August 2022. ATIL used the DP16 to test-fire laser-guided bombs on 13 July. (Janes/Amit Kalra)  Thailand's Aero Technology Industry Company Limited (ATIL), which is partly controlled by the state-owned Defence Technology Institute (DTI), has test-fired laser-guided bombs (LGBs) using its DP16 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).  The test, announced by the DTI on 13 July, helped evaluate the strike capabilities of the DP16.  The DTI said two LGBs were launched from the D...

An artist's impression of the Dreadnought-class submarine. (Crown Copyright)  Thales has been awarded a GBP169 million (USD220 million) contract to equip the UK Royal Navy's (RN's) Dreadnought nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) with a new Integrated Combat System Mast solution.  Announcing the award on 13 July Thales said the new mast would provide the submarines' above-water situational awareness by – for the first time – combining advanced visual sensors, electronic warfare (EW), and communications capabilities into a sing...

INS   Karanj  , the Indian Navy's third of six Kalvari-class submarines. The service may soon procure three more vessels in the class.   (Ministry of Defence, Government of India)  The Indian Navy has edged closer towards acquiring another three Kalvari (Scorpene)-class diesel-electric submarines (SSKs) now that the plan has been endorsed by a defence ministry decision making body.  The Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 13 July that its Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) granted the procurement with an Acceptanc...

The US Navy will be operating unmanned platforms such as Wave Glider during the ‘UNITAS' exercise. (Liquid Robotics)  US Navy (USN) Secretary Carlos Del Toro emphasised the potential for unmanned systems during the ‘UNITAS' exercise in his keynote speech on 12 July in Cartagena, Colombia.  “As we look for new ways to counter both narcotics smuggling and Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing, this year's iteration of UNITAS will include several opportunities to experiment with unmanned systems,” Del Toro said.  “Unmanned systems – above...