Ocius Technologies' Bluebottle USV operates in the waters of Jervis Bay during Exercise ‘Autonomous Warrior 2022' at HMAS Creswell in the Australian Capital Territory. On 9 June the Australian DoD announced that Ocius has completed the delivery of the fifth and final Bluebottle USV to the RAN. (Commonwealth of Australia)  Ocius Technologies has completed the delivery of all Bluebottle unmanned surface vessels (USVs) to the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) under a AUD4.9 million (USD3.3 million) contract secured in November 2022.  The Australian De...

Bucha  has been assigned to the river flotilla based on the Dnipro river in Kiev region.  (Ministry of Defence, Ukraine)  Ukraine has commissioned its eighth Gurza-M (Viper-M) missile-armed riverine patrol boat into service.    The new boat, named   Bucha  (P 181), has been assigned to the river flotilla based on the Dnipro river in Kiev region, which was established in 2022.   Bucha  started construction at Kuznia na Rybalskomu (previously Leninska Kuznia) shipyard in Kiev in 2019 and was launched on 3...

The RNoN Ula-class submarine, HNoMS  Utsira  (foreground), and Fridtjof Nansen-class frigate HNoMS  Otto Sverdrup  operate together during NATO's ‘Dynamic Mongoose' anti-submarine warfare exercise in the North Atlantic in 2020. Under the defence chief's recommendations, Norway could expand both its submarine and surface fleets.  (NATO Maritime Command Flickr feed)  Norway's Chief of Defence General Eirik Kristoffersen has called for an increase in the Royal Norwegian Navy's (RNoN's) submarine and fri...

A model of Hanwha Ocean's XLUUV on display at MADEX 2023. (Janes/Ridzwan Rahmat)  Hanwha Ocean has unveiled the basic design of the extra-large unmanned underwater vehicle (XLUUV) it is developing for the Republic of Korea Navy (RoKN).  The design was showcased via a scale model unveiled at the MADEX 2023 exhibition held in Busan from 7 to 9 June. It was conceived pursuant to a contract signed between Hanwha Ocean and the South Korean government in April 2023.    The contract calls for basic design and development works for an XLUUV that...

A model of the Surion MCH displayed at MADEX 2023. (Janes/Chinmay Kohad)  Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and BAE Systems signed a contract agreement on 8 June to support delivery of the UK company's Archerfish Mine Neutralisation System (AMNS) for integration onto the KAI KUH-1 Surion mine-countermeasures helicopter (MCH).  The total number of AMNS units to be delivered to KAI under the agreement, which was signed at the MADEX 2023 exhibition held in Busan, is unknown. However, KAI intends to fit the MCH with four Archerfish systems and an...

A new US government report cites concerns about installing hypersonic missile equipment on the USS   Zumwalt  .  (Janes/Michael Fabey)  Both US Navy (USN) vessel platforms lined up for the service's first Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) deployments face issues with scheduling and development, according to a US Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released on 8 June.    The first USN platform lined up for the CPS weapon system is the guided-missile destroyer, USS   Zumwalt  (DDG 1000)....

The Sea Ghost (above) can control up to four M-Searcher USVs operating in swarm. (Janes/Chinmay Kohad)  Hanwha Systems displayed its manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) solution for the Republic of Korea Navy (RoKN) at the MADEX 2023 exhibition in Busan, which concluded on 9 June. The concept features two types of unmanned surface vessel (USV) platforms – the Sea Ghost and the M-Searcher.  The Sea Ghost USV has a length of 12 m and a width of 3.5 m. This vessel is powered by two engines using hybrid propulsion, with two water-jets enabling a crui...

The US Marine Corps is focusing on developing better logistics. (Janes/Michael Fabey)  To lay the foundation for revamped US Marine Corps (USMC) expeditionary operations, USMC leadership has underscored the need to properly support dispersed forces with sufficient logistics.  In much the same way, the US Navy (USN) is developing its own somewhat similarly designed distributed lethality concept that also must provide the logistics support for those far-flung, thinly spread forces.    The USN acknowledges the importance of logistics force...

A model of the Sea Sword-5 USV by LIG Nex1 on display at MADEX 2023. (Janes/Ridzwan Rahmat)  The Republic of Korea Navy (RoKN) is now considering LIG Nex1's Sea Sword-5 as one of the vehicles that will be operated from its future command ships for unmanned systems.  The Sea Sword-5 is an 8 m unmanned surface vessel (USV) that was first unveiled by LIG Nex1 in 2022 and originally positioned for the Korea Coast Guard's maritime surveillance requirements.    However, the USV has now also received interest from naval planners as a force pro...

The DRDO and SFC have conducted the flight test of the nuclear-capable Agni Prime missile from Dr Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha, India. The above picture shows the first test launch of the missile in June 2021. (DRDO via Press Information Bureau)  India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Strategic Forces Command (SFC) have conducted the flight test of a new-generation ballistic missile known as Agni Prime on 7 June, the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.  According to a press release by the MoD on 8 J...

A model of HHI's latest CVX aircraft carrier design. (Janes/Mike Plunkett)  Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) displayed the latest iteration of its CVX aircraft carrier concept at the MADEX 2023 exhibition in Busan, which concludes on 9 June.  Previous versions of the CVX programme have featured short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) designs. However, HHI's new CVX design features a catapult-assisted take-off but arrested recovery (CATOBAR) capability enabling it to operate a wide range of naval fixed-wing aircraft.    An HHI represent...

A model of the Joint Strike Ship, which has been developed by Hanwha Ocean in anticipation of a Republic of Korea Navy requirement for such a vessel. (Janes/Ridzwan Rahmat)  Hanwha Ocean has unveiled a Joint Strike Ship concept that was conceived for Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation (KMPR) requirements.    The concept was unveiled at the International Maritime Defense Industry Exhibition (MADEX) 2023 in Busan. It was conceived against the backdrop of a growing nuclear threat from North Korea, said a Hanwha Ocean representative w...

LIG Nex1's new AUV and XLUUV are being developed to meet South Korea's mine-countermeasures requirements. (Janes/Chinmay Kohad)  LIG Nex1 displayed models of a new autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) and an extra-large unmanned underwater vehicle (XLUUV) at the MADEX 2023 exhibition in Busan, South Korea.  The company told Janes that the AUV, which is under development, has a length of 2 m and a diameter of 20 cm. It has an operational depth of 200 m and weighs 60 kg.  The AUV is being developed under a KRW12 billion (USD9.1 million) contract...

USS   Zumwalt  made its Exercise ‘Northern Edge' debut.  (US Navy)    The recently completed ‘Northern Edge 23-1' exercise in the Alaskan High North latitudes featured new wrinkles this year, including a newly expanded exercise area, the participation of US allies, and the debut of the guided-missile destroyer USS   Zumwalt  (DDG 1000) in those operations, US Navy (USN) officials confirmed.   ‘Northern Edge 23-1' took place from 4 May through 19 May across the Joint Pacific Alaskan Range Compl...

Japan's MoD has signed contracts with MHI to research hypersonic weapons and signed a contract with KHI to research new anti-ship missiles, an example of which is seen here on display at the DSEI Japan 2023 show. (Janes/Jon Grevatt)  Japan's Ministry of Defense (MoD) has signed contracts with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) to research and develop anti-ship and hypersonic missiles, according to an MoD press release on 6 June.  The MoD signed three contracts with MHI, which include hypersonic weapons resea...

HHI's HCX-23 trimaran incorporates low-observability features, including reduced radar cross-sections and a retractable radar. (Janes/Chinmay Kohad)  Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) displayed a concept model of its new HCX-23 trimaran ship at the MADEX 2023 exhibition in Busan, South Korea.  The HCX-23 has a length of 130 m, a beam of 36 m, and a displacement of 6,000 tonnes. The ship features a 48 cell vertical launching system (VLS) on its foredeck, which can be fitted with a mix of surface-to-air or anti-surface missiles. At the front there...

A model of the Ghost Commander concept on display at MADEX 2023. Hanwha Ocean has developed a 5,000-tonne variant of the concept in anticipation of a requirement for such a vessel from the South Korean government. (Janes/Ridzwan Rahmat)  Hanwha Ocean has unveiled its proposal for South Korea's anticipated command ship programme, which will play host to an array of unmanned aerial, surface, and underwater vehicles (UAVs, USVs, and UUVs).  The proposal, which the company calls the 5,000-tonne variant of the Ghost Commander, was made public for...

ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems and Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders are expected to offer the Indian Navy a version of the Type 214 submarine for the service's P-75I programme for six AIP-capable submarines. (Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft)  India's Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL) and Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) have signed an agreement to support the construction in India of air-independent propulsion (AIP)-capable diesel-electric submarines (SSKs).  The deal is intended to position the two companies for the Indian Navy's stalled Pr...

A model of Hanwha Ocean's 1400-class submarine, which is the basis for the proposal sent to the Philippine Navy, on display at MADEX 2023. (Janes/Ridzwan Rahmat)  Hanwha Ocean has upped the ante in its bid to supply the Philippine Navy with two diesel-electric submarines by offering selected combat systems found on South Korea's Dosan An Chang-ho(KSS-III)-class boats.  These include combat systems that will be exported from South Korea for the first time such as the LIG Nex1-supplied hull sonar found on the KSS-III submarine, the details of w...

A model of the South Korea-developed CIWS-II on display at MADEX 2023. (Janes/Ridzwan Rahmat)  The Republic of Korea Navy's (RoKN's) Ulsan-class Batch III frigates will be equipped with the indigenously developed ‘CIWS-II' close in weapon system (CIWS) but only from 2026.  This indicative timeline is almost two years later than originally planned as the RoKN has requested for slight design changes to be made to the CIWS-II, said an LIG Nex1 representative who spoke to Janes at the International Maritime Defense Industry Exhibition (MADEX) 20...