Aircraft carrier USS   Gerald R Ford  has reported success with launching and recovery systems, but a Pentagon report says more testing is needed.  (Janes/Michael Fabey)  US Navy (USN) aircraft carrier USS Gerald R Ford (CVN 78) has proven the effectiveness of its flight operations and other vital systems during recent deployments and testing, but some of these systems still present reliability issues, according to the Director, Operational Test & Evaluation (DOT&E) FY 2023 Annual Report released on 2 February....

A Royal Malaysian Navy G2000 Mk II fast interceptor craft, seen here at the vessel's induction ceremony in Sandakan on 2 February 2024. (Royal Malaysian Navy)  Malaysia will deploy all four of its newly received G2000 Mk II fast interceptor craft (FIC) at its Sandakan Naval Base in East Malaysia, the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) has confirmed.  “All four vessels will operate with the Eastern Command's Naval Area 2 in Sandakan to enhance the area's security especially in eastern Sabah, and act as force multipliers to the navy,” reads a statemen...

Kronstadt  , the second Lada-class SSK on order for the Russian Federation Navy, is pictured during its commissioning ceremony at Admiralty Shipyards on 31 January.  ( United Shipbuilding Corporation)  The Russian Federation Navy (RFN) formally commissioned Kronstadt, the second Project 677 Lada (Sankt Petersburg)-class diesel-electric submarine (SSK), in a ceremony at Admiralty Shipyards in St Petersburg on 31 January.  Speaking at the ceremony, which was announced by Admiralty Shipyards the same day, RFN Commander-in-Chief Admi...

The keel-laying ceremony of the first Swordfish frigate was held on 31 January. (PGZ)  A keel-laying ceremony for Poland's first Project 106 Miecznik (Swordfish)-class frigate was held at the Polish Armaments Group (Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa: PGZ) Naval Shipyard in Gdynia on 31 January, PGZ has confirmed.    The future ORP   Wicher   (274) is the first of three multi-purpose frigates in the class being built by PGZ Naval Shipyard in co-operation with strategic partners Babcock (as the platform design provider and technology part...

Taiwan showcased the Sky Bow III surface-to-air missile system during a media event at Hualien Air Force Base in August 2022. (Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images)  Taiwan has initiated deployment of its Sky Bow III surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems – known locally as Tien Kung III – at existing MIM-23 Hawk and Sky Bow II air-defence system sites, a Republic of China Army (RoCA) officer told Janes on 29 January.  The move follows a budgetary report submitted by Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) to the Legislative Yuan in October 2023, w...

The Constellation-class frigate design is derived from the Italian Navy's Bergamini-class FREMM frigates. (US Navy)  Greek Minister of National Defence Nikos Dendias has announced that the country is interested in the joint production of a modified version of the Constellation-class frigates being built for the US Navy (USN). Dendias' comments were made following a meeting with the defence minister of the Republic of Cyprus on 29 January.  “On 16 January we received a letter from the US Navy accepting in principle our interest in the co-desig...

The NDMA has ordered NASAMS from Kongsberg to replace systems donated to Ukraine, with deliveries to the Norwegian Armed Forces expected in 2026–27. (Forsvaret)  The Norwegian government has ordered new National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMSs) from Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace to replace systems donated to Ukraine, the company announced in a press release on 31 January. Kongsberg valued the contract with the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency (NDMA) at approximately NOK1.4 billion (USD133 million),  with deliveries expe...

Naval Group's XLUUV demonstrator, which completed sea trials in late 2023, will be a key component of the UCUV project. (Naval Group)  Naval Group has been awarded a contract by French defence procurement agency Directorate General of Armament (DGA) for the development of an unmanned combat underwater vehicle (UCUV) demonstrator.  Under a framework agreement announced by both parties on 29 January 2024 but formalised on 28 December 2023, Naval Group will design, produce, and test a 10 m-long UCUV prototype.  The agreement follows a nine-mont...

The UK MoD has cancelled earlier plans to fit an LDEW demonstrator to a Type 23 frigate. (Thales)  The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has dropped plans to trial a laser-directed energy weapon (LDEW) demonstrator from a Royal Navy (RN) Type 23 frigate.  Revealing the decision in a 30 January parliamentary answer, Minister of State for Defence Procurement James Cartlidge said the move was intended to free up money for the UK's wider Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) programme. Thales had been under contract to develop the maritime LDEW demonstrator....

Iver Huitfeldt  sets sail from Korsør on 29 January. The frigate is Denmark's contribution to strengthening maritime security in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.  (Rune Dyrholm/The Armed Forces)  The Royal Danish Navy (RDN) has despatched its air-defence frigate Iver Huitfeldt (F 361) to the Red Sea where it will participate in the US-led multinational task force Operation ‘Prosperity Guardian'.  Iver Huitfeldt set sail from Korsør bound for the Mediterranean on 29 January, the Danish Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed the sam...

North Korea's Hwasal-2 cruise missile. (Janes)  North Korea has carried out a test-firing of its Hwasal-2 cruise missile.  The test was carried out by a Korean People's Army (KPA) unit and the weapon was fired into the Yellow Sea (West Sea) on 30 January, according to a statement published by Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) the next day.  “The drills validated the [North Korean armed forces'] readiness for rapid counter-attack and enhanced its strategic strike capabilities and did not have any detrimental effect on the...

Personnel from the Royal Australian Navy test an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) in Western Australia in 2021. Australia will collaborate with Japan to develop communication technologies that can enhance the interoperability of UUVs used by both countries. (Commonwealth of Australia)  Japan and Australia plan to initially focus on enhancing underwater communication technologies under a recently signed bilateral agreement to co-develop robotics and autonomous systems (RAS) for undersea warfare.  A spokesperson for Australia's Department of D...

Sea Ghost maritime attack USV can be configured to carry different warheads without much change to the base design. (Janes)  The United Arab Emirates' (UAE's) Innovation Composites Aerospace Group showcased the Sea Ghost maritime attack unmanned surface vessel (USV) at the Unmanned Systems Exhibition and Conference (UMEX) 2024 show held in Abu Dhabi from 23 to 25 January.    Speaking to   Janes   on 24 January, Christoph Jung, project manager at Innovation Composites Aerospace Group, said the Sea Ghost is an advanced USV with...

Maharaja Lela  , seen here under construction at Lumut, more than two years after its ceremonial launch.  (Malaysia Ministry of Defence)  Malaysia's Boustead Naval Shipyard (BNS) has once again pushed back the expected delivery date for the country's first Maharaja Lela-class littoral combat ship (LCS).  A report published by a government-convened Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on 24 January indicates that the frigate-like ship will now be delivered in October 2026. This is an almost two-year delay from the November 2024 target...

The Turkish Navy's Ada-class corvette TCG   Kınalıada  (F-514) test-fires an Atmaca anti-ship missile in the Black Sea in early November 2019.  (Roketsan)  Turkey has begun serial production of its indigenously developed Akya heavyweight torpedo (HWT), Atmaca surface-to-surface anti-ship guided missile, and Sapan anti-aircraft air-defence missile.  A contract signing ceremony to start mass producing the three weapon systems, which were developed by Turkish manufacturer Roketsan, was held on 20 January, the Turkis...

A testbed radar – installed atop a 40 ft tower acting as a proxy ship mast – has been employed by NSWCDD since mid-2020 as an FXR test asset and risk reduction system. (US Navy)  A request for information (RFI) released by US Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) on 16 January has called for industry input to inform future decisions on development and initial production of the Future X-band Radar (FXR) being planned for large surface combatants, nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, and amphibious ships.  Complementary to the Raytheon AN/SPY-6(V) f...

An Atmaca missile seen here being launched from the Turkish corvette TCG   Kınalıada  . Indonesia looks set to be the first export customer of the missile.   (Roketsan)    Indonesia has awarded local defence company PT Republik Defensindo the contract to procure an initial batch of Atmaca anti-ship guided missiles from Turkey,   Janes  has been informed by multiple sources close to the matter.   This contract, which covers the procurement of 45 missile rounds and associated launcher units and u...

The PLA deploys YJ-62 missiles in Haiyang drills. (Janes)    The 333rd Coastal Defence Brigade of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Northern Theater Command (NTC) has deployed land-attack YJ-62 anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCMs) in a drill that took place in Haiyang, a coastal city southeast of the Shandong Peninsula    in China.   According to the drill's video footage released by Chinese state-owned broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV), the brigade was seen exercising with four 8×8 WS2400 transporter-erector-launch...

The new MRV is intended to replace the former Irish Naval Service flagship LÉ   Eithne  , which was decommissioned in 2022.  (Michael Nitz/Naval Press Service)  The Irish Department of Defence (DoD) has issued a prior information notice for the procurement of a new multirole vessel (MRV) for the Irish Naval Service (INS) on the European Union's (EU's) Tenders Electronic Daily (TED) portal.    The information notice, published on 23 January, moves the Irish government's plan to procure an MRV into a new phase....

TCG   Istanbul  (F 515) was commissioned into service on 19 January.  (C D Yaylali)  Three new ships and an unmanned surface vessel (USV) joined the Turkish Navy's inventory during a commissioning ceremony held at Sefine Shipyard in Yalova on 19 January, the Turkish Ministry of National Defense(MND) confirmed the same day.  TCG Istanbul (F 515), the lead frigate in its class, was commissioned into service alongside the navy's new fleet replenishment ship (Dimdeg) TCG Derya (A 1590), logistic support ship TCG Üste...