Colombia intends to deploy new USV. (Erich Saumeth Cadavid)    The Colombian Navy (ARC) intends to deploy the new electric unmanned surface vehicle (USV) CotEnergy Boat in April, Admiral Francisco Cubides, commander of the ARC, told   Janes  .   Adm Cubides confirmed the deployment earlier this month after the USV – produced by Atomo Tech and Cotecmar – was operated during a demonstration at the Colombiamar 2023 naval fair, which was held from 8 to 10 March.  The navy demonstrated capabilities of the vessel to representativ...

HNLMS  Schiedam,   one of six remaining Alkmaar (Tripartite)-class minehunters in RNLN service.  (Michael Nitz – Naval Press Service)  The Ukrainian Navy's mine countermeasures (MCM) capabilities are set to receive another boost with the donation of Dutch Alkmaar (Tripartite)-class minehunters.  While visiting southern Ukraine during the third week of March, Dutch Minister of Defence Kajsa Ollongren confirmed plans to donate two Alkmaar-class minehunters as part of a military aid package that also included drone...

A file image of a Fearless-class patrol vessel while it was in service with the Republic of Singapore Navy. Singapore has since transferred one of the boats to Brunei. (Singapore Ministry of Defence)  The Royal Brunei Navy (RBN) has commissioned the ex-Singapore Fearless-class patrol vessel it received on 15 March.  The vessel, which has been renamed KDB As-Siddiq with pennant number 95, was commissioned on 21 March at the RBN's naval base in Muara, Brunei.  Janes first reported on 10 March that Brunei has agreed to receive two ex-Singapore F...

Hensoldt UK will supply its Kelvin Hughes Mk11 SharpEye naval navigation radars (pictured) for the Philippine Navy's new offshore patrol vessels and corvettes, being developed by Hyundai Heavy Industries. (Hensoldt)  Hensoldt UK, formerly known as Kelvin Hughes, has secured two contracts to supply its Mk11 SharpEye naval navigation radars for the Philippine Navy's new offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) and corvettes, being developed by Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI).  In addition to navigation, the Mk11 SharpEye pulse-doppler radar can provide en...

ACV is an eight-wheeled armoured personnel carrier designed to fully replace the USMC's ageing fleet of Amphibious Assault Vehicles. The USMC budget request includes a boost for ACV procurement in FY 2024. (USMC)  The US Marine Corps (USMC) is asking for USD705 million more in discretionary spending for its Force Design 2030 priorities in fiscal year (FY) 2024 than enacted in FY 2023, according to budget documents.  The USMC topline request for the modernisation experimentation campaign, which calls for a more agile force, was USD17.1 billion...

A developmental Stork test vehicle going through flight trials. (Animal Dynamics)  Oxford-based Animal Dynamics' Stork STM parafoil unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has been selected by the UK Royal Navy (RN) to participate in the second phase of its Unmanned Aerial Systems Heavy Lift Challenge (UASHLC).  The Stork STM was selected following a pre-selection flying competition in late 2022, in which it demonstrated the ability to conduct beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) operations and carry a 135 kg payload over a distance of 400 km – meeting...

The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force is expected to operate the OZZ-5 MCM UUV in Japan's disputed southern islands. (Janes/Jon Grevatt)  Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) is set to deliver its first OZZ-5 mine-countermeasures (MCM) unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) to the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF).    Company officials told   Janes  at the DSEI Japan 2023 exhibition in Chiba that the first of five on-order OZZ-5 systems will be supplied to the JMSDF by the end of March. The initial five OZZ-5s are all...

An MST special forces FRISC. (MST)  Dutch-owned Damen Shipyardshas awarded UK boatbuilder Marine Specialised Technology Group (MST) a contract to equip the German Navy's Type 126 frigates with 12 m fast interceptor craft.  Under the contract, announced on 13 March, Merseyside-based MST will supply 12 of its latest-generation Fast Raiding, Interception and Special Forces Craft (FRISC) rigid-hulled inflatable boats (RHIBs). The scope of supply includes transportation trailers and a comprehensive integrated logistics support package.  The 12 m v...

The development of the Island Defence ASM – seen here on display at the DSEI Japan 2023 show – has been allocated funding of USD257 million in the 2023 defence budget. (Janes/Jon Grevatt)  Japanese company Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) has unveiled a model of a new long-range cruise missile at the DSEI Japan 2023 exhibition in Chiba.  KHI told Janes that the weapon – known tentatively as the ‘Island Defence' anti-ship missile (ASM) – is designed to be launched from warships, aircraft, and land platforms. The company said the missile could a...

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has displayed a new USV (pictured) at DSEI Japan 2023, which will be able to automatically launch and recover expendable mine disposal systems and smaller unmanned systems. (Janes/Oishee Majumdar)  Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) unveiled an unmanned surface vessel (USV) it has developed, named Whale, at DSEI Japan 2023 being held in Chiba from 15 to 17 March.  According to company specifications, the Whale USV has a length of 8.8 m, a beam of 3.05 m, and weighs about 6 tons. The system is equipped with a folding...

The US Coast Guard's fiscal year 2024 proposed budget requests sustainment funding for ships such as the icebreaker USCGC   Healy  .  (Michael Fabey)  The US Coast Guard (USCG) is requesting about USD13.5 billion in its fiscal year (FY) 2024 budget proposal, compared with the USD13.9 billion enacted in FY 2023, according to USCG budget documents.  The FY 2024 budget requests USD10.2 billion for Operations and Support (O&S) and USD1.6 billion for procurement, construction, and improvements (PC&I).  Funding requeste...

Saab has demonstrated the Sirius Compact (pictured) passive EW sensor to a Northeast Asian military, and is expected to also demonstrate to a South Asian military soon. (Saab)  Saab is pitching its ‘Sirius Compact' passive electronic warfare (EW) sensor, launched in May 2022, to countries in the Asia-Pacific, a company official told Janes at the DSEI Japan 2023 show being held in Chiba.  Janes understands that Saab has demonstrated the Sirius Compact to the armed forces of a Northeast Asian country. Saab has also received requests from a Sout...

A conceptual image, displayed at DSEI Japan 2023, showing how the UUV and semi-submersible USV developed by IHI Corporation will work together with the mother vessel to counter mines. (Janes/Oishee Majumdar)    Japanese heavy-industry manufacturer, IHI Corporation, has developed an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) to detect mines. The system has been delivered to the Japan Coast Guard and will also be provided to the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), a company official told   Janes   at DSEI Japan 2023 being held in C...

The US Navy intends to retire guided-missile cruiser USS   Cowpens  earlier than its planned service life.  (US Navy)  The proposed US Navy (USN) fiscal year (FY) 2024 budget includes the early retirement of eight ships as the service looks to divest of expensive platforms the navy deems to be unworthy of further investment, according to USN budget documents released on 13 March.  “The department's budget includes a reduction of 11 ships, eight of which are listed here before their end-of-service-life (ESL),” USN...

ATLA displayed a model of its scramjet-powered hypersonic anti-ship missile at the DSEI Japan 2023 show. The model shows elements of the missile, including its seeker, warhead, fuel tank, scramjet, and energy source. (Janes/Jon Grevatt)    Japan's Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA) is accelerating the development of its proposed scramjet-powered hypersonic anti-ship missile, an agency official told  Janes  at the DSEI Japan 2023 show in Chiba on 15 March.   The official, who did not want to be identified, sai...

India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) test-flies a very short-range air-defence system missile in Odisha on 14 March 2023. The missile has a length of 2 m, a diameter of 0.09 m, and a weight of 21 kg. (DRDO)  India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has completed two flight tests of its very short-range air-defence system (VSHORADS) missiles, the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.    According to a press release by the MoD on 14 March, the tests were conducted from the Integrated Test Range...

The USN plans to buy 20 Constellation-class guided missile frigates. (Fincantieri Marinette Marine)  Outfitted to build Freedom-class littoral combat ships (LCSs), the Fincantieri Marinette Marine (FMM) shipyard was ill-equipped to build the new fleet of Constellation-class guided-missile frigates (FFG 62s) set to be acquired by the US Navy (USN).  To win the USN contract to build the new ships, FMM disclosed plans to completely overhaul its shipyard in Marinette, Wisconsin.  The USN awarded the FMM team the FFG 62 fixed-price incentive (firm...

The original Type 12 SSM is pictured, on the left, being launched from a transporter-erector-launcher vehicle. Images on the right show the system's sensor and control station. (Japan MOD)  Japan's Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA) expects the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) to induct the upgraded ship-launched variant of the Type 12 surface-to-surface missile (SSM) by 2026, ATLA told Janes at the DSEI Japan 2023 show in Chiba.  The missile – developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) – is an improved variant of...

The US Navy's fiscal year 2024 budget proposal includes funding for an AS(X) submarine tender to replace Emory S Land-class submarine tenders such as   Frank Cable  .  (Chris Gee)  The US Navy (USN) is requesting USD1.7 billion in its fiscal year (FY) 2024 budget proposal for an AS(X) submarine tender replacement, according to budget documents released on 13 March by the Pentagon.  The funding would significantly accelerate the AS(X) submarine tender, representing a substantial increase over the FY 2023 amount of...

The US Navy's proposed fiscal year 2024 budget request includes funding for two Constellation-class guided-missile frigates. (Fincantieri Marinette Marine)  The US Navy (USN) fiscal year (FY) 2024 budget request includes USD14.3 billion for surface combatants, including funding to bolster guided-missile destroyer (DDG) and frigate (FFG) numbers, according to Pentagon budget documents released on 13 March.  The FY 2024 proposal includes about USD4.8 billion for two DDG 51 Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, compared with USD8.2 billion...