The Poly Technologies A2000 attack USV on display at DSA 2024. (Janes/Vinod Kumar CV)  Chinese defence company Poly Technologies showcased the A2000, a new next-generation combat unmanned surface vessel (USV), at the Defence Services Asia (DSA) 2024 exhibition held in Kuala Lumpur from 6 to 9 May.  The A2000 attack USV has a length of 45 m, a displacement of 280 tonnes, and a top speed of 35 kt. It features twin diesel engines and two controllable pitch propellers.  It is equipped with an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar for...

An infographic of Aselsan's Marlin USV, which is on display at DSA 2024. (Janes)  Turkey's Aselsan has for the first time displayed its Marlin unmanned surface vessel (USV) in its full anti-submarine warfare (ASW) configuration.  In this configuration – on show at the Defence Services Asia (DSA) 2024 exhibition in Kuala Lumpur from 6 to 9 May – the USV is integrated with the Mini-Düfas low-frequency active towed array and passive towed sonar system. Aselsan aims to operationalise the mini version of its Düfas towed active sonar for USVs, call...

PT PAL Multi-Role Support Ship model on display at DSA 2024. (Janes/Vinod Kumar CV)  Lumut Naval Shipyard Sdn Bhd (LUNAS) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Indonesian state shipbuilder PT PAL at the Defence Services Asia (DSA) 2024 exhibition held in Kuala Lumpur from 6 to 9 May.  The MOU seeks to “explore future collaborations in shipbuilding projects, fostering knowledge sharing and technological advancements within the region”, said Azhar Jumaat, CEO of LUNAS, in his welcome speech at the event.  “Through this collaboration,...

MBDA showcased the scale models of its Enhanced Modular Air Defence Solutions and VL MICA New Generation system at the DSA 2024 exhibition. (Janes/Kapil Kajal)    European missile maker MBDA has offered its Enhanced Modular Air Defence Solutions (EMADS) self-propelled surface-to-air missile (SAM) system and VL MICA New Generation (NG) SAM to the Malaysian Armed Forces, a spokesperson of MBDA told   Janes   at the Defence Services Asia (DSA) 2024 exhibition held in Kuala Lumpur from 6 to 9 May.   “[MBDA has] proposed the sy...

A model of the Gibbs & Cox International-class light frigate displayed at the Navy League Sea-Air-Space exposition in April 2024. (Janes/Jeremiah Cushman)    Gibbs & Cox, a wholly owned subsidiary of Leidos, has developed a platform to meet global demand for smaller frigates, William Cowardin Jr, vice-president for global ship design, Gibbs & Cox, told   Janes  in April during the Navy League Sea-Air-Space 2024 global maritime exposition in National Harbor, Maryland. What the company calls the International class began as an i...

Victa integrated with Capewell's UMCADS. (SubSea Craft)  UK-based SubSea Craft has joined forces with Capewell Europe to explore the air deployability of its Victa diver delivery unit (DDU) prototype when integrated onboard the latter's newly developed Universal Maritime Craft Aerial Delivery System (UMCADS).    Speaking to   Janes   on 1 May, Lee Ebsworth, SubSea Craft's chief commercial officer, said the partnership has mutual opportunities as the two companies work together to increase the evidence bank for Victa as a deploy...

The T-650 – pictured above from the DSA 2024 exhibition – is an electrically powered heavy-lift UAS capable of lifting 300 kg out to a range of 30 km (or a radius of 15 km) at 140 km/h. (Janes/Kapil Kajal)  BAE Systems showcased its Herne extra-large autonomous underwater vehicle (XLAUV) and T-650 all-electric heavy-lift unmanned aircraft system (UAS) at the Defence Services Asia (DSA) 2024 exhibition held in Kuala Lumpur from 6 to 9 May.  This is the first time Herne and T-650 systems are being showcased in Asia.    Mike Blake, business...

BrahMos Aerospace showcased a scaled version of the Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jet armed with three BrahMos cruise missiles at the DSA 2024 exhibition. (Janes/Kapil Kajal)  BrahMos Aerospace – a joint venture (JV) between India and Russia – has outlined its plans to export its supersonic cruise missiles to Southeast Asian countries at the Defence Services Asia (DSA) 2024 exhibition held in Kuala Lumpur from 6 to 9 May.  Speaking with Janes at the show, a spokesperson for BrahMos Aerospace said the company has offered its cruise missiles to countrie...

A mock-up of the advanced weapon station on display at DSA 2024. (Janes/Rakend P)  Shrike Marine has secured an arrangement to trial an enhanced version of its advanced weapon station (AWS) with the Malaysian Army.    While speaking to   Janes  at the 18th Defence Services Asia (DSA) 2024 exhibition at Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC), Kuala Lumpur, Shrike Marine disclosed that the trials are planned to start from the week beginning 13 May.   The enhanced version of the AWS was revealed for the fi...

An artist's impression of the French Navy's PA-NG next-generation carrier. (MO Porte Avions)  The French defence procurement agency (Direction Générale de l'Armement: DGA) has placed the first order for long-lead items for the country's future Porte-Avions Nouvelle Génération (PA-NG) next-generation nuclear-powered aircraft carrier (CVN), the French Ministry of the Armed Forces has confirmed.  In a 30 April announcement, the French defence ministry said the DGA had awarded a contract worth EUR600 million (USD642.7 million) to the PA-NG progra...

China's third aircraft carrier, seen here as it embarked on its maiden sea trials on 1 May 2024. (Pu Haiyang/VCG via Getty Images)  China's third aircraft carrier has embarked on its maiden sea trials, state-controlled Xinhua News Agency announced in its report on 1 May.    The carrier,  Fujian  , left the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai at around 0800 h local time on the day of the announcement. These trials will primarily focus on testing the “reliability and stability of the aircraft carrier's propulsion and electrical systems...

Japan has delivered the TPS-P14ME air surveillance radar (pictured), manufactured by Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, to the Philippine Air Force. (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation )  The Philippine Air Force (PAF) has received a mobile radar system from Japan to strengthen air surveillance.  Japan has delivered the TPS-P14ME radar manufactured by Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (Melco) to the PAF, the Philippine Department of National Defense (DND) announced in late April.  “[The TPS-P14ME radar] will provide high-resolution surveillance of a...

India's SMART system, seen here during its first test in 2020. The DRDO carried out the third known test of the system on 1 May 2024. (DRDO)  India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has carried out another test of its missile-based torpedo delivery system after a lull of more than two years.  The latest test of the weapon known as the Supersonic Missile-Assisted Release of Torpedo (SMART) system was carried out on 1 May, the DRDO disclosed in a statement on the same day.  It was fired from a truck-based mobile launcher t...

US lawmakers are criticising the US Navy's decision to cut a Virginia-class submarine, similar to the one shown here, from the recent budget request. (Janes/Michael Fabey)  US lawmakers are continuing to question the US Navy (USN) fiscal year (FY) 2025 budget request that cuts a Virginia-class attack submarine (SSN) from its funding proposal.  Initially, the USN had planned for two Virginias for the fiscal year, but now the service is asking for only a single submarine in the FY 2025 request submitted earlier in 2024.  In recent hearings on t...

RFA  Cardigan Bay  will support the US military personnel by providing temporary offshore accommodation as they build a new temporary pier to deliver aid directly into Gaza.  (UK MoD/Crown Copyright)    The UK Royal Navy's (RN's) Bay-class landing ship dock auxiliary (LSD(A)) vessel Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA)  Cardigan Bay  (L 3009) has been deployed to the coast of Gaza where it will provide support to US military building a new temporary floating pier that will facilitate the delivery of humanita...

The US Navy has begun to improve its current public shipyards, such as the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, shown here. (US Navy)  A new labour agreement signed on 29 April that seeks to build a rotational workforce of skilled welders could eventually serve as template for a national workforce arrangement for work on naval ships, according to Edward L Bartlett Jr, founder and CEO of Bartlett Maritime Corporation (BMC) – the company that brokered the deal.  The impetus for the rotational welders was a plan to use such a workforce to work on naval sh...

The Belgian Navy's Modernised M (Karel Doorman)-class frigate BNS   Louise-Marie  (F 931) will join the EU's maritime security mission ‘Aspides' in the Red Sea in the coming week.  (Guy Toremans)  The Belgian Navy's Modernised M (Karel Doorman)-class frigate BNS Louise-Marie (F 931) has been declared operationally ready to participate in the European Union's (EU's) maritime security missions in the Red Sea and Strait of Hormuz following a period of extended preparatory training in the Mediterranean, the service h...

A model of the South Korea-developed CIWS-II on display at MADEX 2023. (Janes/Ridzwan Rahmat)  South Korea's defence procurement agency has announced programmes to bolster its navy's ability to intercept ballistic missiles and unmanned vehicles.  These include a programme to improve the country's indigenous close-in weapon system (CIWS) project undertaken in consideration of recent changes in warfare techniques, said the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) in its announcement on 26 April.  South Korea's indigenously conceived C...

Virginia-class submarine  New Jersey  was delivered to the US Navy.  (Janes/Michael Fabey)    HII's Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) unit confirmed on 25 April it had delivered Virginia-class fast-attack submarine  New Jersey  (SSN 796) to the US Navy (USN) in a release, noting the SSN is scheduled to be commissioned later in 2024.   The submarine delivery comes at a time when the USN shipbuilding is coming under scrutiny – with the Virginia-class programmes being one of the efforts coming under...

HMS   Diamond   shoots down a missile fired by Iranian-backed Houthis from Yemen over the Gulf of Aden using its Sea Viper missile system – the first time a Royal Navy warship has intercepted a missile in combat since 1991.  (Royal Navy/Crown Copyright)  The UK Royal Navy's (RN's) Daring (Type 45)-class destroyer HMS Diamond (D 34) has successfully engaged an anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) launched by Yemen-based Ansar Allah (commonly known as Houthi) rebels targeting a merchant ship in the Gulf of Aden, the s...