Argentina’s submarine and frigate acquisitions resurface with $3.5bn funding plan
Buenos Aires set out foreign loans worth $3.5 billion in its draft 2027 budget, opening a contest in which Naval Group and TKMS could lead the field.
The Hellenic Navy has placed an order for 11 METIS RIBs from Viking Life-Saving Equipment.
The boats will be supplied by the company’s Greek branch, Viking Norsafe Life-Saving Equipment Hellas. They will be manufactured at a facility in Thiva.
The SAR craft will be delivered in summer 2020 and they will gradually replace boats used on larger vessels, including the MEKO-type frigates.
Endre Eidsvik, VP Sales & Service of Viking Norsafe Life-Saving Equipment Hellas, said: ‘Being based on the very successful Viking Norsafe METIS family of RIBs, these boats are easy to launch, highly manoeuvrable and versatile, and the ideal support tool for SAR operations.’
METIS RIB can reach speeds of 30kt when fully loaded and includes state-of-the-art navigation systems. It is powered by a single engine and is between 6m and 7m in length.
Buenos Aires set out foreign loans worth $3.5 billion in its draft 2027 budget, opening a contest in which Naval Group and TKMS could lead the field.
A heavyweight torpedo firing from the Royal Navy’s uncrewed submarine XV Excalibur suggests a shift beyond surveillance, with allied navies eyeing strike roles for large autonomous undersea vessels.
Fincantieri and PT PAL have agreed on a framework to modernise the former Giuseppe Garibaldi, with drones, communications and broader Italian–Indonesian industrial ties involved.
With no formal competition under way, industrial partnerships, production capacity and air defence capability could all shape the programme as Denmark considers how to replace its three Iver Huitfeldt-class frigates.
Payload commonality, combat systems and electronic warfare are emerging as likely priorities as the trilateral partnership balances building submarines with sharing industrial ecosystems.
Singapore is building space for uncrewed systems and future technologies into its new Sentinel-class OPVs, reflecting a wider move towards adaptable vessels capable of maintaining persistent maritime presence.