Anduril Australia wins A$1.7 billion Ghost Shark XL-AUV contract
The vessels are expected to deliver a major boost to Australia’s undersea warfare capabilities, with production set to start immediately.
The future HMAS Hobart is set to enter builder’s trials this month off the coast of South Australia, the Air Warfare Destroyer Alliance announced in September.
The vessel will be put through trials to demonstrate the functionality of the ship’s propulsion, manoeuvrability, auxiliary, control and navigation systems. The ship will be operated under the command of a civilian master and crew, augmented by specialists from the alliance and key equipment suppliers who will perform the system testing and trials.
Prior to trials beginning the alliance will conduct a comprehensive assessment to ensure the safety of the ship, embarked personnel, the environment and other seafarers. This assessment is defined as the Alliance Sea Trials Release Process and has three major steps; the Sea Worthiness Assessment, Ship Sea Trials Release and Sea Readiness Confirmation.
In the lead up to Builder Sea Trials the AWD Alliance continues to complete a number of important alongside dock trials to test ships systems before it departs to sea for the first time. Tests include inclining trials to measure the ship’s stability and vertical centre of gravity, and bollard trials to test the ship’s propulsion system.
Following Builder’s Sea Trials, in early 2017 Hobart will undertake further trials to test and demonstrate the ship’s more advanced systems and the combat system performance.
Hobart is the first of three new Hobart-class air warfare destroyers being built for the Royal Australian Navy.
The vessels are expected to deliver a major boost to Australia’s undersea warfare capabilities, with production set to start immediately.
Acquired under Canada’s Department of National Defence ISTAR UAS project, the drones will be deployed from the Halifax-class frigates.
The US Navy published a pre-solicitation notice of intent for the third phase of the F-35 Reprogramming Verification & Validation System. Meanwhile, with a five-year delay in its schedule, GAO foresees more postponements in the completion of the Block 4 effort.
Cutters Earl Cunningham and Storis have been monitoring five Beijing research vessels navigating in the North Pole.
The multi-award contract will support the scheduled repair and maintenance of nuclear-powered attack submarines at the US Navy’s primary public shipyards.
Hot on the heels of Norway selecting BAE Systems to build five Type 26 anti-submarine frigates, the UK government is reportedly in ‘advanced talks’ on new warship orders for two more Scandinavian countries.