VARD and Fincantieri launch Resilience ship family to fill target Norway’s standardised vessel needs
VARD and Fincantieri’s announcement to launch the VARD Resilience series came only weeks after Norway’s new long-term 2025–36 defence plan.
As part of a mission scenario, ECA Group's R7 ROV investigated objects and structures submerged in the Baltic Sea harbour of Gydnia, Poland.
iXBlue announced the demonstration on 26 July in a press release.
iXblue's Gaps M7 USBL acoustic positioning system was used to geolocate the ROV and correct its trajectory.
The duo, hosted by local Polish partner Thesta, demonstrated the capability to the Polish Naval Academy and NAVSUP 2022 attendees to show that accurate positioning of underwater targets is possible in a hostile and fast-approaching environment.
A transponder was also placed hundreds of meters away at 5m depth, with trials carried out in the water at depths of 7 to 10m surrounded by docks and vessels generating acoustic echoes.
iXblue said the positioning of the ROV and transponder was stable and accurate despite the challenging acoustic conditions.
VARD and Fincantieri’s announcement to launch the VARD Resilience series came only weeks after Norway’s new long-term 2025–36 defence plan.
Under Project Land 8710 Phase 2, Australia has been seeking to acquire an undisclosed number of Littoral Manoeuvre Vessels to replace the Balikpapan-class. The programme has an estimated value of AU$1.4 billion (US$910 million), with IOC slated for 2032.
The Royal Navy’s Type-23 Duke-class frigates for the UK Royal Navy were designed as anti-submarine warfare (ASW) ships but now have a multi-role function. Of the 16 Type 23s built, 12 remain in service with the Royal Navy and will be replaced by the Type-26 frigates before 2035.
The work took place under the Patrol Boat Autonomy Trial (PBAT), which has been a collaboration between Austal, Greenroom Robotics, the Trusted Autonomous Systems Defence Cooperative Research Centre and the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN) Warfare Innovation Navy Branch.
The era of southeast Asian submarine modernisation has been in full swing fuelled by growing tensions in the South China Sea.
On 24 March 2022, Greece and Naval Group have signed a contract for three defence and intervention (FDI) frigates. Two warships will be due for delivery in 2025 and the third expected the following year, with the deal including an option to add a fourth frigate to be ready in 2027.