Netherlands to acquire Finnish littoral assault craft in LCVP replacement programme
The Dutch navy had reportedly been considering BAE Systems’ Littoral Strike Craft to replace its ageing landing craft fleet.
Thales showcased its naval combat management system (CMS) capabilities to Shephard on 6 February at a media event in Crawley, after the company was selected to provide its Tacticos platform in its role as mission systems integrator for the Royal Navy’s (RN’s) Type 31e frigate programme.
A demonstration was conducted using virtual reality and simulation technologies. It showed Tacticos’ capabilities in terms of automatic threat identification, including how it can quickly recognize traffic trends, identify anomalous behaviour and provide enough information to take action.
While Tacticos provides autonomous capabilities, human authorization is still required to open fire.
Thales developed a
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The Dutch navy had reportedly been considering BAE Systems’ Littoral Strike Craft to replace its ageing landing craft fleet.
Saab Kockums was initially awarded the contract to build two A26 submarines for the Royal Swedish Navy in 2015, but the programme has faced delays and escalating costs.
If the foreign military sale request is approved, Germany would be the first country outside the US to acquire the technology, which is currently used extensively by the US Navy.
Satellite navigation is increasingly critical for global maritime defence, and Low Earth Orbit satellites are rapidly overtaking the traditional and more widely used Medium Earth Orbit option as they are less susceptible to jamming or spoofing.
The initial sea trials for Virginia-class SSN 798 conducted by Newport News Shipbuilding division and the US Navy marked an “important step”, but the ongoing AUKUS review casts a shadow over what the progress means for the partner nations.
The US Navy is conducting market research to find AI software products for the Collaborative Integrated Air and Missile Defence Planning Programme.