US Navy receives final Independence-class Littoral Combat Ship
The delivery acceptance of the future USS Pierre marks the conclusion of the construction phase for the Independence-variant.
Thales UK has received a £330 million contract to provide the sonar system for the Royal Navy’s Dreadnought submarines, the UK Ministry of Defence announced on 28 February.
The contract was awarded by BAE Systems Submarines, which is building four nuclear submarines for the Royal Navy as its future Continuous at-Sea Deterrence (CASD).
The sonars and sensors will include Thales’ Sonar 2076 and electronic warfare systems to provide visual and situational awareness for the crew.
The next-generation Dreadnought submarines are due to enter service with the Royal Navy from the early 2030s as a replacement for the Vanguard class of ballistic missile submarines.
Victor Chavez, chief executive, Thales, said: ‘Thales is immensely proud of our contribution to the CASD over the last 50 years. This announcement represents a £330m investment in world-class sonar and optronics systems; providing the battle-winning edge for the Royal Navy.
‘Having supported the deterrent since its inception, and with over a century of supplying periscopes to the Royal Navy, I am proud that our engineers continue to deliver cutting edge innovative technology at sites across the UK.’
The delivery acceptance of the future USS Pierre marks the conclusion of the construction phase for the Independence-variant.
The new Barracuda version has been engineered to perform enhanced subsea and seabed warfare missions.
The nearly $25 billion investment will cover USCG procurement of cutters, aircraft, helicopters, training simulators and Polar capabilities over the next four years.
After commissioning, FRC Frederick Mann will operate in Alaska and perform multiple missions.
The US Coast Guard (USCG) created new units, including five Programme Executive Offices (PEOs), to facilitate and speed up the procurement of new capabilities.
The US Navy does not have a precise date for the award of the procurement contract for the third Arleigh Burke-class destroyer despite having the funds to advance with the programme in FY2025.