Is the US Navy’s Golden Fleet initiative achievable?
The effort to provide the US Navy with Trump-class battleships might face financial, production and doctrinal obstacles.
Ultra Electronics has installed the first S2150 Hull Mount Sonar on a RN Type 23 frigate HMS Portland according to a 6 April statement.
The new sonar will replace the legacy Sonar Type 2050 which has been used on several RN vessels since the 1990s. Currently plans will see the sonar fitted to at least eight Type 23 ships.
Mike Williams, Managing Director of Command & Sonar Systems said: ‘Reaching this significant milestone has been key for Ultra. With a number of significant challenges from the Sonar 2050 system it replaces, the project team has designed and developed a system that simplifies user operability.’
Smaller and lighter versions of the S2150 have also been produced for naval ships weighing between 1,000t and 2,000t.
The upgrade will enhance the RN’s ASuW capability on its frigates and OPVs.
The effort to provide the US Navy with Trump-class battleships might face financial, production and doctrinal obstacles.
The USN is conducting a market search seeking additional sources capable of supplying 516 units of Over the Horizon – Weapons System Encanistered Missiles.
Canada’s inclusion on the EU’s Security Action for Europe initiative is set to enhance the country’s defence procurement strategy with important implications for some of its naval programmes, while Poland and Romania have also secured significant SAFE funding.
The agreement to provide portable autonomous command centres to the UK Royal Navy will enhance the service’s Mine Counter Measure operations and further integrate autonomous and uncrewed systems into its fleet.
As an indispensable energy crossroads, the Mediterranean is at serious risk from grey zone disruption. As navies increasingly employ AI data centres, what happens when cutting-edge defence technologies rely on the very infrastructure most susceptible to hybrid tactics?
The Technology Operational Experimentation Events will inform future requirements as the US Navy looks for innovative solutions across three key operational domains.