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.
Kongsberg’s Naval Strike Missile (NSM) has been fired from a US Navy Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) at the Point Mugu test range in California. Kongsberg has reported that test objectives were met, and the demonstration was successful.
The missile was launched from LCS USS Coronado as part of demonstrations for the US Navy. The missile followed the pre-planned trajectory towards a target ship at 100nm; locating and hitting the target at the preselected hit point.
The test provided the US Navy insights into the NSM’s capabilities of targeting, range and survivability. This is the first time a ship of this class has launched a long-range anti-ship strike missile, and the first time a US Navy vessel has fired the NSM.
Pål Bratlie, executive vice president, Kongsberg Defence Systems, said: ‘We are very pleased that the US Navy evaluates the NSM missile. This contract does not however include any commitment for the US Navy beyond the test. The missile is in series production for Norway and Poland, and this test has enabled the US Navy to study it closer in a realistic scenario.’
Kongsberg’s NSM is a new generation long-range precision strike missile, guided with an inertial navigation system aided by a military GPS receiver and laser altimeter. The NSM with its stealthy design and passive infra-red and imaging sensor makes it very hard to detect, increasing the accuracy avoiding collateral damage. The NSM is multi mission (sea- and land targets) with a long stand-off range of more than 100nm.
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.