• Defence Notes

  PODCAST: Russia’s COVID-19 response, delays to Australia’s Attack-class submarine programme and all the news

  17th April 2020

  Welcome to Episode 15 of the second series of The Weekly Defence Podcast. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and more. Sign up to an early email alert …

• Naval Warfare

  NATO wraps up UK-led Joint Warrior exercise

  14th April 2020

  Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1) on 9 April concluded the UK-led Joint Warrior exercise, which also involved vessels from Denmark, Germany, Norway and the …

• Naval Warfare

  HII starts fabrication of Harrisburg (LPD 30)

  17th April 2020

  Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) has begun the fabrication of the USN’s 14th San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock, USS Harrisburg (LPD 30). In a statement released by …

• Defence Notes

  Chinese policy seeks to weaponise the COVID-19 pandemic

  15th April 2020

  This Geobukseon writer, as a young graduate student, was fortunate to be attending a US university that was visited by the then recently retired former …

• Naval Warfare

  USN selects MS-177A sensor provider

  16th April 2020

  The legacy Goodrich Corporation business of Raytheon Technologies has secured a $19.90 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the MS-177A Naval Maritime Experiment Programme. The contract covers …

• Defence Helicopter

  Chinese Z-20F ASW helicopter makes tantalising appearance

  10th April 2020

  It is well known that one significant capability gap in the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) is an effective anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopter, but the …

• Naval Warfare

  China takes advantage as Western carrier operations struggle

  21st April 2020

  With aircraft carriers of both the US and French navies returning to port following outbreaks of the COVID-19 coronavirus on board, eyes are turning to …

• Digital Battlespace

  South Korea approves military digital programmes

  30th April 2020

  The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) in South Korea has approved three new programmes critical to digitisation of the armed forces, while also signing off …

• Naval Warfare

  HII set to build next USN amphibious transport dock

  6th April 2020

  Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) has been awarded a $1.5 billion fixed-price-incentive modification to a previous contract for the construction of an amphibious transport dock LPD …

• Naval Warfare

  Li-ion power is radical solution for Japanese submarines

  8th April 2020

  The development of lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries for submarines has taken a significant leap forward with the commissioning of JS Oryu, the latest Soryu-class submarine for …

• Defence Notes

  US fixed-wing programmes look to rise above crisis

  1st May 2020

  Substantial investment by the US DoD in major fighter jet and tanker aircraft programmes — combined with the economic fallout from the COVID-19 coronavirus crisis — has put …

• Naval Warfare

  FFG(X) programme fails to adhere to sustainment guidance

  26th March 2020

  The USN’s FFG(X) programme could suffer the same sustainment cost overruns during the service lifetime of the type as has been found for previous classes of warships, …

• Naval Warfare

  UK Royal Navy commanders can return to port in event of COVID-19 outbreak

  22nd April 2020

  UK RN vessel commanders will be given the authority to return to port in the event of an outbreak of COVID-19 on board while on …

• Naval Warfare

  NATO carries out HOD in English Channel and North Sea

  13th April 2020

  Between 23 March and 5 April, the Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1 (SNMCMG 1) carried out Historical Ordnance Disposal (HOD) 20 to destroy sea …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Boeing to deliver more MQ-25 refuelling UAS for USN

  3rd April 2020

  Boeing has been awarded a contract modification to provide three more MQ-25 unmanned refuelling aircraft for the USN, bringing the total order number to seven. …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• AEW&C

  E-2D - USA

  The E-2D Advanced Hawkeye (AHE) is an all-weather, twin engine, carrier-based, Airborne Command, Control and Surveillance aircraft designed to extend task force defense perimeters. The ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  AD(X) Destroyer Tenders [USN]

  Programme Background At Surface Navy 2026, General Dynamics NASSCO unveiled an internally developed concept, pitching a AD(X) Destroyer Tender to the USN. The destroyer tender ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Navajo Class (T-ATS)

  Programme Background Requirements The US Navy (USN) are replacing the ageing three remaining T-ATF 166 class tugboats and two remaining T-ARS 50 class ships with ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | AD(X) Destroyer Tenders [USN]

  At Surface Navy 2026, General Dynamics NASSCO unveiled an internally developed concept, pitching a AD(X) Destroyer Tender to the USN. The destroyer tender would be ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | AD(X) Destroyer Tenders [USN]

  At Surface Navy 2026, General Dynamics NASSCO unveiled an internally developed concept, pitching a AD(X) Destroyer Tender to the USN. The destroyer tender would be ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  Programme Background Requirement The FVL-MS programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft utilised ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Submarine Resue Vessel Procurement [Poland]

  On 27 December 2024, the Polish Armament Agency and the industrial consortium signed a contract for the construction and delivery of the submarine rescue ship Ratownik ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Submarine Resue Vessel Procurement [Poland]

  On 27 December 2024, the Polish Armament Agency and the industrial consortium signed a contract for the construction and delivery of the submarine rescue ship Ratownik ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Submarine Rescue Vessel Procurement [Poland]

  On 27 December 2024, the Polish Armament Agency and the industrial consortium signed a contract for the construction and delivery of the submarine rescue ship Ratownik ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Submarine Rescue Vessel Procurement [Poland]

  On 27 December 2024, the Polish Armament Agency and the industrial consortium signed a contract for the construction and delivery of the submarine rescue ship Ratownik ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  Blackwing (Second Batch) [USA]

  Programme BackgroundFirst Batch The Blackwing originated from a 2013 initiative to develop a low-cost submarine-launched UAS for the US Navy. Following successful tests with the ...

• Submarines: nuclear/attack

  SSN(X) Programme [USN]

  Programme Background Requirements The CRS SSN(X) report states the USN is examining three broad design options for future submarines. One is based on the current ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Submarine Rescue Vessel Procurement [Poland]

  Programme Background Timeline For a long time, Poland has been trying to procure submarine rescue vessels. A contract for the acquisition of up to two ...

• Maritime patrol

  P-8 Poseidon [South Korea]

  Programme Background South Korea is facing an imminent submarine threat from North Korea. The Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) is operating an aging fleet of P-3C ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | AS Submarine Tenders [USN]

  The USN is in the process of procuring three new submarine tenders aimed to replace the ageing USS Memory S. Land and USS Frank Cable, ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military - UUVs

  Snakehead LDUUV

  The Snakehead Large Displacement Uncrewed Underwater Vehicle (LDUUV) is a US Navy (USN) Uncrewed Underwater Vehicle (UUV) designed to be launched from submarine Dry Dock Shelters ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Poseidón - Buques de Acción Marítima de Intervención Subacuática (BAM-IS)

  The Buques de Acción Marítima de Intervención Subacuática (BAM-IS), Poseidon (A-21), is a submarine rescue vessel being built by Navatia. The ship will enter service ...

• Submarines: conventional/attack

  Kronos

  At NAVDEX 2023, Highland Systems unveiled the Kronos submarine for the first time. According to the manufacturer, the submarine is suitable for commercial, rescue and military ...

• Rescue Baskets

  The Collapsible Rescue Basket combines compact storage capabilities of rescue nets with the ruggedness, rigidity and safety of solid-frame rescue baskets, claims the company. The ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Special & Diving Operations-Submarine Rescue Ship (SDO-SURS)

  The Special & Diving Operations-Submarine Rescue Ship (SDO-SURS) is a Submarine Rescue Ship set to join the Italian Navy by 2025. In June 2021, the Italian ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Navajo Class

  The Navajo-class is the USN's new class of towing, salvage, and rescue ships to replace the current T-ATF 166 and T-ARS 50 class ships. This ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  Blackwing

  Manufactured by AeroVironment and based on the Switchblade loitering munition, the Blackwing is a tube-launched UAV designed to deliver rapid ISR capabilities through its EO/IR ...

• Gelibolu 1500

  Gelibolu 1500 is a lightweight, work-class ROV able to perform submarine rescue, deep-sea survey, seismic observation and sample collection. The system includes manipulator arms, lights ...

• Sea: optronic masts and periscopes

  OMS 200

  Airbus DS Optronics unveiled the OMS 200 at the September 2013 DSEI exhibition. It combines the capabilities of the OMS 110 with intelligent target acquisition ...

• Submarines: nuclear/attack

  Belgorod (Project 09852)

  Belgorod (Project 09852) is a special-purpose nuclear-powered submarine designed to launch the new Poseidon nuclear-armed UUV. Belgorod was originally meant to be an Oscar-II-class multi-purpose submarine, but ...

• Patrol boats

  Tapper Class

  Tapper (Type 80) patrol boats were ordered in the 1990s, the first seven in 1992 and five more in 1995, and were designed as small, ...

• Ship-launched torpedoes, Submarine-launched torpedoes

  Mk-48 Mod 6AT ADCAP

  The Mk-48 ADCAP (Advanced Capability) is the improved version of the Mk-48 family. Development started with the Mk-48 Mod 5 and continues to the present ...

• ISR/special mission

  E-6B Mercury

  The E-6B Mercury is an airborne command post and communications relay for US nuclear forces, including submarine-launched ballistic missiles. The USN operates a fleet of ...

• Submarines: nuclear/attack

  Los Angeles Class

  The US Navy’s (USN’s) Los Angeles-class nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs) have been the mainstay of the US sub-surface fleet since the 1970s. Known as the ...

• Sea: weapon training

  Inflatable Naval Gunnery Targets

  GeoData produces a range of Naval Gunnery Target Balloons (NavTGTs) for use by marine, navy, coast guard and army units to maintain target acquisition and ...