• Naval Warfare

  USS Kansas City handed over to US Navy

  13th February 2020

  The US Navy has taken delivery of littoral combat ship (LCS) 22 at a ceremony at Austal USA in Mobile, Alabama. The future USS Kansas …

• Defence Notes

  Combat air set to play the fall guy in UK defence review

  6th March 2020

  As high-profile budget difficulties tie the UK government to making tough, long-term procurement decisions across air, land and sea domains, the RAF’s combat air plans …

• Training

  P-8 simulators to enhance RAF’s operational capability

  24th February 2020

  With the first of nine Poseidon MRA1 maritime patrol aircraft now delivered to the UK RAF, preparations are under way for the installation of the …

• Naval Warfare

  Austal, US Navy ABR announced

  3rd February 2020

  Austal shipyards and service centres in Australia have been approved to bid for and provide support services for US Navy and Military Sealift Command (MSC) …

• Air Warfare

  F-35s carry out night landings on HMS Queen Elizabeth

  12th February 2020

  The first night landings on HMS Queen Elizabeth have been carried out by four F-35 Lightning jets in UK waters. Operational training being carried out …

• Naval Warfare

  State of the navy: US surface fleet programmes

  31st January 2020

  With its share of the US DoD’s budget reduced from the Cold War, the USN is having to manage a range of surface fleet shipbuilding …

• Military Logistics

  EPF 11 delivered to US Navy

  12th December 2019

  Austal USA has delivered Expeditionary Fast Transport ship USNS Puerto Rico (EPF 11) to the US Navy at its Mobile, Alabama, shipyard. The vessel undertook …

• Naval Warfare

  Kansas City LCS completes acceptance trials

  4th November 2019

  The US Navy’s future USS Kansas City (LCS 22) has successfully completed acceptance trials in the Gulf of Mexico, Austal announced on 4 November.Kansas City …

• Training

  Regenerated Mirage F1 flies in Florida

  22nd November 2019

  Paramount Aerospace Systems has provided upgrade and engineering support for Draken International’s first regenerated Mirage F1, which has now completed its first flight over Lakeland …

• Naval Warfare

  Fifth Guardian-class patrol boat delivered

  11th November 2019

  Austal has delivered the fifth Guardian-class patrol boat to the Australian Department of Defence, the company announced on 8 November. The vessel, RSIPV Gizo, has …

• Training

  $6.4 billion ADAIR and CCAS contract

  31st October 2019

  The USAF Air Combat Command has awarded seven companies combined contracts valued at $6.4 billion to support its Combat Air Forces Contracted Air Support (CAF …

• Naval Warfare

  Pacific 2019: Austal awaits Philippine OPV deal and enters USV market

  8th October 2019

  Any deal between Austal and the Philippines for a set of six much-needed OPVs for the Philippine Navy will be concluded at the governmental level, …

• Naval Warfare

  Keel laid for US Navy's LCS 28

  23rd September 2019

  The keel has been laid for the US Navy’s 11th Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) at Austal USA’s shipyard Mobile, on 20 September. The vessel …

• Training

  AUSA 2019: CAE prepares to deliver Abrams tank training kit

  14th October 2019

  Training and simulation company CAE has announced at AUSA 2019 that it is ready to deliver the first Abrams M1A2 engine maintenance trainer to the …

• Training

  Leonardo and CAE team to offer helicopter training to the US

  9th September 2019

  Leonardo and CAE USA have teamed to collaborate to offer integrated helicopter training for the US government market.  A memorandum of agreement (MoA) has been …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) [USN]

  Programme background Timeline Austal USA is building all the Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) vessels to the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) standards for the use ...

• Landing craft and hovercraft

  Landing Craft Utility (LCU) 1700 [USN]

  Programme Background Timeline The US Navy LCU 1700 amphibious landing craft are being procured to replace the ageing LCU 1610 class, which has an average ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Navajo Class (T-ATS) [USN]

  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 ...

• OPVs

  Offshore Patrol Cutters (OPC 5 - 15) [USCG]

  Programme Background Timeline The Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) programme began in 2014 when the Coast Guard awarded $64 million in design contracts to Eastern. Bolliger ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Explorer Class / T-AGOS Surtass Ships (1-5) [USN]

  Programme Background Requirements The Auxiliary General Ocean Surveillance (T-AGOS) ships focus on gathering underwater acoustical data to support the mission of the Integrated Undersea Surveillance System ...

• Frigates

  Littoral Combat Ship (LCS)

  Programme Background The Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) programme was developed in 2003 as a cheap and fast way to increase the size of the fleet ...

• Landing platform docks/dock landing ships

  Medium Landing Ship (11-33) [USMC]

  Programme Background Requirements As part of the US Marine Corps' future force structure, it is developing a new platform under the Medium Lading Ship programme ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  T-AGOS Surtass Ships (6-7) [USN]

  Programme Background Requirements The Auxiliary General Ocean Surveillance (T-AGOS) ships focus on gathering underwater acoustical data to support the mission of the Integrated Undersea Surveillance ...

• OPVs

  Offshore Patrol Cutters (OPC 16 - 25) [USCG]

  Background The Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) programme began in 2014 when the Coast Guard awarded $64 million in design contracts to Eastern. Bollinger and BIW ...

• Landing platform docks/dock landing ships

  LXX Procurement/Buques Nodriza [Spain]

  Programme Background Requirements In December 2024, the Spanish Navy released the "Armada 2050" plan, a strategic document that details the development and the long-term vision ...

• Frigates

  Constellation Class - FFG(X) (11-20)

  Programme Background Timeline The FFG (X) programme was first announced with a Request for Information (RFI) released by the US Navy in July 2017 with ...

• Landing platform docks/dock landing ships

  Medium Landing Ship (1-10) [USMC]

  Programme Background Development As part of the US Marine Corps' future force structure, it is developing a new platform under the Medium Lading Ship programme ...

• Patrol boats

  Evolved Cape Class (11-12) [Australia]

  Programme Background Austal was awarded a contract to build six 'Evolved'Cape-class patrol boats for the Royal Austrailian Navy (RAN) on 1 May 2020 (see separate ...

• Patrol boats

  Evolved Cape Class (13-14) [Australia]

  Programme Background Austal was awarded a contract to build six 'Evolved'Cape-class patrol boats for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) on 1 May 2020 (see separate ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Light Replenishment Oiler (T-AOL) [USN]

  Programme Background Requirements The Light Replenishment Oiler (T-AOL) programme, previously known as the Next-Generation Logistic Support Ship (NGLS) programme, stems directly from the new operational concept of ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Spearhead Class EPF

  The Spearhead-class Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) (formerly the Joint High-Speed Vessel – JHSV, redesignated in September 2015) can transport troops and their equipment, supporting humanitarian relief ...

• 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 ...

• Landing craft and hovercraft

  LCU 1700

  In 2018, Swiftships was awarded a contract for the Landing Craft Utility (LCU) 1700, which will replace the 32 ageing LCU 1610 class. The contract contains ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Bethesda Class EMS

  The Bethesda-class Expeditionary Medical Ship is a dedicated medical vessel designed by Austal USA for the US Navy. Its design is based on the Spearhead Expeditionary Fast ...

• Frigates

  Independence Class (LCS)

  The USN’s Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) programme was originally envisaged to be 50 ships, which would provide a coastal platform that would take over from ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Explorer Class (T-AGOS)

  The T-AGOS or Explorer-class vessels are ocean surveillance vessels being built for the US Navy (USN) by Austal USA. They are designed to support the ...

• Military - USVs

  Overlord Uncrewed Surface Vessel

  The Overlord Uncrewed Surface Vessels (OUSV) are a fleet of US Navy (USN) Uncrewed Surface Vessels (USVs) consisting of four vessels under a programme named ...

• OPVs

  Heritage Class

  The Heritage-class Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) is under construction for the USCG to bridge the capability gap between the National Security Cutter, which patrols the ...

• Military - USVs

  Surveyor

  Surveyor is a long-endurance, Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV) built by Saildrone in the US. Surveyor is designed for military and commercial purposes. Its primary mission ...

• Patrol boats

  Cape Class

  The Cape-class patrol boat was contracted to Australian company Austal in 2011 as a replacement for the Australian Customs and Border Protection fleet of Bay-class ...

• OPVs

  Offshore Patrol 83

  Australian company Austal unveiled its proposed design for the Philippine Navy's OPV  requirement at Pacific 2019. The affordable steel hull design also features an aluminium ...

• Patrol boats

  Guardian Class

  The Guardian-class Pacific Patrol Boats are being manufactured under the Pacific Patrol Boats Replacement project by the Australian shipbuilding company Austal. The project is aimed ...

• Landing craft and hovercraft

  Littoral Manoeuvre Vessel - Medium (LMV-M)

  The Littoral Manoeuvre Vessel – Medium (LVM-M) is a medium landing craft design jointly developed by Birdon and Incat Crowther. The design has been selected ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  Vantage 55

  The Vantage 55 is a Large Optionally-crewed Surface Vessel (LOSV) designed by Australian manufacturer Austal. It is designed as a modular vessel that can be ...

• OPVs

  OPV 60/Lethal Cape Class

  During the Indo-Pacific 2022, Austal unveiled the new OPV (Offshore Patrol Vessel) 60 design. Austal offers the platform in three different configurations: Patrol, Surveillance and ...