• Naval Warfare

  Austal USA protests Littoral Combat Ship services contract

  30th May 2019

  Austal USA is formally challenging a recent US Navy contract award to Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) to oversee work on in-service Littoral Combat Ships (LCS). …

• Naval Warfare

  Combat system concentration for Lockheed Martin after FFG(X) withdrawal

  30th May 2019

  Following the decision by Lockheed Martin to withdraw from the US Navy’s FFG(X) process, the company will focus its efforts on the programme’s future combat …

• Training

  Exercise Bell Buoy 19 trains MTOs

  30th May 2019

  More than 60 maritime trade operations (MTO) officers from ten navies have participated in the 2019 edition of the annual exercise Bell Buoy, the Royal …

• Training

  ITEC 2019: CAE USA Mission Solutions OGC CDB success

  13th May 2019

  CAE has announced that CAE USA’s wholly-owned subsidiary, CAE USA Mission Solutions (MSI), has been awarded a contract by the US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) …

• Defence Notes

  Shangri-La Dialogue 2019: ASEAN mute on international rule breakers

  3rd June 2019

  In sharp contrast to China’s bellicose tone at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, the voices of most ASEAN and others’ defence ministers were particularly muted …

• Naval Warfare

  Sea-Air-Space 2019: GE touts lightweight design for FFG(X)

  8th May 2019

  Manufacturer General Electric (GE) has developed a lightweight composite enclosure to house powerplants intended for use in the US Navy’s (USN) future guided missile frigate …

• Training

  ITEC 2019: Walls on tour

  1st May 2019

  Following its presence at Enforce Tac in Nürnberg, Germany in March, Survitec has decided to take its inflatable walls training system (IWTS) on a year-long …

• Naval Warfare

  Tuvalu receives Guardian-class patrol boat

  10th April 2019

  The Australian Department of Defence (DoD) has handed over a Guardian-class patrol boat, Te Mataili II, to Tuvalu under Australia's Pacific Patrol Boat Replacement project. …

• Military Logistics

  Austal to build additional EPFs

  29th March 2019

  Austal has received a $261.78 million contract to deliver two additional Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) ships to the US Navy, the company announced on 26 …

• Naval Warfare

  US Navy to request bids for new frigate this summer

  27th March 2019

  The US Navy is on track to release the final RfP for the Guided Missile Frigate (FFG(X)) this summer, according to a key service official. …

• Naval Warfare

  Austal begins construction of LCS 30

  27th February 2019

  Austal USA has begun construction of the US Navy’s 15th Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) 30, the future USS Canberra, the company announced on 22 …

• Naval Warfare

  US Navy to commission LCS 18

  4th March 2019

  The US Navy is set to commission its eighth Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), the future USS Charleston (LCS 18), at Columbus Street Terminal in …

• Naval Warfare

  US Navy commissions USS Tulsa

  18th February 2019

  The US Navy commissioned its newest Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) 16, the USS Tulsa, at Pier 30/32 in San Francisco on 16 February. The …

• Defence Notes

  Asia-Pacific dominates global defence spending

  14th March 2019

  Asia-Pacific nations figure prominently on the recently released list of top defence importers from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Indeed, the region is …

• Naval Warfare

  US Navy receives future USS Billings

  8th February 2019

  The US Navy accepted delivery of its eighth Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), the future USS Billings, at the Fincantieri Marinette Marine shipyard in Marinette, …

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 ...