• Military Logistics

  EPF Burlington completes acceptance trials

  8th August 2018

  The US Navy’s tenth Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) vessel Burlington has successfully completed acceptance trials in the Gulf of Mexico, NAVSEA announced on 3 August. …

• Naval Warfare

  US Navy’s USS Charleston completes acceptance trials

  3rd August 2018

  The US Navy’s Independence-class Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) USS Charleston has successfully completed acceptance trials in the Gulf of Mexico, NAVSEA announced on 31 July. …

• Naval Warfare

  Austal USA expands service footprint

  23rd July 2018

  Austal USA has opened a new facility in San Diego as it looks to expand its service and support business.The new location will be largely …

• Naval Warfare

  Philippines enters the missile age

  10th August 2018

  The Philippines fired a missile for the first time in its history from aboard a Multipurpose Assault Craft (MPAC) Mk 3 vessel on 9 August. …

• Training

  CAE USA Mission Solutions acquires AOCE

  3rd August 2018

  CAE USA Mission Solutions has acquired Alpha-Omega Change Engineering (AOCE) to enhance the company’s core capabilities as a training systems integrator, CAE announced on 1 …

• Naval Warfare

  GORTT to order two Austal patrol boats

  31st July 2018

  The Government of Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (GORTT) intends to purchase two Austal Cape-class patrol boats for border protection operations, Austal announced on 29 …

• Military Logistics

  Sea Giraffe MMR for US Navy ESB

  6th August 2018

  Saab will supply its Sea Giraffe AMB Multi Mode Radar (MMR) for the US Navy's Expeditionary Sea Base class vessel USNS Hershel Woody Williams, the …

• Defence Notes

  Opinion: Fractious NATO gives Russia upper hand in Europe

  27th July 2018

  NATO is an alliance founded to protect member states being threatened by a strategic shock.  Yet the most recent NATO summit saw the previously unthinkable …

• Training

  Farnborough 2018: Italy launches the International Flight Training School

  24th July 2018

  Leonardo and the Italian Air Force have signed a collaboration agreement to create an International Flight Training School (IFTS) based largely on the current assets …

• Military Logistics

  Burlington completes builder's trials

  6th July 2018

  The US Navy's tenth Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) vessel, Burlington, has successfully completed builder's trials. The ship began the week of builder's trials at dockside …

• Digital Battlespace

  Chemring USA receives decoys contracts

  4th July 2018

  Chemring Countermeasures USA has received two contracts totalling approximately $42 million for the manufacture and delivery of decoys for the US Army and Air Force, …

• Naval Warfare

  Austal receives order for LCS design services

  28th June 2018

  Austal has received a $16.3 million order from the US Department of Defense for Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) design services, the company announced on 26 …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  SkyGuardian tease as RAF again declines to disclose service entry (video)

  12th July 2018

  Although development of the Royal Air Force’s Protector MALE UAV is clearly moving ahead following the first transatlantic flight of the SkyGuardian on 11 June …

• Defence Helicopter

  Singapore transfers Chinooks to Australia for training

  3rd July 2018

  The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) has quietly transferred five Boeing CH-47D Chinooks to the Oakey Army Aviation Centre in Australia, and has also …

• Naval Warfare

  US Navy commissions USS Manchester

  28th May 2018

  The US Navy commissioned the Independence-variant littoral combat ship (LCS) USS Manchester, at the State Pier in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on 26 May. The USS Manchester …

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 ...