• Naval Warfare

  Australia’s new frigate options: No easy choices as pressure mounts on DoD

  16th April 2024

  A new class of General Purpose ‘Tier 2’ frigate will replace the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN’s) Anzac-class frigates, but the selected design options appear to have major issues in terms of compatibility and availability for the future fleet.

• Naval Warfare

  Japan unveils new FFM frigate with advanced anti-air warfare capabilities

  15th November 2023

  Japan’s ATLA procurement and logistics organisation was present in strength at the Indo-Pacific 2023 exhibition in Sydney from 7-9 November indicating an uplift in the country’s engagement with Australia.

• Naval Warfare

  Turkey’s ASFAT on track to deliver first Hisar OPV in 2024

  2nd December 2023

  While outfitting activities on the first two Hisar-class OPVs have been advancing at Istanbul Naval Shipyard, discussions for additional platforms continue.

• Naval Warfare

  TKMS enters Australian Tier 2 combatant market

  9th November 2023

  TKMS has joined the competition to meet the Australian Defence Strategic Review’s (DSR’s) desite to procure a new Tier 2 surface combatant for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).

• Naval Warfare

  France orders seven offshore patrol vessels

  24th November 2023

  The first offshore patrol vessel (OPV) is scheduled for delivery in 2026 and 10 OPVs are expected to be in service by 2035. They are intended to replace the high seas patrol vessels based in Brest and Toulon, as well as the Cherbourg public service patrol boats.

• Naval Warfare

  Saab teams up with ThayerMahan to strengthen Australia’s undersea capabilities

  8th November 2023

  New partnership to explore sovereign undersea warfare capabilities opportunities in Australia was announced at the ongoing Indo-Pacific Maritime exhibition in Sydney.

• Air Warfare

  UK P-8 Poseidons to get Sting Ray Mod 1 torpedoes

  1st December 2023

  The UK MoD has confirmed the selection of the BAE Systems Sting Ray Mod 1 torpedo as the future torpedo capability for its P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) fleet, alongside the US Navy's Mk54 weapon.

• Naval Warfare

  Is Australia’s plan for the surface fleet viable?

  21st February 2024

  Australia’s long-awaited Enhanced Lethality Surface Combatant Fleet review has recommended significant changes to the future make-up of the country’s surface fleet. It has received sharp criticism from some experts who claim the recommendations have not gone far enough, while others have described it as an attempt to run before being able to walk.

• Naval Warfare

  Navantia offers new corvette design to Australia

  8th November 2023

  Industry contenders have been lining up their offerings for a potential new ‘Tier 2’ surface combatant for the Royal Australian Navy at the Indo-Pacific Maritime exhibition in Sydney.

• Naval Warfare

  Polish Navy Miecznik-class frigates to be fitted with TACTICOS integrated combat management system

  6th October 2023

  The multirole Miecznik-class frigates will be equipped with a set of sensors developed by Thales with the first ship scheduled to enter service in 2029.

• Naval Warfare

  How Turkish shipyard ASFAT is engaging in Pakistan’s maritime expansion

  15th December 2023

  Since delivering the first Babur-class corvette last September, ASFAT has targeted future growth in the Indo-Pacific market by engaging in a new project with Pakistan for future frigates.

• Naval Warfare

  Finland ends long wait for construction on the first Pohjanmaa-class corvette

  30th October 2023

  The four Pohjanmaa-class corvettes will be built as part of the Squadron 2020 programme following setbacks that delayed the beginning of construction.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Saildrone to produce USVs in Australia from 2024

  13th November 2023

  The use of long-duration Uncrewed Surface Vehicles for maritime surveillance and monitoring has become part of the fleet inventory as navies try to reduce the level of effort required to gather intelligence on areas of interest.

• Naval Warfare

  Is the health of Russia’s submarine fleet improving?

  14th February 2024

  The Russian Federation Navy submarine service has struggled to modernise in recent years, but progress on two main acquisition programmes could mean that it has turned a corner.

• Naval Warfare

  Dutch navy launches new rMCM vessel

  20th October 2023

  The first new Mine Countermeasures Vessel (MCMV) for the Royal Netherlands Navy was launched in a ceremony at the Kership Joint Venture shipyard in Concarneau on 19 October 2023.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Patrol boats

  Coastal Patrol Vessels (NPC) [Portugal]

  Programme Background Requirements As part of its modernisation plan that spans until 2035, the Portuguese Navy aims to procure new Coastal Patrol Vessels (Navio de ...

• Submarines nuclear, ballistic missile

  SNLE 3G (1-4) [France]

  Programme Background Requirements Included in the 2019-2025 Military Plan Law is the replacement of the four Le Triomphant-class SSBNs with four third-generation SSBNs (SNLE 3G) beginning ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Bayraktar TB2 (Turkmenistan)

  Programme Background On 27 September 2021, Turkmenistan unveiled three Bayraktar TB2 UAVs during a parade to celebrate the nations 30th Anniversary of independence from the ...

• Submarines: conventional, attack

  U-212 Near Future Submarine (3) [Italy]

  Programme Background Requirements Italy currently has four U-212A-class SSKs in its inventory following an initial programme launched in 1998. The German-designed submarines were a joint ...

• OPVs

  Jan Mayen Class (1-3) [Norway]

  Programme Background Contract The Jan Mayen-class vessels were designed by LMG Marin, with the process beginning with the Norwegian Defence Material Agency (NDMA) in 2013 and ...

• Submarines: conventional, attack

  U-212 Near Future Submarine (4) [Italy]

  Programme Background Requirements Italy currently has four U-212A-class SSKs in its inventory following an initial programme launched in 1998. The German-designed submarines were a joint ...

• Military helicopters - maritime

  NH90 NFH - Germany

  The helicopters will form an integral part of the frigate system for German Navy vessels. Equipped with sonar, radar and torpedoes, they will be capable ...

• Frigates

  Light Multipurpose Frigates (2-6) [Peru]

  Programme Background Requirements The Peruvian navy wants new light multipurpose frigates to replace its existing ageing pair of Lupo-class frigates that will displace about 4,000t. ...

• Submarines: conventional, attack

  U-212 Near Future Submarine (1-2) [Italy]

  Programme Background Requirements Italy currently has four U-212A-class SSKs in its inventory following an initial programme launched in 1998. The German-designed submarines were a joint ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Bayraktar TB2 [Pakistan]

  Programme Background Requirement Following a 2019 skirmish with India, Pakistan placed newfound importance on EW and ISR, primarily due to the significant advantage gained during that ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Diving Support Ship (UBOS) [Italy]

  Programme Background Requirements The programme aims to develop a new vessel intended to equip the Italian Navy's diver special operations unit. The new ship will ...

• OPVs

  Second-hand Nordkapp OPVs [Uruguay]

  Programme Background For years, the Uruguayan Navy has sought to procure new Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) to modernise its fleet. The Navy has attempted to do ...

• Military helicopters - maritime

  Maritime Operations Helicopters Block 2 (South Korea)

  Programme Background The Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) was seeking additional naval helicopters under its Maritime Operations Helicopter Batch 2 (MOH2) project. It represented a ...

• Corvettes

  Shadhinota Class (Type C13B)

  The Shadhinota class (Type C13B) corvettes are a platform based on the Type 056 Jiangdao class used by the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), built by the ...

• Minehunters

  Mine Sweeping Hunter II (MSH-II) [South Korea]

  Programme Background Requirements Under the Mine Sweeping Hunter II (MSH-II) programme, South Korea is seeking a replacement for the Ganggyeong-class minehunters, which are due to leave service ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• EO/IR systems

  Argos-II HD/HDT

  The Argos-II is an airborne EO/IR system designed for installation on helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft and UAVs to provide ITAR-free ISR and ISTAR capabilities. It is a 16-inch stabilised turret ...

• EO/IR systems

  Argos-8

  Manufactured by Hensoldt, the Argos-8, or Argos 8, is an eight-inch mechanically stabilised EO/IR system suitable for ISR and ISTAR missions on Group 2 and Group ...

• EO/IR systems

  Argos-15

  In September 2024, Hensoldt launched the Argos-15, or Argos-15 HDT, a 15-inch EO/IR system designed for medium and high-altitude uncrewed and crewed aircraft.  It offers real-time ...

• Land: coastal surveillance radars

  Argos 30VS

  The Argos-30VS is a two-dimensional, coherent, primary surface and air surveillance radar manufactured by Leonardo UK. It is designed for the surveillance of sensitive coastal ...

• Sea: tactical training

  Proteus ASW and Sonar Trainer

  The Proteus ASW and Sonar Trainer expands the Action Speed Tactical Trainer’s sonar capability with new sonar simulations to create a dedicated ASW trainer. Various ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  SBTS

  The Shore-Based Sonar Training System (SBTS), launched in 2016, incorporates technology from the Model 997 Hull/Bow-Mounted Sonar Model 980 ALOFTS system to help support sonar ...

• Air: sonar systems

  HELRAS DS-100

  The Helicopter Long Range Active Sonar (HELRAS) DS-100 is a helicopter dipping sonar designed by L3Harris for ASW operations.

• Sea: procedural training

  Passive Sonar Trainer

  The Passive Sonar Trainer teaches operators the detection, classification and analysis of acoustic signals received by submarine passive sonar and towed array systems.

• Sea: sonar systems

  Cerberus DDS

  Cerberus DDS (Diver Detection Sonar) is a sonar system designed and developed by Atlas Elektronik. It can be installed either on surface ships or harbours ...

• Sea: sonar systems

  Model 980 ALOFTS

  The Model 980 Active Low-Frequency Towed Sonar (ALOFTS) is a sonar system manufactured by L3 Harris. It provides long-, medium- and short-range detection, localisation, classification and ...

• Submarines: conventional, attack

  Type 209/1200

  The Type 209/1200 diesel-electric submarine is a variant of the Type 209 submarine designed by the German company Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft exclusively for the export market. ...

• Sea: sonar systems

  ELAC SONAR KaleidoScope

  The ELAC SONAR KaleidoScope is a fully-integrated sonar system for modern diesel-electric submarines that performs integrated surveillance. It includes integrated detection, tracking and analysis for ...

• Sea: sonar systems

  Sonac DTS

  The Sonac Dual Towed Sonar (DTS) system is a sonar system designed by Patria for operations in littoral waters. The system will equip the Finnish Navy’s Pohjanmaa-class ...

• Sea: sonar systems

  AN/SQS-62

  The AN/SQS-62 is a towed-array sonar manufactured by Raytheon. It is a variable depth sonar and was specifically designed for the USN's LCS-class and FFG(X)-class ...

• Sonar 2193

  Sonar 2193 is a mine-hunting sonar in service with the Royal Navy's Hunt-class MCM vessels. It is a hull-mounted high-frequency sonar effective to 80m depth ...