Naval Warfare

BAE Systems to upgrade Mk 45 control systems on Anzac-class frigates

9th January 2024

BAE Systems has been refreshing the Mk 45 guns on the Royal Australian Navy’s Anzac-class frigates for more than a decade and a new contract will take it to Mod 4 standard.

Naval Warfare

Austal USA awarded $867 million for three hospital ships

22nd December 2023

The US Navy’s new Expeditionary Medical Ships (EMS) will be designated Bethesda Class EMS and first of class will be called USNS Bethesda.

Naval Warfare

Boeing delivers first Orca UUV to US Navy

21st December 2023

Boeing's Orca, a large uncrewed submarine which builds upon the company's work with Echo Voyager, has been designed to provide long-range autonomous operations.

Land Warfare

Raytheon to build microwave antenna system to defeat airborne threats

21st December 2023

Raytheon will build two systems for the US Navy and US Air Force as part of the DARPA Directed Energy Front-line Electromagnetic Neutralization and Defeat (DEFEND) programme.

Land Warfare

US Navy expects to complete delivery of VAMPIRE CUAS to Ukraine this month

8th December 2023

As the Ukraine continues to battle against Russia’s use of UAS in a range of sizes, the VAMPIRE CUAS will be used against higher-tier UAVs with the inclusion of a fuzed warhead.

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.

Air Warfare

Slovenia secures second C-27J Spartan tactical transport aircraft

23rd November 2023

A new agreement between Leonardo, the Italian government and Slovenia has marked the procurement of a second C-27J Spartan medium tactical transport aircraft for Slovenia, following an earlier deal signed in March 2022.

Maritime patrol

Maritime Patrol Aircraft Procurement [Italy]

Programme Background In an appearance before the Italian parliament’s Foreign and Defence Affairs Committee on 14 July 2022, Italian Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Adm ...

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 ...

Military helicopters - maritime

MH-60R Seahawks [Norway]

Programme Background NH90 NFH cancellation  The Norwegian government announced the termination of the NH90 NFH helicopter contract for 14 NH90s with NHIndustries in June 2022. Seahawk Acquisition ...

Tiltrotors

V-22 Osprey (USN)

Programme Background Requirement According to USN FY2023 Budget Estimate documentation, the V-22 programme provides an aircraft to meet the amphibious and vertical assault needs of ...

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 ...

Military UAS - MALE, Military UAS - rotary-wing

MQ-8C Fire Scout (USA)

Programme Background Timeline According to the Naval Air Systems Command, having first ordered the MQ-8B in 2009, the UAV has become a pillar of the ...

Military UAS - fixed-wing

Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) [USN]

Programme Background Requirement The USN wants to acquire carrier-capable loyal wingman drones. These drones will have a high level of autonomy, allowing them to work alongside crewed ...

Military UAS - small

RQ-21A Blackjack / STUASLO - Replacement Units (USN)

Programme Background Joint USN and USMC Procurment The RQ-21 Blackjack, or STUALSO, was a combined United States Navy (USN) and United States Marine Corps (USMC) programme ...

Military helicopters - maritime

MH-60R Seahawk - Taiwan

Programme Background Taiwan operates seven MD500 helicopters, acquired in 1977, from ex-US Chi Yang-class (Knox) frigates that are being decommissioned after 40-year service life. The ...

Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

MQ-4 Triton (Announced/Contracted) [USA]

Programme Background Requirement The MQ-4C Triton programme, developed under the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) programme, required an uncrewed system to provide persistent real-time intelligence, surveillance ...

Military UAS - small

RQ-21A Blackjack / STUASLO - Replacement Units (USMC)

Programme Background Joint USN and USMC Procurment The RQ-21 Blackjack, or STUALSO, was a combined United States Navy (USN) and United States Marine Corps (USMC) programme ...

Military helicopters - maritime, Military helicopters - multirole

NH90 Replacement (Sweden)

Programme Background Requirement Following an internal review in 2022, Sweden declared that it would withdraw from the NH90 programme citing availability issues. As such, the ...

Maritime patrol

MELTEM 3 MPA (Turkey)

Turkey ordered ten ATR 72 anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft in 2005 under the MELTEM-3 project. The original deal between Alenia (now part of Leonardo) and the ...

Frigates

FREMM EVO (11-12) [Italy]

Programme Background Requirements As of October 2022, the Italian Navy operates a fleet of eight FREMM frigates, split equally between anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and General ...

Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

MQ-25 Stingray (Contracted) [USA]

Programme Background Programme Goal The programme aims to develop a UAS to conduct aerial refuelling as a primary mission and provide ISR capability for a ...

Military - USVs

Fleet Class/Common Unmanned Surface Vessel

Developed for the USN, the Fleet Class Common USV System uses a modular architecture that accommodates platform reconfiguration and interchangeable payload applications. 

Military helicopters - maritime

SH-3 Sea King

The SH-3 Sea King is a twin-engine, amphibious, multirole helicopter developed for the USN as a shipborne ASW platform. The initial prototype made its first ...

Military helicopters - maritime

SH-2G Super Seasprite

The SH-2G Super Seasprite is an upgraded version of the SH-2F and has Kaman’s patented servo flap main rotor control system.  Designed to meet the ...

Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

S-61T

Developed as an ASW platform for the USN, the S-61 first flew in 1959. Although it has now been phased out of USN service, more ...

Multipurpose missiles

RPK 6/7

The RPK family of missiles is developed and produced in Russia, specifically designed for ASW. The RPK-6, also known as Vodopad (Водопад, 'waterfall'), is a ...

Military - USVs, Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

Milkor ASW

The Milkor ASW vessel is intended to perform underwater operations against submarine threats. In addition to this, the boat can also be prepared to operate ...

Air: Integrated cockpit systems

ITAS

Northrop Grumman is a major producer of tactical information management systems for maritime patrol, ASW, ASuW, SAR and related applications. The Northrop Grumman AN/ASN-150 and ...

Air: sonar systems

AN/AQS-22 ALFS

The AN/AQS-22 Airborne Low-Frequency Sonar (ALFS) is the primary undersea warfare sensor for the USN MH-60R Seahawk multi-mission helicopter. The sonar system enables the MH-60R ...

Military helicopters - maritime, Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

H-92

The H-92 is the military version of the commercial S-92. It has a stand-up cabin, higher gross weight, more power and new composite rotor blades. ...

Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

2800 ASW Patrol Boat

The 2800 ASW Patrol Boat, developed by Couach, is a vessel designed for ASW operations. Unveiled at the 2022 World Defence Show, the vessel can be ...

Frigates

Bergamini Class (FREMM)

The Bergamini-class frigates for the Italian Navy are based on the Franco-Italian, European, multipurpose frigate design FREMM (European multi-mission Frigate/Fregata europea multi-missione). For Italy, the ...

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 ...

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 ...

Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

MQ-8B Fire Scout

The MQ-8B Fire Scout is a rotary-wing UAV that provides situational awareness and precision targeting support for the US Armed Forces. The MQ-8B Fire Scout, ...

Military - UUVs

Bluefin-HAUV

The Bluefin Hovering AUV (HAUV) is a two-man system used for ship hull and infrastructure inspection, port and harbour security and MCM. Operators are able ...