Naval Group's XLUUV demonstrator, which completed sea trials in late 2023, will be a key component of the UCUV project. (Naval Group)  Naval Group has been awarded a contract by French defence procurement agency Directorate General of Armament (DGA) for the development of an unmanned combat underwater vehicle (UCUV) demonstrator.  Under a framework agreement announced by both parties on 29 January 2024 but formalised on 28 December 2023, Naval Group will design, produce, and test a 10 m-long UCUV prototype.  The agreement follows a nine-mont...

The UK MoD has cancelled earlier plans to fit an LDEW demonstrator to a Type 23 frigate. (Thales)  The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has dropped plans to trial a laser-directed energy weapon (LDEW) demonstrator from a Royal Navy (RN) Type 23 frigate.  Revealing the decision in a 30 January parliamentary answer, Minister of State for Defence Procurement James Cartlidge said the move was intended to free up money for the UK's wider Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) programme. Thales had been under contract to develop the maritime LDEW demonstrator....

Iver Huitfeldt  sets sail from Korsør on 29 January. The frigate is Denmark's contribution to strengthening maritime security in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.  (Rune Dyrholm/The Armed Forces)  The Royal Danish Navy (RDN) has despatched its air-defence frigate Iver Huitfeldt (F 361) to the Red Sea where it will participate in the US-led multinational task force Operation ‘Prosperity Guardian'.  Iver Huitfeldt set sail from Korsør bound for the Mediterranean on 29 January, the Danish Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed the sam...

North Korea's Hwasal-2 cruise missile. (Janes)  North Korea has carried out a test-firing of its Hwasal-2 cruise missile.  The test was carried out by a Korean People's Army (KPA) unit and the weapon was fired into the Yellow Sea (West Sea) on 30 January, according to a statement published by Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) the next day.  “The drills validated the [North Korean armed forces'] readiness for rapid counter-attack and enhanced its strategic strike capabilities and did not have any detrimental effect on the...

Personnel from the Royal Australian Navy test an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) in Western Australia in 2021. Australia will collaborate with Japan to develop communication technologies that can enhance the interoperability of UUVs used by both countries. (Commonwealth of Australia)  Japan and Australia plan to initially focus on enhancing underwater communication technologies under a recently signed bilateral agreement to co-develop robotics and autonomous systems (RAS) for undersea warfare.  A spokesperson for Australia's Department of D...

Sea Ghost maritime attack USV can be configured to carry different warheads without much change to the base design. (Janes)  The United Arab Emirates' (UAE's) Innovation Composites Aerospace Group showcased the Sea Ghost maritime attack unmanned surface vessel (USV) at the Unmanned Systems Exhibition and Conference (UMEX) 2024 show held in Abu Dhabi from 23 to 25 January.    Speaking to   Janes   on 24 January, Christoph Jung, project manager at Innovation Composites Aerospace Group, said the Sea Ghost is an advanced USV with...

Maharaja Lela  , seen here under construction at Lumut, more than two years after its ceremonial launch.  (Malaysia Ministry of Defence)  Malaysia's Boustead Naval Shipyard (BNS) has once again pushed back the expected delivery date for the country's first Maharaja Lela-class littoral combat ship (LCS).  A report published by a government-convened Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on 24 January indicates that the frigate-like ship will now be delivered in October 2026. This is an almost two-year delay from the November 2024 target...

The Turkish Navy's Ada-class corvette TCG   Kınalıada  (F-514) test-fires an Atmaca anti-ship missile in the Black Sea in early November 2019.  (Roketsan)  Turkey has begun serial production of its indigenously developed Akya heavyweight torpedo (HWT), Atmaca surface-to-surface anti-ship guided missile, and Sapan anti-aircraft air-defence missile.  A contract signing ceremony to start mass producing the three weapon systems, which were developed by Turkish manufacturer Roketsan, was held on 20 January, the Turkis...

A testbed radar – installed atop a 40 ft tower acting as a proxy ship mast – has been employed by NSWCDD since mid-2020 as an FXR test asset and risk reduction system. (US Navy)  A request for information (RFI) released by US Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) on 16 January has called for industry input to inform future decisions on development and initial production of the Future X-band Radar (FXR) being planned for large surface combatants, nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, and amphibious ships.  Complementary to the Raytheon AN/SPY-6(V) f...

An Atmaca missile seen here being launched from the Turkish corvette TCG   Kınalıada  . Indonesia looks set to be the first export customer of the missile.   (Roketsan)    Indonesia has awarded local defence company PT Republik Defensindo the contract to procure an initial batch of Atmaca anti-ship guided missiles from Turkey,   Janes  has been informed by multiple sources close to the matter.   This contract, which covers the procurement of 45 missile rounds and associated launcher units and u...

The PLA deploys YJ-62 missiles in Haiyang drills. (Janes)    The 333rd Coastal Defence Brigade of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Northern Theater Command (NTC) has deployed land-attack YJ-62 anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCMs) in a drill that took place in Haiyang, a coastal city southeast of the Shandong Peninsula    in China.   According to the drill's video footage released by Chinese state-owned broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV), the brigade was seen exercising with four 8×8 WS2400 transporter-erector-launch...

The new MRV is intended to replace the former Irish Naval Service flagship LÉ   Eithne  , which was decommissioned in 2022.  (Michael Nitz/Naval Press Service)  The Irish Department of Defence (DoD) has issued a prior information notice for the procurement of a new multirole vessel (MRV) for the Irish Naval Service (INS) on the European Union's (EU's) Tenders Electronic Daily (TED) portal.    The information notice, published on 23 January, moves the Irish government's plan to procure an MRV into a new phase....

TCG   Istanbul  (F 515) was commissioned into service on 19 January.  (C D Yaylali)  Three new ships and an unmanned surface vessel (USV) joined the Turkish Navy's inventory during a commissioning ceremony held at Sefine Shipyard in Yalova on 19 January, the Turkish Ministry of National Defense(MND) confirmed the same day.  TCG Istanbul (F 515), the lead frigate in its class, was commissioned into service alongside the navy's new fleet replenishment ship (Dimdeg) TCG Derya (A 1590), logistic support ship TCG Üste...

Royal Malaysian Navy KD   Sri Sabah  and KD   Sri Sarawak  , seen here at the vessels' recommisioning ceremony.  (Royal Malaysian Navy)  Malaysia has recommissioned two modified Kris-class patrol boats that were retired in the mid-2000s as its navy continues to reconcile increasing operational requirements with a lack of assets.  These vessels, which are now in service as KD Sri Sabah (46) and KD Sri Sarawak (48), were re-inducted in a recommissioning ceremony at the Royal Malaysian Navy's (RMN's) T...

PT PAL officials making final checks ahead of the keel-laying ceremony for the third SSV that will be delivered to the Philippine Navy. (PT PAL)  Indonesian state-owned shipbuilder PT PAL has laid down the keel for what will be the third landing platform dock (LPD)-like strategic sealift vessel (SSV) it will deliver to the Philippine Navy.  The keel was laid down on 22 January at the shipbuilder's facility at Surabaya, a representative from the shipbuilder told Janes on the same day.  Manila signed a follow-on contract for two more SSVs with...

The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS   Barry  is seen here launching a Tomahawk cruise missile. The JMSDF will soon be equipped with this capability.  (US Navy)  Japan has concluded a letter of acceptance (LOA) that paves the way for the country to acquire the Tomahawk cruise missile and its related equipment from the US.  This acquisition milestone was concluded on 18 January, the Japan Ministry of Defense (MoD) announced on the same day. The weapons will be procured under the Foreign Military Sa...

USS   Gerald R Ford   returned to Norfolk, Virginia, after an eight-month deployment that tested the ship's new technologies.  (Janes/Michael Fabey)  During its eight-month deployment that included operations in the Mediterranean, aircraft carrier USS Gerald R Ford (CVN 78) met operational expectations for a new carrier class meant to eclipse the Nimitz-class ships the new vessels are replacing, according to Captain Rick Burgess, Gerald R Ford commanding officer.  “It's not a fair comparison,” Capt Burgess said on...

US marines with Marine Corps Systems Command fire a Stinger Missile from the Marine Air Defense Integrated System at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona on 13 December 2023. (US Marine Corps )  Marines recently got their hands on a Marine Air-Defense Integrated System (MADIS) for the first live fire of an initial rate production model, US Marine Corps (USMC) officials announced on 11 January.  As one of the marine's central air-defence capabilities, MADIS is being developed to take on the threat of advanced unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and other...

The German Navy has acquired six Revolution ROVs from Canadian company Deep Trekker. (Bundeswehr/Nguyen)  The German Navy has taken delivery of six new Deep Trekker Revolution remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), the German armed forces has confirmed.  The new ROVs, which were procured by the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) to meet an urgent operational requirement, will be deployed by the German Navy's 3rd Minesweeper Squadron for mine-warfare tasks, including port and hull inspec...

The M142 HIMARS – pictured above from Exercise ‘Talisman Sabre' 2019 – is a 227 mm (six-round) MLRS. HIMARS can hit targets at a range of 70 km using GMLRS missiles. (Australian Department of Defence)  The Australian Department of Defence (DoD) has awarded a contract worth AUD37.4 million (USD24.9 million) to Lockheed Martin Australia (LMA) to manufacture guided multiple launch rocket system (GMLRS) missiles in Australia, the DoD said in a press release on 16 January.  Under the ‘Guided Weapons Production Capability (GWPC) Risk Reduction Acti...