Netherlands to acquire Finnish littoral assault craft in LCVP replacement programme
The Dutch navy had reportedly been considering BAE Systems’ Littoral Strike Craft to replace its ageing landing craft fleet.
Public Services and Procurement Canada is set to acquire eight new SAR lifeboats from Chantier Naval Forillon and Hike Metal Products for the Canadian Coast Guard.
The companies are already producing six SAR lifeboats each under contracts signed in 2015. Under the amended contracts, each shipyard will build four additional vessels at a total cost of $61.8 million.
With the ability to operate up to 100 nautical miles from shore, these new high-endurance lifeboats will enhance the coast guard’s SAR capabilities.
Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, said: ‘Through the National Shipbuilding Strategy and Oceans Protection Plan, we are providing members of the Canadian Coast Guard the equipment they need to keep Canadian waters and those who use them safe. The addition of these new lifeboats will also create more jobs for Canadians and enhance the coast guard’s capacity as a leader in maritime safety.’
The Dutch navy had reportedly been considering BAE Systems’ Littoral Strike Craft to replace its ageing landing craft fleet.
Saab Kockums was initially awarded the contract to build two A26 submarines for the Royal Swedish Navy in 2015, but the programme has faced delays and escalating costs.
If the foreign military sale request is approved, Germany would be the first country outside the US to acquire the technology, which is currently used extensively by the US Navy.
Satellite navigation is increasingly critical for global maritime defence, and Low Earth Orbit satellites are rapidly overtaking the traditional and more widely used Medium Earth Orbit option as they are less susceptible to jamming or spoofing.
The initial sea trials for Virginia-class SSN 798 conducted by Newport News Shipbuilding division and the US Navy marked an “important step”, but the ongoing AUKUS review casts a shadow over what the progress means for the partner nations.
The US Navy is conducting market research to find AI software products for the Collaborative Integrated Air and Missile Defence Planning Programme.