UK’s $1 billion AUKUS support request signals strong ongoing US collaboration
The latest foreign military sales request from the UK has implications for the future of the programme and collaboration between the three nations.
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What's inside this edition:
Comment
While the high-profile case of the USS Theodore Roosevelt has proved an object exercise in how not to do PR, many further lessons await the world's navies as the COVID-19 crisis unfolds.
Features include:

SHIELDED SYSTEMS
As the cyber domain comes to permeate all areas of military activity, naval vessels need to be designed from the keel up with robust network defences.

THE ART OF THE POSSIBLE
Transforming what was traditionally a single-purpose weapon, future generations of torpedoes could feature multiple detonation modes, function as a defensive capability or even serve a secondary role as ISR nodes.
Other features include:
IN HARM'S WAY
Landing helicopter dock and landing platform dock fleets are now widely regarded as too vulnerable for the amphibious assault role they were designed for. Shephard investigates their potential future task set and what kind of vessel could perform their originally intended mission.
SAVING SUBMARINES
Rescuing crews from a stricken submarine at depth is a challenging task requiring rapid deployment of highly specialised equipment and personnel. Shephard takes an in-depth look at NATO’s joint capability in this area.
OFFSHORE CONSTRUCTION
With the ability to patrol ever further out into territorial waters, and yet cheap enough to procure in quantity, the OPV is becoming the asset of choice for non-combat naval missions.
TROUBLE AHEAD
While many European navies are aiming to refresh their vessel inventories in the next decade, the inevitable impact of COVID-19 on budgets could curtail these efforts.
WESTERN APPROACHES
The Gulf of Guinea and its surrounding waters continue to suffer from elevated levels of piracy and robbery at sea. Shephard examines the causes of the problem and how it might be combated using lessons learned from other parts of the world.
LURED AWAY
Naval soft-kill technology is evolving to counter new and increasingly diverse threats as missiles increase in sophistication.

The latest foreign military sales request from the UK has implications for the future of the programme and collaboration between the three nations.
The USCG plans to award a contract this year for the construction of Homeland Security Cutters. The new vessels will replace the 60-plus-year-old fleet of Light Icebreaking Tugs.
The expansion of the Redstone facility in Alabama will enable Raytheon to increase production of Standard Missiles in the location by 50% and support Washington in refilling stockpiles after recent operations have depleted the Pentagon’s reserves.
Major naval initiatives including the European Patrol Corvette programmes and Norway’s UK partnership-focused purchase of Type 26 frigates point to the growing interest in the advantages of commonality across allied navies.
The UK Royal Navy’s rapid procurement of uncrewed platforms aligns with the force’s strategic shift towards a fleet better equipped to handle modern threats.
The Astute-class submarine’s visit to Australia was the first time maintenance activity on a UK Royal Navy nuclear submarine had been carried out in the country.