• Naval Warfare

  Latest Virginia-class SSN commissioned by US Navy despite increasing pressure on submarine service

  16th October 2023

  USS Hyman G. Rickover (SSN 795) has become the 22nd Virginia-class submarine to enter service with the US Navy following a commissioning event on 14 October 2023.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  IAI's BlueWhale uncrewed submarine to join NATO’s Dynamic Messenger exercise

  28th September 2023

  Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) announces that its autonomous BlueWhale uncrewed submarine will participate in the NATO Dynamic Messenger exercise, in an effort to demonstrate its capabilities in the maritime sector.

• Air Warfare

  Insight: How the P-8 Poseidon has conquered the maritime patrol aircraft market

  6th September 2023

  Shephard Defence Insight analyses the success story of the Boeing P-8 Poseidon, a multi-mission maritime patrol aircraft that has captured international interest, detailing its variants, operators and unit cost.

• Naval Warfare

  France advances SSBN and SSN projects

  5th October 2023

  France has advanced its main programmes for new ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) and nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs).

• Naval Warfare

  Houthi militants target US commercial and military vessels

  15th January 2024

  The non-state military group launched missiles towards the USS Laboon and the US-owned-and-operated container ship Gibraltar Eagle.

• Naval Warfare

  Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ship USS Marinette Littoral Combat Ship commissioned

  19th September 2023

  The latest USN Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), the Freedom-class USS Marinette (LCS 25) was commissioned on 16 September. It will be homeported at Naval Station Mayport, Florida.

• Land Warfare

  Japan set to join US, UK and Australia as owner of Tomahawk missiles

  21st November 2023

  The Tomahawk, a tactical, land-attack cruise missile which can be fired from surface platforms, submarines or aircraft, has primarily been used by the US Navy and the UK Royal Navy. Japan requested 400 missiles last month and the US Government has approved the purchase.

• Naval Warfare

  NATO’s largest exercise for decades is shaping future transatlantic security

  27th February 2024

  Steadfast Defender 24 (STDE24), the main NATO multi-domain exercise for 2024, has seen large-scale national and multinational live exercises taking place across the whole NATO area. Among the challenges it has attempted to tackle have been the increased lethality of uncrewed systems and how to enhance amphibious landings in cold environments.

• Naval Warfare

  Aegis weapon system successfully intercepts two short-range ballistic missile targets

  27th October 2023

  The Vigilant Wyvern joint test saw USN Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Carl M Levin detect, track, engage and execute missiles fired from the Pacific Missile Range Facility, located on Kauai, Hawaii.

• 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.

• Training

  Indian coast guard to get new training ship

  25th October 2023

  The Indian MoD has finalised a contract with state-owned shipbuilder Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders for the construction of a dedicated training ship for the Indian Coast Guard (ICG).

• Naval Warfare

  US Navy takes first step towards large unmanned surface vessel

  5th November 2023

  The US Navy already has medium-sized unmanned surface vessels but this new programme has represented the first step towards a potential large capability.

• Land Warfare

  NATO tests robotic capabilities at multi-domain operations trials

  2nd November 2023

  The 2023 Next-Generation Communication Networks Technology event featured innovative technologies transforming the battlefield, including drones, ground-robotic systems and a robot dog.

• Air Warfare

  Greece favours Leonardo AW139 over Black Hawk and H175 as Super Puma replacement

  12th December 2023

  Greece’s air force has said it has been leaning towards the Leonardo AW139 multirole military helicopter as the Super Puma replacement, pending official approval, marking a potential shift in its search and rescue capabilities.

• Naval Warfare

  India gifts missile corvette to Vietnam amidst deepening ties

  17th July 2023

  Cementing the two countries' defence partnership, India has donated a second-hand warship to Vietnam.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• AEW&C

  E-2D - USA

  The E-2D Advanced Hawkeye (AHE) is an all-weather, twin engine, carrier-based, Airborne Command, Control and Surveillance aircraft designed to extend task force defense perimeters. The ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Navajo Class (T-ATS)

  Programme Background Requirements The US Navy (USN) are replacing the ageing three remaining T-ATF 166 class tugboats and two remaining T-ARS 50 class ships with ...

• 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 UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  Blackwing (Second Batch) [USA]

  Programme BackgroundFirst Batch The Blackwing originated from a 2013 initiative to develop a low-cost submarine-launched UAS for the US Navy. Following successful tests with the ...

• 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 ...

• Maritime patrol

  P-8 Poseidon [South Korea]

  Programme Background South Korea is facing an imminent submarine threat from North Korea. The Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) is operating an aging fleet of P-3C ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | AS Submarine Tenders [USN]

  The USN is in the process of procuring three new submarine tenders aimed to replace the ageing USS Memory S. Land and USS Frank Cable, ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | AS Submarine Tenders [USN]

  The USN is in the process of procuring three new submarine tenders aimed to replace the ageing USS Memory S. Land and USS Frank Cable, ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Buques de Acción Marítima de Intervención Subacuática (BAM-IS) [Spain]

  Programme Background Timeline On 5 November 2021, the Spanish MoD signed a contract for Navantia to build a new submarine rescue vessel at its Puerto ...

• Submarines nuclear, ballistic missile

  Columbia Class Submarine (3-12)

  Programme Background The Columbia class is being built to replace the aging Ohio class SSBN's in service with the US Navy. The Major Defense Acquisition Program (MDAP) ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance (MROS) Ship [UK]

  Programme Background Requirements The 2021 Defence Command Paper, Defence in a competitive age, outlined the plan to develop a new Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance (MROS) vessel ...

• Submarines nuclear, ballistic missile

  Columbia Class Submarine (SSBN 826 - 827) (1-2)

  Programme Background The Columbia class is being built to replace the ageing Ohio class SSBNs in service with the US Navy. The Major Defense Acquisition ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Special & Diving Operations-Submarine Rescue Ship (SDO-SURS) [Italy]

  Programme Background Requirements The programme aims to develop a new vessel capable of replacing the ageing Anteo that has reached the end of its life cycle with ...

• Maritime patrol

  P-3 Orion [Argentina]

  Programme Background Requirement Argentina has six P-3B aircraft, which have been facing availability problems for multiple years. In 2023, the country decided to procure secondhand ...

• Submarines: nuclear, attack

  Virginia Class Attack Submarine (SSN 792-SSN 811)

  Programme Background Timeline The US Navy’s Virginia-class submarines (SSN 774) are built by both General Dynamics Electric Boat (GDEB) and Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) under ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Submarines: conventional, attack

  Kronos

  At NAVDEX 2023, Highland Systems unveiled the Kronos submarine for the first time. According to the manufacturer, the submarine is suitable for commercial, rescue and military ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Poseidón - Buques de Acción Marítima de Intervención Subacuática (BAM-IS)

  The Buques de Acción Marítima de Intervención Subacuática (BAM-IS), Poseidon (A-21), is a submarine rescue vessel being built by Navatia. The ship will enter service ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Special & Diving Operations-Submarine Rescue Ship (SDO-SURS)

  The Special & Diving Operations-Submarine Rescue Ship (SDO-SURS) is a Submarine Rescue Ship set to join the Italian Navy by 2025. In June 2021, the Italian ...

• Rescue Baskets

  The Collapsible Rescue Basket combines compact storage capabilities of rescue nets with the ruggedness, rigidity and safety of solid-frame rescue baskets, claims the company. The ...

• Air: surveillance and maritime patrol radar

  Iguane

  The Iguane is a frequency agile, pulse compression maritime surveillance radar with search and rescue capability. Missions include anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, search and rescue, ...

• Gelibolu 1500

  Gelibolu 1500 is a lightweight, work-class ROV able to perform submarine rescue, deep-sea survey, seismic observation and sample collection. The system includes manipulator arms, lights ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Navajo Class

  The Navajo-class is the USN's new class of towing, salvage, and rescue ships to replace the current T-ATF 166 and T-ARS 50 class ships. This ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  Blackwing

  Manufactured by AeroVironment and based on the Switchblade loitering munition, the Blackwing is a tube-launched UAV designed to deliver rapid ISR capabilities through its EO/IR ...

• Patrol boats

  Tapper Class

  Tapper (Type 80) patrol boats were ordered in the 1990s, the first seven in 1992 and five more in 1995, and were designed as small, ...

• Sea: optronic masts and periscopes

  OMS 200

  Airbus DS Optronics unveiled the OMS 200 at the September 2013 DSEI exhibition. It combines the capabilities of the OMS 110 with intelligent target acquisition ...

• Air: helicopter radar, Air: surveillance and maritime patrol radar

  ENR

  The NH90 NATO Frigate Helicopter is equipped with the European Navy Radar (ENR) developed by Thales in conjunction with Airbus and Leonardo. 

• Submarines: nuclear, attack

  Belgorod (Project 09852)

  Belgorod (Project 09852) is a special-purpose nuclear-powered submarine designed to launch the new Poseidon nuclear-armed UUV. Belgorod was originally meant to be an Oscar-II-class multi-purpose submarine, but ...

• ISR/special mission

  E-6B Mercury

  The E-6B Mercury is an airborne command post and communications relay for US nuclear forces, including submarine-launched ballistic missiles. The USN operates a fleet of ...

• Air: helicopter radar

  ORB 32 series

  The ORB 32 is a modular family of maritime surveillance and fire control radars intended for anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, exclusive economic zone protection and search and rescue ...

• Sea: tactical training

  Sub Command

  Sub Command was developed by Sonalysts, released in 2001, and published by Electronic Arts. Sub Command continues the legacy of 688(I) Hunter/Killer. The player takes ...