Defense

Damen Shipyards Group has unveiled a new ship design based on modern defense and security requirements. The Multi-Purpose Support Ship (MPSS) has been co-developed with the Portuguese Navy, the vessel’s launching customer. It is a solution for the increasing use of drone technology in combat and surveillance. In addition to its primary function, the MPSS is designed to fulfil a wide range of additional tasks, including auxiliary roles.

HII announced that Virginia-class submarine Massachusetts (SSN 798) was launched into the James River at the company’s Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) division.

Austal Limited is pleased to announce that Austal Australia has been awarded a contract extension for the construction of two additional Evolved Cape-class Patrol Boats for the Royal Australian Navy.

The Royal Navy’s Office for the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO) supported experts from the University of Birmingham and Dstl to run quantum experiments that could pave the way for advanced positioning and navigation tools at sea.

EDGE, one of the world’s leading advanced technology and defense groups, and Fincantieri, one of the largest shipbuilding companies in the world, have entered into a term sheet aimed at creating a joint venture (JV) to capitalize on global shipbuilding opportunities with a focus on the manufacturing of a broad range of sophisticated naval vessels. EDGE will hold a 51% stake in the venture, which has a commercial pipeline valued at approximately 30 billion euros, with management direction provided by Fincantieri. The Abu Dhabi-based JV will be awarded prime rights to non-NATO orders, especially leveraging on the attractiveness of UAE G2G arrangements and export credit financing packages, along with a number of strategic orders placed by select NATO member countries.

Oceaneering International, Inc. announces that its Aerospace and Defense Technologies (ADTech) business segment has been awarded a contract by the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), a US Department of Defense organization, for the development and testing of the Freedom™ autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) as a potential large displacement unmanned undersea vehicle (LDUUV) prototype for the US Navy’s Program Office for Advanced Undersea Systems.

Naval Group completed the modernization of the third and last La Fayette frigate (FLF), the Aconit, after six months of work followed by a series of dockside and sea trials.

The Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) has extended the existing contract with ARGE F125 for the technical-logistical support (TLB) of the F125 frigate class for a further five years until March 2029.

Technology group Wärtsilä has signed a five-year Optimized Maintenance Agreement with the Irish Naval Service. The agreement, which covers four offshore patrol vessels (OPV), is designed to ensure operational reliability along with long-term cost predictability. The order was booked by Wärtsilä in January 2024.

The US Navy selected Anduril and its Dive family of large autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) to prototype distributed, long-range, persistent underwater sensing and payload delivery in contested environments. Anduril provides a family of AI-enabled AUVs that are designed to perform a wide range of defense and commercial missions.

Kongsberg Discovery is excited to announce a Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) award to assist in the US Navy’s Large Displacement Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (LDUUV) prototype.

In a significant stride for India's maritime strength, the Indian Navy has proudly commissioned the advanced survey vessel INS Sandhayak in a grand ceremony in Visakhapatnam. Three more will follow.