Defense

The new Combat Support Ship (CSS) Den Helder has not yet been delivered, but the crew can already get to know the ship thanks to an extensive Virtual Reality package. Shipbuilder Damen Naval has delivered a virtual copy of the ship to the Materieel & IT Command (COMMIT). It is the first time the company has created a VR version of an entire ship for and with the Royal Netherlands Navy.

Kraken Robotics Inc. recently participated in Exercise REPMUS 23 in Portugal. The Robotic Experimentation and Prototyping with Maritime Unmanned System (REPMUS) is focused on capability development and interoperability, and the 2023 Exercise involved 15 NATO partners, as well as Sweden and Ireland.

The Ministry of Defence has awarded £3.95 billion of funding to BAE Systems for the next phase of the UK's next-generation nuclear-powered attack submarine program, known as SSN-AUKUS.

thyssenkrupp Marine Systems, a world leader in the construction of conventional submarines, started production in Kiel on September 11, of the world’s most advanced conventional submarines. These boats belong to the Type 212CD for a joint program with the Norwegian and German navies. The order, placed in July 2021, was the largest in the history of thyssenkrupp Marine Systems to date.

The US Coast Guard Research and Development Center has signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with Zelim, a start-up based in Edinburgh, Scotland, to jointly explore the potential application and effectiveness of AI-enabled detection and tracking technology in search and rescue.

With Heinen & Hopman, Dutch shipbuilder Damen Naval has again found a Dutch supplier for the prestigious Anti-Submarine Warfare Frigates. The company, based in Spakenburg will supply the climate and filtration systems for the four new frigates being built for the Netherlands and Belgium. Following Thales and RH Marine, Heinen & Hopman is the third ‘home-grown’ supplier to be linked to the project.

In a stride towards shaping the future of naval technological prowess, BMT, a leading international multi-disciplinary engineering and ship design consultancy, has unveiled its Large Uncrewed Surface Vessel (LUSV) vision.

Building on collaborative preparations and a recently ratified bilateral agreement to counter illicit transnational maritime activities, the United States and Papua New Guinea concluded a joint maritime patrol on September 4, 2023, aimed at strengthening regional security and resource management in the PNG exclusive economic zone for the first time. 

Global shipping and energy supply chain leader Crowley has teamed with nuclear power leader BWX Technologies, Inc. through a memorandum of understanding for a ship concept that has the potential to generate alternative, zero-carbon emission energy for defense and disaster needs by including a microreactor on board.

AI based Maritime Autonomy & Navigational specialist, Robosys Automation and leading UK specialist installer and integrator, Landau Marine, announced at DSEi in London (UK), a new pioneering collaboration that enables full stack maritime autonomy for both new-build and retrofit vessels and naval craft.

Danish subsea engineering specialist EIVA a/s has been awarded a contract by the UK Ministry of Defense (MOD) with a total value of approximately €3.8 million (£3.2 million).

On 12 September 2023, Damen Shipyards Galati in Romania held a launching ceremony for the PNS Hunain, one of a series of Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV) 2600 that Damen is constructing for the Pakistan Navy. Damen was awarded the contract to build the vessel, following its successful delivery of the first two vessels, PNS Yarmook and PNS Tabuk in 2020.