Defense

Since summer 2017, four vessels equipped with analog sonars have been upgraded using RTsys AS3i technology (Analog Surface Ship Sonar Improvement), which will digitalize and improve the processing of signals available to the sensors.

Bollinger Shipyards has delivered the USCGC JOSEPH DOYLE, the 33rd Fast Response Cutter (FRC) to the U.S. Coast Guard. The Coast Guard took delivery on the 21st of March, 2019 in Key West, Florida.

On March 11, 2019, President Donald J. Trump sent Congress a proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 Budget request of $750 billion for national security, $718.3 billion of which is for the Department of Defense (DoD). The FY 2020 Budget maintains momentum from the sustained funding increases enacted in FY 2017, FY 2018, and FY 2019. It would also provide the largest military pay raise in ten years (3.1 percent).

The Nimitz Class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) departed Naval Station Norfolk, March 16, following a three-month availability period used to upgrade systems, conduct maintenance, and provide targeted training.

The French defense procurement agency DGA (Direction générale de l’armement) has awarded the RIFAN 2.1 contract to an industrial consortium headed by Airbus and also comprising the Naval Group and Rohde & Schwarz. This contract was signed for a maximum duration of eight years and up to a maximum amount of € 150 million.

In recent public appearances, U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo has been emphasizing his nation’s commitment to preventing any blockade of the South China Sea.

On 15 March 2019. the United States, EU, and Canada took coordinated action in response to Russia’s continued aggression against Ukraine by imposing sanctions on individuals who orchestrated the 25 November 2018 attack on three Ukrainian naval vessels near the Kerch Strait.

U.S. 7th Fleet Flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) and embarked 7th Fleet staff arrived in Manila, Mar. 13, for the ship's first port visit to the Philippines in three years.

The French General Directorate of Armament for Technical Naval Applications (DGA Technique Navales – DGA/TN, formerly GESMA), an entity specialized in experimentation in the area of mine warfare, has selected iXblue's Gaps acoustic positioning system for its Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) positioning and monitoring applications.

On Saturday, the 23rd of February 2019, Damen Shipyards Cape Town (DSCT) hosted a keel laying ceremony, marking the start of construction on the first of three Multi-mission Inshore Patrol Vessels (MMIPVs) for the South African Navy. These vessels will aid in protecting the country from threats such as trafficking, illegal fishing and piracy, as well as support job creation and enterprise development.

According to a pre-solicitation announcement from Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), the the U.S. intends to issue solicitation N00024-19-R-6316 for the procurement of Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity- Multiple Award Contracts (IDIQ-MAC) for the Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) Family of Systems (FoS).

Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer has announced the new class of Towing, Salvage, and Rescue ship will be named Navajo in honor of the major contributions the Navajo people have made to the armed forces.