On October 11, the French Direction Générale de l’Armement (Directorate General of Armaments) organized a visit of its DGA Hydrodynamics centre in Val-de-Reuil, Normandy. A unique occasion to discover the astonishing facility that greatly contribute to the optimal dynamic performances and low acoustic signature of the French Navy surface ships and submarines.
The Government of Ukraine gave its green light for the procurement of 20 FPB 98 patrol vessels made by French shipyard OCEA.
The U.S. Navy accepted delivery of its third Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB) ship, USNS Miguel Keith (ESB 5) on Nov. 15.
The engineering brigade of the Northern fleet will be formed in 2020, Navy sources said. It will be armed for a broad range of missions ranging from construction and restoration of infrastructure facilities to assault on reinforced positions. The brigade will comprise assault groups equipped with all-terrain vehicles, swamp buggies, bulldozers and tracklayers. The formation will also have sniffer dogs.
The European Defense Agency (EDA) recently awarded one of two industry teams a service contract for the provision of a study on the use of directed energy weapons on board naval ships against unmanned vehicles.
In a move to flex muscles against regional threats, the Japanese Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) are conducting an isolated island recovery exercice from November 14 to 21, 2019.
The Ministry of Armed Forces of Senegal and French shipbuilder PIRIOU signed November 17 a procurement contract for three OPV 58 S for the Navy of Senegal. The vessels will be fitted with missile systems, a first for this African navy.
The UK Ministry of Defence today formally awarded Babcock International Group PLC the contract for the Royal Navy’s future Type 31e Frigates.
The Italian Navy’s first Multipurpose Offshore Patrol Ship (PPA) “Paolo Thaon di Revel” started sea trials, setting sails in the blue waters of the Gulf of La Spezia on 12th Nov 2019.
Leonardo’s ULISSES system was used to automatically locate a number of simulated submarines in a live trials exercise. Ultra Electronics provides the software capability for the ULISSES system to provide accurate target location from up to 64 sonobuoys and/or dipping sonars. The successful trials mean that development is on-track to finish this year, with production starting in 2020.
