September 2018 news

Naval Forces, Defense Industry, Navy Technology, Maritime Security


Eastern Shipbuilding Group announced on September 28, 2018 that the U.S. Coast Guard exercised the fixed-price, incentive option on its Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) Contract to build the lead OPC, USCGC ARGUS (WMSM-915). In conjunction, the U.S. Coast also exercised the firm fixed price option for Long Lead Time Materials for OPC #2, USCGC CHASE (WMSM-916).

Fast fighter jets are once again flying from a Royal Navy aircraft carrier as the first F-35s have landed on the flight deck of HMS Queen Elizabeth. Royal Navy Commander Nathan Gray and RAF Squadron Leader Andy Edgell were the first pilots to make history by landing their F-35 Lightning stealth jets on the flight deck of Britain's newest carrier.

Ultra Electronics Ocean Systems, Braintree, Massachusetts, is awarded a $42.1 million fixed-price-incentive-fee, firm-fixed price, cost and cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to test, produce and deliver MK54 MOD 0 Lightweight Torpedo (LWT) array kits and related spares, production support material, engineering and hardware repair services and maintenance of government-furnished equipment.

The U.S. Coast Guard accepted delivery of the seventh national security cutter (NSC), Kimball, in Pascagoula, Mississippi, September 19. Kimball is scheduled for commissioning at its Honolulu homeport in January 2019; it will be the first NSC stationed there.

Naval Group will showcase its Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) 90 at ADEX 2018. With the OPV 90, the Naval Forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan will acquire a comprehensive and reliable capability to fulfil a large spectrum of civilian and military missions, including maritime traffic control, protection of offshore resources, search and rescue, fisheries and marine environments, humanitarian assistance and fight against illegal trafficking.

The modernization of the only tracking ship (also called a missile range instrumentation ship) in the Russian Navy, The Marshal Krylov (of the Pacific Fleet), has been completed. Its equipment controls vessels, aircraft and ground forces in real time and provides for operations in space. The ship can engage not only in military missions. It will be used by Roscosmos space agency to monitor rocket launches from Vostochny cosmodrome, the Izvestia daily writes.

The German Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) has commissioned the K130 consortium to build another five K130 Class Corvettes in the second batch. The Hamburg specialist for maritime air conditioning, refrigeration and fire protection systems, NOSKE-KAESER Maritime Solutions, will be supplying the project of the consortium formed by Lürssen Werft GmbH & Co. KG, ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems and German Naval Yards Kiel.

During AAD 2018, the Africa Aerospace and Defence exhibition held this week in South Africa, Chinese company China Shipbuilding and Offshore International Company (CSOC) unveiled a new medium-size unmanned surface vessel called 'JARI'. CSOC is the export arm of Chinese shipbuilding group China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC).

During AAD 2018, the Africa Aerospace and Defence exhibition held this week in South Africa, local company MILKOR announced that its MN Centurion high-speed interceptor craft has already been launched and is currently conducting sea trials. The MILKOR stand features a full scale model of the MN Centurion. Navy Recognition first reported about this new design during DSA 2018, when it was unveiled.

ECA Group announced a new order for its A18 Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV). A high depth version of this AUV dedicated to commercial applications of underwater inspection and cartography will be delivered to the customer by end 2019.

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