HII has started testing the catapults on aircraft carrier  John F Kennedy  with dead-load launches.  (HII)    HII's Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) unit has started testing of the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) on aircraft carrier   John F Kennedy  (CVN 79), marking a major milestone for the ship, HII confirmed on 21 February.     After testing catapults one and two – the bow cats – with no-load launch movements, NNS workers and   Kennedy  sailors started the d...

The Portuguese Navy is progressively introducing unmanned systems. Shown here are the OGS42VN VTOL UAV for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions, and a UAV mobile ground control station. (Victor Barreira)  As part of its ambitious effort to widen the use of unmanned systems, the Portuguese Navy has established a squadron-sized unit for the operation of military-grade unmanned systems.    The new unit, called ‘X31', was officially stood up on 9 February. It is subordinated to naval command and will be responsible for ope...

Sweden and Denmark have agreed to co-finance the 50 Swedish CV90s donated to Ukraine and for the production of additional IFVs. (Hägglunds)  The Swedish government announced its largest military support package for Ukraine on its website on 20 February. The SEK7.1 billion (USD683 million) package includes a maritime package, ground equipment, and financial support for bilateral projects and funds.  The latter includes financial support for Ukraine to buy more CV90 infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs).  The ground equipment Sweden is donating com...

HMS   Vanguard   is the lead boat of a four-strong class of Trident-armed SSBNs whose role is to provide the UK's strategic nuclear deterrent.  (UK MoD)  The test firing of an unarmed Trident II D5 missile from one of the UK Royal Navy's (RN's) nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) has failed, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has confirmed.    During the test launch, which took place from HMS   Vanguard  (S28) off the US eastern seaboard on 30 January, an “anomaly” occurred, an MoD s...

HMAS   Waller  sails through Sydney Harbour as the boat prepares to berth at Fleet Base East, Sydney. Commissioned in July 1999, HMAS   Waller  is the third of six RAN Collins-class submarines.   (Commonwealth of Australia)  Although planning is well-advanced for the Life of Type Extension (LOTE) planned for all six of the Royal Australian Navy's (RAN's) conventionally powered Collins-class submarines, some question marks hang over the schedule and implementation of the multibillion-dollar programm...

The US Coast Guard operates US icebreakers such as Coast Guard Cutter   Healy  .  (Janes/Michael Fabey)  The US Coast Guard (USCG) has established a Polar Coordination Office (CG-PCO) under the USCG Director of Marine Transportation Systems (CG-5PW), the service confirmed on 20 February.  CG-PCO was stood up as an office on 4 July 2023 and reached initial operating capability (IOC) on 7 November 2023.  Office duties include developing USCG Arctic and Antarctic strategy and policy, the service said in its official...

The German Navy's Type 124 Sachsen-class air-defence frigate FGS  Hessen  (F 221) departs Wilhelmshaven, bound for the Red Sea, on 8 February.  (Bundeswehr/Julia Kelm)  The European Union (EU) has officially launched its new maritime operation to protect commercial shipping in the Red Sea from attacks by Yemen-based Houthi rebels.  The new mission, dubbed Operation ‘Aspides', was inaugurated on 19 February with the aim of providing EU naval presence to help restore and protect freedom of navigation in the Red Sea...

A MANTAS T-12 USV, front, operates alongside Royal Bahrain Naval Force fast-attack craft RBNS   Abdul Rahman Al-fadel  during operations in support of Task Force 59 in the Gulf.  (US Navy)  Anxious to avoid gifting an operational advantage to China, the US Navy's senior officer in the Pacific said the service will maintain a veil of secrecy over the pace at which it is ‘operationalising' new unmanned systems capabilities and concepts in the Pacific Fleet.  In his 14 February keynote to the AFCEA International and...

An artist's impression of the future Hunter-class frigate for the Royal Australian Navy. Canberra has announced plans to reduce its procurement of nine of the type to six. (Commonwealth of Australia)  The Australian government has announced a major expansion of the Royal Australian Navy's (RAN's) surface combatant fleet. Under plans announced on 20 February in response to an independent review of RAN surface combatant capability, Defence Minister Richard Marles said the RAN will more than double the size of its warship fleet to meet future st...

The SAMAR air-defence system – seen here at Aero India 2023 – features two refurbished Russian Vympel R-73E infrared‐guided air-to-air missiles mounted on a Stallion 4×4 Mk IV BS-III truck. (Janes/Saketha Potlapalli)  The Indian Air Force test-fired its newly inducted Surface to Air Missile for Assured Retaliation (SAMAR) air-defence system during Exercise ‘Vayu Shakti-24', which took place in the Pokhran range near Jaisalmer on 17 February.  According to a press release by the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) on 17 February, the Indian Air F...

The US Navy plans significant investments for large unmanned surface vessel programmes. (US Department of Defense)  The US Navy's (USN's) most senior uniformed officer has outlined her planned timeline to transition the surface navy to a new hybrid force structure mixing manned and unmanned vessels.  Speaking at the AFCEA International and US Naval Institute WEST 2024 conference in San Diego, California, on 13 February, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Admiral Lisa Franchetti said the navy road map was looking out across three five-year Future...

India has cleared various defence equipment aquisitions, including the procurement of heavyweight torpedoes to enhance the attacking capabilities of Kalvari-class submarines, as shown in the above picture. (Ministry of Defence, India)  India's Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, has approved the procurement of various defence equipment worth INR845.6 billion (USD10.19 billion) for the Indian Armed Forces and the Indian Coast Guard.  The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said in a statement on 16 February that...

Sentinel-class fast-response cutter USCGC   Clarence Sutphin Jr  interdicted missile, communications, and other military equipment in the Arabian Sea.  (US Navy)  A US Coast Guard (USCG) cutter recently seized advanced conventional weapons and other lethal aid originating in Iran and bound for Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen from a vessel in the Arabian Sea, US Central Command (CENTCOM) reported on 15 February.    Sentinel-class fast-response cutter USCGC   Clarence Sutphin Jr  (WPC 1147), assign...

A graphic of the Sea Eagle-6 anti-ship missile that was launched by North Korea on 14 February 2024. (Janes)  North Korea claimed on 15 February that it successfully test-fired a new type of anti-ship missile known as the Padasuri-6 (Sea Eagle-6).  The test firing was conducted on the morning of 14 February and was witnessed by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, state-owned Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) disclosed in a statement the next day.  The weapon flew over the Sea of Japan (East Sea) for about 1,400 seconds before hitting a designat...

The Russian Navy's Ropucha-class Project 775 LST   Tsesar Kunikov  (158).  (Yoruk Isik)  The Ukrainian Defence Intelligence (GUR) claims that its Group 13 unit has conducted a successful attack against the Russian Ropucha I-class tank landing ship (LST) Tsesar Kunikov using Magura V unmanned surface vessels (USVs).  Video footage released by the GUR on its Telegram channel on 14 February shows USVs approaching a Ropucha I landing ship and at least two detonating against its port side. The LST is then shown listin...

The Royal Marines Commando Raiding Craft are now operational. (Crown Copyright)  The UK Royal Marines has inducted the first batch of revamped raiding craft designed for use on coastal commando raids.  The vessels, which have been redesignated as Commando Raiding Craft (CRC), are an upgraded version of the service's in-service Offshore Raiding Craft (ORC). It is a multi-purpose craft that can be reconfigured, replacing the troop carrying and fire support variants.  Announcing the milestone, the Royal Navy (RN) said the in-service fleet of ORC...

Hessen  departs Wilhelmshaven naval base on 8 February, bound for the Mediterranean.   (Bundeswehr/Julia Kelm)    The German Navy has despatched its Type 124 Sachsen-class air-defence frigate FGS   Hessen  (F 221) to the Mediterranean ahead of the launch of the European Union's (EU's) new naval operation to protect merchant shipping against attacks by the Ansar Allah group (commonly known as the Houthis) in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.   Hessen  departed Wilhelmshaven, bound for the Mediterran...

A Pentagon report confirms the effectiveness of modified Mk 48 torpedoes. (US Department of Defense)  The US Navy's modified Advanced Processor Build (APB) 5+ Mk 48 torpedo is “operationally effective and suitable”, according to the Director, Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) FY 2023 Annual Report, released on 2 February.  However, “Mk 48 Mod 7 torpedo reliability has degraded below navy-defined requirements”, the DOT&E noted, recommending the navy determine and correct the causes of the degraded reliability of that modified Mk 48.  The...

HMS   Prince of Wales  departs Portsmouth Harbour on 12 February to take part in Exercise ‘Steadfast Defender 2024' with NATO partners off the coast of Norway.  (Crown Copyright)    The UK Royal Navy's (RN's) second Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier HMS   Prince of Wales  sets sail from Portsmouth on 12 February bound for northern Norway where it will lead an international task group in the NATO Exercise ‘Steadfast Defender 2024'.   Prince of Wales  will participate in the exercise...

Milkor UAE's 16 m patrol craft, Commander, at WDS 2024. (Milkor UAE)  Milkor UAE unveiled a new 16 m patrol craft, named Commander, at the World Defense Show (WDS) 2024 held in Riyadh from 4 to 8 February.  Milkor has designed the vessel specifically for the Middle Eastern region and is responsible for the manufacturing of the craft.  Development started in late 2023 and the craft will take another year to be manufactured in full scale ahead of its official launch in February 2025 at IDEX. While Milkor Commander has been primarily developed f...