The US Navy has stopped its Constellation-class frigate programme (FFG-62) and terminated the construction of further units in addition to the two ships already under construction. Officially, considerable delays, cost increases and an unresolved degree of maturity of the design are cited as reasons. At the same time, the naval leadership emphasises that the decision is part of a fundamental strategic...
With the OPEX test series, the navy is feeling its way towards the future use of unmanned boats. The "Tamsen Jet" from Tamsen Maritim and Anschütz demonstrates what a national industrial initiative can achieve. OPEX as a testing ground for maritime autonomy With the Operational Experimentation (OPEX) test series, the German Navy is driving forward the integration of unmanned surface vehicles into its...
Every year, experts from associations, authorities, the German armed forces, industry and procurement come together in the secluded town of Linstow. This time, there was a particularly large influx from industry. The motto "The Maritime Battle: Drivers for Research, Armaments and Utilisation" attracted representatives from politics, business, science and the armed forces to this year's 27th Naval Workshop on 23rd and...
USA authorises sale of SM-6/SM-2 The US Department of State has approved a possible export of up to 173 "SM-6 Block I" and 577 "SM-2 Block IIIC" worth up to 3.5 billion US dollars to Germany as part of its Foreign Military Sales (FMS) and, as provided for in the Arms Export Control Act, has...
They are 143 metres long and displace 6,300 tonnes - but are considered multi-purpose patrol vessels and consequently bear a "P" in front of the hull number as their type designation. The first versions of the Italian Thaon di Revel class were built in the "light" configuration FFBNW - Fitted For But Not With, i.e. prepared for the installation of...
Pirate attack on "Hellas Aphrodite" - another serious incident off the coast of Somalia. The Greek product tanker Hellas Aphrodite (30,000 tonnes, flagged Malta) was boarded by armed pirates around 560 nautical miles south-east of Eyl on 6 November. The 24 crew members saved themselves in the ship's citadel before the...
China's aircraft carriers are growing sea legs - during a manoeuvre on Japan's doorstep. The navy is increasingly flying the flag in its own country. China's People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) now has three aircraft carriers: the Liaoning is a modernised ex-Varyag from the Soviet era, the Shandong is a Chinese replica - both with a characteristic ski-jump deck, and the...
The Indian navy is at the beginning of a far-reaching expansion and modernisation of its fleet. If all projects are realised, India could be among the leading naval powers by the middle of the century. The Indian Navy currently has around 280 units, including about 70 ocean-going warships, including submarines and corvettes. New Delhi...
At the end of the 1990s, the first three Grigorovich-class frigates were ordered in Russia (project 1135.6, 125 metres, 4,000 tonnes), known as the Talwar class for India. Further batches have since been ordered, so that this class now comprises ten units. At the same time, India developed the three larger frigates of the Shivalik class from this type...
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