Category: Marines from all over the world

Australia - HMAS Sydney fires SM-6 missiles

The destroyer "Sydney", the third and final unit of the Australian Hobart class (147 metres, 6,300 tonnes), which was further developed from the Spanish F100 Alvaro de Bazán frigate and commissioned in 2020, is "one of a kind". In addition to two quadruple Harpoon missile launchers, the "Sydney" has a mix of Standard Missile 2 and ESSM-Seasparrow-FK as an air defence destroyer in the 48-cell vertical launch silo - just like her sister ships. However, she is the only one to date to have recently been additionally equipped in the silo with SM-6 missiles (including improved range) and on the upper deck with two quad canisters of Kongsberg Naval Strike Missile (NSM). During RIMPAC 2024 she has now fired an NSM for the first time...

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Manta-Ray - US underwater drone with its own berth

A satellite photo taken in November 2023, which later appeared on Google Maps, shows a new type of US Navy underwater vehicle, which is intended as a demonstrator to prove the functionality of new technologies - in particular energy autonomy under water. The "Manta Ray" underwater drone has impressive dimensions: With a wingspan of 14 metres and a length of 10 metres, the platform is clearly visible in the harbour of Port Hueneme near Los Angeles. Two videos have now been published by Northop Grumman and DARPA (the Pentagon's research and development agency) showing how this autonomous UUV (unmanned underwater vehicle) works.

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Spain's new-build frigates ahead of time - submarines are lagging behind

As much as the construction progress of the new F 110 frigate at the Navantia shipyard in Ferrol is ahead of schedule in Spain, the results of the submarine construction at the Cartagena shipyard (also Navantia) are behind the planned milestones. The first boat, S-81 ISAAC PERAL, has been sailing under the Spanish naval flag for several months, but was already six months behind schedule when it entered service and is currently in a new shipyard phase. However, the three following boats S-82 to S-84 are now already a good 12 months behind schedule with delivery dates of 2026 to 2029.

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Russia: Combat icebreaker undergoing sea trials

On 25 October 2019, the first of two planned units of a new ship class known as "combat icebreakers" (Project 23550) or ice-capable multi-purpose patrol vessels was launched at the Admiralty Shipyard in St. Petersburg. The "Ivan Papanin" began sea trials at the end of June 2024. The 114 metre long, 18 metre wide, 8,500 tonne displacement, diesel-electric powered platforms can be used as armed patrol vessels, tugs and icebreakers (0.5 metre ice). They are equipped with Kalibr-NK cruise missiles (ship-to-ship, ship-to-shore, underwater ship-to-shore) and with a 76.2 mm cannon (AK-176), two pick-up stations for Raptor speedboats and a helicopter hangar to accommodate a Ka-27...

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China - new amphibious assault vehicle takes shape

In addition to the ambitious aircraft carrier programme for the surface combatants, the Chinese navy is also consistently expanding its amphibious potential: The six amphibious assault ships of the Type 071 Yuzhao class with a length of 210 metres and 20,000 tonnes (similar to American LPDs of the San Antonio class) and the four Type 075 Yushen-class medium helicopter landing ships with a length/width of 232 / 38 metres and a displacement of 36,000 tonnes are well known.000 tonnes displacement; recently an even larger ship was identified under construction on the Changxing shipyard island off Shanghai, 263 metres long and 46 metres wide - i.e. 50 metres shorter and half as wide as the new aircraft carrier "Fujian" (see compilation The War...

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