April 2019 news

Naval Forces, Defense Industry, Navy Technology, Maritime Security


The South Korean MoD on Tuesday, April 30, approved plans to build three Aegis-equipped destroyers worth 3.9 trillion won ($US 3.3 billion). The plan also includes upgrading submarines to enhance the military's operational capabilities, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said to local media.

The Russian Navy and the Chinese Navy will hold joint Naval Interaction-2019 exercises from May 1 to May 4, the Russian Defense Ministry recently said in a statement. This annual bilateral drill will be about joint manoeuvring, organization of communication, missile and artillery firing, as well as search and rescue support.

On Friday April 26, Leonardo announced that it has signed a contract valued at approximately 380 mln EUR (1.65 bn PLN) that will significantly enhance the Polish Navy’s helicopter capability. Through its fully owned Polish company and main industrial presence in the country, PZL-Świdnik, Leonardo will supply four AW101s and a comprehensive integrated logistics and training package to the Polish Ministry of National Defence (MoD).

Spain's Ministry of Defense signed a contract with local shipbuilder Navantia on April 23 covering construction for a new class of five F-110 multi-mission frigates. The €4.3 billion ($US 4.8 billion) project represents the Spanish Navy's cornerstone capital program through 2035, forming part of the larger €7 billion-plus military investment package signed off on by the Socialist government last December. The government will cover the cost of the F-110 project with payments made this year through 2032.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) recently launched a brand new patrol vessel for the Japan Coast Guard (JCG). This vessel is a variant of the Shikishima-class, with two previous vessels built in 1992 and 2013. Two more vessels are also scheduled to be built in the future.

Royal Marines of the Alpha Company of 40 Commando have been involved in a “ground-breaking” exercise (Exercise Commando Warrior), alongside 1 Assault Group Royal Marines (1AGRM), in which they were supported by unmanned vehicles during tactical action for the first time.

Lockheed Martin is working through $US 2.5 billion in military contracts to develop a variety of hypersonic weapons in a bid to catch up with developments from China and Russia, company chief executive Marillyn Hewson said during a Tuesday earnings calls. The U.S. Pentagon has made moves to accelerate the development of hypersonic weapons in its latest guiding documents, and that has driven investment from the company, Hewson said.

As part of the Indian project "Radar Chain" that will link up systems in India, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, and Seychelles, Maldives were scheduled to set up 10 Coastal Surveillance Radars made by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL India). And after some political uncertainty in the Maldives, work resumes full steam on those radars.

Page 1 of 4