MAY 2019 news

Naval Forces, Defense Industry, Navy Technology, Maritime Security


On May 18, 2019, the U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS William P. Lawrence (DDG 110), along with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) Izumo-class helicopter destroyer JS Izumo (DDH 183) and Murasame-class destroyer JS Murasame (DD 101) conducted joint operations in the Strait of Malacca.

Lockheed Martin is on contract with USSOCOM for the production of Dry Combat Submersible (DCS) 1, DCS 2, and DCS 3. “The contract delivery date of DCS 1 is June 28, 2019,” according to Jon Beckerman, DCS Program Manager, Lockheed Martin Navigation, Surveillance & Unmanned Systems.

On Monday May 20, in the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Preble (DDG 88) and the Royal Australian Navy Adelaide-class guided-missile frigate HMAS Melbourne (FFG 05) conducted a freedom of navigation operation (FONOP) near the Scarborough Shoal, in the South China Sea, to push back against Chinese maritime claims.

Martin Baker, Middlesex, United Kingdom, is awarded a $21,530,401 firm-fixed-price order against a previously issued basic ordering agreement. This order provides for the procurement of non-recurring engineering associated with the production and delivery of the SKU-10A/A survival seat kit, 500 SKU-10A/A survival seat kit assemblies for the Enhanced Emergency Oxygen System for the US Navy; and 81 SKU-10A/A survival seat kit assemblies for the Enhanced Emergency Oxygen System for the government of Australia.

The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Canada of MK 54 lightweight torpedoes with support for an estimated cost of $387 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale on May 16, 2019.

The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Korea of SM-2 Block IIIB Standard missiles with support for an estimated cost of $313.9 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale on May 16, 2019.

Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems has been awarded a $US 12,7 million modification to a previously awarded contract, from the U.S. Navy, to exercise an option for class design and option for post-delivery support for USS St. Louis (LCS 19). This option exercise is for post-delivery support of USS St. Louis (LCS 19) of the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) programme.

Changes have been introduced into the design of Borey-A-class nuclear ballistic missile submarines (SSBN) of project 955A. The Knyaz Vladimir is the first renewed sub which is completing trials. It had its superstructure remade and the bowlines became more streamlined. The changes improve seaworthiness and decrease underwater noise. Transformations of project 955A SSBN are likely to continue, the Izvestia daily writes.

SIPRI (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute) has expanded its research on security issues in the Horn of Africa region by launching a new series of publications investigating major questions for the future security and stability of the region. Notably, it highlights the increasing importance of geopolitical, commercial and military competition as the driver of foreign military deployments to the region.

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