NOVEMBER 2020 news

Naval Forces, Defense Industry, Navy Technology, Maritime Security


According to a press release published on November 10, 2020, American Company Martin UAV successfully demonstrated the shipboard integration of its V-BAT as well as its impressive maritime capabilities in support of United States Southern Command’s counter-narcotics operations in the Eastern Pacific from October 6, 2019, to July 31, 2020.

According to a press release published on November 12, 2020, on November 12th 2020, INS Vagir was launched by Smt Vijaya Shripad Naik, wife of Shri Shripad Naik, Hon’ble Raksha Rajya Mantri. INS Vagir is the fifth P75 Scorpene® submarine entirely built by the Indian shipyard Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) based on years of technology transfer and partnership with Naval Group.

According to information published by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) on November 11, 2020, the U.S. State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of MQ-9B Remotely Piloted Aircraft and related equipment for an estimated cost of $2.97 billion that will be used to locate submarines and counter-land and counter-surface sea capabilities for its security and defense.

According to information published on November 11, 2020, On November 11, 2020, the world’s most modern Sa'ar 6 corvette “INS Magen” was officially handed over by German Company ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems to the Israeli Navy in Kiel, Germany. This marks another important milestone in the ongoing program of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems as General Contractor to build four next-generation SA'AR-6 class missile corvettes for the Israeli Navy. 

According to information published by the website boerse.de on November 2, 2020, the German government has approved the delivery of nine patrol and coast defense boats to Egypt for an amount of €130 million. This information was released via a letter from Federal Economics Minister Peter Altmaier (CDU) to the Economic Committee of the Bundestag, the German parliament.

Russia is resuming the construction of project 20380 and 20385 corvettes. The warships will be upgraded according to previous experience and will operate in regions with complicated hydrographic and weather conditions. It has not been planned to resume the construction of the corvettes before. The Izvestia daily writes why the Navy has changed its mind and why project 20380 corvettes will be in the biggest numbers in the fleet.

On Nov. 5, the U.S. Department of Defense published the announcement following which General Dynamics Electric Boat Corp., Groton, Connecticut, is awarded a $9,473,511,245 cost-plus-incentive-fee modification to previously awarded contract N00024-17-C-2117. The contract modification exercises an option for construction and test of the lead and second ships of the Columbia class SSBN 826 and SSBN 827, as well as associated design and engineering support.

According to information published by the Chinese News Agency Xinhuanet on November 5, 2020, the Bangladesh Navy has launched five modern ships including two frigates, one corvette, and two hydrographic survey ships during an official ceremony that was held Thursday, November 5, 2020, at a naval berth in the country's Chattogram seaport city, some 242 km southeast of capital Dhaka.

According to information published by the Russian press agency TASS on November 6, 2020, Russian Navy Project 22350 Admiral Gorshkov class frigates will be armed with the latest anti-submarine weapons. They will be the first to operate guided antisubmarine missiles which can hit targets at a distance of dozens of kilometers, the Izvestia daily writes.

According to a press release published on November 6, 2020, following an open and competitive process, the Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of Public Services and Procurement, and the Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of National Defence, announced that the Government of Canada has awarded a contract to General Dynamics Mission Systems–Canada, from Ottawa, Ontario, for in-service support on 6 Halifax-class combat systems (HCCS).

According to information published on www.ekathimerini.com website on November 6, 2020, the Hellenic (Greek) Navy would like to purchase four American Multi-Mission Surface Combatant (MMSC) frigates. The MMSC is a tailored littoral combat ship variant being built by American Company Lockheed Martin for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through the U.S. Navy’s Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program.

According to information published by the Australian Navy on November 8, 2020, the Australian Navy’s Maritime Geospatial Warfare Unit has deployed a new type of small survey craft from HMAS Adelaide (L01) Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) for the first time. Called ‘Polaris’, the survey craft was first launched and recovered from Adelaide during amphibious training off the coast of Queensland near Townsville during Exercise SEA WADER.

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