Designed and built for “extreme use, without compromise”, the Queensland Police Service’s latest patrol boat delivery features a longer than usual waterline for a 12m craft The Queensland Police Service (QPS) in north-east Australia is bolstering its waterborne activities with the first in a series of safe, seaworthy and highly customisable patrol vessels. Designed and […]
In January 2023, the first of the Marine Nationale’s new logistic support ships, the Bâtiment Ravitailleur de Forces (BRF) Jacques Chevallier commenced sea trials. Jacques Chevallier first went to sea in December 2022. Initial sea trials formally commenced on 25 January 2023, and were completed on 28 January 2023. The first-of-class is due to be […]
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in the US is hoping to revive the concept of wing-in-ground effect (WIG) and has selected two teams to develop designs for its ‘Liberty Lifter X-Plane Programme.’ In the first phase of the programme, two teams – General Atomics working with Maritime Applied Physics Corporation, and Aurora Flight […]
The US Navy is moving ahead with plans to significantly reconfigure its DDG 1000 Zumwalt-class guided missile destroyers to meet changed operational requirements and a new warfighting concept of operations in the Pacific theatre. Central to this is the integration of a new hypersonic weapon system into the Zumwalt-class ships to confer a long-range prompt […]
The UK Ministry of Defence has acquired the commercial offshore support vessel, Topaz Tangaroa, for conversion to a Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance (MROS) seabed warfare platform. Purchased from Topaz Energy & Marine by the Ships Acquisition team at Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) at a cost of £65 million (US$79 million), the vessel is now being […]
Two police boats have taken to the waters off the Ivory Coast, thanks to some detailed tailoring by Dubai-based RIB manufacturer ASIS Boats. As the central maritime law enforcement agency responsible for safeguarding the country’s ports, rivers, and coastlines, the Ivorian Department of Maritime Affairs and Ports requires a rapid response capability for search and […]
British-led Team Resolute, comprising BMT, Harland & Wolff and Navantia UK, has been appointed as the preferred bidder to deliver three support ships to the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA). The £1.6 billion (US$1.9 billion) contract to build the vessels providing munitions, stores and provisions to the Royal Navy’s aircraft carriers, destroyers and frigates deployed at […]
In October 2022, Austal Australia took possession of a decommissioned Armidale-class patrol boat, the former HMAS Maitland, from the Commonwealth of Australia, to commence planning, modification, and test and evaluation of autonomous and remotely operated systems. The Patrol Boat Autonomy Trial (PBAT) is a collaboration between Austal, the Trusted Autonomous Systems Defence Cooperative Research Centre […]
BAE Systems Naval Ships has provided Warship Technology with an insight into concept development activity intended to establish the key characteristics and attributes required for a future highly configurable, multi-mission warship optimised for littoral strike and lethality. Known as the Adaptable Strike Frigate, the concept has been evolved to deliver a flexible ‘system of systems’ […]
Unmanned surface and above-water units are changing the nature of naval classification. Novel technologies in the naval defence space, from uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) to advanced offshore patrol vessels (OPV), are changing the game for classification societies, and require a more sophisticated approach to risk assessment and validation than ever, as Lloyd’s Register’s (LR) naval […]
On 31 August 2022, Fincantieri-owned Marinette Marine started construction of the US Navy’s first Constellation-class guided missile frigate. The future USS Constellation moved into the next stage of development as shipbuilders began cutting steel for the ship with representatives of the US Navy, elected officials and community leaders in attendance. Two years ago the US […]
Italy’s Guardia di Finanza took delivery of a new flagship on 22 September 2022, a Damen Stan Patrol 6009 patrol boat. The 60m vessel for the Guardia di Finanza – a law enforcement agency operating under the authority of the Ministry of Finance – was built at Cantiere Navale Vittoria Shipyard in Adria on Italy’s […]