Singapore launches fourth and final Type 218SG submarine
The era of southeast Asian submarine modernisation has been in full swing fuelled by growing tensions in the South China Sea.
Selex has been awarded a contract from Cobham Aviation Services in Australia for the supply of its Seaspray 5000E Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) surveillance radars, as announced on 16 April.
Cobham will use the radar to equip the Challenger CL-604 aircraft which will perform search and rescue (SAR) services for the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA).
The Seaspray 5000E is ideally suited for SAR operations. In addition to its high reliability, compact size and ease of use, the radar’s AESA technology-enables small target detection capability.
Cobham's AMSA SAR contract will run for 12 years from August 2016, when the current contract expires. Under the contract, the company will acquire, modify, commission, operate and maintain four Challenger CL-604 aircraft from bases in Cairns, Melbourne and Perth to provide SAR capabilities over land and at sea. The aircraft will be available for SAR missions by AMSA at short notice 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The era of southeast Asian submarine modernisation has been in full swing fuelled by growing tensions in the South China Sea.
On 24 March 2022, Greece and Naval Group have signed a contract for three defence and intervention (FDI) frigates. Two warships will be due for delivery in 2025 and the third expected the following year, with the deal including an option to add a fourth frigate to be ready in 2027.
US Congress senators have warned that the US Coast Guard’s fleet cannot protect Arctic waters against Russian naval capabilities.
The AUKUS agreement will support Australia’s purchase of at least eight nuclear-powered submarines under pillar one. Other pillars of the agreement cover high technology such as cyber, unmanned systems, AI, EW, undersea capabilities and information sharing between the three countries.
In July 2023, Damen and Thales signed contracts to design, build and deliver four new anti-submarine warfare (ASW) frigates for Belgium and the Netherlands.
Alongside progress on its Lionfish contracts, Leonardo emphasised its shift in focus from traditional larger calibre systems toward smaller calibre solutions, epitomised by the X-Gun’s inception in 2017.