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The Australian government signed the Attack-class submarine Strategic Partnering Agreement with French shipbuilder Naval Group, a project worth over 31 billion Euros ($35 billion USD) and tying the two parties for the next 50 years.
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This contract is the largest defense contract ever awarded by the Australian government and the largest defense contract ever awarded to a European defense company.
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Construction on the first ship of the class (the future HMAS Attack) is expected to start in 2023 and its delivery should take place in the early 2030ies. The next units will follow with a cadence of one submarine every two years.

The Hellenic Navy is in the final stage of activating the sub-programme for the procurement of four Sikorsky MH-60R anti-submarine warfare helicopters, according to a written statement to the Parliament made by the Minister of Defense Evangelos Apostolakis.

The Indian Ministry of Defence has issued Expression of Interest (s) for shortlisting of potential Indian Strategic Partners and foreign OEMs for the Procurement of 111 Naval Utility Helicopters (NUH) for the Indian Navy on 12 Feb 19.

An article published by a subsidiary of Chinese naval group CSSC is suggesting quite clearly that the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN or Chinese Navy) 3rd aircraft carrier will use a conventional propulsion system and EMALS catapults.

In the context of the FANAL pre-deployment exercise involving the entire carrier strike group, French Navy (Marine Nationale) aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle set a new record: No less than 35 aircraft, including 30 Rafale Marine, were aboard. All aircraft were lined up on the flight deck for a "PHOTEX".

US Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II aircraft conducted milestone flight operations with externally-loaded inert and live ordnance in expeditionary strike training from the USS Wasp (LHD 1) in the Philippine and East China Seas, Jan. 26 through Feb. 6, the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit PAO announced recently.

Boeing won a $43 million contract for the fabrication, test, and delivery of four Orca Extra Large Unmanned Undersea Vehicles (XLUUVs) and associated support elements.
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XLUUV future capabilities may include mine countermeasures (MCM), anti-submarine warfare (ASW), electronic warfare (EW), anti-surface warfare (ASUW), intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR) and even strike capabilities.

The Hellenic Navy is gradually changing the camouflage of its Fast Attack Craft vessels, as noted in pictures from recent exercises. The new pattern includes four different shades between grey and dark blue grey, in random shapes.

The French Ministry of the Armed Forces announced that a French Navy (Marine Nationale) Rafale M fighter fired a METEOR air to air missile for the first time on 13 February 2019.
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The French Navy fighter used for the test was highly likely the (for now unique) Rafale M F-3R aircraft which was delivered in December 2018. F-3R is the latest standard of the Rafale, bringing a number of new capabilities including the integration of the METEOR missile.

The littoral combat ship USS Tulsa (LCS 16) was commissioned into the U.S. Navy during a ceremony in San Francisco Feb. 16. USS Tulsa is the 15th littoral combat ship and the eighth of the Austal-built Independence-class.

ECA GROUP, in collaboration with its naval architecture subsidiary MAURIC, integrates a new USV – (Unmanned Surface Vehicle) into its range of naval drones systems. The new INSPECTOR 125, based on an operational platform, is designed for high seas operations.

At NAVDEX 2019, MBDA unveiled the SPIMM (Self-Protection Integrated Mistral Module), an all-in-one air defence module based on the SIMBAD-RC system and designed to equip ships of all types, particularly those without a combat system (such as supply ships).

The SPIMM module consists of a SIMBAD-RC automated naval turret equipped with two ready-to-fire Mistral missiles and a 360° infrared panoramic system to detect and track air and surface threats. The system is entirely controlled by two operators located in a shelter inside the module, which is also used to store four additional missiles. This ISO standard “all-in-one” module, 10 feet long and weighing some 7 tons, can be easily positioned on the deck of a ship using a crane, and requires just a standard electrical connection.

ORIGINAL: kevinkins

Nice:

https://defence-blog.com/army/all-russi ... royed.html

ORIGINAL: Tailhook

ARLINGTON, Va., February 18, 2019 – Boeing [NYSE: BA] and the U.S. Navy have received U.S. Department of Defense approval to offer the EA-18G Growler to Finland. Previously only Australia had been authorized to purchase the airborne electronic attack (AEA) aircraft.

https://boeing.mediaroom.com/2019-02-18 ... 130385-117