A little more than a year ago, 40 global research and defense companies met to discuss how unmanned systems could be used by the world’s armies, air forces and navies in the defense systems of the future. This led to the British Royal Navy staging its first ‘robot wars’ last fall to give companies the chance to demonstrate their latest technology in a realistic workout. In the largest exercise of its kind ever staged, ‘Unmanned Warrior’, held off the coasts of Scotland and Wales, provided an international showcase for industry to demonstrate what autonomous systems can do for naval warfare, including the use of unmanned vessels (AUVs, ROVs, USVs) in surveys, antisubmarine warfare, ISTAR (information, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance) and mine hunting.
, marketed in the United Kingdom by Marine Ventures Ltd., as the most suitable commercially available incinerator for onboard installation on the Royal Navy's recently ordered Type 23 frigates. The Ministry of Defence selected the MFV incinerator after thoroughly testing and comparing the various
—Literature Available The British Royal Navy has purchased a deepwater bathy system from Raytheon Ocean Systems Company, East Providence, R.I., and installed it aboard the HMS Challenger, a new seabed operations vessel. The Challenger is one of the world's most technologically advanced hydrographic
Pacific Guardian, the company is applying the same techniques to warships. The Swan Hunter yards are currently building two Type 22 frigates for the Royal Navy, and have recently completed sea trials with the aircraft carrier Ark Royal, which is shortly to be handed over to the Royal Navy. This ship
The U.K. Royal Navy, Marine Fluid Power Fire Fighting & Mechanical Handling Integrated Project Team (MFFMIPT) Submarine Division, implemented a tailor made version of the recently launched portable Valve Seat Lathe, type VSL, from Swedish manufacturers Chris-Marine. As a result, the MFFMIPT claims to
Construction of two new 295 ft. (90 m) hydrographic and oceanographic survey ships for the Royal Navy, under the prime contractorship of Vosper Thornycroft (VT), has taken another step forward with the initial blocks being moved to the berth in the covered Building Dock at Appledore Shipbuilders in
facility, a nearly $60 million investment located within Portsmouth Naval Base. From the start. the facility will be used to build blocks for all the Royal Navy's new 7.500-ton type 45 destroyers, as VT will build the forward section, funnel and mast section for these ships. In addition, the company is
the British Ministry of Defense (MoD) to successfully complete the afloat replacement of a 7.5-ton Voith Schneider Propulsor (VSP) unit, while the Royal Navy ship was operating over 3,000 miles from its UK base port. The VSP waterborne exchange is, reported by the MoD, to be a premiere culmination of
ALSTOM has won a second order of around $102 million to supply an integrated electric power and propulsion system for the Royal Navy's Anti-Air Warfare Type 45 Destroyers. Following on from the first contract in April 2001 for batch one, this order is for batch two vessels and was awarded by BAE Syste
HMS Ark Royal, the Royal Navy's latest antisubmarine aircraft carrier (above) is pictured after her launch from the Swan Hunter yard on the River Tyne in northeast England recently. The last Invincible-class t h r o u g h - d e ck cruiser to be built, HMS Ark Royal has an expected completion date of
The Secretary of State for Defense announcement on the royal Navy's Type 45 destroyer was hailed as a boon for South Coast Shipbuilding, as the revised strategy means that Vosper Thornycroft (VT) will play a significant role in the Type 45 program, building sections for all ship in the class. "The
to DERA in August before starting the initial phase of a trials program that will determine whether trimaran hulls will be considered for the Royal Navy's Future Surface Combatant. BT has built the ship using mega- blocks weighing up to 200 tons each. Five mega blocks have been fabricated and
, including sidescan and synthetic aperture sonars, as well as laser scanners. Ukraine is al- ready in possession of six Remus 100 AUVs provided by the Royal Navy for MCM purposes, but a multinational mine clearance operation would em- ploy numerous AUVs to measure mine- ? eld scale and density. Once mapped
from marinas along the western coast. The exact number of lizing laser detection systems can detect mines just below the mines, as well as their locations, remains largely a mystery, surface, even those hiding in murky water. The Airborne Laser although reports suggest that over three hundred have been
MTR Editorial Advisors Gallaudet Hardy The Honorable Tim Gallaudet, Kevin Hardy is President PhD, Rear Admiral, U.S. of Global Ocean Design, Navy (ret) is the CEO of creating components and Ocean STL Consulting and subsystems for unmanned host of The American Blue vehicles, following a career
RADM PHILIP SOBECK, MILITARY SEALIFT COMMAND U.S. Navy photo by Bill Mesta/released U.S. Navy photo by Ryan Carter Rear Adm. Philip Sobeck, Commander, United States Navy’s Military Sealift Command, visits USNS Patuxent (T-AO 201) for a tour of the ship at Naval Station Norfolk, Va., November 20, 2023.
FEATURE INTERVIEW track missiles and warheads for the Mis- sile Defense Agency, and it travels with its support ship, the MV Hercules. For our Service Support ships, we have the two hospital ships, USNS Mer- cy and Comfort; two rescue and salvage ships; two submarine tenders; and the Sixth Fleet ?
RADM PHILIP SOBECK, MILITARY SEALIFT COMMAND With COVID, we had to make some hard choices for our Do your CIVMARs have upward mobility? mariners because we couldn’t rotate. Many of our mariners The Navy has Sailors who become “Mustangs,” and work found other employment, and were able to use their skills
FEATURE INTERVIEW “Over the next decade, 12 new classes of ships will come online and MSC will see up to 20 new ships deliver to the ? eet in the next ? ve years. This includes new oilers, towing, salvage and rescue tugs, and expeditionary fast transports and emergency medical ships. A large
RADM PHILIP SOBECK, MILITARY SEALIFT COMMAND Photo by Brian Suriani USN Military Sealift Command From a global supply chain perspective, What makes MSC so vital to the we’ve learned a lot about dealing with Navy’s ? eet and our military disruptions. COVID delivered a big forces around the world? wake-up
FEATURE INTERVIEW U.S. Navy photograph by Brian Suriani/Released Rear Adm. Philip Sobeck (right) Commander of U.S. Military Sealift Command (MSC) explains the tradition of the Navy ‘looping ceremony’. Lt. Robert P. Ellison assumes the title of MSC’s Flag Aide during the ceremony. NEEDS MILITARY MORE
NO.4 / VOL. 86 / APRIL 2024 16 Photo on the Cover: U.S. Navy photograph by Brian Suriani/Released Photo this page: Copyright Björn Wylezich/AdobeStock 16 SOVs: Analyzing the Market Drivers Departments As offshore wind grows globally, so too do the dynamics around SOVs. By Philip Lewis 4 Authors & Contribut
Feature Shipbuilding Loumania Stewart / U.S. Coast Guard focus), which require very different business systems to be in place. “We’ve been able to do both,” he said, noting that having systems in place for government jobs makes East- ern Shipbuilding “move-in ready for the Navy and other DOD agencies
OpEd Shipbuilding U.S. Commercial Shipbuilding and Repair Industry Ensures American Strength at Sea By Matthew Paxton, President, Shipbuilders Council of America As Senator Roger Wicker force, the U.S. is falling behind. China, Korea and Japan of Mississippi once said, “Growth in commercial ship-
COVER FEATURE times of con? ict or in other national said Ebeling. “If you look at Iraq and tors bring to the table, all provided by emergencies, and the program also Afghanistan, 98% of those cargoes the MSP ? eet, and it would cost the provides DoD access to MSP partici- were transported to the
Authors & Contributors MARITIME REPORTER AND ENGINEERING NEWS M A R I N E L I N K . C O M ISSN-0025-3448 USPS-016-750 No. 2 Vol. 86 Maritime Reporter/Engineering News Goldberg Haun (ISSN # 0025-3448) is published monthly Galdorisi except for March, July, and October by Maritime Activity Reports, Inc.
as a safer alternative to Ocean Ranger sinking in 1982, which resulted in 84 lives traditional survival craft and rescue boat training. lost. A Canadian Royal Commission report concluded that A leader in this space is Virtual Marine, based in New- a main factor leading to the tragic incident was insuf?
brings together thought leaders from industry, academia and Dockside Demonstrations government to discuss meeting future ocean technology needs On the Royal Victoria Dock, the Dockside Demos feature in line with market developments and new ocean enterprise gives visitors the opportunity to experience
all global stakeholder space to stage a number of unique features and events, with groups in oceanology across blue-tech, energy and offshore the Royal Victoria Dock enabling live outdoor, on-water dem- sectors, delivering the sector’s key forum and networking op- onstrations. Features at Oi24 include: port
, where nights chock full of a vibrant exhibition, on-water technology thought leaders will discuss meeting future ocean technology demonstrations on the Royal Victoria Dock just outside the needs. Sir David King, Emeritus Professor of Chemistry, Uni- exhibition hall, conferences and social gatherings – all
patrols. The new SSBNs share roughly similar dimensions (length and displacement) with the Ohios; much of its strategic weapon capabilities with the Royal Navy’s Dreadnought class of SSBNs; and have similar sensors as the Virginia-class attack boats. Below The Surface TORPEDOES IS WHAT MATTERS Torpedoes
SUBSEA VEHICLES DEFENSE USS Baltimore (SSN 704) served for just 15 and a half years in 2004, and the newest, USS Hyman G. Rickover (SSN 795) of active service. joining the ? eet in October of 2023. Newer versions will be Los Angeles-class submarines carried MK-48 heavyweight ? tted with the Virginia
at depths up to 1,000 feet. serve as a moored training ship (MTS ton. Some of the 688s were pulled from Hammerhead consists of a mooring 701) and the Nuclear Power School service at their mid-life point rather than module that plants itself on the bot- in Charleson, S.C. Likewise USS San incur the
SUBSEA VEHICLES DEFENSE Members from Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit (EODMU) 5 and expeditionary sea base ship USS Miguel Keith (ESB 5) prepare the MK 18 MOD 2 Sword? sh to be deployed from the Open Water Transportation System (OWTS) during Exercise Noble Vanguard. U.S. Navy photo by Mass
fying mines, especially the hard-to-? nd bottom and buried mines in high clutter environments. Knife? sh uses the low- frequency broadband capability devel- oped by the Physical Acoustics Branch of the Naval Research Laboratory. The 2,000-lb., 22-foot long Knife? sh is based on the Blue? n 21 UUV.
SUBSEA VEHICLES DEFENSE Knife? sh is a medium-class mine countermeasure UUV designed for deployment off the Littoral Combat Ship. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Brian M. Brooks/RELEASED be applied to Orca XLUUV 1 through 5, which will be built (encapsulated torpedo) mine.