Security

Security Vessel News Roundup | August 7 – US and Italian surface combatants, future Canadian Coast Guard Arctic patrol ships and more

Baird Maritime

Deliveries include a UK police RIB, a US Navy littoral combat ship, and a Royal Australian Navy patrol boat. Construction continues on new naval ships for the US, Ukraine, and Russia and coast guard patrol vessels for Canada. The US and Italian navies have meanwhile placed orders for landing craft and surface combatants.

Defender, a new RIB acquired by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary

New RIB delivered to UK maritime police unit

The UK's Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary recently welcomed a new rigid inflatable boat (RIB) into service. Named Defender, the RIB will be operated by the constabulary’s Marine Support Unit.

The new boat will be able to operate even under severe weather conditions. The enhanced capability will enable Marine Support Unit officers to patrol and deploy across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight’s 460 kilometres of coastline as well as the inland waterways of the Thames Valley force area.

Turkish yard launches future Ukrainian Navy corvette

Turkish shipbuilder RMK Marine has floated out the future Hetman Ivan Vygovsky, a corvette ordered by the Ukrainian Navy. The ship belongs to the MILGEM family of surface combatants developed by a partnership of Turkish companies with defence technology firm STM as lead contractor.

Once in service, the corvette will be used for anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, and anti-air warfare. Armament will include a 76mm naval gun and a 35mm close-in weapon system.

The future US Navy littoral combat ship USS Pierre being launched at Austal USA's facilities in Mobile, Alabama, August 5, 2024

US Navy’s final Independence-class littoral combat ship floated out

Austal USA has successfully launched the future USS Pierre, the last ship of the US Navy’s Independence-variant littoral combat ship (LCS) program. Following launch, Austal USA’s test and activation team will spend the next several months preparing the vessel for sea trials later this year.

Rendering of an Italian Navy 95-metre offshore patrol vessel

Italian Navy exercises option for new offshore patrol vessel

The Italian Navy has exercised its option for the construction of a fourth offshore patrol vessel (OPV) in a series by Orizzonte Sistemi Navali (OSN), a joint venture owned by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri and defence technology company Leonardo.

Rendering of an LCU 1700-class landing craft

US Navy exercises contract option for two additional utility landing craft

Austal USA has been awarded a US$55 million fixed-priced incentive (firm-target) contract modification for the construction of two additional Landing Craft Utility (LCU) 1700-class vessels for the US Navy.

Naming ceremony for the Canadian Coast Guard's first two Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships, July 31, 2024

Canadian government names two new coast guard patrol ships

The Canadian government, represented by Member of Parliament for Dartmouth-Cole Harbour Darren Fisher, has formally named the first two Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPs) that will be delivered to the Canadian Coast Guard.

ADV Cape Solander, the Royal Australian Navy's seventh Evolved Cape-class patrol boat

Royal Australian Navy takes delivery of seventh Evolved Cape-class patrol boat

Austal Australia has delivered the seventh of ten Evolved Cape-class patrol boats under contract to the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). The vessel, ADV Cape Solander, was officially accepted by the Australian government at Austal’s Henderson, Western Australia shipyard on Friday, August 2.

The future Emilio Bianchi, an Italian Navy FREMM frigate with anti-submarine warfare capability, prior to its launch on May 25, 2024

Joint venture to build two new frigates for Italian Navy

Orizzonte Sistemi Navali (OSN), a joint venture owned by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri and defence technology company Leonardo, has been awarded a €1.5 billion (US$1.6 billion) contract by the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (Organisation conjointe de coopération en matière d'armement; OCCAR) for the construction of two new FREMM multi-purpose frigates.

The future Russian Navy corvette Stupinets prior to launch at Vympel Shipyard, July 29, 2024

Russian Navy's newest stealth corvette hits the water

Russia's Vympel Shipyard launched a new Russian Navy guided-missile corvette on Monday, July 29. The future Stupinets belongs to the Project 1241.8 series, which was derived from the Project 1241 or Tarantul-class corvettes originally designed and built for the Soviet Navy in the late 1970s.

The future USS Nantucket transits the Menominee River in northern Wisconsin, departing for at-sea demonstrations during Acceptance Trials, December 6, 2023.

US Navy takes delivery of littoral combat ship Nantucket

The US Navy took delivery of a new Freedom-class littoral combat ship (LCS) from Fincantieri Marinette Marine (FMM) of Wisconsin on Monday, July 29. The delivery of the future USS Nantucket follows the successful completion of Acceptance Trials in December 2023.