Submarine News

NATO chief Mark Rutte mocked Russia on Monday over the "limping" condition of one of its submarines as Russian authorities denied it had been forced to surface because of technical problems.Russia's Black Sea Fleet said the diesel-powered submarine Novorossiysk had surfaced off France to comply with navigation rules in the English Channel, and rejected reports it had suffered a serious malfunction.But Dutch authorities said at the weekend that the submarine was under tow in the North Sea.

HII announced that its Newport News Shipbuilding division has successfully completed initial sea trials for Virginia-class attack submarine Massachusetts (SSN 798).Over the course of several days at sea, the NNS and Navy team conducted testing of systems and components, including submerging the submarine for the first time and high-speed maneuvers while on the surface and submerged. The testing program will continue at NNS ahead of delivering the boat to the U.S. Navy.The boat, the 25th Virginia-class submarine, was christened in May 2023; Massachusetts will be the 12th delivered by NNS.

General Dynamics Electric Boat has been awarded a $642 million contract modification to a previously awarded contract supporting submarine production. This modification is for a cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to a previously awarded contract (N00024-20-C-2120) for Lead Yard Support and Development Studies and Design efforts related to Virginia-class submarines, as detailed in the U.S. Department of War contract award."This contract modification supports our efforts to deliver the submarines our Navy needs as quickly as possible," said Mark Rayha, president of General Dynamics Electric Boat.

Poland will decide on submarine procurement this week, leading to the purchase of the first submarines by the end of the year, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Tuesday.Poland aims to acquire three submarines under its "Orka" programme to boost its military, modernise undersea warfare capabilities, and align more closely with NATO in response to what it sees as a growing threat from Russia after Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine."We will adopt a resolution that commits to purchasing submarines by the end of this year.

The United States will be able to use planned defence facilities in Western Australia that are to help deliver nuclear-powered submarines under the trilateral AUKUS nuclear submarine deal, Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles said on Sunday.Australia will spend A$12 billion ($8 billion) to upgrade facilities at the Henderson shipyard near Perth, as part of a 20-year plan to transform it into the maintenance hub for its AUKUS submarine fleet, the government said on Saturday.The AUKUS pact, sealed by Australia, Britain and the U.S. in 2021, aims to provide Australia with attack submarines from the next decade to counter China's ambitions in the Indo-Pacific region.President Donald Trump's administration is undertaking a formal review of the pact led by Elbridge Colby…

Lloyd's Register (LR) has announced a milestone in its naval assurance services, having secured a 12-month in-service submarine support contract from the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) through the Aurora Framework.Under the new contract, LR will provide experienced surveyors to His Majesty’s Naval Base Clyde, providing expert support to the Royal Navy’s submarines. In parallel, LR will offer technical consultancy from MOD Abbey Wood, delivering strategic advice. This dual-location presence ensures responsive…

Electric Boat, a business unit of General Dynamics, announced that it was a­­­warded a $1.85 billion contract modification to a previously awarded contract supporting submarine production. This modification is for long lead time material and preliminary construction efforts for submarine production, as detailed in the June 26 U.S. Department of Defense contract award announcement.“This contract modification allows for the acquisition of critical material and components for Virginia-class submarines that require substantial lead time to manufacture and deliver.

HII announced that Virginia-class submarine Arkansas (SSN 800) was recently launched into the James River at the company’s Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) division.Shipbuilders transferred the submarine from a construction facility to the floating dry dock, where it was launched and moved by tugboats to a submarine pier at the shipyard for final outfitting, testing and crew certification.The ship’s sponsors are the six women of the historic group known as the Little Rock Nine…

The sale of nuclear-powered submarines to Australia under the AUKUS treaty faces new doubts as U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs take hold, and amid concern in Washington that providing the subs to Canberra may reduce deterrence to China.Whether the United States can boost submarine production to meet U.S. Navy targets is key to whether Australia can buy three Virginia-class submarines starting in 2032, Defence Minister Richard Marles said last month, after talks with his U.S.

President Vladimir Putin on Thursday launched a nuclear-powered submarine equipped with hypersonic Zircon missiles capable of travelling at several times the speed of sound.Russian news agencies, referring to a video link from the Arctic port of Murmansk, said Putin launched the vessel, named Perm after a city in the Urals, with the order: "I hereby authorise!"The Russian agencies, quoting documents associated with the launch, said the Perm is the first nuclear-powered submarine to be equipped with Zircon missiles as a standard feature.Zircon missiles have a range of 900 km (560 miles) and the

Britain said on Friday it had awarded Rolls-Royce RR.L a $11 billion eight-year contract to design, make and support the nuclear reactors that power its fleet of submarines, amid U.S. calls for higher defence spending.The deal will strengthen the Royal Navy's continuous at-sea deterrent - under which at least one nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine patrols the seas at all times - while also boosting the AUKUS defence pact with the United States and Australia, Britain's Ministry of Defence (MOD) said.Amid rising tensions with Russia…

On November 10, Vice Admiral Angus Topshee, the 38th Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy, visited Hanwha Ocean’s Geoje shipyard and discussed Canada’s upcoming submarine acquisition project.This visit marks a significant step in the bidding process for the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP), in which Hanwha Ocean is actively participating.During the visit, Hanwha Ocean introduced the KSS-III Batch-II submarine, a model that the proposed KSS-III CPS for CPSP is based upon.

General Dynamics Mission Systems has been awarded a $15.9 million contract by the U.S. Navy to develop its Mining Expendable Delivery Unmanned Submarine Asset (MEDUSA) system.MEDUSA is a tactical, clandestine mining system using an expendable Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV) that can be launched from a submarine torpedo tube. The U.S. Navy is developing MEDUSA to address the need for an advanced maritime mining system with long-range offensive mining capabilities.The scope of the newly awarded research and development effort includes the design…

China's Ministry of State Security said on Tuesday that it had retrieved spying devices both on the ocean surface and in the depths of the sea, including underwater "lighthouses" that could guide the transit of foreign submarines.The ministry said it had uncovered devices that had been hidden on the ocean floor and were sending back information that could "pre-set the field for battle," in an article on its official WeChat account, China's most popular social media app.Recent…

China's newest nuclear-powered attack submarine sank earlier this year, a senior U.S. defense official said on Thursday, a potential embarrassment for Beijing as it seeks to expand its military capabilities.China already has the largest navy in the world, with over 370 ships, and it has embarked on production of a new generation of nuclear-armed submarines.A senior U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said China's new first-in-class nuclear-powered attack…

Taiwan's defence minister said on Tuesday that they have a "grasp" of the situation after pictures appeared online of a Chinese nuclear submarine surfacing in the sensitive Taiwan Strait near Taiwanese fishermen.The narrow strait that separates Taiwan from China is a frequent source of tension. Taiwan reports Chinese warplanes and warships operating there on a daily basis, as Beijing seeks to assert its sovereignty claims against the democratically governed island.Taiwanese media published the pictures of the surfaced craft…

Survitec won a multi-year servicing contract from Sojitz Aerospace, on behalf of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF), to service Submarine Escape Immersion Equipment (SEIE) MK11 suits carried on board its submarine fleet.With this contract, the company sets a new precedent, establishing an in-country servicing capability to accommodate the JMSDF’s SEIE servicing and maintenance requirements through a strategic partnership with Kawasaki head-quartered Marinair Liferaft Co. Ltd.Marinair Liferaft Co.

Thyssenkrupp appealed against a decision by the Netherlands last month to award a contract worth billions of euros to build submarines to France's Naval Group, the German company said.Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS), the German conglomerate's defence division, filed the objection with the District Court in The Hague in late March, the company said in an e-mailed statement."This measure is a professional business procedure in such publicly tendered major projects and part of the competition - especially in light of the questions that remain unanswered regarding specific evaluation criteria…

The Dutch government on Friday said it had picked French defense company Naval Group to build four new submarines in coming decades in a long-brewing deal seen by politicians as a potential lifeline for the national shipbuilding industry.The government said the first two submarines would be operational within the next 10 years. It did not specify the exact value of the multi-billion euro contract.The submarines will be of a size to both operate in shallow waters and take part in missions far from base.The agreement still has to be approved by the Dutch parliament…

EDGE Group, a United Arab Emirates-based advanced technology and defense group, and Fincantieri, one of the largest shipbuilders in the world, have entered into a term sheet aimed at creating a joint venture (JV) that will focus on the manufacturing of a broad range of sophisticated naval vessels.EDGE will hold a 51% stake in the venture, which has a commercial pipeline valued at approximately $32.4 billion (€30 billion), with management direction provided by Fincantieri.The Abu Dhabi-based JV will be awarded prime rights to non-NATO orders…

UK-based Submarine Manufacturing and Products (SMP) will provide its new submarine rescue system (SRS) to the Indonesian Navy.The SRS will be hosted on a mothership designed by independent design and engineering consultancy Houlder and delivered by its Indonesian strategic partner, BTI Defence.The three-year build contract will include the UK design and manufacture of the SRS, centered around SMP's new SRV-F Mk3 rescue submersible. The custom build of the mothership will take place in region…

The Dutch Ministry of Defence, Damen, and Thales have signed the contract for the design, construction, and delivery of four Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Frigates; two for the Netherlands and two for Belgium, focused on anti-submarine warfare.The agreement was signed on HNLMS Karel Doorman, the Royal Netherlands Navy's largest ship, by the Dutch Defence State Secretary Christophe van der Maat, Damen Shipyards Group CEO Arnout Damen, Damen Naval Managing Director Roland Briene…

The UK Royal Navy has awarded a £15.4 million (currently around $18,8 million) contract for a crewless submarine to the Plymouth-based company MSubs. The submarine is expected to be delivered to the Navy in two years. The Navy expects the submarine to further advance the UK’s ability to protect our critical national infrastructure and monitor sub-sea activity."Project Cetus – named after a mythological sea monster – enhances the Royal Navy’s experimentation with autonomous underwater systems.