Defense Technologies News

South Korea's Hanwha Ocean has pitched offers to build submarines to Canada, the Philippines, and Poland, a company official said on Wednesday, as the country pushes to become one of the world's top four defense exporters.Canada is studying potential builders for new submarines and has expressed interest in Hanwha Ocean among other foreign rivals, Kim Seung-min, leader of Hanwha Ocean's naval and special ship overseas marketing team, told Reuters in an interview, without naming the competitors."We are now checking on our shoelaces at the start line before the race kicks off…

Maritime structural health monitoring specialist Light Structures is a member of two winning consortia in the first call of the European Defense Fund (EDF). Both consortia consist of the leading naval yards in Europe, organized through The Shipyards’ & Maritime Equipment Association of Europe (Sea Europe), national delegates, and the Norwegian partners SINTEF, Kongsberg, Jotne and Light Structures.The EDF was established to support high-end defense capability projects such as the next generation of aircraft fighters…

Global engineering and defense technologies provider Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) hosted commencement exercises for 170 graduates of the company’s Apprentice School at Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS). The ceremony was held at Liberty Live Church in Hampton.Newport News Shipbuilding President Jennifer Boykin began the event by addressing the graduates as the shipyard’s newest leaders. “I want you to know how proud I am of each of you for everything that you've accomplished,” Boykin said.

Global engineering and defense technologies provider Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced that Xavier Beale has been appointed vice president of human resources and trades (HR&T) at the company’s Newport News Shipbuilding division, effective April 1. Beale succeeds Susan Jacobs, who was appointed vice president, human resources and administration at HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division.In this new role at Newport News, Beale will oversee human resources administration…

Global engineering and defense technologies provider Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced today the promotion of Edmond Hughes to executive vice president and chief human resources officer. Hughes, formerly the vice president of human resources and administration contracts at HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division and at Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding since 2006, will replace William “Bill” R. Ermatinger, who will retire on April 1 after 35 years of service. HII also appointed Susan Jacobs to replace Hughes as the vice president…

Cohort plc companies MASS and SEA have been selected to form part of a new UK Ministry of Defense maritime research and development program being managed by defense technology company QinetiQ. QinetiQ has been awarded a contract by the Defense Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) to manage the Progeny Maritime Research Framework contract to enhance the effect of technology in the maritime defense environment. Under the contract, QinetiQ will build and manage a community of interest who will contribute ideas to maximise the impact of science and technology for UK maritime defense.

In 1869, the U.S. Navy’s first research facility—the Naval Torpedo Station—was built on Newport, Rhode Island’s Goat Island. This rich history continues today, as the state is home to the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, which provides the technical foundation to ensure the U.S. Navy’s undersea superiority. Fitting for “the Ocean State,” we have identified more than 170 Rhode Island organizations that touch undersea technology—and we believe that is a conservative count. We are a cluster leader not just in New England but indeed in the entire country.

Naval architecture and marine engineering firm Gibbs & Cox, Inc. said that William E. "Bill" Landay III, President of W.E. LANDAY Consulting LLC, has been elected to its Board of Directors effective June 20, 2017. "[VADM Landay’s] expertise in the areas of foreign military sales, DoD acquisition, and science and technology programs will be a tremendous addition to the future growth of Gibbs & Cox," said President and Chief Executive Chris Deegan. Vice Admiral Landay retired in 2013 after more than 35 years of Naval service. His final assignment was as Director of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) where he was in charge of the $400 billion DoD program responsible for the sale of equipment, defense technologies, training and other services to foreign governments.

As Damen Shipyards Group prepares its SEA 1180 OPV Program tender to the Australian Ministry of Defense, the Dutch shipbuilder said it has held two industry briefings aimed at Australian companies active in the maritime and defense industries. Now in the preliminary stages of the tender process, Damen said it held the briefings in Adelaide on February 3 and in Perth on February 5 “to become better acquainted with the capabilities, services and products of local suppliers,” as it aims to encourage the maximum possible amount of Australian content…

The Turkish defense firm Defense Technologies and Engineering (STM) won the tender to modernize Pakistan's submarines against its French competitor DCNS, reports Daily Sabah. STM and Pakistan’s Ministry of Defence Production (MoDP) have concluded the deal to upgrade the Pakistan Navy’s three Agosta 90B  (aka Khalid-class) submarines. The upgrade will be carried out in Pakistan. STM noted that the first upgraded submarine will be delivered in “45 months.” This is likely a typo for ‘4-5 months.’ The remaining two, which are currently listed as optional, will be delivered to Pakistan within a year of one another. "Engineering exports will be initiated in our country for the first time in the field of submarines…

SAFE Boats International announced that Retired Vice Admiral William E. “Bill” Landay III has been appointed as a Director of the Board at SAFE Boats International. Vice Admiral Landay retired in 2013 after more than 35 years of naval service. His final assignment was as Director of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) from August 2010 until September 2013. DSCA oversees the U.S. Government's Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program and is responsible for the sale of arms, defense technologies, training and other services to foreign governments.

Turkey has completed upgrades on two Ay-class submarines, contractor STM, an Ankara-based defense technologies company, said. The modernization project comprising renewal of Electronic Support, Attack and Search Periscopes and Inertial Navigation Systems has been carried out by STM as the main contractor and applied successfully on TCG DOĞANAY (S-351) and TCG DOLUNAY (S-352), AY- Class submarines. The project has been started in 2011. The modernization process of TCD DOLUNAY Submarine completed successfully on April 09, 2014 and TCD DOĞANAY’s finished on April 22, 2015 and both submarines has been delivered to the Turkish Naval Forces.

Alewijnse’s International Switchboard Production division will have a stand at this year’s 25th Netherlands Industries for Defense & Security symposium and exhibition. This follows work by Alewijnse in recent years on a number of naval projects, including the electrical installation for the 28,000-metric-ton Joint Support Ship, currently being fitted out at Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding, Vlissingen. Experience gained on this vessel plus on other projects including the supply of Combat Management Consoles directly to the Dutch navy has given Alewijnse valuable insights into the demands and high level specifications required by naval shipyards when it comes to building switchboards and other mission-critical electrical infrastructure.

Tundra International announced it has entered an exclusive partnership with Mr. David Hammond, Barrister of 9 Bedford Row International Chambers to identify and develop new technology based training methods to test personnel on their knowledge and application of the Rules for the Use of Force and the '100 Series Rules' as it applies to the maritime security environment. The 100 Series Rules, created by David Hammond, a U.K. Counsel and barrister-at-law who heads up the maritime practice at the International division of 9 Bedford Row Chambers, are intended to be a model set and example of best practice for maritime Rules for the Use of Force…

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) has named Karen Williams vice president and general manager of the Defense Technologies Division, one of four divisions within its Information Systems sector. The sector recently realigned its defense business to form the Defense Technologies Division, focused on end-to-end support systems and services for defense customers. Williams reports to Linda A. Mills, corporate vice president and president of Northrop Grumman Information Systems.

The U.S. Navy has awarded a Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) -led industry team a fixed price incentive fee contract to construct the Navy's third Littoral Combat Ship (LCS). Marinette Marine Corporation in Marinette, WI, will construct the ship. "The Freedom class LCS is the most affordable surface combatant in the current shipbuilding plan in the last four decades - only six years from concept to the fleet, half the time," said Dan Schultz, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin's Integrated Defense Technologies business. The nation's first LCS, USS Freedom, was also built at Marinette Marine. USS Freedom was commissioned by the Navy on November 8, 2008, following successful sea trials in August and delivery in September.

Integrated Defense Technologies Inc.'s, subsidiary, Metric Systems, has been awarded a contract totaling $13.2M for LHD 8 Shipboard Load Centers and Distribution Switchboards by Northrop Grumman Ship Systems. Under the contract, Metric Systems will provide development, production, and integrated logistics support of the Low Voltage Electrical Power Load Centers and Distribution Switchboards for use on the LHD 8 Amphibious Assault Ship currently under development by Northrop Grumman Ship Systems. This equipment is used to distribute low voltage electrical power to vital shipboard systems and maintain high reliability operation under combat conditions. The contract has a period of performance of 18 months.

BAE SYSTEMS North America has completed the sale of its Advanced Systems' Gaithersburg operation to Integrated Defense Technologies, Inc. The negotiated $146 million cash sale to Integrated Defense Technologies was originally announced Sept. 13. Closing of the sale today followed completion of regulatory reviews and approvals. At the Gaithersburg, Md. Operation, more than 300 employees design and manufacture high performance radio frequency surveillance equipment used in signals intelligence applications. Mark Ronald, COO, BAE SYSTEMS plc, and President and CEO, BAE SYSTEMS North America, said the sale was made because the focus and strategy of BAE SYSTEMS North America is moving from component provider - as represented by the RF surveillance equipment lines -- to systems integration.