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Thursday, March 28, 2024
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Saab News

15 Mar 2024

Dutch Government Picks France's Naval Group for Submarines Order

Illustration (Credit: Naval Group)

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…

07 Mar 2024

Damen and Saab Agree to Export C-71 Submarines

L to R: Micael Johansson, CEO of Saab, and Arnout Damen, CEO of Damen Shipyards (Credit: Damen)

Damen Shipyards and Saab have agreed to export the advanced expeditionary C-71 submarines, which have been developed for the Royal Netherlands Navy to replace the current Walrus class.The agreement doubles the long-term prospect of employment and income for the Netherlands Naval Cluster with the replacement of the Walrus submarines by Saab-Damen.Saab and Damen have been working together since 2015 to build, modernize, and maintain the new expeditionary submarine for the Royal Netherlands Navy.The two companies have now also agreed to offer their advanced expeditionary submarines to Canada…

28 Feb 2024

Kraken Robotics Delivers Minehunting Systems to Royal Danish Navy

Kraken KATFISH on MSF drone vessels (Credit: Kraken Robotics)

Canadian company Kraken Robotics has completed deliveries and sea acceptance tests of all systems for its minehunting sonar equipment under the contract with Royal Danish Navy.The contract was signed in September 2020, following a competitive bidding process. Under the contract with the Danish Ministry of Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organization (DALO), Kraken has delivered four complete turnkey minehunting systems.Each system consists of a KATFISH towed Synthetic Aperture Sonar…

27 Nov 2023

ASGARD: Developing an Anti-Spoofing Weapon

Image courtesy ASGARD

Saab and GMV are collaborating in ASGARD, an EU-funded project that aims to improve maritime security when using GNSS and OSNMA. The project addresses the growing threat of GNSS spoofing and other cyberattacks on navigation systems used in the maritime industry.The ASGARD project, run by Saab and GMV, is an ambitious European Union (EU) initiative that aims to develop advanced technologies to improve Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and Open Service Navigation Message Authentication (OSNMA) security in maritime environments.

10 Jul 2023

Saab Develops Concept for Remotely Operated Rescue Craft

Source: Saab

A new-generation rescue craft proposed by Saab’s Docksta Shipyard would use remote-operation technology to dramatically cut response times for maritime accidents.Known as the Docksta Loitering, Optionally Crewed, High Speed Rescue Vessel (LHSRV), the proposed vessel could potentially travel at speeds in excess of 40 knots to maritime emergencies to provide a safe evacuation point for up to 20 survivors at a time.One potential application for the craft is in the oceans around Canada…

07 Jul 2023

Tidalis Deploys New VTS at Port of Tyne

Image courtesy Tidalis/Port of Tyne

On July 1 the Port of Tyne launched a 'next-generation' Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) system to enhance VTS operator situational awareness and supports decision making.The system adheres to the standards set by the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA), covers the waters of the Port of Tyne in the UK, extending from six nautical miles out at sea to three nautical miles inland. It uses the Automatic Identification System (AIS)…

21 Jun 2023

Union Calls for Thyssenkrupp Mull Defense Division Sale

Copyright penofoto.de/AdobeStock

Thyssenkrupp should explore a sale of its warship division to peers, in addition to private equity players and a potential stock market listing, according to influential German labor union IG Metall.Leaders should "keep an eye on industrial investors", IG Metall said in a union handout seen by Reuters, adding that while the union remained open for a full or partial sale of the business, options should also include keeping the division.Thyssenkrupp is currently exploring options for Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS), which builds submarines and frigates, with scenarios ranging from a possible

28 Mar 2023

In the Navy:The Role of Advanced Sea Mines in Future Conflicts

Sailors assigned to the Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Annapolis (SSN 760) load a MK 67 submarine launched mobile mine (SLMM) onto Annapolis, May 4. Annapolis will be conducting maritime operations in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations to maintain a safe and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Zachary Grooman).

When it comes to war, the old adage that the best defense is a good offense rings true. Nowhere is this more the case than naval warfare, where initiative can make the difference between victory and defeat. As an integral part of naval warfare, mine warfare – both mine countermeasures and mine laying, or “offensive” mine warfare - will continue to influence naval operations. Yet the latter of these sub disciplines - the “other” mine warfare, as Admiral James Winnefeld, Jr. calls it - has often been missing from mine warfare discussions.

05 Jan 2023

Saab Receives Order for Life Extension of Swedish Mine Countermeasures Ships

(Photo: Saab)

Saab has signed an agreement with FMV on the life extension of two Koster-class mine countermeasures ships. The order value is SEK 350 million. The contract also includes options for FMV to order measures regarding the remaining three ships in the Koster-class. The total value of the options are SEK 270 million.The contract with FMV means that Saab will carry out life extensions of two Koster-class mine countermeasures ships. The modernization involves an exchange of systems for life extension and enhanced capabilities to ensure continued operability.

27 Dec 2022

Racing to the Bottom: Seabed Warfare Brings Threats, Opportunities

Image courtesy Voyis

In the early morning hours of September 26, 2022, seismologists located throughout northern Europe detected two disturbances originating in the Baltic Sea that were consistent with underwater explosions. Within hours, an aerial image captured by a passing Danish F-16 showed an expanse of frothy seawater, suggesting that the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines had experienced a catastrophic event. Within days, an investigation by the Swedish Security Service concluded that both pipelines had sustained extensive damage due to an act of gross sabotage.

07 Nov 2022

Navy: Swedish Combat Boat 90, Both a Warrior and a Workhorse

A riverine command boat operates alongside the amphibious transport dock ship USS New York (LPD 21) in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Zane Ecklund)

The Swedish-built Combat Boat 90 (CB 90) has established itself with military forces around the world as both a warrior and a workhorse. The 52-foot boats first entered service in 1991 as troop carriers with the Swedish Marines, which is still procuring them. There are more than 250 operating worldwide today.These rugged boats are optimized for high-speed / shallow-draft operations in and around Sweden’s many coastal islands, but they have also proven to be ideal for a variety of other applications and operating environments.The CB 90 is 52 feet long, with a draft of just 2 feet 7 inches.

27 Oct 2022

Israel, Lebanon Finalize Maritime Demarcation Deal without Mutual Recognition

Prime Minister Yair Lapid has signed the agreement on a maritime boundary between Israel and Lebanon, alongside Israel’s negotiating team.

Photo by Amos Ben-Gershom, GPO - Credit: Israel Government

Israeli and Lebanese leaders finalised a U.S-brokered maritime demarcation on Thursday, bringing a measure of accommodation between the enemy states as they eye offshore energy exploration.Leaders from Lebanon, Israel and the United States have all hailed the deal as "historic" but the possibility of a wider diplomatic breakthrough remains slim. As a result, there was no joint signing ceremony: Lebanese President Michel Aoun signed a letter approving the deal at his palace in Baabda in the presence of the U.S.

19 Oct 2022

U.S. Envoy in Lebanon Next Week with Maritime Deal to Sign

Šluzitanija/AdobeStock

U.S. energy envoy Amos Hochstein will be in Beirut next week carrying a copy of the maritime agreement with Israel for Lebanese officials to sign, Lebanese negotiator Elias Bou Saab told Reuters on Wednesday. The deal - hailed by all three parties as a historic achievement - marks a diplomatic departure from decades of war and hostility and once in force will open the door to offshore energy exploration. "Hochstein will be in Beirut next week with the agreement that we will sign," Bou Saab said. He did not say when the deal would be signed.

06 Oct 2022

Israel, Lebanon Closing in on Maritime Border Deal

Credit:timyee/AdobeStock

Lebanon and Israel are closer than ever to signing a deal demarcating their maritime border, opening the door to new oil and gas exploration, after years of U.S.-brokered negotiations.While limited in scope, the agreement is set to ease security and economic concerns in both countries, whose shared history is rife with hostility. The deal will only resolve a territorial dispute in the eastern tip of the Mediterranean sea and does not touch on their land borders, which are yet to be settled.Here are some details of the U.S.

04 Oct 2022

Orbcomm Wins Two U.S. Gov't Agency Contracts for Ship Tracking Services

Credit: Orbcomm

Orbcomm Inc., a global provider of Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, has been awarded a multi-year contract by a U.S. government agency for a competitive renewal of its global Automatic Identification System (AIS) data services used for ship tracking and other maritime navigational and safety efforts. In addition, Orbcomm was awarded a separate competitive contract to deliver AIS services to multiple other U.S. government users.Orbcomm's AIS data will continue to be used in a maritime domain awareness software platform that supports key U.S.

07 Jul 2022

LR Names Abi-Saab Chief Technology and Innovation Officer

Chakib Abi-Saab (Photo: Lloyd’s Register)

Lloyd’s Register (LR) has appointed Chakib Abi-Saab to its newly created role of Chief Technology and Innovation Officer (CTIO). Abi-Saab, who was previously with Bahri (formerly known as the National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia) as their Chief Technology Officer, joins LR with considerable expertise in technology and digital enablement from both maritime and the oil and gas industry. Before his time with Bahri, Abi-Saab held executive roles at ship management company OSM, offshore energy provider Bumi Armada and Oil and Gas Services provider Baker Hughes.

05 Jul 2022

Maritime Communications: Easier, Faster, Cheaper

(Photo: David Clark Company)

In November 2021, GTMaritime published a white paper: “Maritime Communications - A look over the horizon.” The report, available here, is built around three broad Sections – 1. “Basics of marine Communications;” 2. “The connected ship;” and 3. “Special services.”Then, each Section presents a closer look at various topics. The “Basics” section, for example, covers regulatory issues established by IMO treaties and national agencies. It presents the terms and concepts that define satellite systems and networks…

27 Jun 2022

Does Australia Need ‘Interim’ Submarines to Tide It Over Until Nuclear Boats Arrive?

(File image: Naval Group)

Last year experts raised their eyebrows when the Morrison government announced Australia would abandon its contract for French-built Attack class submarines, in favor of eight nuclear-powered submarines delivered under the AUKUS partnership.Retired Royal Australian Navy Chief Petty Officer Greg Jones was one key individual who questioned whether the choice is appropriate for Australia’s defense needs (at least in the short to medium term).One particularly controversial point is the time it will take for the nuclear submarines to become operational.

15 Feb 2021

Autonomy: Inside the Building of Ocean Infinity’s Armada Fleet

Image Courtesy Ocean Infinity

Back in 2017, Ocean Infinity made a novel move; deploying six autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), instead of just one, from a single vessel, vastly increasing the ground that could be covered in a single survey. Now the firm is taking the use of remote, robotic systems a significant step further.Back in 2017, Ocean Infinity made a novel move; deploying six autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), instead of just one, from a single vessel, vastly increasing the ground that could be covered in a single survey.

04 Jan 2021

Marine Jet Power Hires Tegström as CEO

Jonas TegstrĂśm (Photo: MJP)

Swedish-based waterjet propulsion systems supplier Marine Jet Power (MJP) said it has appointed Jonas Tegström as chief executive officer to succeed interim CEO Claes Rudling, who will resume his position on the board of directors.Tegström brings more than 20 years of senior management experience, including strategic development, plan execution and manufacturing expertise. Most recently Tegström served as the CEO of Orio AB, the former after sales company of SAAB Automobile, where he led a major restructuring.“I am honored and excited to join the MJP team,” Tegström said.

26 Oct 2020

BMT Names Behrendt Global Strategy and Innovation Director

Peter Behrendt (Photo: BMT)

Multidisciplinary engineering firm BMT said it has appointed Peter Behrendt as its global Director of Strategy and Innovation.Behrendt joined BMT in 2017 as Managing Director for the Australian Defense and Security business, a role that he has now handed over to Chelly Litster, who has been with BMT since the acquisition of Effectiva in 2018.Behrendt's background includes operational, commercial, and business development positions within leading international companies, including spending nine-years with SAAB.

19 Jan 2021

US Blacklists Tankers, Oil Traders Undermining Venezuela Sanctions

The United States on Tuesday sanctioned a network of oil trading firms, individuals and vessels that have helped Venezuelan state-run oil company PDVSA sell crude mainly to Asia despite Washington's sanctions on the South American nation.The measure targets a network that the U.S. Treasury Department says helped the administration of President Nicolas Maduro, whose 2018 re-election Washington called a sham, broker the sale of hundreds of millions of dollars in Venezuelan oil."Those facilitating the illegitimate Maduro regime's attempts to circumvent United States sanctions contribute to the corruption that consumes Venezuela," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a news release.The Treasury said its Office of Foreign Assets Control…

11 Nov 2020

Autonomous Offshore Power Trials Get Underway off Hawaii

Image Courtesy Columbia Power Technologies

With the advent of autonomy on and under the water, part of the value proposition is the ability to stay at sea, on station, to exponentially increase efficiencies. Have the ability to repower at sea is central to this effort, as an increasing number of companies work to solve the inherent technical and logistic problems.Columbia Power Technologies (C-Power) is commencing a six-month sea trial to test and validate its SeaRAY autonomous offshore power system (AOPS), in partnership with a pair of powerhouses: the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. NavyInitially conceived during a U.S.