Deliveries include a Belgian Navy mine countermeasures vessel that can also operate as a drone mothership and two swimmer delivery vehicles for the Indonesian Navy. An Alabama shipyard has launched the US Navy's newest fast transport while construction begins on an Italian Navy submarine. Lastly, a municipal government in China's Zhejiang province has placed an order for new patrol vessels.
Austal USA has launched the final Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport (EPF) ordered by the US Navy.
The future USNS Lansing will also be the first US Navy ship to be named in honour of Michigan’s capital city of Lansing. Construction of the EPF is ongoing at Austal USA's Mobile facilities in Alabama.
Upon completion, the future Lansing will have a length of 337 feet (103 metres), a beam of 93.5 feet (28.5 metres), and a draught of 12.5 feet (3.83 metres).
The Royal Netherlands Navy took delivery of a new mine countermeasures (MCM) vessel in a ceremony in Den Helder on Friday, February 27.
HNLMS Vlissingen is the second MCM vessel overall to be built under the Belgium-led replacement mine countermeasures (rMCM) program as well as the first in the class to be built for the Netherlands. Oostende, the first rMCM vessel, was handed over to the Belgian Navy in November 2025.
Twelve ships are being built by French naval shipbuilding joint venture Kership and the Belgium Naval and Robotics consortium under the rMCM program with the Belgian and Royal Netherlands Navies receiving six vessels each.
Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri laid the keel of the Italian Navy's first U212 NFS diesel-electric submarine in a ceremony at its Muggiano facilities on Friday, February 27.
The U212 NFS submarines will be used for missions including anti-piracy patrols, security of energy supply routes, anti-terrorism missions, and protection of offshore and subsea infrastructure.
Deliveries of the first two boats in the class are scheduled for 2027 and 2029, respectively.
The People's Government of Liuheng Town in China's Zhejiang province has entered into agreements with Jiangxi Jiangxin Shipbuilding on the construction of five new patrol vessels.
The orders are for a 49.9-metre vessel and four 16.15-metre boats. Both variants will be powered by two main engines driving propellers and will also also be equipped with dual rudders for enhanced manoeuvrability.
The 49.9-metre vessel will be of welded steel construction and will have a speed of 17 knots and a range of more than 1,300 nautical miles, thus making it suitable for offshore operations.
Underwater defence technology company Drass recently handed over two new swimmer delivery vehicles (SDVs) to the Indonesian Ministry of Defence for use by the Indonesian Navy.
The SDVs are equipped with advanced autonomous capabilities, integrating state-of-the-art guidance and navigation systems alongside a fully featured optronic periscope suite.
Drass said all autonomous functions were rigorously validated during comprehensive at-sea trials, confirming the platforms' reliability, safety, and operational readiness.
