Maritime Security Vessel News Roundup | October 19 – New US Navy submarine, Russian border guard boat sea trials and more

Maritime Security Vessel News Roundup | October 19 – New US Navy submarine, Russian border guard boat sea trials and more

MARITIME SECURITY WEEK

The US Navy commissions a new submarine into service as the US Coast Guard and the Royal Australian Navy take delivery of new patrol vessels and a Russian border guard boat completes another series of sea trials.

US Navy commissions attack submarine Hyman G. Rickover

The US Navy Virginia-class submarine USS Hyman G. Rickover (Photo: US Navy/Chief Petty Officer Joshua Karsten)

The US Navy commissioned the Virginia-class nuclear-powered fast attack submarine USS Hyman G. Rickover in a ceremony at Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Connecticut, on Saturday, October 14.

Built by General Dynamics Electric Boat, the submarine is the second US Navy vessel to honour the late Admiral Hyman G. Rickover, whose efforts helped lead to the widespread adoption of nuclear propulsion on the navy’s surface ships and submarines beginning in the late 1950s.

As with its Virginia-class sisters, Hyman G. Rickover will be capable of operating in littoral and deep waters while conducting anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface ship warfare, strike warfare, special operations forces support, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), irregular warfare, and mine warfare missions. The submarine’s inherent stealth, endurance, mobility, and firepower directly enable them to support missions involving sea control, power projection, forward presence, maritime security, and deterrence.

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

ADV Cape Pillar (Photo: Austal Australia)

The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) has taken delivery of sixth Evolved Cape-class patrol boat to be built by Austal Australia.

Named ADV Cape Pillar, the aluminium monohull vessel has a length of 58 metres and accommodations for 32 crewmembers and other personnel. Armament will include two pintle-mounted 12.7mm machine guns.

Austal said the vessels were built with a number of enhancements over the baseline Cape-class patrol boats, improving operational capability and crew capacity compared to the vessels already operated by the navy and Australian Border Force.

The final two Evolved Cape-class boats are scheduled to be delivered to the RAN by 2024.

Tenth Legend-class cutter handed over to US Coast Guard

USCGC Calhoun (Photo: US Coast Guard)

Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division has delivered the tenth Legend-class national security cutter ordered by the US Coast Guard.

USCGC Calhoun honours Charles L. Calhoun, the first master chief petty officer of the US Coast Guard.

As with the coast guard’s other national security cutters, Calhoun will be capable of embarking and supporting a wide range of coast guard, navy and NATO manned and unmanned aircraft. Missions will include drug interdiction, anti-illegal fishing patrols, disaster relief, and defence support operations.

The cutter has a length of 418 feet (127.4 metres), a crew complement of 124, a maximum speed of 28 knots, and a range of 12,000 nautical miles.

Factory sea trials completed for Russian border patrol boat

Photo: United Shipbuilding Corporation

Russia’s Vympel Shipyard has completed the factory sea trials of a new patrol vessel ordered by the country’s Federal Security Service (FSB) for operation by its Border Service.

The sea trials of Burevestnik (“Storm Petrel”) also encompassed assessment of the engines and the deck equipment. The vessel will later be transported to another facility in preparation for acceptance trials.

Burevestnik is the sixth in a series of patrol vessels. Its secondary duties will include towing, firefighting, and limited cargo transport.

Click here for more news stories, feature articles, and vessel reviews as part of this month’s focus on maritime security vessels.


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