Maritime Security Vessel News Roundup | June 21 – US Navy manoeuvring target boats, South Korean hovercraft project and more

The US Navy christens its newest submarine and places orders for manoeuvring target boats. The South Korean Navy begins development of a new class of hovercraft and the Indian Navy’s newest submarine-hunting corvette is launched into the water for the first time. Finally, the Nigerian Navy’s flagship will soon begin undergoing modernisation works at a Turkish shipyard.

US Navy attack submarine Iowa formally named

The US Navy and General Dynamics Electric Boat recently held a christening ceremony for its newest Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarine, the future USS Iowa.

The navy said the future Iowa is the first American attack submarine built specifically to accommodate both male and female crewmembers.

The submarine is the fourth US Navy vessel to be named after the State of Iowa. Sea trials and commissioning are both scheduled for later this year.

Indian Navy’s newest anti-submarine corvette hits the water

Indian state-owned shipyard Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) has launched the third vessel in a new class of anti-submarine corvettes ordered by the Indian Navy.

The future INS Anjadip belongs to a corvette class officially designated as Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC).

GRSE will build eight ASW-SWCs, which will also be capable of mine countermeasures missions. Armament will include torpedoes, anti-submarine rockets, a 30mm naval gun, and two remotely controlled 12.7mm machine guns.

Turkish yard tapped for modernisation of Nigerian Navy flagship

Turkey’s Dearsan Shipyard has been awarded a contract to perform upgrade works on the Nigerian Navy frigate NNS Aradu.

The refit will be undertaken at Dearsan’s Tuzla facilities near Istanbul. The scope will include repair and replacement of key systems and equipment.

Aradu has been in Nigerian service in 1982 following completion at Blohm + Voss in Germany. The frigate also serves as the Nigerian Navy’s flagship.

Alabama boatbuilder to supply target vessels to US Navy

Alabama-based boatbuilder Silver Ships was recently awarded a US$6.1 million firm-fixed price general services administration (GSA) contract for the construction and delivery of up to 246 High-Speed Maneuvering Surface Target (HSMST) custom vessels to the US Navy.

The 27-foot (8.2-metre) custom-built target boats will each feature an air or foam collar depending on the boat variant. Each boat will also be outfitted with a specialised compartment designed for installing remote control systems and electronics.

The target boats will be fully operational and built to US Navy specifications and payload requirements depending on each boat’s specific mission. Vessels can be operated by a one- or two-person crew for training purposes but are remotely operated during live-fire training.

South Korean Navy to receive US support in hovercraft design project

The US Navy, through its Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division (NSWC PCD), is supporting the South Korean Navy in the development of an air-cushion vehicle (ACV) with similar size and design features as the US Navy’s landing craft air cushion (LCAC).

The vessels to be developed under the Landing Ship Fast II (LSF-II) program will each have a displacement of 90 tonnes and a top speed of 40 knots. The first two vessels in the class will join two other ACVs of an earlier series already in South Korean Navy service.

A total fleet of 18 LSF-IIs is planned.