Maritime Security Vessel News Roundup | June 29 – US Navy destroyers, Italian Navy support ship and more

The American and Australian navies acquire newbuild surface vessels while construction commences on a Russian minehunter and an Italian fleet support ship.

Royal Australian Navy acquires fifth Evolved Cape-class patrol boat

The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) has taken delivery of the future ADV Cape Woolamai, the service’s fifth Evolved Cape-class patrol boat, from Austal Australia.

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.

Eight Evolved Cape-class boats will be built and delivered to the RAN by the middle of 2024.

US Navy commissions new destroyer, takes delivery of another

The US Navy commissioned the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Carl M. Levin into service in a ceremony in Baltimore, Maryland, on Saturday, June 24.

Built by General Dynamics Bath Iron Works in Maine, the ship honours the late US Senator Carl M. Levin, who had twice chaired the US Senate Armed Services Committee.

The navy said Carl M. Levin is an Arleigh Burke-class Flight IIA destroyer with the Aegis Baseline 9 Combat Systems, including integrated air and missile defence capability.

The US Navy has also taken delivery of another Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, the future USS Jack H. Lucas.

The ship is the first Arleigh Burke-class destroyer to be built in the Flight III configuration. The Flight III upgrade is centered on the AN/SPY-6(V)1 Air and Missile Defense Radar and incorporates upgrades to the electrical power and cooling capacity.

The destroyer honours the late US Army Captain Jacklyn “Jack” Lucas. For his actions at the Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945, then US Marine Corps Private First Class Lucas became the youngest World War II recipient of the Medal of Honor at age 17.

The future Jack H. Lucas was built by Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Ingalls Shipbuilding division.

Construction begins on Russian Navy mine countermeasures vessel Dmitriy Lysov

Russia’s Sredne-Nevsky Shipbuilding Plant has begun construction on a new mine countermeasures vessel ordered by the Russian Navy.

The future Dmitriy Lysov will be the eleventh in the Project 12700 series, otherwise known as the Alexandrit-class.

The vessel will have a vacuum-infused FRP hull, space for 44 crewmembers, and a top speed of 16 knots. Armament will include a 30-millimetre naval gun and surface-to-air missiles.

Space will also be available for remotely controlled and autonomous unmanned underwater vehicles.

Keel laid for future Italian Navy support ship

Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri has laid the keel of the future Atlante, the second logistical support ship (LSS) in a series ordered by the Italian Navy.

The LSS will operate primarily as a supply and at-sea replenishment vessel that can transport ammunition, spare parts, food, fresh water, diesel, and aviation fuel in support of deployed Italian Navy task forces. It will also be equipped with hospital facilities including operating rooms, radiology and analysis rooms, a dental clinic, and rooms that can house up to 17 seriously injured patients.

Other missions will include search and rescue (SAR), vessel repair and maintenance, intelligence gathering, electronic warfare, and at-sea retrieval and salvage.

The vessel will have a length of 193 metres, space for 235 crew and other specialists, and a speed of 20 knots.

Delivery is scheduled for 2025.