Naval Group unveils new drone carrier concept
“The return of high-intensity conflict and the emergence of hybrid naval warfare require a new vision. Naval Group answers with a new concept ship: SCX 26,” the company stated.
“The return of high-intensity conflict and the emergence of hybrid naval warfare require a new vision. Naval Group answers with a new concept ship: SCX 26,” the company stated.
“We have seen that Russia has increased its production of ballistic missiles over the past year. Our capability in this area [air defence] will triple with this acquisition,” Defense Minister Pål Jonson said aboard the navy corvette today.
There is no single answer to the drone threat, pushing the Pentagon toward a broader mix of defenses.
France's defense minister was in Stockholm today pitching Naval Group's offering.
In comments heavily critical of the troubled NH90, Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken said that Belgium's four TTH standard aircraft will be "decommissioned from September."
On the helicopter front, Airbus and Italian manufacturer Leonardo announced they are collaborating on a NH90 Block 2 multirole rotorcraft upgrade architecture study to determine the long term evolution of the type.
“We see that an increasing number of navies are equipping themselves or thinking to equip themselves [with unmanned drones],” said Aurore Neuschwander, executive vice president of drones and unmanned systems and underwater weapons at Naval Group.
The manufacturer did not disclose a contract value but a letter shared by the Netherlands Ministry of Defence with lawmakers, previously valued an “investment budget,” covering construction of the four vessels and other costs up to 2039, at €5.6 ($6.2 billion).
A pair of news reports caused enough commotion in The Hague that the Ministry of Defense felt compelled to push back in a letter to lawmakers.
Development of more novel weapon systems includes the second phase launch of the Tactical Advanced Laser Optical Systems (TALOS) project (TALOS-TWO), designed to support a long term target of developing 100 kilowatt-class laser weapons by 2030.
A precise cost for the submarines was not provided, but the Ministry of Defense told parliamentarians in a letter that the "investment budget" is €5.6 billion ($6.1 billion).
"The French Ministry of Armed Forces will benefit from technological breakthroughs and innovations in the fields of robotics, drones and artificial intelligence, in order to evaluate a new naval capability," said French manufacturer Naval Group.
A total budget of €87 million ($92 million) has been allocated for the project’s first phase, split between €60 ($63 million) in European Commission (EC) grants and €27 million ($28 million) from member states Italy, France, Spain, Denmark, Greece and Norway.
“The [Horizon-class] ships as they are right now, do not have an anti-ballistic missile defense capability, so that is the main improvement,” Enrico Gottardo, Bids Director at Naviris, told Breaking Defense.
Amsterdam plans on acquiring four diesel-electric submarines equipped with US Tomahawk long range missiles to provide a “niche capability within NATO and the EU,” a spokesperson for Netherlands State Secretary of Defense Van der Maat, told Breaking Defense in a statement.