Maritime Defense News

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pledged €50 million ($56 million) on Tuesday to help Bulgaria and Romania expedite the launch of a Black Sea maritime security hub following a string of deadly drone attacks on cargo ships.At least nine cargo ships were hit by naval drones near NATO members Romania and Bulgaria last month, killing several seafarers and leaving others missing, raising concerns over how the escalating maritime war between Russia and Ukraine is ‌expanding…

Maritime Tactical Systems, Inc. (MARTAC), a provider of fully autonomous unmanned surface vessels (USVs), announced that it has delivered two Devil Ray T38 USVs to the Philippine Marine Corps (PMC), providing the service with an end-to-end asymmetric maritime capability for protecting Philippine national sovereignty. The delivery was done in conjunction with the opening of MARTAC’s Unmanned Center of Excellence (CoE), which will provide comprehensive maintenance, sustainment and…

Snowbird Technologies, a U.S. manufacturer of mission-critical equipment and deployable manufacturing systems, announced successful operational results from the company's participation in NPS CAMRE's Littoral and Expeditionary Advanced Manufacturing and Repair Experiment at RIMPAC 2026, where its SAMM Tech deployable hybrid manufacturing platform demonstrated on-demand metal additive manufacturing both aboard the USS Essex and ashore at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.Operating as…

Optics11 announced it has secured USD$55.9 million (€50 million) in follow-on equity investment to accelerate its capacity to meet global customer demand. As European governments and defense organizations scramble to rebuild effective security infrastructure, this equity round takes total investment in the Company to more than USD$111.9 million (€100 million) in just 15 months.The latest round is backed by existing institutional investors SET Ventures, FORWARD.one, Value Creation Capital and JOIN Capital, with all four reinvesting as Optics11 enters its next phase of international growth.

Norwegian maritime technology company Kongsberg Maritime has unveiled the Arctic Hunter USV, a new class of uncrewed surface vessels designed for rapid integration and deployment into Hybrid Fleets.In response to the UK Royal Navy’s development of its hybrid fleet of crewed and uncrewed assets, the Arctic Hunter USV combines commercial ship design with Kongsberg Maritime’s remote and autonomous technologies to deliver anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capability in the High North.Kongsberg…

A French maritime patrol aircraft deployed to Romania to bolster surveillance after a series of deadly strikes on merchant ships in the Black Sea on the edge of NATO's eastern flank will extend its stay by several weeks, its commander said on Thursday.The attacks have shown how the escalating maritime war between Russia and Ukraine is expanding into a major challenge for NATO in the Black Sea that has left member states such as Romania and Bulgaria exposed.The Black Sea is crucial for shipments of grain…

U.S.-based Naval Systems, Inc. (in partnership with Dragonfish Technical Solutions, LLC) (NSI/DF) and U.K.-based SubSea Craft successfully demonstrated an integrated suite of advanced unmanned maritime systems during a multinational maritime exercise conducted October 5–8 off the coast of California. At the request of the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research & Engineering (OUSW(R&E)) exercise personnel, SubSea Craft and NSI/DF combined their autonomous systems to deliver an integrated demonstration capability…

Shipbuilders, missile makers and drone manufacturers showcased their wares at an arms fair starting near Paris on Tuesday, as European governments, doubting the United States as a defence ally and alarmed by Russian aggression, rush to bolster navies.The increasing use of drones at sea, attacks on critical undersea infrastructure and the targeting of commercial shipping in conflicts including in the Middle East mark a shift in the challenges that European naval forces face.Last month…

China's first carrier-based stealth reconnaissance and strike drone, the GJ-21, recently completed its first takeoff and landing on the Sichuan, the country's first Type 076 amphibious assault ship, state news agency Xinhua reported on Friday.The trial underscores Beijing's push to integrate drone technology into its military modernisation drive, a decades-long effort in which China has developed advanced warships, fighter jets, missiles and increasingly capable unmanned systems.Xinhua…

TOTE Services, LLC, a U.S. maritime services company specializing in vessel construction management and ship management, announced its first shipyard selection, Hanwha Defense USA (HDUS), for the Medium Landing Ship (LSM) program under TOTE Services’ Vessel Construction Manager (VCM) contract for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps.As VCM for the LSM program, TOTE Services issued a request for proposals (RFP) to qualified U.S. shipyards in July 2026. The award covers construction of one LSM, valued at $269 million, at Hanwha Philly Shipyard (HPSI), with options for three additional vessels.

General Dynamics reported $98.8 billion in new orders in the third quarter of 2026, driven by major submarine contracts, while revenue rose 12.9% year-on-year to $14.6 billion, the company announced on October 30.The aerospace and defense company's total backlog reached $220.3 billion at the end of the quarter, with an additional $50.4 billion in estimated potential contract value, bringing its total estimated contract value to $270.7 billion.Orders across its defense segments totaled $93.8 billion…

Fairbanks Morse Defense (FMD), a portfolio company of Arcline Investment Management, was awarded a $99.09 million contract to ensure the availability of U.S. attack submarines (SSNs) and ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) into the 2030s by enacting critical life extension services. Under a Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) contract, FMD will provide repair, parts and labor through 2030 for Emergency Diesel Generator (EDG) overhauls on six nuclear submarines. This follow-on, sole-source award comes as the U.S.

Most Gulf bourses ended higher on Tuesday as diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the Middle East conflict gathered pace, a day after Saudi, Turkish and Pakistani officials held talks in Tehran. It was the first high-level contact between Iran and the three allies, who signed a mutual defence pact in August, since the US-Israeli strikes on Iran triggered a war that spread to Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Saudi Arabia's benchmark index advanced 2.3%, led by a 2.8% jump in Al Rajhi Bank, while First Milling Company soared 9.9% after the flour miller reported a steep rise in quarterly profit.

Saildrone announced a year-long mission with the Swedish Armed Forces to deliver persistent maritime domain awareness across Sweden’s territorial waters and exclusive economic zone in the Baltic Sea.Under the agreement, Saildrone will deploy and operate four Voyager unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) for 360 days each, representing 1,440 contracted vehicle-days of continuous maritime security operations.This deployment marks the first national deployment of Saildrone USVs under…

The Whiskey Project Group (TWPG) has officially opened its watercraft manufacturing facility in Edenton, North Carolina, marking a milestone in the company’s U.S. expansion and strengthening domestic production and sustainment capacity for American defense, government and commercial customers.The facility was officially opened at a ceremony attended by North Carolina Governor Josh Stein and Congressman Don Davis, local government representatives, defense and industry leaders, and TWPG employees and partners.Located on a 50-acre waterfront site…

The European Union on Tuesday presented a new Arctic strategy reflecting the region’s importance to security, with pledges to boost satellite surveillance, increase monitoring of undersea cables and help EU members buy icebreakers.The Arctic is of growing interest to major powers including the US, Russia, China and Europe, as melting ice opens up new shipping routes.US President Donald Trump tried to acquire Greenland, a territory of EU member Denmark, while friction has grown…

Finnish marine propulsion provider Steerprop has secured a contract with Karstensens Skibsværft to supply a complete ice-class propulsion package for a Multi-Role Environmental Vessel being built for the Royal Danish Navy.The vessel is one of four commissioned by the Danish Ministry of Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organisation to strengthen Denmark's marine environmental response and defense capabilities. The program is being delivered by Orlogsskibe Danmark, a consortium comprising OSK Design…

Gecko Robotics announced a partnership with Anduril Industries to help accelerate American shipbuilding using advanced robotics, AI-powered software, and automated quality assurance. The partnership will support Anduril's Arsenal-2, a new software-defined shipyard in Baltimore County, Maryland, announced as part of the company's $3.7 billion investment to expand production for the Virginia-class submarine program. Gecko's technology will be deployed at Anduril's new 160,000-square-foot protofactory in Orange County…

TOTE Services, LLC, a U.S. maritime services company specializing in vessel construction management and ship management, signed a contract with the U.S. Department of Transportation - Maritime Administration (MARAD) to serve as vessel construction manager (VCM) for the Missile Range Instrumentation Vessel (MRIV) program. The MRIV will support the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) in advancing national security. Immediately following this award, TOTE Services also executed a shipyard subcontract with Hanwha Philly Shipyard (HPSI) to construct the first MRIV.

Malin Group has been awarded Silver in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS). The silver award, representing the second-highest accolade available through the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme, demonstrates their support for the Armed Forces community, spanning Reservists, service leavers, cadets and military families.Alan Hamilton, Project Lead, and Helenor Fisher, Director of Marketing and Business Development received the award from Brigadier Andy Muddiman, Naval Regional Commander for Scotland and Northern Ireland…

Anduril Industries plans to invest $3.7 billion in a new Maryland shipyard to manufacture Virginia-class submarine components and other subsea systems, alongside a U.S. Navy contract worth up to $2.9 billion tied to production targets.The Arsenal-2 facility will be built at Tradepoint Atlantic in Sparrows Point, Baltimore County, with permitting and site preparation beginning immediately and initial operations expected in 2030.The combined public and private investment totals $6.6 billion, with Anduril set to build and operate the site. The U.S.

The Russian defence ministry said on Friday its forces had carried out overnight drone strikes on Ukrainian defence industry facilities, logistics centres and vessels used by Ukraine's armed forces.The ministry said the strikes hit a drone assembly and storage site in the Kyiv region, logistics hubs in the Odesa region and port infrastructure in Reni on the Danube River.It also said Russian forces struck a cargo ship carrying military and dual-use goods to the port of Odesa.The ministry said later on Friday that its forces had struck another cargo vessel in the Odesa region that delivered mili

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told leaders at the United Nations on Wednesday that Ukraine was ready for a maritime truce in the Black Sea based on proposals by Egypt, India and Turkey and said it was now up to Russia to respond.Zelenskiy spoke at Ukraine's Crimean Platform summit on the sidelines of the annual UN General Assembly gathering of world leaders and ahead of a Security Council meeting on Russia's war in Ukraine, which is now in its fifth year.Ukraine, which fears that Russia plans to pound power and heating facilities with missiles and drones this winter…