Tag Archives: BAE Systems

Arrowhead Wins Cost Battle in U.K. Type-31 Frigate Competition

Arrowhead Wins Cost Battle in U.K. Type-31 Frigate Competition

Type-31 frigate design concept. Babcock Image

The following post has been updated to correct the cost of the Type-31 program. The U.K. plans to pay $1.6 billion for all five hulls, not $1.6 billion for each hull.

LONDON — The victory of the Babcock/Thales Arrowhead 140 design in Britain’s bargain-basement Type 31 frigate competition will give the Royal Navy a heavyweight fighter in the maritime security arena. Read More

Navy Shortening Maintenance Times for Surface Ships, But Repair Industry Still Overloaded

Navy Shortening Maintenance Times for Surface Ships, But Repair Industry Still Overloaded

Master Chief Boatswain’s Mate Claus Moser communicates with sailors in the forecastle of the amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD-8) while off-loading the starboard anchor chain in 2017. US Navy Photo

SAN DIEGO, Calif – The Navy has a large backlog of surface ship maintenance it is trying to dig out of; that’s not new. And while the sea service and ship repair industry are making some progress in cutting back on administrative and other burdens that slow down maintenance availabilities, the contractors here in San Diego are so backed up that the Navy has received zero bids for several recent maintenance availabilities. Read More

Navy Declares Unmanned MQ-8C Fire Scout Helicopter Mission Capable

Navy Declares Unmanned MQ-8C Fire Scout Helicopter Mission Capable

Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 1 (VX-1) Sailors Aviation Machinist’s Mate Second Class Salvatore Green, left, and Aviation Electronics Technician Third Class Jake Price prepare the MC-8C Fire Scout to launch from the Independence variant littoral combat ship USS Coronado (LCS-4) on June 21, 2018. Navy photo.

The Navy declared its MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned helicopter mission capable and ready to deploy aboard Littoral Combat Ships.

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Shipbuilding Industry Struggles to Recruit And Retain Workforce

Shipbuilding Industry Struggles to Recruit And Retain Workforce

William Mahan, a Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility worker from Puyallup, Washington, grinds a bulkhead on Aug. 04, 2017. US Navy Photo

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The shipbuilding and repair industry is facing increasing challenges from an aging workforce, lack of stability in the contract workload and a problem convincing young Americans that shipyard work is essential and well-paying, industry officials said.

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Marines Declare Current ACV Design Meets All Ship-to-Shore Requirements as Testing Continues

Marines Declare Current ACV Design Meets All Ship-to-Shore Requirements as Testing Continues

Program Executive Officer Land Systems put the Amphibious Combat Vehicle 1.1 through high surf testing in December 2018 at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. The vehicle successfully navigated through waves measuring over six feet in height, meeting the ACV 1.2 anticipated requirements, and enabling the Marine Corps to combine the program into a singular ACV family of vehicles. US Marine Corps photo.

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – The Marine Corps has put the Amphibious Combat Vehicle through its paces in the eight months since the service selected BAE Systems to build the new wheeled vehicles, using the original 16 ACVs to conduct high surf testing and cold weather/cold water testing around the country. Read More