Submarines

The Spearfish heavyweight torpedo used with all classes of Royal Navy submarines is undergoing a comprehensive upgrade, improving the propulsion, homing, tactical systems and warhead. The fleet will begin receiving the improved torpedoes by 2020 and complete the upgrade in four years and prepare the weapon to challenge future threats.

The Vanguard class submarines maintain the UK strategic nuclear deterrent force.

The construction of Astute class attack submarines is ongoing, in April 2017 MOD announced the conclusion of negotiation of the contract to build the Agamemnon, the sixth of seven Astute class attack submarines that will cost £1.4 billion.

Stretched along the eastern Mediterranean Sea and linked to the Indian Ocean through the Gulf of Eilat and the Red-Sea, Israel has always strived to maintain a naval force to protect its maritime border and sea lines of communications. Since the 1970s, following repeated terror attacks from the sea, the Israeli Navy assumed the responsibility to combat terror at...

General Motors, the Office of Naval Research and the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory announced Thursday, June 23, 2016; they are cooperating to incorporate automotive hydrogen fuel cell systems into a next-generation of Navy unmanned undersea vehicles, or UUVs.

Elbit Systems completed recently a trial test torpedo launch from its Seagull multi-mission, autonomous Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) system. Lightweight torpedoes are often used by anti-submarine vessels, helicopters, and aircraft against submarines located in shallow waters. This is the first instance where such weapons are used from unmanned platforms.

The US Navy plans to deploy hundreds of ‘Blackwing’ drones on manned submarines and unmanned underwater vehicles; the new, low cost, submarine launched unmanned aircraft system is optimized for Anti-Access/Aerial Denial (A2/AD) environments.

France has beaten Japan and Germany to win an Australian mega-deal to build a fleet of 12 new submarines in Australia, for the Australian Navy SEA 1000 program. The decision was formally announced by Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull today.

North Korea launched what appeared to be a ballistic missile from a submarine in the East Sea Saturday, the South Korean military said. South Korea's defence ministry said the missile, fired from a submarine in the Sea of Japan (East Sea), flew around 30 kilometres (18 miles) and that the test showed "certain technological progress" in the North's SLBM capability.

A small, submersible drone developped at John Hopkins' research institute's Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) can stay submerged for months, and instantly surface and launch on command without leaving a trace.  Watch this video describing APL's Corrosion Resistant Aerial Covert Unmanned Naval System (CRACUNS). The drone is fabricated from composite materials and coatings that prevents salt water corrosion. 3D printing enables production...

 

Taiwan's Defense ministry has approved the guidelines for the design and construction of an indigenous submarine. Design and development is slated to begin in 2016 and span over four years at a total cost of about US$95 million.

North Korea recently conducted a test of an ejection launcher that U.S. intelligence agencies assess is part of Pyongyang’s recently discovered submarine-launched ballistic missile program. Despite those alleged facts, analysts question the maturity of the North Korean missile submarine program.

A cruise missile designed to be launched from attack submarines was unveiled today at Airshow China. The new missile, designated CM-708UNA, was developed by Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC). Company sources confirmed the missile has entered production. The CM-708UNA is launched by torpedo tube and is therefore adaptable to conventional submarines (not equipped with vertical launchers). The missile employs...