The number of operational SH-2G(I) Seasprite naval helicopters in the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) has been reduced from eight to five, it has emerged | Tim Fish

Austal Australia has been awarded a $39 million contract by Defence to build two more Guardian class patrol boats. The new vessels will allow Defence to replace damaged patrol boats and provide a second vessel to Kiribati | Ben Felton

Steel was cut on the first of six Hunter class frigates, the future HMAS Hunter, by the Minister for Defence and Premier of South Australia during a ceremony on 21 June.

Birdon America has acquired Metal Shark Boats 32-acre shipyard in Bayou La Batre, Alabama.

The initial candidate is Jeremy Wojak, who arrived in France in November to begin a six-month internship at Exail’s facility in Brest | Nigel Pittaway

Royal Australian Navy warship HMAS Warramunga has deployed for a three-month deployment through South and Southeast Asia, the first regional presence deployment for 2024.

Exail and Aurizn have signed a strategic technology partnership focused on the potential application of artificial intelligence and machine learning in naval robotics.

The Australian Border Force expects to complete modernisation work on its two Bay class patrol boats in 2024 | Ben Felton

Australia and Japan have signed an agreement to enhance strategic capabilities in robotic and autonomous systems for undersea warfare.

2023’s Indo-Pacific Endeavour (IPE23) saw ADF ships, aircraft, and personnel visit 14 countries in the region and kicked off in early July | Mike Yeo

The US has approved the potential sale of ‘General Tomahawk Weapons System Support Services Uplift and related equipment’ to Australia | Keira Joyce

The New Zealand Ministry of Defence will publish a new Defence Capability Plan in 2024 as part of its Defence Policy Review process | Tim Fish

Bidders for Tranche 1 of Navy’s Sea 1905 program are eagerly awaiting a government decision on who will be downselected to move forward | Nigel Pittaway

In May the US DSCA announced approval for Australia to purchase the Surveillance Towed Array Sonar System Expeditionary under a proposed $322 million deal | Nigel Pittaway

For Australia, acquiring nuclear powered attack submarines (SSNs) was once utterly inconceivable | Max Blenkin

The Royal Australian Navy’s acquisition of Kongsberg’s Naval Strike Missile (NSM) to replace its RGM-84 Harpoon weapons was first announced by the previous government in April 2022 | Nigel Pittaway