Latest news with #Aegis-equipped
Nikkei Asia
22-05-2025
- Business
- Nikkei Asia
Japan's Fujitsu to supply Lockheed Martin with radar components
TOKYO -- Japanese tech company Fujitsu will make core power supply components for Lockheed Martin's SPY7 radar system, the companies announced Thursday, in a move to help expand Japan's defense industry. The SPY7 system, which contains over 1,200 power supply components, will be installed in a Japan Self-Defense Forces Aegis-equipped vessel in 2027 and another in 2028. The initial systems will contain Lockheed-made power supply components, with replacements parts to be made by Fujitsu.
Yomiuri Shimbun
12-05-2025
- Science
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Defense Ministry to Conduct Railgun Prototype Firing Test on MSDF Ship; Eyed as Hypersonic Weapon Countermeasure
Courtesy of the Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency A prototype railgun being developed by the Defense Ministry The Defense Ministry plans to test a railgun prototype, a weapon that utilizes electromagnetic force instead of gunpowder to fire projectiles at very high speeds, on an experimental ship off the coast of Japan in the near future, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned. Railguns are cutting-edge weapons that are considered a potential countermeasure against hypersonic weapons, which China and North Korea are developing. The defense ministry is eyeing the deployment of railguns with a view to installing them on Aegis-equipped ships. When an electric current is passed through a pair of parallel rails, a magnetic field is generated, which causes the metal projectile inside the railgun to be fired. It can generate much higher speeds and cover much further distances than conventional artillery. It is also considered advantageous in terms of the safety of JSDF personnel, as storing ammunition is easy because it does not use gunpowder. In addition to attacks on vessels, aircraft and drones, railguns have the potential to be used to intercept hypersonic weapons, which travel at least five times the speed of sound along irregular trajectories at low altitude. Railguns are considered to be a game changer that can transform the balance of power. Courtesy of the Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency A prototype railgun being developed by the Defense Ministry The ministry started research on railguns in fiscal 2016 and an offshore firing test was conducted using a small prototype on the Maritime Self Defense Forces' experimental ship JS Asuka in summer 2023. The upcoming test will use a prototype which is the expected size of those to be used in actual warfare – about six meters long and weighing about eight tons. This is the first offshore test using a near full-scale prototype, and the ministry will check such things as whether it can accurately reach its target. The ministry concluded the Terms of Reference for cooperation on railgun technologies with France, Germany and a research institute. Hoping to have railguns enter practical use, the ministry has also dispatched its technical officers to the U.S. military, which has suspended its railgun development, in order to utilize its experimental data. Railguns are being eyed for deployment on Aegis-equipped ships and new-model destroyers. However, some issues still need to be solved, such as rails being damaged over time by the projectiles, making continuous firing difficult and reducing the muzzle velocity. China has also accelerated its railgun development. According to Hong Kong-based newspaper South China Morning Post, China's Naval University of Engineering revealed that it had succeeded in firing off 120 rounds in a research paper published in November 2023. The newspaper said that it would put 'China ahead of the pack, globally.'
Korea Herald
07-05-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
HD Hyundai, Hanwha join forces for $17.4b Canadian submarine bid
Korea's leading shipbuilders have teamed up to pursue a Canadian submarine project estimated to be worth up to 24 billion Canadian dollars ($17.4 billion), easing their long-standing rivalry in the special shipbuilding sector, industry sources said Wednesday. HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and Hanwha Ocean, two of Korea's largest shipyards, jointly submitted a proactive proposal to the Canadian government in March for the project, which aims to add up to a dozen 3,000-ton-class submarines to the country's fleet. The submission outlined key specifications of the submarines, estimated delivery schedules and other relevant details, ahead of the project's formal solicitation of participants. 'We are exploring various approaches to win this project, and joint participation is one of them,' said an official from one of the two companies, speaking on condition of anonymity. According to a Monday report by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the two companies proposed to offer advanced KSS-III-class submarines, developed with domestic Korean technology. The report also highlighted that the proposal emphasizes fast delivery and includes plans to build maintenance facilities in Canada. These facilities would employ Canadian nationals, aligning with the country's economic and industrial priorities. The companies reportedly pledged to deliver the first four submarines by 2035, the same timeline the Canadian Navy had originally set for receiving just one vessel. This collaboration follows a strategic agreement between the two companies and Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration, under which they agreed to cooperate in pursuing overseas defense contracts. The two companies have been at odds over Korea's 7.8 trillion won ($5.5 billion) next-generation Aegis-equipped destroyers project, currently stalled due to unresolved disputes over contractor selection. The Korean defense authority led the partnership out of concern that internal competition could hinder the country's chances in major global defense bids, especially after both companies failed to win Australia's $7.3 billion frigate project in November. Under the agreement, the two shipbuilders will alternate leadership roles in joint bids depending on the project's nature. For the Canadian submarine project, Hanwha Ocean is expected to take the lead, leveraging its extensive experience in submarine construction. Hanwha Ocean is recognized for its submarine-building capabilities, having secured 70 percent of the total submarine contracts placed by the Korean Navy as of Wednesday. While industry insiders expect Canada to officially launch the project around 2027, shipbuilders from Germany, Norway and Spain are also anticipated to participate in the bid.
Korea Herald
07-05-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
Hanwha, HD Hyundai join forces for $17.4b Canadian submarine bid
Korea's leading shipbuilders have teamed up to pursue a Canadian submarine project estimated to be worth up to 24 billion Canadian dollars ($17.4 billion), easing their long-standing rivalry in the special shipbuilding sector, industry sources said Wednesday. Hanwha Ocean and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, two of Korea's largest shipyards, jointly submitted a proactive proposal to the Canadian government in March for the project, which aims to add up to a dozen 3,000-ton-class submarines to the country's fleet. The submission outlined key specifications of the submarines, estimated delivery schedules and other relevant details, ahead of the project's formal solicitation of participants. 'We are exploring various approaches to win this project, and joint participation is one of them,' said an official from one of the two companies, speaking on condition of anonymity. According to a Monday report by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the two companies proposed to offer advanced KSS-III-class submarines, developed with domestic Korean technology. The report also highlighted that the proposal emphasizes fast delivery and includes plans to build maintenance facilities in Canada. These facilities would employ Canadian nationals, aligning with the country's economic and industrial priorities. The companies reportedly pledged to deliver the first four submarines by 2035, the same timeline the Canadian Navy had originally set for receiving just one vessel. This collaboration follows a strategic agreement between the two companies and Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration, under which they agreed to cooperate in pursuing overseas defense contracts. Hanwha Ocean and HD HHI have been at odds over Korea's 7.8 trillion won ($5.5 billion) next-generation Aegis-equipped destroyers project, currently stalled due to unresolved disputes over contractor selection. The Korean defense authority led the partnership out of concern that internal competition could hinder the country's chances in major global defense bids, especially after both companies failed to win Australia's $7.3 billion frigate project in November. Under the agreement, the two shipbuilders will alternate leadership roles in joint bids depending on the project's nature. For the Canadian submarine project, Hanwha Ocean is expected to take the lead, leveraging its extensive experience in submarine construction. Hanwha Ocean is recognized for its submarine-building capabilities, having secured 70 percent of the total submarine contracts placed by the Korean Navy as of Wednesday. While industry insiders expect Canada to officially launch the project around 2027, shipbuilders from Germany, Norway and Spain are also anticipated to participate in the bid.
Korea Herald
01-05-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
Decision time for Korea's next-gen destroyer program
The Korean Next-Generation Destroyer, or KDDX, program, has been pushed back once again, dampening the country's roadmap to strengthen its naval forces and letting the fight between its top two shipbuilders -- Hanwha Ocean and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries -- intensify. The KDDX, a 7.8 trillion won ($5.5 billion) project to build six 6,000-ton-class next-generation Aegis-equipped destroyers, was supposed to have a conclusion on who will build these state-of-the-art warships using homegrown technologies by July last year. The KDDX program is crucial for not only strengthening the country's naval forces but also enhancing its shipbuilding capabilities. The KDDX program has four steps of concept design, basic design, detail design and building the first ship and building the rest of the ships. Hanwha Ocean won the contract for concept design in 2012 while HD HHI secured the contract for basic design. Industry experts expected HD HHI to ink the detail design contract to build the first ship but Hanwha Ocean raised the issue of the military secret mishandling of some HD HHI employees and called for a competitive bidding process. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration has irresponsibly dragged out the selection process instead of taking the helm of the matter. The DAPA handed over the authority to designate defense firms for the KDDX program to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, which later designated both Hanwha and HD Hyundai as suitors. In the meantime, Hanwha and HD Hyundai has been going back and forth both publicly and behind the scenes to claim that each of them should be the one to take charge of the KDDX program. The rivalry between the two conglomerates has continued to intensify while the DAPA did not make up its mind. Some even say that one of the reasons Korea came up short in the bidding for the Australian government's 10-trillion-won project to acquire 11 frigates was the growing feud between Hanwha and HD Hyundai. To be fair, choosing the right builder for the KDDX is not an easy task but DAPA's hesitation and naive approach have done little to resolve the issue. As the government is seemingly being careful and thorough in sourcing out the naval empowerment project, it must recognize that the drifting situation could be harming the reputation of the country's maritime defense industry at a time when the US is seeking Korea's cooperation in the shipbuilding sector. About 400 small to medium-sized companies are also involved in the KDDX project as they work with the shipyards of Hanwha and HD Hyundai. The longer the DAPA delays its final say, the more financial difficulties await these local firms, ultimately hurting the country's shipbuilding industry as a whole. Now that the DAPA has failed to make the decision by the last day of April when it held a meeting of the defense project committee, the fate of the KDDX is likely to be decided after the presidential election on June 3 and the new defense authorities are appointed, meaning that the project is expected to be postponed for over a year. Although it is already late to make the call, the DAPA should recognize that being late is better than being never.
