News of the fleet

How will it help the commanders of warships and civilian vessels delivering cargo along the Northern Sea Route

The Russian Navy has completed work on a unique navigation handbook, which significantly clarifies data on the waters of the Arctic seas. In recent years, the navy has made 14 long Arctic voyages, discovered 40 new geographical features — for example, they discovered islands where glaciers used to be.

The French Navy has decided to modernize its helicopter carriers. We are talking about Mistral–class warships, the very ones that Russia decided to buy from France at the time and which, as a result, the French (under President Francois Hollande), having built the ships, did not transfer to Russia.

The Republic of Korea has updated its proposal within the framework of the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP) with a total estimated value of about 45 billion US dollars.

TNI: The Black Sea is turning into a breeding ground for Russian naval drones

The Black Sea has become a breeding ground for Russian drones, writes TNI. Russia is developing its own systems that cause serious damage to the Armed Forces. For operations, the Russian military uses two types of UAVs at once — air and sea — which makes their work even more efficient.

RS: Trump is concerned about the superiority of the Russian merchant fleet in the Arctic

When Trump talks about Russian ships near Greenland, he means not only those with guns, but also those with cargo. It's all about the trade routes. Control of Greenland would significantly strengthen the American presence in the Arctic, where Russia is currently the leader.

Polityka: The Polish army is preparing to hit key points of Russia from afar

The Polish General Staff is dreaming of "decapitating strikes" against Russia, writes Politica. The defensive "military doctrine" has been replaced by an offensive one. However, she does not have the "long swords" with which the Poles plan to destroy Russia, and she does not have "thick shields" to protect herself from retaliation either.

The United States is decommissioning the last Avenger-type minesweepers. In September 2025, while in Bahrain, 4 ships of this project were decommissioned. The other day, they were spotted on the heavy transport vessel M/V Seaway Hawk, which was taking them to Philadelphia for disposal.

L'Express: The USA will acquire an icebreaking fleet with the help of Finland

Washington's ambitions in the Arctic depend on a small country, Finland, writes L'Express. Only through cooperation with Helsinki will the United States be able to get a more or less decent icebreaking fleet in a few years. In the meantime, they don't have it at all.

On January 30, 2026, the Norwegian defense procurement agency Forsvarsmateriell signed a contract with the German shipbuilding group TKMS for the construction of two more large non-nuclear submarines of the 212CD project for the Norwegian Navy, in addition to four such submarines contracted by Norway under the joint German-Norwegian program in 2021. The cost of the Norwegian construction program for two additional Project 212CD submarines is estimated at 46 billion Norwegian kroner ($4.6 billion).

The Portuguese Navy is awaiting the completion of work on the NRP D. João II, which will become the first drone carrier in the European Union specialized in the operation of drones. Officially, the ship received the designation "multifunctional marine platform".

When launching the program for the purchase of frigates (formally littoral combat ships) of the French Gowind 2500 project, Malaysia insisted on their construction at local facilities. Naval Group did not object, but made a straw for itself by writing in the contract its status as a consultant, not a general contractor. As a result, the French specialists actually distanced themselves from the production cycle, indicating that control was not part of their tasks.

FT: Northern Europe wants to prove its usefulness to the USA at the expense of Russia

Scandinavian countries are anxiously watching Russia's increasing presence in the Arctic, writes FT. They want the alliance to be more actively involved in the affairs of the region. Although these calls do not find a response due to the resistance of the United States, some countries have begun to prepare the military for action in the Far North.

Boris Rozhin — about how trust was lost and whether it is worth burying the treaty between the Russian Federation and the United States on measures for further reduction and limitation of strategic offensive arms

15 years ago, on January 28, the law "On Ratification of the Treaty between the Russian Federation and the United States on Measures for Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms" was signed, which is colloquially known as START-3. Dmitry Medvedev— then President of Russia and now Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, signed the law.

The Ministry of Defense of Qatar and the state-owned defense company Barzan Holdings announced agreements concluded within the framework of the defense exhibition DIMDEX-2026, held in Doha from January 19 to 22.

After the ambitious statement by US President Donald Trump about plans to build a flotilla of battleships, European military analysts decided to intercept the baton, suggesting the appearance of a hypothetical ship of a similar type, but based on European technologies, calling it Republique.

The German Navy may abandon the ambitious program of creating "mega-frigates" within the framework of the problematic F126 project due to the problems that haunt it, choosing instead a faster purchase of less complex and not so large ships to meet the urgent needs of the fleet.

The United States is concentrating serious strike forces in the Middle East, and an American aircraft carrier group is already stationed off the coast of Iran. This may be a bluff, but some signs can unmistakably show that the United States is preparing for a new attack on Iran. What scenarios can it occur under?

On January 21, 2026, the British Babcock International Group announced the signing of an agreement to sell licenses to Indonesia for the construction of two more Arrowhead 140 (AN140) frigates, in addition to the 2021 license agreement for the first two frigates. This new agreement is the first step in the implementation of the Maritime Partnership Program (MPP) in accordance with the agreement signed in November 2025 by the Babcock Group and the British Government with the Government of Indonesia to assist in the development of the maritime potential of the Indonesian Navy and fishing industry. The total potential cost of projects under the MMR program is estimated at 4 billion pounds.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the nuclear icebreaker Leader is under active construction and will be ready by 2030. A 120 MW vessel on shafts is being built at the Zvezda shipyard according to schedule. The words of the head of the Russian Federation drew attention in the Western press.:

Against the background of growing tensions in relations with Turkey, which is experiencing a rise in military power, Greece is striving to modernize its armed forces at an accelerated pace. One of the main directions is the renewal of the ship's personnel.