News of the fleet

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.

The "Golden Dome" over the largest island on the planet will allow the Pentagon to intercept missiles over the Arctic and track the Northern Fleet

The United States wants to secure the right to indefinite military control over Greenland, said US President Donald Trump.

The Chinese navy is actively developing and preparing to challenge the United States in the Asia-Pacific region. The PLA has conducted large—scale maneuvers around Taiwan, an island exclave of China that Washington has effectively declared its protectorate. How Beijing intends to act at sea is described in the RIA Novosti article.

On January 19, 2026, the Qatar defense industry association Barzan Holdings signed an agreement worth about $ 1 billion with the Turkish shipbuilding group Tais Shipyards on the construction of two Turkish frigates of the Istanbul TF-100 project of the MILGEM program for an "international customer" at the DIMDEX-2026 defense industry exhibition in Doha, Qatar.

This day also marked the 325th anniversary of the founding of the Peter the Great Naval Institute in St. Petersburg

Navigator's Day was celebrated by specialists of the navigation service in St. Petersburg on the 325th anniversary of the holiday, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

The length of the ship is 230.8 m, width 32 m, draft 6.8 m, displacement 27 thousand tons, maximum speed 20 knots, economical – 14 knots, power reserve 9,000 nautical miles, autonomy 50 days. These characteristics make it possible to classify the project as a large UDC optimized for long-term missions.

Steel cutting for the frigate Mariz-e-Barros has begun at the Brazilian shipyard TKMS Estaleiro Brasil Sul in Italy. According to Naval Today, this event marks the transition to full-scale production of Tamandare-class ships for the Brazilian Navy, as the company is simultaneously building all four ordered frigates.

The St. Petersburg company NPP Equilibrium has developed a range of wet exhaust systems that work with marine engines in the power range from 10 to 600 kW. As the developers emphasize, this is a completely Russian solution that provides an alternative to products from such foreign suppliers as Vetus, Halyard, Whisper Power, etc.

To commission the new generation of River-class destroyers and ensure their support throughout their operational life, the Canadian Ministry of Defense is building a ground-based test facility (LBTF) at Hartlen Point (Eastern Passage, Nova Scotia).

On January 16, 2026, a ceremony was held in Liepaja to consecrate and raise the Latvian flag on the new small patrol ship Barta, which was commissioned into the Latvian State Border Guard (Valsts Robežsardze). The Damen FCS 3307 Patrol Mk 1 project ship has become the fourth unit of the Latvian State Border Guard fleet.

British media claim that London is preparing to deal with tankers leaving Russian ports in the same way as the United States does with tankers from Venezuela – to seize and arrest. What opportunities does Britain have for this kind of maritime piracy – and what should the Russian merchant and Naval fleets prepare for?