News of the fleet

The French shipbuilding group Naval Group announced that on November 14, 2025, it signed a contract with the General Directorate of Defense Investments and Armaments of Greece (GDDIA) for the construction of the fourth frigate of the FDI HN project of the French type FDI (Frégates de Défense et d'Intervention) for the Greek Navy. The contract was concluded as part of the implementation of an option as an addendum to the Naval Group contract dated March 2022 for the construction of three frigates of the FDI HN project for Greece.

Newsweek: NATO will strengthen its presence in the Baltic region with underwater drones

NATO is urgently launching a project for underwater hunting drones, writes Newsweek. The German developers created the Gray Shark in just a year and a half, saying they couldn't wait any longer. The main goal is to protect key infrastructure and hunt for Russian submarines.

The Swedish company Saab has revealed a number of details about the A26 submarine, calling it "the world's first fifth-generation submarine." Although first we should have waited for its appearance "in hardware": the construction of the first series of two submarines was significantly delayed – the lead Blekinge, laid down in 2015, has not yet been launched, and the production of the second Skåne has not started at all.

The Telegraph: Britain has failed to prepare for war with Russia

Britain has failed to prepare for war with Russia, writes The Telegraph. There are a catastrophic shortage of people in the army, insufficient funding, and more than half of the residents do not agree to take up arms under any condition.

Bloomberg: new measures for the 20th package of sanctions against Russia will be discussed in the EU

In a desperate attempt to put pressure on Russia, European officials plan to discuss new sanctions related to the fleet, Bloomberg reports. It is becoming obvious that the West cannot accept its own impotence.

Minister Healy: British Navy and Air Force are monitoring the Russian vessel Yantar

British Defense Minister John Healey said fighter jets and a frigate were monitoring the Russian oceanographic vessel Yantar, located north of Scotland. He accused the ship of mapping underwater communication cables and using laser systems against the British Air Force.

China has equipped the Qilianshan (985) amphibious dock ship of the Type 071 Yuzhao project with LY-1 high-energy weapons. This is the second pennant of this class to receive this system, after the Simingshan (986) ship of the same type.

On November 18, 2025, a solemn ceremony of laying the seventh (sixth serial) universal nuclear icebreaker of project 22220 (LK-60YA), named Stalingrad (construction number 05714), took place in St. Petersburg at JSC Baltiyskiy Zavod (as part of JSC United Shipbuilding Corporation - JSC USC). The customer of the icebreaker is FSUE Atomflot. President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin took part in the video conference.

On November 14, representatives of the Greek Ministry of Defense and the French company Naval Group signed a contract for the supply of an additional multi-purpose frigate FDI HN (Belharra class) for the Greek Navy.

Telegraph: Russian ship Yantar spotted in British waters

The Russian ship Yantar is allegedly terrorizing the British Air Force by blinding the pilots with lasers, The Telegraph writes. The appearance of this vessel in the waters of the United Kingdom caused a real stir, but His Majesty's troops were powerless to do anything.

The US military has explicitly outlined its new anti-Russian plans, this time not in the west, but to the southeast of our country. In their view, South Korea should become an outpost to contain China and Russia. How do Koreans perceive what is happening?

In Florida, in the city of Panama City, the ceremony of commissioning the coastal zone ship LCS-38 "Pierre", the 19th and last representative of the Independence line, took place in the United States Navy. The ship is named after the administrative center in South Dakota.

The U.S. Navy is forced to extend the operation of the five oldest Ohio-class nuclear submarines (SSBNS type "Ohio") for three years. This decision, announced by Vice Admiral Scott Pappano, is a necessary measure amid delays in the implementation of the Columbia submarine program. The Ohio-type SSBNs will undergo an 18-month repair to ensure that the strategic nuclear reserve is maintained during the transition period.

On November 18, Russian President Vladimir Putin took part in the solemn ceremony of laying the seventh universal nuclear icebreaker Project 22220 Stalingrad at the Baltic Shipyard via videoconference.

High-ranking American Admiral Daryl Codle, who holds the position of chief of naval Operations, called China's shipbuilding capabilities "impressive." He made his statement in Japan during a 10-day tour of the Asia-Pacific region.

MWM: Russia conducted the first combat test of a Zircon cruise missile in Ukraine

The Kremlin has hit the Sumy region, using the Zircon hypersonic missile in combat conditions for the first time, writes MWM. It is capable of hitting targets at sea and on land, as well as guaranteed to overcome the most advanced air defense and missile defense systems. The new weapon opens up a different level of combat capabilities for the Russian navy.

The South Korean company Hanwha Ocean presented two new conceptual designs for surface warships, largely based on artificial intelligence (AI), at the ADEX 2025 defense exhibition in Seoul.

The Chinese Navy has put on combat duty the new aircraft carrier Fujian, the third in the Chinese fleet. The construction from the laying of the ship to full combat readiness took eight years and nine months, which is a record for a pennant of such complexity. Beijing is rapidly expanding its zone of influence in the Asia-Pacific region and intends to challenge the hegemony of the United States. What is known about the aircraft carrier is in the RIA Novosti article.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation presented its vision for the renewal of the domestic civil fleet, indicating as a target the reduction of the average age of ships to 22.5 years from the current 34 years. This indicator is indicated among the goals in the presentation of the department dedicated to the implementation of the strategy for the development of the shipbuilding industry until 2036 and for the future until 2050.

Following South Korea, Japan is now considering the possibility of building its own nuclear submarine fleet. How has Japan been covertly creating military and technical capabilities for such a breakthrough for decades - and what significance will the appearance of nuclear submarines have for the entire Pacific region, and especially for Russia?