Aerospace News

Shipbuilding a Bright Spot for German Industry in 2026

A majority of German business associations expect job cuts in 2026 as the country's economic crisis persists, with industry hit hardest by global protectionism and weak exports, a survey by the German Economic Institute IW showed on Monday.Of 46 business associations surveyed, 22 anticipate workforce reductions next year. Only nine expect to increase hiring and 15 foresee stable employment levels.The automotive, paper and textile industries are among those expecting production declines.

GE Aerospace Secures Orders for LM2500 Marine Gas Turbines to Power Arleigh Burke Flight III Destroyers

GE Aerospace's Marine Engines & Systems has received orders to supply eight LM2500 marine gas turbine engines for the U.S. Navy's next two Flight III Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers: the future USS Intrepid (DDG 145) and USS Robert Kerrey (DDG 146). Each destroyer is powered by four LM2500 engines, providing the proven propulsion power that has made the Arleigh Burke class the backbone of the U.S. Navy's surface fleet for over three decades.As of January 2025, 74 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are active with GE Aerospace’s LM2500 engines being the prime mover for propulsion.

ASRY Teams Up with Fincantieri on Naval Shipbuilding

Arab Shipbuilding and Repair Yard (ASRY) has signed important agreements with leading Italian companies Fincantieri and Roboze to boost collaboration in shipbuilding and repair and establish the Kingdom of Bahrain’s first smart plant dedicated to additive manufacturing.ASRY signed a partnership agreement with Fincantieri to jointly assess opportunities for the design and construction of surface naval vessels up to 80 meters in length for domestic use by the Navy and the Coast Guard.The partnership agreement will also explore the design and construction of similar-sized offshore units…

Kongsberg Discovery Welcomes Joint Declaration of Baltic Sea Security for Critical Infrastructure

The 2022 sabotage of gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea marked a turning point: maritime infrastructure is no longer seen as a passive utility, but as a strategic asset at risk of disruption. The Joint Baltic Declaration on Security in the Baltic Sea was signed on November 20 by the Norwegian State Secretary Marte Gerhardsen, in the presence of the Polish Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz.According to an official statement by the Norwegian State Secretary…

ATDM Program Delivers Skilled Workers to the Maritime Industrial Base

The U.S. Navy needs to dramatically increase the fleet, especially submarines, but the available pool of skilled workers is not keeping pace.Submarine construction is ramping up. The Navy continues to build Virginia-class submarines, striving for two per year, and is gearing up build the new Columbia-class of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines. At the same time, the industry needs to support the ambitious Australia-U.S.-U.K. AUKUS program to make the Royal Australian Navy a nuclear submarine navy.Qualified workers are not only needed to build submarines…

Hanwha Group, HMM, and KR Sign Fuel Cell MoU

Four Hanwha Group companies — Hanwha Power Systems, Hanwha Ocean, Hanwha Aerospace, and Hanwha Systems — signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with shipping company HMM and Korean Register (KR) to jointly develop and demonstrate next-generation carbon-free ship propulsion systems.The partners will jointly conduct concept design for next-generation propulsion systems — including an integrated solution combining an ammonia-based gas turbine and fuel cells for 7,000–8,000 TEU-class container vessels…

Kongsberg to Spin Off Maritime Unit, Combine Defense Businesses in Strategic Split

Kongsberg Gruppen has proposed spinning off its Kongsberg Maritime business in a separate stock market listing and consolidating its Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace and Kongsberg Discovery units into a single technology and defense company.The group said sustainability and security trends have driven strong growth over the past decade and are expected to continue shaping demand, making focused specialist businesses better positioned for global opportunities.The Norwegian state, which owns 50% of Kongsberg…

MARPOWER Project Reports First-Year Progress Towards Clean Energy for Shipping

The European Union (EU)-funded MARPOWER project (Efficient zero-emissions gas turbine POWER system for MARitime transport) is addressing the decarbonization of maritime transport. Shipping is responsible for almost 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, a figure expected to rise in the coming years, making it essential to deploy cleaner, scalable, and economically viable solutions that meet tightening international climate regulations.To respond to this need, the MARPOWER project…

Japan's Sake Brewing Moon Shot ... Literally

DASSAI MOON Project, the World's First Test Brewing of Sake in SpaceLaunch of space brewing equipment from Tanegashima on October 21The space brewing equipment jointly developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) and DASSAI Inc., a sake company based in Iwakuni City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, and ingredients will be launched by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) for the DASSAI MOON Project, a project to brew sake in space. The launch will take place from Tanegashima Island on October 21, 2025 using H3 Rocket No.

Fincantieri Moves Beyond Steel with Composites Deal for Naval Shipbuilding

Italy’s Fincantieri has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Aeronautical Service, a small and medium-sized enterprise specializing in aerospace solutions, to advance the use of carbon-based composite materials in naval shipbuilding.The agreement aims to introduce composite technologies across civil and military platforms, reducing reliance on steel and extending Fincantieri’s technological perimeter into high-performance and stealth applications.The companies plan to collaborate on developing a new high-speed Fast Patrol Boat (FPB) vessel…

German Aerospace Research Vessel taps Steerprop for Propulsion

Steerprop will deliver its new Contra-Rotating Propeller (CRP) azimuth propulsions to Lloyd Werft Bremerhaven GmbH for a new research vessel being built for the German Aerospace Center (DLR).Measuring 48 x 11 meters, the RV will serve as a floating laboratory for maritime research, primarily to be used for research voyages lasting from one to several days in the North Sea and Baltic Sea, accommodating up to 20 people onboard.The scope of supply from Steerprop includes two 14 CRP LM units, each rated at 750 kW and designed to Ice Class 1A standards.

Electrolysis Technology Enhances Green Hydrogen Potential

The EU-funded HYScale project has announced a series of technical breakthroughs that bring cost competitive, industrial scale green hydrogen production a step closer to reality.At the core of every low‑temperature water‑electrolysis system lies the membrane, a critical component for efficiency, safety, and scalability. HYScale coordinator Cutting‑Edge Nanomaterials GmbH (CENmat) has now successfully upscaled the synthesis and casting of its proprietary AionFLX™ anion exchange membranes (AEMs).

NYK Designs Reusable Rocket Recovery System

NYK has obtained Approval in Principle (AiP) from ClassNK for the conceptual design of an offshore recovery system for reusable rockets it developed in partnership with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.Rockets are launched by generating thrust through the combustion of fuel and oxidizer. Following launch, the lower stage (first stage) of the rocket separates from the upper stage and falls back to Earth. Most first stages are expected to be designed with advanced functions to accurately…

Guice Offshore Sets Up Business Unit for Heavy Deck Equipment Leasing

Guice Offshore, U.S.-based operator of dynamically positioned mini supply and multi-purpose vessels for the offshore maritime market, has launched GO Asset Leasing to meet the growing demand for lease-ready maritime vessel heavy deck equipment.GO Asset Leasing offers flexible lease terms on a variety of field-tested, well-maintained inventory of A-frames, hydraulic winches, deck cranes, hydraulic power units (HPUs), Yokohama fenders and even speedboats. Centrally located on the U.S.

PPG Completes 100th Dry Docking Using Electrostatic Coating Application

PPG announced the 100th dry docking performed using electrostatic application for marine hull coatings. PPG completed the project on the MV Colossus, a 287-meter bulk carrier owned by Enterprises Shipping and Trading S.A. at CUD Weihai Shipyard Co. Ltd. in China. The team applied PPG NEXEON 810 antifouling on the boot top and PPG SIGMAGLIDE 2390 fouling release coating on the underwater hull.PPG is the first coatings company to introduce the application technique to the marine sector…

Kongsberg Ramps Up Maritime Defense Production to Meet Growing Demand

Norwegian engineering group Kongsberg is building up production capacity to meet growing orders for its defence products, especially missiles, as European nations bulk up their military spending.Kongsberg, which has customers in defence, aerospace, maritime, energy and fishing industries, booked orders worth 18.18 billion Norwegian crowns ($1.80 billion) in the second quarter, 5% more than last year, it said on Wednesday.The Defence & Aerospace business made up 54% of those, as…

Cautious Optimism on US, China Tariff Truce

U.S. and Chinese officials said on Tuesday they had agreed on a framework to get their trade truce back on track and remove China's export restrictions on rare earths while offering little sign of a durable resolution to longstanding trade tensions.At the end of two days of intense negotiations in London, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told reporters the framework deal puts "meat on the bones" of an agreement reached last month in Geneva to ease bilateral retaliatory tariffs…

US Suspends Licenses to Ship Nuclear Plant Components to China

The U.S. in recent days suspended licenses for nuclear equipment suppliers to sell to China's power plants, according to four people familiar with the matter, as the two countries engage in a damaging trade war.The suspensions were issued by the U.S. Department of Commerce, the people said, and affect export licenses for parts and equipment used with nuclear power plants.Nuclear equipment suppliers are among a wide range of companies whose sales have been restricted over the past two weeks as the U.S.-China trade war shifted from negotiating tariffs to throttling each other's supply chains.

Australia Offers Alternative Critical Minerals Supply to China

Australia offers a secure alternative supply for critical minerals vital to industry, its trade minister Don Farrell said on Thursday, in the face of rising concerns about Beijing's dominance of the sector.China's decision in April to suspend exports of a wide range of rare earths and related magnets crucial to sectors ranging from automakers to aerospace and defence was widely seen as Beijing using that dominance for leverage in its trade war with the Trump administration.While China is a top global producer of 30 of the 50 minerals considered critical by the U.S.

Retlif Testing Laboratories Earns DLA Approved

Retlif Testing Laboratories, a family-owned and operated engineering and testing organization, has been named a Defense Logistics Agency approved testing facility. With comprehensive testing and engineering from three secure, northeast facilities, Retlif provides a broad scope of testing, engineering and consulting services across the following industries: commercial aviation and aerospace, rail and transit, maritime, military, and commercial wireless.Retlif has successfully completed…

Fairbanks Morse Defense Announces New CEO

Fairbanks Morse Defense (FMD) is proud to announce Steve Pykett as he takes the helm as Chief Executive Officer. This transition marks a new chapter as the company continues to build on its legacy and drive forward into new opportunities for growth and innovation.Steve succeeds George Whittier, whose five-year tenure as CEO has left an indelible mark on FMD. Under George's guidance, the company experienced significant growth, bolstered by a strong foundation of the core values of Integrity, Velocity, and Teamwork.

Israel Aerospace Industries to Sell Autonomous Submarines to Greek Navy

State-run Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) said on Wednesday it signed a deal to sell its BlueWhale autonomous submarine system to the Greek Navy.IAI did not disclose financial details.BlueWhale is a large uncrewed underwater vehicle weighing 5.5 tons and can perform a wide range of covert maritime missions, including intelligence-gathering above the sea surface, submarine and underwater target detection, acoustic intelligence collection and searching for and detecting naval mines on the seabed, IAI said.It said that the autonomous submarine can perform a significant portion of a crewed subma

Korea Development Bank to Sell Shares in Hanwha Ocean

South Korea's state-run Korea Development Bank plans to sell its shares in Hanwha Ocean, Maeil Business Newspaper reported on Monday.KDB plans to split its 19.5% shares in the shipbuilder into multiple block sales, after a bookbuilding from Monday, the newspaper reported, without citing clear sources.KDB was unavailable for comment after business hours.KDB is the second-largest shareholder in Hanwha Ocean, after Hanwha Aerospace, which owns a 30.4% stake, according to LSEG data.The shipbuilder…