Content Library

View the Surface Warships 2025 Attendee Snapshot to find out who will be in attendance on 22-23 January 2025 at the Copthorne Tara Hotel in Kensington, London. Don't miss out on the opportunity to network with industry leaders, build new connections, share best practices, and explore innovative solutions on ways to advance naval power.

Due to the nature of Warship construction, the difference between two ships of different generations can be felt more vividly than on other platforms, and so its crewing needs to adapt. The new Type 31 frigates are the next generation of warships intended to replace the Type 21s with improved and new capabilities delivered by the latest technologies. While larger, the increases in automation mean that the crew can be smaller and more efficient, so the ship company formation needs to reflect this. In this interview, Commander Christopher Cozens of the Royal Navy shares his experience as a Senior Naval officer of the first Type 31 to enter service, the HMS Venturer.

This comprehensive report provides an in-depth analysis of the novel technologies and design concepts some Navies are putting into play and what this could mean for the future of Surface Warship operations. Covering 12 key nations: Argentina, Australia, France, Greece, India, Italy, Japan, Netherlands/Belgium, Poland, Republic of Korea, UK, and U.S., download this report to delve into the technological trends in the naval ship sector.

View the snapshot of attendees from our Surface Warships event series to find out which naval leaders, key program managers, and industry decision-makers attended previous iterations of Defence iQ's Surface Warships conference, many of whom are likely to be attending our 2025 conference in London.

Don't miss the opportunity to network with the naval community, build new connections, and facilitate the exchange of knowledge on future naval strategy.

The "Future Maritime Situational Awareness" presentation was delivered by Alex Ogilvie, Principal Radar Scientist, DSTL - UK Ministry of Defence. In this presentation, he covers the evolving landscape of both symmetric and asymmetric threats at sea, and discusses how advancements in platform acquisition, sensor integration, and effectors were enhancing adaptability in a dynamic combat environment. 

Worldwide naval fleets are modernising to deter near-peer competitors. Naval actions in the Black Sea and the Red Sea have emphasised how new technologies and tactics have changed the nature of naval combat, prompting nations to rethink naval programmes. In order to give greater clarity on the current programmes, we are releasing the Surface Warship Market Report, highlighting:

• The most prominent global Warship programmes
• Current status of the programmes
• Spending trends per country
  

One of the most undeniable trends in modern warfare is the robotisation of military operations. Ukraine is arguably at the forefront of leveraging this technology, including in the maritime domain. This piece was written by Captain (Ret.) Andriy Ryzhenko, former Deputy Chief of Staff of the Ukrainian Navy, in collaboration with DataDriven consultant Anton Tabur. Together, they delve into the evolving role of unmanned surface vessels in modern naval combat.

• What led to this development?
• What impact has this technology had on the current conflict?
• What could this mean for the future of Naval Warfare?
  

Protection of sea routes and infrastructure remains a top priority for many players on the world stage. Nations continue to face old challenges, such as the vastness of the oceans, and new ones, as more underwater infrastructure is built and relied on. As a result, Navies worldwide continue to invest in new technologies and programmes, including Unmanned Surface Vessels (USVs). In preparation for our Surface Warships conference, we are publishing our market report covering programmes involving:

• Large surface combatants
• Naval systems employed on surface combatants
• Uncrewed platforms
  

The “Current and Future Warships Engineering Challenges” presentation was delivered at Surface Warships 2023 by Vice Admiral Manuel Antonio Martínez-Ruiz, Director of Engineering and Shipbuilding, Armada Española, and focused on the development of the Spanish Navy and empowering rapid innovation for naval construction, This presentation covers;

• Maritime Specific Challenges
• Modeling and Simulation for LC Engineering
• EM Characterization Applications
• Vibration Behavior Models
• Modelling to Support the Digital Threat
• System Challenges for New Warship Programs
• Assessing Technologies for Future Ships

Cumulatively, the Warships market for the 14 most active nations is set to value almost US$148 billion, with the US leading the way with 63% of the total market. This market report delves into the trends and programmes of the largest warship markets by continent, including those focused on destroyers.

In near-peer competition, the logistical element is arguably the crux that all operations hinder. The nature of peer/near-peer competition creates challenges for logisticians that need answers in the air, on land, and at sea. In this interview, Commodore David Eagles delves into the latest developments within the UK’s Royal Fleet Auxiliary, touching on trends and the latest programmes for the Royal Navy.

The UK is currently undergoing transformation in its shipbuilding strategy. Few military topics have been as contentious politically, economically, and socially. Above all issues, security in the maritime domain remains paramount to the United Kingdom. This poses a challenge to the governments in power to get it right. In the past, being overbudget and late was all too common at the shipyards, which called for a rethink. In this article, thoughts are shared on the current evolution of the shipbuilding strategy and what this means for future warships.

The following report summarises and analyses the findings of the Annual Long-Range Plan for Construction of Naval Vessels for FY 2023 while also bringing to light the possible paths the USN Ship Inventory may take.

The US Navy is going through a shift as a mixture of new philosophies, geopolitical pressures, and technologies are converging. Not to mention it is still feeling the impacts of the stalling caused by covid.

As it enters a new era of near-peer competition, the Navy hopes to decrease ship sizes while increasing ship numbers. Investing in a myriad of technologies, especially unmanned, the USN will expand its capability envelope, thus ensuring naval supremacy.

This report:

• Summarises the current shipbuilding plan of the USN

• Highlights the current challenges faced by the USN in shipbuilding

• Identifies the USN goals and ambitions in terms of industrial cooperation