LOCATIONS
MARITIME
27 Aug 25. India commissions two Nilgiri-class frigates. India has commissioned the two indigenously built multimission frigates that the Indian Navy received in July. The frigates, which are now in service as INS Udaygiri and INS Himgiri, were inducted into service at the Indian Navy’s base in Visakhapatnam on 26 August. Both warships are part of India’s Nilgiri (Project 17A)-class programme, and were constructed by two separate Indian shipyards, Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) and Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Limited (GRSE). Udaygiri was delivered to the Indian Navy on 1 July by MDL while Himgiri was handed over by GRSE on 31 July. Udaygiri’s keel was laid down in May 2019, and the ship was launched on 17 May 2022. Himgiri’s keel was laid down in November 2018 and launched in December 2020. While Himgiri is the second vessel in the programme in terms of pennant number sequence, the Indian Ministry of Defence has referred to this frigate as the third of class, with Udaygiri being the second of class. First-of-class INS Nilgiri was commissioned by the service in January 2025. The Nilgiri class has an overall length of 149 m, an overall beam of 17.8 m, and a hull draught of 5 m. It displaces about 6,700 tonnes at full load. (Source: Janes)
25 Aug 25. Admiral Nakhimov commences sea trials. Russian Kirov-class nuclear-powered cruiser Admiral Nakhimov commenced sea trials on 18 August 2025 following a lengthy modernisation programme at the Sevmash shipyard in Severodvinsk. Work officially began on the upgrade in December 2013, although the cruiser had been laid up in Severodvinsk since 1997. Originally commissioned as Kalinin in 1988, Admiral Nakhimov has undergone a substantial amount of work that has seen the 20 P-700 Granit (SS-N-19 ‘Shipwreck’) anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCMs), with which it was originally equipped, removed and replaced with a total of 80 UKSK vertical launching system (VLS) cells mounted in 10 eight-cell modules. The fitting of the UKSK VLS will bring considerably more operational flexibility as it will allow Admiral Nakhimov to launch all the weapons from the Kalibr family (the SS-N-27 ‘Sizzler’ anti-ship missile; the SS-N-30 ‘Sagaris’ land attack missile; and the SS-N-31 ‘Swordfish’ anti-submarine missile), plus the Oniks anti-ship missile (SS-N-26 ‘Strobile’) and the Tsirkon hypersonic missile (SS-N-33). In addition to new offensive weapons, the defensive suite has been upgraded. The original S-300F (SA-N-6 ‘Grumble’) long-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) system has been removed and replaced either with the navalised version of the S-300PMU1 (SA-N-20) or a new navalised S-400 (SA-21 ‘Growler’). Exactly which missile system is fitted is not currently clear, but new fire-control radars have been fitted fore and aft in place of the old Top Dome systems and these will likely provide more clues in time. (Source: Janes)
PLANT CLOSURES, STRIKES AND JOB LOSSES
22 Aug 25. In latest purge, Hegseth removes head of Pentagon intelligence agency, other senior officials.
- Summary
- Unclear why Kruse was fired, but he is latest official removed by Hegseth
- Democratic lawmaker slams move as politicizing intelligence
- Trump has gone after officials who are seen as at odds with himU.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired the head of the Pentagon’s intelligence agency and two other senior military commanders, three U.S. officials told Reuters on Friday, the latest move by President Donald Trump’s administration to purge officials at the Pentagon.
It was not immediately clear why Lieutenant General Jeffrey Kruse, who led the Defense Intelligence Agency, was fired. Hegseth’s purge broadened later on Friday. One U.S. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told Reuters that in addition to Kruse, Hegseth had also ordered the removal of the chief of U.S. Naval reserves and the commander of Naval Special Warfare Command. (Source: Reuters)
MILITARY AND GOVERNMENT
PERSONNEL
U.S. APPOINTMENTS
25 Aug 25. Navy Installs 34th Chief of Naval Operations. Navy Adm. Daryl Caudle assumed the duties as the 34th chief of naval operations during an assumption of office ceremony, attended by over 300 Defense Department senior leaders, distinguished guests and families at the Washington Navy Yard today, in Washington.
25 Aug 25. Defense Innovation Unit head Doug Beck resigns. The director of the Pentagon’s commercial innovation hub, Doug Beck, has resigned from his post, Defense News has learned. First reported by Politico, the circumstances of Beck’s resignation from the Defense Innovation Unit were not immediately clear. A DIU spokesperson declined to comment, and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for details. (Source: C4ISR & Networks)
INDUSTRY
PERSONNEL
U.S. APPOINTMENTS
25 Aug 25. Voyager Technologies, Inc. [NYSE: VOYG] appoints Paul Tilghman as Chief Technology Officer, effective August 25. Tilghman will spearhead Voyager’s technology strategy and innovation roadmap, accelerating the company’s mission-critical solutions across domains – ground, air and space. Tilghman’s career blends government, commercial and dual-use innovation at the highest levels. Most recently, as chief engineer of Connected Warfare at Anduril Industries, he launched a new Joint All-Domain Command and Control strategy, creating a Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations business area, new software products and fresh market opportunities. Tilghman also forged pivotal partnerships with the U.S. silicon technology base to bring entirely new categories of defense capabilities to market. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)