Aug 12, 2014 ASDNews Source : Naval Air Systems Command

The Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) shipyard in Newport News, Virginia is all abuzz as below deck-testing of the Navy’s newest aircraft launch system begins aboard USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78).

Following months of large-scale hardware deliveries containing critical components of the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) and shipboard installation by HII, teams from the government and industry partner General Atomics completed installation of the software — the brains of the new system. Below deck-testing began Aug. 11 with the Launch Control Subsystem, the first of many subsystem assessments on the path toward EMALS shipboard certification.    

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The amphibious ship Canterbury was part of New Zealand's Project Protector program. Two of the four inshore patrol vessels that are also part of the program could be replaced by a larger ship. (New Zealand Navy)

Aug. 12, 2014 - By NICK LEE-FRAMPTON – Defense News

WELLINGTON — New Zealand’s government is considering cutting half of the Royal New Zealand Navy’s inshore patrol vessel (IPV) fleet.

Two of the four 180-foot IPVs, commissioned in 2009, could be swapped for a larger ship, said Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman.

“Obviously, if we felt that what we had already was ideal we wouldn’t be looking at this potential change,” he said.

The four IPVs, ordered under the NZ $500 million (US $423 million) Project Protector contract, which included two 279-foot offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) and the 430-foot amphibious ship Canterbury, which participated in the recent Rim of the Pacific exercise, were ordered to help police, customs, fisheries and other government agencies protect New Zealand’s borders and exclusive economic zone.

However, staff shortages, particularly a chronic lack of technicians, have meant the Navy struggled to crew all the ships. The Navy has 2,059 regular personnel, down from 2,162 in 2010.

Business case documents, obtained under the Official Information Act by a New Zealand television channel, show two of the four patrol vessels would be sold and replaced by one longer-range ship, effectively a third OPV, in about five years.

Coleman says he will put the case to Cabinet next year if the government wins next month’s election.

13 August 2014 by Kim Helfrich - defenceWeb

The second of the Navvy’s Heroine class submarines, SAS Charlotte Maxeke, will not undergo a refit in the immediate future because the Request for Offer (RfO) was withdrawn by Armscor.

At the same time the Navy, though its public relations officer, Captain (SAN) Zamo Sithole, said the “refit is scheduled to commence once requisite funding has been identified”.

Charlotte Maxeke was commissioned on March 14, 2007, with the pennant number S102. Her sister underwater craft are SAS Manthatisi (S101) and SAS Queen Modjadji 1 (S103).

According to Armscor’s operational purchases tender system, Tender ARMD/10/14 for the refit of SA Navy submarine S102 at the Armscor Dockyard in Simon’s town has been withdrawn. The state security acquisition agency’s manager: corporate communication, Barileng Dichabe, said the RfO was not cancelled but withdrawn. “It was issued as a single source to the original equipment manufacturer (Howaldtserke, Deutsche Werft in Kiel),” she said.

Asked what effect the delay in refitting the second of the Type 209 submarines acquired by the maritime arm of the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) as part of the Strategic Defence Procurement Packages (SDPP) would have on the Navy’s underwater capability, Sithole said “to all intents and purposes the Navy will continue to have two submarines in the operational cycle at any time”.

He explained: “The SA Navy normally has one submarine in refit and two submarines in the operational cycle, with phases of maintenance, training and operational availability.

“Owing to SAS Charlotte Maxeke preparing to go into refit and SAS Manthatisi completing harbour acceptance trials (HATS) this can be construed as the SA Navy having only one submarine (SAS Queen Modjadji 1) currently in the operational cycle. However as the refit of SAS Charlotte Maxeke has yet to commence, she can still be considered to be in the operational cycle and can still be put to sea following some minor work and training, if required.”

The refit, including a complete battery replacement, of SAS Manthatisi, has been underway since 2007. She was originally targeted to start HATS in May but this was delayed due to problems with supply of certain spare and replacement parts.

“Sea acceptance trials will only commence once the Navy is satisfied all HATS have been completed to rigorous Navy safety standards,” Commander Greyling van den Berg said in June.

“No hard and fast date has been set for her re-commissioning. The date will be determined by progress of the harbour acceptance trials.”

The Navy previously pointed out the re-commissioning of SAS Manthatisi was the first time this has been done to a Type 209 submarine in the Simon’s town dockyard and the experience gained would be put to good use on the other two Heroine class underwater craft.

According to Sithole the Navy “is still intent” on the Charlotte Maxeke refit.

“It will be done as soon as possible and the refit will be completed within the planned timescales. No changes are foreseen to the Navy business plan for its submarines,” he said.

August 12, 2014 by David Pugliese

The Colombian Navy received three vessels from South Korea in late July, including a second-hand guided-missile corvette and two new offshore patrol vessels, according to Jane’s. The 1,723-ton corvette, formerly ROKS Anyang, was retired from Republic of Korea Navy service in 2011, and was re-commissioned as ARC Nariño, the article noted. The two OPVs were built to Colombian order at a South Korean shipyard, are to be followed by a third vessel which is currently being built in Colombia.

Londres, 12 août 2014 marine-oceans.com (AFP)

Le ministère britannique de la Défense a confié mardi à BAE Systems un contrat pour la construction de trois navires patrouilleurs d'une valeur totale de 348 millions de livres (436 millions d'euros).

Ils seront construits sur les chantiers de Glasgow en Écosse, pour une première livraison à la Royal Navy en 2017, a précisé le ministère dans un communiqué.

Ces navires, d'une longueur de 90 mètres et capables d'accueillir un hélicoptère, doivent servir pour des opérations de lutte contre le terrorisme, la piraterie et les trafics illégaux.

BAE Systems a déjà livré trois bateaux de ce type à la marine brésilienne qui les a notamment utilisés pour sécuriser la côte de Rio de Janeiro durant la coupe du monde de football. La marine thaïlandaise dispose pour sa part d'un exemplaire fabriqué localement avec l'aide du groupe de défense britannique.

Pre-Commissioning Unit North Dakota (SSN 784) sits moored at the graving dock of General Dynamics Electric Boat prior to its christening ceremony on Nov. 2 in Groton, Conn. (Lt. j.g. Phillip Chitty / US Navy)

Aug. 11, 2014 - By CHRISTOPHER P. CAVAS- Defense News

WASHINGTON — The building program of the US Navy’s Virginia-class submarines has an outstanding reputation, both for keeping to cost and for on-time delivery. There’s even a modest competition between the two shipyards that build the subs to see who can shave off more time of the contractual delivery date.

Bets are off, however, for the North Dakota, the 11th and newest unit of the class. The submarine is the first of the Block III version, with the most significant design changes to date — that led to delays that were acknowledged in the spring. The Navy hoped to continue the march of early deliveries and begin the sub’s first round of sea trials in mid-April, but it was apparent more time was needed to resolve a number of problems.

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11 August 2014 naval-technology.com

The UK Royal Navy's Type 2 Hunt-class minehunter HMS Middleton (M34) has received an upgrade to its engines, as part of a major overhaul programme.

With the installation of new Caterpillar engines, the Portsmouth-based warship can sail faster and stay at sea longer. Its operational life has also been extended to 2030 and beyond.

Portsmouth Flotilla commander commodore Paddy McAlpine said: "The ship's company should be justifiably proud of their achievements. The refit threw up some serious challenges, which could have impacted on the ship's ability to deploy later this year.

HMS Middleton marine engineering officer warrant officer Alan Evans said: "It's not over yet but I am confident the department will continue to work together to deliver success on all fronts."

HMS Middleton's crew, following completion of the refit programme, sailed to the west coast of Scotland to undergo an intensive period of sea safety training, and to exercise required skills to manage at-sea emergencies.

The 750t warship is scheduled to undergo a seven-month deployment to the Gulf, where the ship's crew will join an international naval task force helping to keep the sea lanes open for merchant ships from all nations.

Capable of accommodating a crew of 45 with five officers, the 60m-long Hunt-class vessel can carry out minesweeping and minehunting, and can support patrol missions.

Featuring Kelvin Hughes Type-1007 naval radar operating at the I-band, the Hunt-class vessels are integrated with two Eca PAP 104 Mk3 remotely controlled mine disposal vehicles for the identification and disposal of mines.

USS Abraham Lincoln's (CVN 72) levels 010 and 011 being replaced. Photo US Navy and Huntington Ingalls Industries

11 August 2014 naval-technology.com

The US Navy's fifth Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) has received the 38ft upper mast section as part of its refuelling and complex overhaul (RCOH), at Huntington Ingalls Industries' Newport News Shipbuilding.

The installation marks a major milestone in the ship's RCOH programme.

Newport News Navy programmes vice-president Ken Mahler: "Since we began the refuelling complex overhaul, we've been working side-by-side on this project to recapitalise and modernise the entire ship, such that when she returns to service, Lincoln will continue to be one of the most capable and formidable ships in the world."

During the RCOH process, the company replaced the original round mast pole with a modified, tapered square pole, to increase strength and keep electrical piping systems enclosed.

The square pole includes waist-high rails and easier access to all areas via internal ladders.

The RCOH process, which is performed as part of the navy's $2.6bn cost-plus-incentive-fee contract awarded in April 2013, also includes the refuelling of the ship's reactors, painting of the hull, an upgraded system and a complete recapitalisation.

Armed with three Raytheon GMLS Mk29 eight-cell launchers for Nato Sea Sparrow surface-to-air missiles, the 317m-long Nimitz-class ships can accommodate more than 6,000 personnel and cruise at a maximum speed of over 30k.

Upon the scheduled redelivery in October 2016, the 102,000t USS Abraham Lincoln will continue to operate for another 25 years.

August 6, 2014 by Kris Osborn -  defensetech.org

The Navy and Newport News Shipbuilding are working on new shipbuilding methods and making early progress with initial construction of the second, next-generation Ford-class aircraft carrier slated to enter service in March 2023 — the John F. Kennedy, or CVN 79.

The construction strategy for the Kennedy, which is thus far only 6 percent built, is using a handful of techniques intended to lower costs and call upon lessons learned from the building of the first Ford-class carrier in recent years, the USS Gerald R. Ford. The Ford was christened in November, is now undergoing additional testing and slated to enter service in 2016.

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Aug. 8, 2014 By Richard Tomkins   (UPI)

A fifth 214-class submarine for the South Korean Navy has been launched by Hyundai Heavy Industries and is expected to become operational in 2016.

Hyundai Heavy Industries has launched a new 214-class submarine, to be equipped with locally produced cruise missiles, for the South Korean Navy.

The vessel is the Yun Bong Gil Ham, which weighs 1,800 tons, is 214 feet long, and has a top speed of 20 knots.

The ship is the fifth 214-class submarine of the country's navy.

According to the Department of National Defense, the ship features an air independent propulsion system that charges the submarine's storage battery without air, enabling it to stay submerged for two weeks.

Hyundai Heavy Industries will transfer the under-construction submarine to the navy in the second half of next year. Nine months of tests and evaluations will follow, culminating in the vessel gaining operational status, Korean officials said.

The country currently operates 10 209-class and 214-class submarines. The first 209-class vessel, the Jang Bo Go Ham, was taken over from Germany in 1992.

Recently there was a guest article published on CIMSEC – which is worth a read – written by R. Adm. Thomas S. Rowden, United States (US) Navy, who discussed the future of surface warfare from a US perspective. Not only is it thought provoking, it serves to highlight the fact that while the US Navy may not be as strong at surface warfare as it once was, at least it is having the conversation about how to change that – which the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation’s (NATO) European nations do not seem to be doing.

This presents a problem because most of the anti-surface capability that Western nations are now fielding is theoretical; the capability they field is not only untested in real combat, but for most nations it is singular capability fielded from often a single platform type. There are of course exceptions to this, but even they are sometimes exceptions only on paper. Britain, for example, has the Harpoon Surface-to-Surface Missiles (SSM) on some of its surface ships (entered service 1977), Spearfish torpedoes on its submarines (entered service 1988) and, whilst at the moment having no fixed wing aircraft (the HMS Queen Elizabeth may be launching this year, but it will take time for her to work up, and currently there are no fixed wing fighters to fly from it) from which to fire Anti-Surface Missiles (ASuM), it does have Lynx helicopters armed with the Sea Skua (entered service 1975); the replacement for which is a joint British-French programme started in 2014. The others have been upgraded over time, but they are fundamentally still the same systems conceived in a very different time to take on a threat that has evolved, whilst it was assumed to be stationary.

With the fall of Soviet Russia the world was supposed to be safer. There were going to be no more threats at sea; navies could concentrate on maritime security and supporting land operations. Unfortunately for the NATO allies the rest of the world, including Russian (formerly the Soviet Union), did not agree with that idea. This has meant that while great strides have been made by Western nations in missile technology (and unmanned aviation, an area which seems to both fuel, and draw from, the developments of missiles) this has largely not been applied by them to ASuMs and SSMs. In comparison Russia, India, China and nations close to them have started to field a whole new generation of these weapons. For example, India and Russia combined to produce, what is believed to be, the world’s fastest cruise missile (Mach 3) – the BrahMos SSM. It only entered service in 2006, and yet Russia and India are already working on its successor – the hypersonic (Mach 7) BrahMos-II.

As well as this, the Chinese have a smörgåsbord collection of weapons, and are developing a habit of surprising the world with new systems on a regular basis – possibly to try to prove themselves a major power in a technological way, but also just as likely so as to emphasise their capabilities in this area as a combined coercion/deterrence strategy. Unfortunately, the theoretically equivalent Western programmes are either at the earliest stages of development or distant pipe dreams at the moment; a situation made worse by the rate the surface threat is evolving.

As stated above, it is no longer the Cold War – when it was just the Soviet Union that was the threat (although Russia is re-arming and its navy is benefiting from this) – so nations can no longer afford to just look at other nations as the threat. Although nations certainly cannot be discounted as threats because flash points are still there, and leaderships can change so quickly. Whilst warships are becoming stronger and stealthier – something which goes for weapon systems as well – there are increasing numbers of systems that enable cruise missiles to be launched from containers on merchant ships. This means that a quicker and more flexible response will most likely be needed to deal with future threats; unfortunately the available responses are still very much rooted in past requirements.

01/08/2014 Par Nicolas Barotte – LeFigaro.fr

Berlin juge incompatible la livraison des frégates à Moscou qui bloque la situation en Ukraine. «Les Russes ont payé», plaident les Français.

S'il y a une sanction contre la Russie symboliquement importante que l'Allemagne a jugé indispensable de prendre, c'est bien d'interdire à la France de vendre des frégates à Moscou. Paris est censé livrer deux porte-hélicoptères Mistral mais ses partenaires européens, en premier lieu Berlin, jugent le contrat incompatible avec le durcissement des relations avec la Russie, considérée comme responsable du blocage de la situation en Ukraine. «Nous ne livrons pas [d'armes ou d'équipements militaires à Moscou] même si les contrats ont été conclus par le passé. J'aurais attendu cela aussi de la France», a déclaré le vice-chancelier Sigmar Gabriel sur la chaîne de télévision ARD. «Ce n'est pas une solution raisonnable.»

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