25 nov. 2012 RT.com

07/06/2013 Marine nationale

	Tactique : 4 points clé
	Interview du commandant de la flottille amphibie
	L’EDA-R en quelques dates
	Fiche technique
	L’esprit « Flottille  Amphibie »
	Logistique : La maintenance de l’EDA-R.

06/06/2013 by Paul Fiddian - Armed Forces International's Lead Reporter

The Italian Navy has received its first FREMM (fregata multi-missione) frigate, one of ten ultimately set to be pressed into service. Named the Carlo Bergamini, the Italian Navy's initial FREMM frigate is now at La Spezia shipyard.

Ultimately, 10 FREMMs will join the Italian Navy, while 11 more will join the French Navy.

The multipurpose FREMM is a joint French/Italian collaboration between DCNS and Fincantieri. Designed to work in the anti-submarine, anti-ship and anti-aircraft roles, it's being built in several versions optimised for particular nations' requirements but all FREMMs are equipped with an Otobreda 76mm Super Rapid gun, MU 90 torpedoes, a SLAT anti-torpedo system and a landing pad able to accommodate a single NHIndustries NH90 helicopter.

Italian Navy FREMM

The Italian Navy is reequipping with two FREMM versions: a general-purpose frigate and a model that specialises in anti-submarine warfare.

Work on the Carlo Bergamini began in February 2008 and the vessel was launched in July 2011. The Carlo Bergamini is the Italian Navy's lead FREMM frigate and will be followed into service by the Virginio Fasan, the Carlo Margottini, the Carabiniere, the Alpino, the Luigi Rizzo and four more as yet-unnamed frigates.

144 metres long and 19.7 metres wide, the Carlo Bergamini FREMM displaces 6,500 tons of water in its heaviest configuration, can travel at up to 27 knots and can accommodate a maximum of 145 naval personnel. Its armament includes the SAAM Aster 15 missile system and Teseo Mk2 anti-ship missiles, while on the systems side it boasts an EMPAR G-band multifunction phase array radar and Galileo Avionica SASS (silent acquisition surveillance system) technology.

FREMM Frigate

The Italian Navy's FREMM frigates are the replacements for its now-ageing Maestrale and Lupo-class frigates, which are due to be phased out by 2021.

The Italian Navy's other equipment includes a pair of aircraft carriers, amphibious assault ships, destroyers and attack submarines. The naval arm is also one of the AV-8B Harrier II's operators, alongside the Spanish Navy and the US Marine Corps.

WASHINGTON, June 5 (UPI)

Huntington Ingalls Industries and General Dynamics Bath Iron Works will build nine DDG 51 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers for the U.S. Navy.

The two separate, multiyear procurement contracts are together worth more than $5.1 billion.

The Navy said General Dynamics Bath Iron Works will design and build four DDG 51 class ships beginning this year and continuing into 2017. The contract includes an option for a fifth ship.

Huntington Ingalls Industries will construct five ships, one each year until 2017.

"These contract awards represent great value to the taxpayer and will ensure our warfighters have the ships and systems they need to prevail in any situation," said Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus. "By leveraging competition in the DDG 51 class shipbuilding program, these shipbuilders will continue their proud histories in delivering these highly capable ships to the fleet while meeting critical operational requirements for integrated air and missile defense capability."

The Navy said the destroyers will be in a Flight III configuration in which Aegis AN/SPY-1D radar is replaced with Air and Missile Defense Radar, and improved weapons and sensor suites are installed.

3 June 2013 naval-technology.com

TenCate Advanced Armour has been awarded a contract by the Royal Danish Navy to provide a ballistic protection system for small calibre gun mounts operators onboard the second Absalon-class support ship Esbern Snare (L17).

Under the contract, the company will supply advanced armour for use by the Danish Navy during naval anti-piracy operations along the Horn of Africa.

Designed to be lightweight and deployable by two personnel within 15 minutes, the ballistic protection features mission specific equipment with modular capabilities and can be configured to meet the high number of threats encountered in counter-piracy mission areas.

The advanced naval vessel armour system provides protection level from Nato STANAG 4569 level I to IV, and can also be customised to meet specific requirements.

The TenCate Advanced Armour protection solution has been developed to meet user requirements; it can be installed on the new vessel structure or deployed on an ad-hoc basis to provide additional protection for existing ships.

The Royal Danish Navy currently operates two Odense Steel Shipyard-built Absalon-class vessels for naval warfare, land attack, strategic sealift missions or as a command platform.

Capable of cruising at a top speed of 23k, the 137m-long Absalon-class vessels are equipped with six Terma decoy launchers and are powered by two MTU 8000 diesel engines in a combined diesel and diesel configuration.

The 6,300t ships are armed with Harpoon Block II surface-to-surface missiles, RIM-162 Raytheon evolved sea sparrow missiles (ESSM), Eurotorp MU 90 lightweight torpedo and a twin or triple torpedo launcher on both sides of the weapons deck.

03/06/2013 par Nicolas Laffont – 45eNord.ca

Le gouvernement du Canada a annoncé dimanche avoir finalement choisi quelle sera la conception pour les futurs navires de soutien interarmées de la Marine royale canadienne.

Dans le cadre de la Stratégie nationale d’approvisionnement en matière de construction navale, la sélection de la conception des navires de soutien interarmées a été effectuée au moyen d’un processus d’évaluation, avec la participation de plusieurs ministères et de tierces parties constituées d’experts-conseils, qui s’est fondé sur trois catégories de critères, soit:

• la capacité opérationnelle,
• la viabilité financière,
• et les risques relatifs au calendrier et aux coûts liés à la construction des navires

Le processus a par ailleurs été surveillé par le cabinet de vérification KPMG. Les conseils quant aux coûts de la construction ont été fournis par la société First Marine International, un cabinet de spécialistes en construction navale.

Les choix

L’intérieur du Frankfurt am Main (Photo: Archives/Nicolas Laffont/45eNord.ca)

Deux options viables pour les navires ont été commandées: une conception existante et une nouvelle conception créée par l’entreprise BMT Fleet Technology.

Selon des analyses et des évaluations effectuées par des représentants du gouvernement et des spécialistes militaires, la conception de navire standard éprouvée de l’entreprise ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems Canada a été jugée la meilleure option pour la Marine royale canadienne ainsi que pour les contribuables canadiens. Il s’agit de la classe de navire utilisée par la marine allemande. 45eNord.ca avait d’ailleurs visité le navire Frankfurt am Main l’an dernier.

En interview pour 45eNord.ca, le contre-amiral Pat Finn, chef d’état-major du groupe des matériels des Forces armées canadiennes, a indiqué que les coûts de la conception existante seront 15% moins élevés que si l’on avait choisi la nouvelle conception de BMT Fleet Technology. S’il reste encore quelques années avant de voir le premier des deux ou trois navires qui seront construits, il est clair pour l’amiral que la Marine gardera «autant que possible» le design du navire tel quel. «On va regarder certains aspects, certains systèmes de défense qu’on va modifier, mais la conception du navire en lui-même va rester le même.»

S’il n’y a pas encore d’urgence à remplacer les NCSM Preserver et NCSM Protecteur actuels, qui ont cependant 45 ans, les coûts d’exploitation de ces navires continuent de monter année après année au fur et à mesure que leur âge avance.

Et maintenant?

Une fois que ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems Canada a préparé l’ensemble de conception, le Canada acheminera la conception à la société Vancouver Shipyards Co. Ltd aux fins d’examen. Une fois cet examen achevé, le Canada obtiendra la licence requise pour la conception des navires. Cette dernière permettra au Canada de se servir de la conception et de faire construire, d’exploiter et d’entretenir les navires de soutien interarmées, ici même, au Canada.

La conception sera acheminée à l’entreprise Vancouver Shipyards Co. Ltd. afin de l’élaborer entièrement et de la rendre prête pour l’étape de la production. Ce processus est semblable à celui suivi lors de l’élaboration de plans de construction détaillés d’un architecte avant la création d’un bâtiment. Ces travaux d’élaboration de conception seront menés par l’entreprise Vancouver Shipyards Co. Ltd., conformément au contrat de définition qui doit faire l’objet de négociations entre le Canada et ce chantier naval. Ces travaux accroîtront les compétences techniques et les connaissances du personnel du chantier, qui seront maximisées au fur et à mesure que d’autres navires seront construits à cet endroit.

Les navires de soutien interarmées, qui seront construits au chantier naval de l’entreprise Vancouver Shipyards Co. Ltd., fourniront du carburant, des munitions, des pièces de remplacement, de la nourriture et de l’eau aux groupes opérationnels maritimes déployés. Ils procureront également une base principale pour l’entretien et l’exploitation d’hélicoptères, une capacité de transport maritime et de l’appui aux forces déployées à terre.

03/06/2013 Mer et Marine

Le premier bâtiment de formation maritime de navOcéan, filiale de DCI et Piriou, doit être mis à flot à Concarneau au mois de juillet. Après une période d’achèvement à quai et d’essais en mer, l’Almak sera livré en septembre.

Suite de l’article

31 May 2013 naval-technology.com

The Italian Navy has taken delivery of the first Frégate Européen multi-mission (FREMM) vessel, Carlo Bergamini, at the Fincantieri shipyard in Muggiano, La Spezia, Italy.

The delivery is part of a contract awarded to Orizzonte Sistemi Navali to build ten vessels for the Italian Navy to replace the ageing Fincantieri-built Lupo and Maestrale-class ships by 2021.

Established in late-2002, the FREMM multi-mission ship programme is part of a major cooperation agreement between France and Italy, under which 11 frigates will be built for France as well, with the deliveries closing in 2022.

Orizzonte Sistemi Navali (51% Fincantieri, 49% Finmeccanica) is the prime contractor for Italy, while Armaris, a joint venture between DCNS and Thales, is the prime contractor for France under the FREMM programme.

Italy will receive the vessels in two versions: an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) model and a general-purpose (GP) vehicle.

"Italy will receive the vessels in two versions: an anti-submarine warfare model and a general-purpose vehicle."

The 144m-long and 19.7m-wide Carlo Bergamini has a full-load displacement capacity of 6,500t, a maximum speed of 27k and an accommodation capacity of 145.

The Italian FREMM vessels will be armed with the SAAM Aster 15 missile system, Teseo Mk2 sea-skimming anti-ship missiles and MBDA's Milas all-weather weapon system to support anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and anti-air warfare missions.

In addition, the ships will be equipped with EMPAR G-band multifunction phased array radar and Galileo Avionica silent acquisition surveillance system (SASS) to serve as infrared search and track (IRST) system.

Capable of supporting a range of missions and better safeguard the Mediterranean area, the FREMM frigates will also be used to conduct broad maritime defence strategies such as deterrence, protection, crisis mitigation and power projection.

May 31, 2013 ASDNews Source : Babcock International

Work has been completed on schedule in preparation for the installation by Babcock of a first of class state-of-the-art Membrane Bio-Reactor (MBR) on HMS Ocean.  This represents a significant proportion of the vessel’s current upgrade package and is an integral part of the 15 month overhaul programme underway at Babcock’s Devonport Royal Dockyard.

The new MBR replaces the ship’s existing 15 year old sewage treatment system and will be capable of processing both waste water and sewage (black and grey water, galley, laundry, sink and shower waste).  Installation of this new system will ensure that HMS Ocean leaves this upkeep period in full compliance with current and future planned IMO and MARPOL regulations due to come into force in 2015, enabling the ship to operate globally in carrying out her designated tasking.

The project to manufacture, supply and fit the new MBR system is being undertaken in a joint approach by Babcock (responsible for removal of old and installation of the new system and equipment in the installation path) and the system Original Equipment Manufacturer Hamworthy Water Systems (providing custom built modular components, on-site fabrication of new tanks and setting the system to work).  This substantial project, which extends through the length of the ship at 7-9 deck, impacts on the upkeep schedule at every level.

Last month (April 2013) saw completion to schedule of considerable preparatory work to allow the installation phase of the new system to commence.  This has included cutting three shipping routes (approximately 2.5m2) into the hull, removal of the three redundant sewage treatment plants located forward, aft and amidships, and removal or re-routing of systems and equipment in the path of the new equipment fit.  The Mid Auxiliary Room (MAR) – the ship’s compartment most affected by the MBR installation – is now virtually empty, ready to accommodate the new system.

The scale of the installation project ahead is huge.  As well as more than 3km of constructive and mechanical fluid system pipework to be taken out and/or re-sited, over 1.5km of new MBR pipework is to be fitted between the various system components, along with over 3.7km of new cabling to be run and sealed for the new equipment fit.  New holding, collection and pumping tanks are to be fabricated & fitted forward and aft, and transfer pumps, filtration membranes, grease separators and screen presses integral to the MBR system will also be installed, along with control and monitoring equipment.  Almost every compartment of the ship will see some MBR-related work.

Babcock Warship Support SSS Delivery Director, Mike Weeks, said: “A particular challenge lies in the re-installing or re-routing of existing systems and accommodation of the new system equipment within the Mid Auxiliary Room.  3D computer modelling has been undertaken to facilitate this, with installation drawings now agreed and approved.  We are now starting installation of the MBR.  It’s a tight timescale to achieve a working system ready for when ship’s staff move on board, but good progress has been made to date by all parties involved, and work on this critical path project is currently on-schedule.  We’ll be working hard to maintain that through the installation phase.  As in all aspects of this massive upkeep period, we will be focusing on delivering this fit safely, on-schedule and at optimum value for money.”

The extensive deep maintenance programme on HMS Ocean is the first on an amphibious capital ship since full implementation of the Surface Ship Support Alliance (SSSA), under which Babcock leads the Class Output Management (COM) team responsible for delivering support to all amphibious vessels.  The knowledge and experience gained through this project will contribute to de-risking future upkeeps, most notably for HMS Albion and Bulwark, as well as helping to inform and guide the maintenance strategy for the new Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers.

16/05/2013 by Victoria Knowles - Armed Forces International Reporter

A Navy ship cannot meet its mission, according to an internal US report.

Last year, US Navy chiefs were cautioned that a program to assemble Littoral Combat Ships, costing $37 billion, cannot fulfill its agreed mission due to the vessels being too lightly armed and manned, a confidential report found.

"This review highlights the gap between ship capabilities and the missions the Navy will need LCS to execute", the 36-page report said, compiled by Rear Admiral Samuel Perez for the Navy last year.

The Littoral Combat Ship is a vessel that can adapt to carry out one of three assigned roles: anti-submarine, anti-mine, or ocean surface combat. To achieve this, it uses interchangeable modules, missiles, unmanned underwater vehicles and helicopters, dependent on the mission. In theory, these modules function like LEGOs, interchanging a sonar collection in the anti-submarine equipment for a 30mm gun from the surface warfare kit.

Littoral Combat Ships Do Not Function Effectively

But in practice, these modules don't function efficiently. The target was a 96-hour turnaround between the in place modules and other specific tools required. A vessel this flexible and adaptable could respond quickly in the event of a crisis. But the report, acquired by Bloomberg News, reveals that while a four day module exchange technically is possible, a nearby dock is required, with the next module's components already to hand. This means a lot of preparation beforehand is needed to set up, and necessitates acquiring spare modules from naval bases in advance. This is a process that, during a training exercise, took weeks.

Also, the Littoral Combat Ship is far from durable. A late report states that the vessel is not anticipated to remain competent following a strike from an opponent, which presents a major issue for a naval ship. Granted, it wouldn't be able to execute an entire naval battle on its own, but it takes less than an enemy warship to sink it: this vessel can be taken out by only a single hostile cruise missile.

The Navy currently has 20 vessels under contract from a proposed fleet of 52. Construction costs have increased two-fold, from an original target of $220 million per ship to $440 million.

It is still feasible for the Littoral Combat Ship to undergo drastic improvements; while the 12 month-old report highlights crucial flaws, they are not completely unconquerable. Addressing them will require further monetary invest and time, which is a period of sequestration, both these resources are progressively scare.

May 30, 2013 ASDNews Source : Kraken Sonar Systems Inc

Kraken Sonar Systems Inc. announced today that the sea acceptance testing of its AquaPix® Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Sonar (InSAS) with Australia’s Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) was a success.  The AquaPix® system was integrated and tested onboard DSTO’s REMUS 600 Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV).

DSTO is a national leader in safeguarding Australia by delivering valued scientific advice and innovative technology solutions for the country's defence and national security.

Thanks to the excellent cooperation with DSTO; the InSAS/AUV system integration, dockside testing and sea trials were completed in less than two weeks. Dockside tests were carried out in the shallow waters surrounding the HMAS Waterhen naval base in Sydney harbour, while deeper water tests were conducted from HMAS Creswell in Jervis Bay.

“We are extremely satisfied with the results from our sea acceptance testing with DSTO,” said Karl Kenny, President and CEO of Kraken. “AquaPix® met all expectations in terms of performance as well as the program delivery schedule and budget. Synthetic Aperture Sonar technology is a true breakthrough and will radically improve the efficiency and accuracy of seabed imaging for both military and commercial applications.”

AquaPix® provides higher resolution seafloor imagery at significantly longer ranges than conventional sonar. This is done by replacing traditional sonar hardware with sophisticated signal processing software. The principle of Synthetic Aperture Sonar is that the transducer array is “synthesized” in software by the coherent recombination of many sonar pings overlapping an area of interest.

Synthetic Aperture Sonar provides image quality unmatched by conventional sonars and is a key technology whenever high resolution is required. Kraken’s AquaPix® generates ultra-high resolution seabed imagery (3 cm) out to a range of 250m from each side of an underwater vehicle (500m swath).  In addition, AquaPix® simultaneously delivers high quality 3D bathymetric digital terrain seabed data that exceeds the demanding standards for today’s hydrographic surveys.

May 29, 2013. David Pugliese Defence Watch

May 29, 2013 - Vancouver, BC, Canada - OSI Maritime Systems (OSI) is pleased to announce the signing of a contract with Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME), South Korea.  As part of the program, DSME will build three Type 209 diesel submarines (SSK) for the Indonesian Navy.  Under the terms of the agreement, OSI will deliver three Integrating Navigation and Tactical Systems, including ECPINS-W Sub software.  ECPINS-W Sub is the most advanced navigation software in the world specifically designed for the unique requirements of subsurface navigation.

About OSI

OSI Maritime Systems is a leading provider of integrated navigation and tactical solutions designed for naval and maritime security operations. The company develops and delivers integrated bridge systems for warships, integrated dived navigation systems for submarines and C2 systems for small craft. OSI currently has 16 naval customers from around the world with over 500 warships and submarines operating with its world leading integrated navigation and tactical solutions.