Apr 15, 2014 ASDNews Source : Lockheed Martin Corporation

Operational readiness of the U.S. Navy’s MK-48 heavyweight torpedo inventory will continue to be ensured by Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT]. The Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) awarded Lockheed Martin a contract option worth approximately $10 million to support the Navy’s intermediate-level maintenance activities for all MK-48 torpedoes. This is the first option exercised from a contract awarded in 2013 and brings the total contract value to more than $18 million.

“The key to this program’s success is our strong partnership with the U.S. Navy," said Dr. Rob Smith, vice president of C4ISR for Lockheed Martin Information Systems & Global Solutions. “Working in unison, our teams established a diligent process that ensures reliability and helps reduce life cycle costs for the Navy's torpedo enterprise.”

Read more

04/14/2014 By VMSB - defesaglobal

ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions AG and Saab AB signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) concerning the sale of the Sweden based shipyard ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems AB to Saab AB.

The negotiations between Saab AB and ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems AB are at an early stage and more information will follow.

The MoU is in line with Saab’s ambition to expand its activities in the naval area and meets the needs of Sweden for an industrial solution regarding design, production and maintenance of submarines and warships.

Upgrades will significantly improve Portugal's ability to detect and localize potential threats on or under the surface of the water

OTTAWA, Ontario, April 14, 2014 /CNW

General Dynamics Canada is installing an adjunct processing system on three VASCO DA GAMA-class frigates of the Portuguese Navy. Designed by General Dynamics Canada, the ECLIPSE adjunct processor provides the in-service AN/SQS-510 sonar systems with enhanced operational capability to detect submarines and torpedoes.

"General Dynamics Canada has a 40-year history of providing and supporting underwater systems and components to navies around the world. As the original designer and manufacturer of the AN/SQS-510 hull-mounted sonar system, we are pleased to bring new capabilities to this valuable and trusted system," says David Ibbetson, vice president, General Dynamics C4 Systems International.

The ECLIPSE processing system will work in parallel with the AN/SQS-510, leveraging the data collected from the existing sonar system. The addition of the ECLIPSE processing system will significantly improve the ability to detect and characterize echoes and sounds transmitted through the water to determine location and physical characteristics of potential threats.

In addition, ECLIPSE provides new ways of displaying the processed sonar information, with greater detail in a simplified format that allows operators to detect contacts earlier, and with more clarity than before. The information is displayed on new, state-of-the-art high-resolution flat panel monitors. The system also provides enhanced capabilities for training as well as record and replay of acoustic data. All of these improvements are installed without enlarging the footprint or weight of the system in the ship, or increasing the number of sonar operators.

The AN/SQS-510 medium-frequency hull-mounted sonar is currently in service on all twelve Royal Canadian Navy HALIFAX-class patrol frigates and three IROQUOIS-class destroyers. The system is also in use in ships of the Portuguese and Bulgarian navies.

General Dynamics Canada is part of General Dynamics C4 Systems, a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD). For information about General Dynamics Canada please go to www.gdcanada.com.

Une nouvelle photo publiée sur des sites militaires chinois, montre que la marine chinoise continue de modifier son sous-marin classique Type 041, classe Yuan.

14 avril 2014. Portail des Sous-Marins

Selon les sources, cette nouvelle version du sous-marin est baptisée Type 039A, Type 039C, Type 039X, ou nouveau Type 041. Les images sont apparues pour la première fois en décembre 2013, après son lancement au chantier naval de Wuhan. La nouvelle photo, publiée le 6 avril, montre que cette nouvelle version du sous-marin possède un kiosque équipé d’un bourrelet, similaire à celui des sous-marins allemands.

Ce nouveau kiosque pourrait intégré un sonar haute-fréquence supplémentaire. Le nouveau sous-marin Type 041 est légèrement plus long que ses prédécesseurs. Des sources chinoises non confirmées indiquent que le déplacement de la nouvelle version est de 3.500 tonnes, 500 de plus que le Type 041 actuel et plus de 1.000 de plus que les 2.300 du S20, la version export du Type 041 conçu pour le Pakistan.

Référence : China Times (Taiwan)

The US Navy's America-class ship, USS America (LHA 6) at sea. Photo: courtesy of US Navy mass communication specialist 1st Class Lewis Hunsaker/Released.

11 April 2014 naval-technology.com

The US Navy has taken delivery of the America-class large-deck amphibious assault ship, USS America (LHA 6), from the Ingalls Shipbuilding division of Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) at a ship-custody transfer ceremony in Pascagoula, Mississippi, US.

USS America, the lead ship of the class, is the first of the navy's next-generation amphibious assault ships designed to replace the aging Tarawa-class vessels.

Scheduled to be commissioned later this year in San Francisco, the 844ft-long and 106ft-wide ship successfully completed sea trials in February.

The commissioning crew will commence shipboard training in preparation for the its sail-away.

"She is lethal, and she is survivable, able to withstand some of the toughest blows our future enemies may have to offer."

The America-class ships, which provide new capabilities in both amphibious assault and aviation support, can cruise at speeds in excess of 20k using a gas-turbine propulsion system, and can accommodate a crew of 1,059 (65 officers) and 1,687 troops.

They can also carry a marine expeditionary unit and marine helicopters.

Ingalls Shipbuilding president Brian Cuccias said: "She brings to the fleet awesome amphibious and humanitarian capabilities. She is lethal, and she is survivable, able to withstand some of the toughest blows our future enemies may have to offer."

LHA 6, the flagship of an expeditionary strike group, will be deployed to support a range of missions, including humanitarian, disaster relief, maritime security, antipiracy and air support for ground forces.

10 avril 2014 Par Patrick Déniel - Usine Digitale

Adepte de la réalité virtuelle, DCNS pousse le concept dans son programme des frégates FREMM et teste la réalité augmentée en production.

Sur l’écran courbe de la salle de réalité virtuelle, le visiteur – chaussé de lunettes 3D – plonge au cœur de la frégate Fremm Aquitaine, premier exemplaire livré par DCNS à la Marine nationale fin 2012. Plage arrière, poste central d’opérations, passerelle de commandement… "Tous les espaces sont passés au crible avec le client, jusqu’à l’emplacement des prises électriques", explique Yann Bouju, le responsable à Lorient des activités de réalité virtuelle et augmentée. Un département qui compte une dizaine de salariés pour l’ensemble du groupe.

"Depuis 1997, DCNS conçoit et fabrique ses navires avec des maquettes numériques et de la visualisation 3D. Les tests ont commencé avec le porte-avions nucléaire Charles-de-Gaulle, précise Yann Bouju. Les Fremm et les Barracuda sont les programmes où nous avons poussé la logique le plus avant." Les maquettes numériques sont directement intégrées à Etrave, un système PLM (pour "product life management") mis au point en interne pour les besoins spécifiques de l’entreprise : un navire de guerre ou un sous-marin sont complexes à fabriquer avec un nombre de composants qui dépasse le million. En amont de la construction, la maquette numérique permet de vérifier la faisabilité et sert aux études préliminaires avec le client. "Nous travaillons en amont sur la définition et l’ergonomie des postes de travail, précise Yann Bouju. La morphologie d’un marin malaisien n’a rien à voir avec celle d’un marin français. Nous devons adapter les postes." Lors des études détaillées, la réalité virtuelle permet de "dérisquer" bien des bugs. Par exemple, impossible sur la frégate Aquitaine de vérifier de visu, depuis la passerelle de commande, le flanc arrière du navire où ont lieu des opérations importantes comme la mise à l’eau de Zodiac pour intervention. "Nous avons alors ajouté un aileron sur le côté de la passerelle", explique Yann Bouju.

Une excellente rentabilité

À côté de la première salle de réalité virtuelle, une seconde salle, dite de "tracking", est dédiée à des réunions de travail plus appliqué : une fois équipé de lunettes surmontées de drôles de petites antennes et armé d’une sorte de joystick, on peut manipuler la maquette numérique dans tous les sens. Cherbourg et Toulon sont équipés de salles identiques. "Nous avons aussi un 'cave' depuis un an et demi à Cherbourg, avec trois écrans permettant une plus grande immersion", explique Yann Bouju. Cette salle est à proximité du montage des sous-marins nucléaires Barracuda. "Les équipes de montage vont y vérifier le matin la faisabilité des opérations de la journée", poursuit-il. L’investissement est important, mais DCNS ne communique aucun chiffre. Tout juste saura-t-on que sa rentabilité est excellente, notamment grâce aux économies sur les reprises en chantier.

DCNS teste également des dispositifs de réalité augmentée sur la sixième Fremm en construction. Sur un quai, un tronçon de navire. Dans la future buanderie, Brendan Le Gallo, analyste métiers, transporte une valise baptisée Rapace. À l’intérieur, un rétroprojecteur couplé à une caméra, tous deux reliés à un ordinateur portable. Celui-ci charge la maquette numérique et projette dans la pièce le plan de la buanderie afin de regarder si les pièces soudées sur les cloisons sont au bon endroit. La plupart le sont. L’une d’entre elles est décalée de quelques centimètres. "Lors de l’inspection du chantier, le responsable de la production décidera s’il faut la déplacer ou si on peut la laisser en l’état. Si c’est le cas, l’idéal serait de pouvoir modifier ensuite la maquette virtuelle", explique l’analyste métiers. Ce sera peut-être l’une des prochaines étapes. Après celle de convaincre les chefs d’équipe que l’outil fait gagner du temps. "C’est le même mouvement que nous avons opéré quand nous sommes passés de la table à dessin à la CAO", se souvient Yann Bouju. Une petite révolution.

MOSCOU, 8 avril - RIA Novosti

Les Forces navales russes seront dotées d'ici 2020 d'une dizaine de sous-marins nucléaires polyvalents modernisés, a annoncé mardi aux journalistes un représentant de la Marine.

"D'ici 2020, une dizaine de sous-marins des projets 971, 945 et 949 devraient être modernisés", a indiqué la source se référant au commandant en chef de la Marine russe, l'amiral Viktor Tchirkov.

A l'issue des travaux de modernisation, les appareils en question seront dotés d'équipements de survie et de systèmes de communications modernes ainsi que de complexes de navigation et de sonars, a expliqué l'interlocuteur de l'agence avant d'ajouter que la durée de service des sous-marins serait multipliée par deux.

Les travaux en question sont assurés par les chantiers navals Zvezdotchka de Severodvinsk et Zvezda (Extrême-Orient russe), a encore précisé la source.

07 April 2014 Pacific Sentinel

4 April 2014 naval-technology.com

Nakilat Damen Shipyards Qatar (NDSQ) has signed two memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with the Qatar Armed Forces to build seven vessels, in a deal worth QAR3.1bn ($850.6m).

Following the finalisation of all of the required agreements, the Qatari shipbuilder will construct the vessels at its shipbuilding facility at Erhama Bin Jaber Al Jalahma in Ras Laffan.

Under the terms of the deal, NDSQ will build six 50m long axe-bow high-speed patrol vessels and one 52m-long diving support vessel, which comprises decompression capabilities, for the armed forces.

A large integrated logistics support package will also be produced.

NDSQ chairman and Nakilat managing director Abdullah Fadhalah Al Sulaiti said: "To be given the opportunity to build these vessels for Qatar will be an incredible achievement and a strong contribution to the continued growth of our nation's marine industry.

"We are thankful to HE major general Hamad bin Ali al-Attiyah, minister of state for defence and we also thank the Qatar Armed Forces for placing their trust in our company and in Qatar's marine industry."

NDSQ, which builds ships with steel, aluminium and fibre reinforced plastic (FRP), is a joint venture between Nakilat and Dutch shipbuilder Damen.

A sonobuoy loaded on to an aircraft. Photo US Navy

3 April 2014 naval-technology.com

ERAPSCO/Sonobuoy, a joint venture between electronics manufacturing firm Sparton and Ultra Electronics (ULE) subsidiary USSI, has awarded subcontracts worth $13.3m to its parent companies.

Under the $5.6m and $5.2m deals awarded to Sparton Electronics Florida and USSI respectively, the companies will manufacture and supply passive and active sonobuoys to ERAPSCO.

The subcontracts will support the multiple international agreements that the joint venture has for proposed exercises with the US Navy, as well as independent training and exercises, which have been approved under export regulations.

Designed to support the US Navy's anti-submarine forces, the sonobuoys can detect acoustic emissions or reflections from potentially hostile submarines and transmit these signals to US Navy airborne anti-submarine warfare forces.

As part of the deal, the sonobuoys will be manufactured at Sparton's De Leon Springs facility in Florida and USSI's Columbia City base in Indiana.

With production expected to be completed by June 2014, the passive and active sonobuoys will be used for detection, classification, and localisation of opponent submarines during peacetime and combat operations.

"Sonobuoys can deploy an acoustical signal source and receive underwater signals of interest."

They can also be used to evaluate environmental conditions in order to help deploy best search tactics, and for communication with friendly submarines.

In addition, they can send an acoustical signal source and receive underwater signals of interest that are sent to monitoring units for analysis.

Passive sonobuoys are used in the initial detection of submarines and the localisation of targets, while the active ones can identify targets quickly and accurately in extreme environmental conditions against a very quiet submarine, or one in an attack mode.

Certain specialised sonobuoys are capable of identifying electric fields and magnetic anomalies, as well as the light emitted by microscopic organisms disturbed by the passage of a submarine.

April 1, 2014 defense-aerospace.com

(Source: Damen Shipyards Group; issued April 1, 2014)

Mexican Navy Orders Sixth Damen Stan Patrol 4207

The Mexican Navy and Damen Shipyards Group (the Netherlands) signed another contract for a license, material package and technical assistance of a Damen Stan Patrol 4207. The agreement also includes crew training in the Netherlands.

This contract, the sixth patrol vessel of the Tenochtitlan class, underlines the excellent ongoing relationship between the Mexican Navy (Secretaria de Marina or SEMAR), and Damen. As all five previous vessels, this vessel will be built in the Mexican Navy Yard ASTIMAR 1 in Tampico, a city and port on the Gulf of Mexico.

Damen Shipyards Group operates 40 ship- and repair yards, employing 8.000 people worldwide. Damen has delivered more than 5.000 vessels in more than 100 countries and delivers approx. 180 vessels annually to customers worldwide. Based on its unique, standardised ship-design concept Damen is able to guarantee consistent quality.

April 2, 2014. David Pugliese - Defence Watch

Patrick Smith of the Ottawa Citizen has this article:

A Canadian military ship will be limited in future operations after cracks were discovered on the upper part of the vessel in late February.

HMCS Iroquois, an air defence destroyer ship that has been in use by the Royal Canadian Navy since 1972, suffered stress fractures to the superstructure – the part of the ship above the main deck – as a result of stress from the sea’s movement.

The damage, on a portion of the ship that is above water, were discovered while HMCS Iroquois was completing a fleet exercise off the East Coast of the United States.

Further examination of the ship while it was docked in Boston, Mass. showed that the cracks’ impact were not serious enough to affect the current exercise. HMCS Iroquois was able to complete its mission and return to Canada.

However, the Citizen has discovered that the ship, which is currently docked in Halifax, N.S. while engineers further assess the damage, will only be able to operate at limited capacity when the weather is bad.

Specifically, the Iroquois will be unable to navigate waters when the waves are particularly heavy.

The 42-year-old vessel typically operates in the North Atlantic Ocean, known for its rough water. The ship was declared safe enough to continue sailing in winter conditions during the examination in Boston.

As the Citizen reported in November 2013, Iroquois-class destroyers received a major upgrade in the 1990s and are scheduled for replacement in the mid-2020s if the government schedule remains on target.

Previous reports, though, have shown that officials do not expect the lifespan of these ships to last longer than 2017. As it stands, the ships will not be replaced before they are retired, leaving a sizeable gap in Canada’s navy. Although the navy’s Halifax-class frigates will pick up some of the slack, the retirement of the Iroquois class will limit the range of operations the navy can undertake.

The Iroquois class has only three remaining ships: HMCS Iroquois, HMCS Athabaskan and HMCS Algonquin.

It’s unclear whether the Iroquois will be left in its current, restricted state, repaired for use until 2017, or retired from the fleet ahead of time.

The commanding officer of the ship was not available for comment.

Selon nos informations. Montevideo a pris la décision il y a une dizaine de jours environ d'acheter trois patrouilleurs hauturiers de type Adroit

02/04/2014 Michel Cabirol – LaTribune.fr

La famille Gowind se vend bien à l’exportation. C’est au tour de l’Uruguay de sélectionner les patrouilleurs hauturiers du groupe naval.