Navies news from around the world

[Stonewall]

I read on another forum it was a sunken container

[Tango III]

Algerian corvette "Salah Raïs" leaving Toulon military harbour on 6 february 2009. Class Nanuchka II (Russia) Recent upgrade has added new search radar, replaced the Styx missiles with 16 SS-N-25 Kh-35 SSM and with the 57 mm guns added a AK630 30 mm AA gun.



http://www.shipspotting.com/modules/...827930&cid=164

And here with complet missiles

[Tango III]

Navy hopes high tide will help free grounded warship

One of the biggest and most technologically advanced warships based at Pearl Harbor remained aground today in 17 to 22 feet of water a half-mile off Honolulu International Airport's Reef Runway.

No one was injured in the incident, which was reported around 9 last night, the Navy said.

Navy tugs tried early in the morning to nudge the 9,600-ton and 567-foot guided missile cruiser USS Port Royal off the sandy and rocky bottom, but were unsuccessful, officials said.

Crew members on the Clean Islands, an oil recovery vessel that was positioned behind the Port Royal as a precaution, said the water was so shallow they could see the bottom.

The Navy said divers from Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit One from Pearl Harbor and the salvage ship USS Salvor would try to tow the warship.

An initial attempt to free the Port Royal between 11 p.m. Thursday and high tide at 2 a.m. Friday was not successful, the Navy said.

Officials said the guided missile cruiser left port yesterday for several days of sea trials after leaving drydock about a month ago for routine maintenance. Shore-based Navy officials were being transferred to Hickam harbor by small boat when the grounding occurred, the Navy said.

Navy officials said a high tide that could float the cruiser off the bottom is expected at 2:45 a.m. tomorrow morning.

"We're certainly working on bringing to bear the resources we have to move her off the current position. We're still putting that plan together," Navy Capt. W. Scott Gureck, a spokesman for U.S. Pacific Fleet, said this morning. "Obviously, the high tide gives us an opportunity to do that."

The cause of the grounding is under investigation, but the highly-visible stranding is an embarrassment to the Navy, which does not take such incidents lightly.

"I'm not going to speculate on what happened," Gureck said.

Ship captains, who bear ultimate responsibility for the vessel under their command, are typically relieved of duty during such an investigation. Often, a grounding is a career-ender.

The Port Royal has been under the command of Capt. John Carroll since October. Carroll commanded the frigate Rodney M. Davis out of Everett, Wash., in 2002, and deployed to the Arabian Gulf as part of the Nimitz strike group in support of operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.

He was the reactor officer on the aircraft carrier George Washington, and more recently graduated from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces.

Officials said the crew was still aboard, along with other Navy officials, including Rear Adm. Dixon R. Smith, commander, Navy Region Hawai'i and Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific.

Gureck said state Adjutant Maj. Gen. Robert G.F. Lee and other state officials were notified of the stranding.

Lee said he was informed by the Navy that the bow of the ship was stuck on the reef.

Asked if the Navy explained how the ship ran aground, Lee said, "Just coming

into Pearl Harbor at night and it got a little too close to the reef, is what was explained to me."

Gureck said, "We're keeping everyone informed. We're very mindful of the fact that we don't want any fuel leak if we can possibly avoid it."

He added this morning that, "So, far, there's no leak that we're aware of."

Coast Guard Lt. John Titchen said the grounding was being monitored, and three overflights had been made as of this morning in HH-65 Dolphin helicopters.

The Navy has jurisdiction over the stranding because it involves a Navy vessel and because it took place in the channel leading to Pearl Harbor, Titchen said.

Titchen said there was no oil sheen that would indicate an oil spill.

"We know that there is no oil spill at this point, and we're confident the Navy is doing everything it can," he said.

It was unclear today when the last Navy ship grounding occurred off Hawai'i's shores.

In July, the skipper of the San Diego-based amphibious landing ship Pearl Harbor was relieved of command after the ship ran aground in the Persian Gulf, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

The newspaper said Cmdr. Xavier Valverde had been reassigned to the staff of the Naval Forces Central Command in Bahrain while the incident was investigated.

Commissioned in 1994 and costing $1 billion, the Port Royal has a crew of about 360.

The Port Royal is one of three cruisers home ported at Pearl Harbor, along with six destroyers, two frigates and about 15 Los Angeles-class nuclear attack submarines.

Officials said there could be damage to the Port Royal's sonar dome, which is encased in an eight-inch thick rubber housing protruding under the front of the bow.

There also could be damage to the shaft and propeller and twin sets of struts that stabilize them at the stern. If there is serious damage, repairs could take up to six months, including the possible need to find a replacement rubber sonar housing for a cruiser, officials said.

Port Royal is the 27th and final Ticonderoga-class cruiser, and has been retrofitted with theater ballistic missile shoot-down capability.



http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/ap...&Ref=AR&Show=0

[Tango III]

Morin Says "Logical" for France to Have Second Aircraft Carrier

French Defense Minister Hervé Morin told journalists aboard the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier today that “it is only logical, if a country has decided to have an aircraft carrier, that it should have a second one.” He said the question for France would be posed again in 2012. “The aircraft carrier is at sea, it'll be there for six years, and we'll see for the second one,” he noted.

But, just in case the message hadn't been heard the first time around, he repeated that “from the moment we consider that we need a ship which is an instrument of power projection, able to take part in crisis prevention and our deterrence force, then if we are to be coherent we need a second aircraft carrier,” he stressed.

The ministerial and media visit was to mark the Charles de Gaulle's return to sea after a year and half in dock for scheduled upkeep and recharging its nuclear combustion.



http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/blogs...f-66f6227aa7d1

[harryRIEDL]

Originally Posted by Tango III

Navy hopes high tide will help free grounded warship

One of the biggest and most technologically advanced warships based at Pearl Harbor remained aground today in 17 to 22 feet of water a half-mile off Honolulu International Airport's Reef Runway.

No one was injured in the incident, which was reported around 9 last night, the Navy said.

Navy tugs tried early in the morning to nudge the 9,600-ton and 567-foot guided missile cruiser USS Port Royal off the sandy and rocky bottom, but were unsuccessful, officials said.

Crew members on the Clean Islands, an oil recovery vessel that was positioned behind the Port Royal as a precaution, said the water was so shallow they could see the bottom.

The Navy said divers from Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit One from Pearl Harbor and the salvage ship USS Salvor would try to tow the warship.

An initial attempt to free the Port Royal between 11 p.m. Thursday and high tide at 2 a.m. Friday was not successful, the Navy said.

Officials said the guided missile cruiser left port yesterday for several days of sea trials after leaving drydock about a month ago for routine maintenance. Shore-based Navy officials were being transferred to Hickam harbor by small boat when the grounding occurred, the Navy said.

Navy officials said a high tide that could float the cruiser off the bottom is expected at 2:45 a.m. tomorrow morning.

"We're certainly working on bringing to bear the resources we have to move her off the current position. We're still putting that plan together," Navy Capt. W. Scott Gureck, a spokesman for U.S. Pacific Fleet, said this morning. "Obviously, the high tide gives us an opportunity to do that."

The cause of the grounding is under investigation, but the highly-visible stranding is an embarrassment to the Navy, which does not take such incidents lightly.

"I'm not going to speculate on what happened," Gureck said.

Ship captains, who bear ultimate responsibility for the vessel under their command, are typically relieved of duty during such an investigation. Often, a grounding is a career-ender.

The Port Royal has been under the command of Capt. John Carroll since October. Carroll commanded the frigate Rodney M. Davis out of Everett, Wash., in 2002, and deployed to the Arabian Gulf as part of the Nimitz strike group in support of operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.

He was the reactor officer on the aircraft carrier George Washington, and more recently graduated from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces.

Officials said the crew was still aboard, along with other Navy officials, including Rear Adm. Dixon R. Smith, commander, Navy Region Hawai'i and Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific.

Gureck said state Adjutant Maj. Gen. Robert G.F. Lee and other state officials were notified of the stranding.

Lee said he was informed by the Navy that the bow of the ship was stuck on the reef.

Asked if the Navy explained how the ship ran aground, Lee said, "Just coming

into Pearl Harbor at night and it got a little too close to the reef, is what was explained to me."

Gureck said, "We're keeping everyone informed. We're very mindful of the fact that we don't want any fuel leak if we can possibly avoid it."

He added this morning that, "So, far, there's no leak that we're aware of."

Coast Guard Lt. John Titchen said the grounding was being monitored, and three overflights had been made as of this morning in HH-65 Dolphin helicopters.

The Navy has jurisdiction over the stranding because it involves a Navy vessel and because it took place in the channel leading to Pearl Harbor, Titchen said.

Titchen said there was no oil sheen that would indicate an oil spill.

"We know that there is no oil spill at this point, and we're confident the Navy is doing everything it can," he said.

It was unclear today when the last Navy ship grounding occurred off Hawai'i's shores.

In July, the skipper of the San Diego-based amphibious landing ship Pearl Harbor was relieved of command after the ship ran aground in the Persian Gulf, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

The newspaper said Cmdr. Xavier Valverde had been reassigned to the staff of the Naval Forces Central Command in Bahrain while the incident was investigated.

Commissioned in 1994 and costing $1 billion, the Port Royal has a crew of about 360.

The Port Royal is one of three cruisers home ported at Pearl Harbor, along with six destroyers, two frigates and about 15 Los Angeles-class nuclear attack submarines.

Officials said there could be damage to the Port Royal's sonar dome, which is encased in an eight-inch thick rubber housing protruding under the front of the bow.

There also could be damage to the shaft and propeller and twin sets of struts that stabilize them at the stern. If there is serious damage, repairs could take up to six months, including the possible need to find a replacement rubber sonar housing for a cruiser, officials said.

Port Royal is the 27th and final Ticonderoga-class cruiser, and has been retrofitted with theater ballistic missile shoot-down capability.



http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/ap...&Ref=AR&Show=0

someones going to lose their job over this incident!

[Tango III]

Russian frigate due home after anti-piracy duty off Somalia

KALININGRAD, February 6 (RIA Novosti) - The Russian missile frigate Neustrashimy, which took part in the anti-pirate operations in the Gulf of Aden, will return to its home port of Baltiysk on Saturday, a regional spokesman said on Friday.

The Pacific Fleet's Admiral Vinogradov destroyer replaced the Baltic Fleet frigate in the Gulf of Aden in January and is now escorting civilian vessels through areas where Somali pirates are active.

The Neustrashimy will be met in the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad by Governor Georgy Boos, Baltic Fleet Commander Viktor Mardusin and government officials from Moscow and St. Petersburg.

The Neustrashimy entered service 16 years ago and since last September has been on duty in the Mediterranean and Red seas, escorting over 50 commercial vessels through the Gulf of Aden since joining international anti-pirate operations off the coast of Somali in late October.

It is the only Project 1154 Yastreb class missile frigate in active service with the Russian Navy to have been built before the collapse of the Soviet Union. It is designed as a general purpose ASW ship to follow on from the Krivak class frigates and incorporates some stealth technology.

The Neustrashimy's armament includes SS-N-25 Switchblade anti-ship missiles, SA-N-9 Gauntlet SAM, a 100-mm gun, torpedoes and depth charges. The frigate also carries a Ka-27 ASW helicopter.



http://en.rian.ru/russia/20090206/120015202.html

[sferrin]

Originally Posted by harryRIEDL

someones going to lose their job over this incident!

Beats keel-hauling I imagine.

[Tango III]

Related News

Navy fails to free warship grounded at Hawaii

HONOLULU – An attempt to pull a $1 billion warship free after it ran aground off the coast of Honolulu was unsuccessful Saturday, but the Navy planned to try again after lightening the vessel's weight.

Navy tugboats and a salvage ship, the USS Salvor, tried to tow out the USS Port Royal at high tide early Saturday, but the guided missile cruiser remained stuck on the sandy, rocky bottom, said Pacific Fleet spokeswoman Agnes T. Tanyan.

Navy officials now plan to remove the ship's fuel and water supplies in an effort to lighten the vessel and make it easier to refloat, she said.

Tanyan said the time of the next attempt had not been determined.

The crew remained on board.

The 9,600-ton warship ran aground Thursday night about a half-mile offshore from Honolulu International Airport. It was on its first sea trials after finishing routine maintenance in dry dock.

The ship, which is based at Pearl Harbor and has a crew of 320, got stuck as it was transferring shore-based officials, including a rear admiral, to a smaller boat to take them to shore.

An oil-recovery vessel, the Clean Islands, was positioned behind the warship as a precaution but no oil leak had been detected, Coast Guard Lt. John Titchen said.

The cause of the grounding and the extent of damage to the vessel were under investigation.



http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090207/...ship_grounding

[Tango III]

DDG-1000’s Cost Overstated in News Reports, Official Says



14:12 GMT, February 9, 2009 WASHINGTON | The projected unit cost of the next-generation U.S. Navy destroyer is much lower than the figures being cited in some news reports, a senior Defense Department official said here yesterday.

The DDG-1000 is a high-tech, guided-missile destroyer that is envisioned to eventually replace the Arleigh Burke class of warships developed 30 years ago.

The Pentagon would pay between $2.2 to $2.5 billion for each new DDG-1000 ship after the regular production line is up and running, John J. Young Jr., undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics told reporters at the Pentagon.

Young said he disagrees with news reports that say DDG-1000 vessels would cost up to $7 billion per copy. “There’s no basis for any [cost] projection that this ship is going to cost 5 or 6 or 7 billion dollars,” Young said.

The cost of a first prototype, or lead, DDG 1000 ship is about $3.3 billion because the government pays for the initial drawings and production set-up, Young said. The unit cost of follow-on ships would decrease due to industrial economies of scale, he said.

Conversely, unit production costs can rise if the number of items to manufacture is reduced from the original schedule, Young explained.

The DDG-1000 series is designated the Zumwalt class, named after late Navy Adm. Elmo Zumwalt Jr. The new ships feature computer-aided design, modular construction, high-tech armaments and radar, as well as a unique, streamlined hull design.

Originally, 32 DDG-1000 vessels were to be built at shipyards in Maine and Mississippi. Recent production plans called for two ships to be built.

However, the DDG-1000 is on hold for now, as Pentagon and interagency officials re-examine the project, Young said.

“Aside from the warfighting analysis, we do need to do some producibility analysis, manufacturing analysis and cost analysis,” he said.

Some officials suggest that modifying Arleigh Burke class ships would be a less expensive way to create a new vessel, Young said. That approach, he said, wouldn’t produce as much cost savings as imagined, and would result in a vessel possessing undesirable mass without the capabilities of the DDG-1000.

“You cannot do that without significant changes in that ship,” Young said of proposals to rework Arleigh Burke ships to create a new vessel. “You will have to add cooling capacity; you will have to add electrical generating capacity,” as well as upgraded radar equipment.

And, the Arleigh Burke class destroyer “has already gained weight because it is 30 years into its service life and ships are designed with a certain amount of weight-carrying capacity,” he said.


See also:

Lexington Institute: DDG-1000 Destroyer Is Not Needed

http://www.defpro.com/news/details/5417/

For full articl of under secretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics (AT&L), John Young see below:

DDG 1000's Top Defender Speaks Out

[Tango III]

Related News

Grounded cruiser off Hawaii pulled free



The cruiser Port Royal was pulled early Monday off the rocky shoal where it had run hard aground after the ship was lightened by 600 tons and the high Pacific tide came in.

The cruiser was towed to a pier at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, where Navy engineers will assess damage the ship sustained after grinding onto the rock Thursday and then rolling with the waves over the weekend. The cruiser will go into a dry dock next week, said Capt. Scott Gureck, a spokesman for Pacific Fleet.

He said the Navy knows the ship’s rubber sonar dome was damaged in the grounding, but he didn’t know how badly, nor how many other problems the grounding may have caused. A lighter barge brought alongside over the weekend was also slammed by waves against the Port Royal’s side, although it wasn’t clear whether that damage was serious.

To lighten the ship enough to pull it off the rocks, engineers emptied the cruiser’s tanks of seawater pumped in to compensate for the fuel oil burned by its engines. The ship also jettisoned its anchors and anchor chains, and offloaded more than 100 crew members, Gureck said. Then the Military Sealift Command salvage ship Salvor, the powerful tug Dove — which is used to tow the Sea-Based X-Band radar — and seven other Navy and civilian tugs worked at high tide for 40 minutes early Monday to pull the Port Royal off the rocks.

The Navy plans to conduct an investigation of what caused the grounding, Gureck said, but a few early details were already clear: At around 8:30 local time Thursday night, the ship was stopped or just dead slow off the Honolulu Airport so it could drop off members of Afloat Training Group Mid-Pacific, who planned to take a small boat to Hickam Harbor. At some point during that process, the ship ran aground.

Gureck said there was no reason to believe the ship had lost power and floated onto the rocks. He also said that besides the ATG team, there were no people aboard who were not members of the ship’s company, such as contractors or flag officers. Rear Adm. Dixon Smith, the commander of Navy Region Hawaii, went aboard the Port Royal on Friday after the ship ran aground to take charge of salvage operations, Gureck said.

http://www.navytimes.com/news/2009/0..._free_020909w/

[Tango III]

Indonesia to purchase Russian submarine

JAKARTA, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Indonesian government is set to purchase a Russian-made submarine, a legislator said Monday.

"There's always been a plan to purchase submarine and I've surveyed a few submarine workshops in Moscow, Russia. This submarine is to display our naval strength and also anticipate any armed conflicts," official Antara news agency quoted deputy speaker of the House of Representatives' Commission I on political, security and foreign affairs, Yusron Ihza as saying.

Ihza did not give the exact time for purchasing the submarine, but he said that due to the global economic downturn, the purchase would be made in stages.

However, he said, it's not necessary to own many submarines since they are expensive,

He added that the country's economic power needed enhancement as it correlated to the country's defense and security.

"My colleagues and I at the House have fought for an increase in defense spending, yet unfortunately this isn't possible now," he said, adding that only a third of the proposed budget was approved.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/20...t_10788748.htm

[Tango III]

At the 'Deyata Kirula' or 'Crown for the Nation' exhibition the public file past under water vessel in the shape and appearance of a shark manufactured by the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and captured by the Sri Lankan military when they overran a camp at Mullaitivu 384km north east of Colombo yesterday

http://gulf-times.com/site/topics/ar...4&parent_id=24

[Wanshan]

Originally Posted by Tango III

Algerian corvette "Salah Raïs" leaving Toulon military harbour on 6 february 2009. Class Nanuchka II (Russia) Recent upgrade has added new search radar, replaced the Styx missiles with 16 SS-N-25 Kh-35 SSM and with the 57 mm guns added a AK630 30 mm AA gun.



http://www.shipspotting.com/modules/...827930&cid=164

And here with complet missiles

Many thanx for these pics: positively love this conversion

[Tango III]

Here seen some pictures of F-22P's for PN. first unit undergoing sea trials.

[Stonewall]

Thales to Modernize Netherlands' M-Frigates Radar Suite


(Source: Thales; issued February 6, 2009)





The Netherlands' Defence Materiel Organization and Thales Nederland signed a contract for the delivery of SEASTAR and GATEKEEPER sensors that are to be installed on the two M-class frigates.

The modernization will take place in 2011 and 2012 in the scope of the M-frigates' upkeep program. Simultaneously, a contract was signed for the delivery of a GATEKEEPER system that will be installed on the LPD Johan de Witt.

The M-Class frigates were introduced in the nineties and were intended for air defence and submarine warfare in the Atlantic. However, these ships are deployed mainly in littoral waters to counter frontier-running, pollution, drugs trafficking and piracy. The SEASTAR and GATEKEEPER sensors provide the vessels with the capability to detect the small targets encountered in such situations. The two new sensors will be matched with the tried-and-true SMART-S surveillance radar and the STIR weapon control radar that are on board of the M-frigates.

This contract includes an option for the same modernization of the two M-Frigates that have been purchased by the Belgian Navy in 2005. The Joint Support Ship that will be built for the RNLN is expected to be equipped with an Integrated Mast, similar to the Mast on the OPVs that also includes SEASTAR and GATEKEEPER.

This contract marks another step in the long-standing and very successful cooperation between the Royal Netherlands Navy and Thales Nederland and proves that Thales's systems can be integrated in existing platform configurations.


BACKGROUND NOTES:
-- SEASTAR is a non-rotating active phased array radar for naval surface surveillance. The system automatically detects and tracks asymmetric threats and very small objects such as swimmers, periscopes in all weather conditions. SEASTAR can also be used for helicopter guidance. SEASTAR has been contracted for two ship classes at present.

-- GATEKEEPER is a 360° panoramic electro-optical surveillance and alerter system based on IR/TV technology. Designed to counter emerging asymmetric threats down to small boats and swimmers, GATEKEEPER increases short-range situational awareness in littoral environments. GATEKEEPER has been contracted for two ship classes at present.

-- Thales is a leading international electronics and systems group, addressing defence, aerospace and security markets worldwide. Thales's leading-edge technology is supported by 22,000 R&D engineers who offer a capability unmatched in Europe to develop and deploy field-proven mission-critical information systems. Thales employs 68,000 people in 50 countries with 2007 revenues of EUR 12.3 billion.

Thales Nederland, established in 1922, is one of the leading companies in integrated naval systems for surveillance, weapon control, combat management and system integration world-wide.

-ends-

http://www.defense-aerospace.com/art..._frigates.html

[Wanshan]

Like so:

[Tango III]

Makin Island (LHD 8) completed sea trials


The multipurpose amphibious assault ship Makin Island (LHD 8) sailed
the Gulf of Mexico last week for sea trials.

21:43 GMT, February 10, 2009 PASCAGOULA, Miss. | The Northrop Grumman Corporation-built (NYSE:NOC) amphibious assault ship Makin Island (LHD 8) returned from successful three-day builder's sea trials held in the Gulf of Mexico this week. The ship is the eighth USS Wasp (LHD 1)-class amphibious assault ship being built by the company at its Gulf Coast facilities in Pascagoula, Miss.

"We worked collaboratively with the Navy to meet our program commitments, and complete this significant milestone," said Irwin F. Edenzon, sector vice president and general manager of Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding-Gulf Coast. "Our shipbuilders did an outstanding job overcoming some challenges in building the nation's most sophisticated LHD to-date. We are confident the Gulf Coast team will continue the steady progress made on LHD 8, and we're on our way to a second quarter 2009 delivery."

During builder's trials, Makin Island performed all required sea trial evolutions during the three days, including the operational achievement of the first gas turbine/electric-powered propulsion system ever used on large deck amphibious assault ships. The gas turbine engines and electric drive will provide significant ship life-cycle savings in manpower and maintenance costs over previous ships.

"The Navy and industry team overcame many challenges in getting to this trial," said U.S. Navy Capt. Jeffery Riedel, program manager of Amphibious Warfare Programs for PEO Ships. "The ship performed very well. This was the first time an LHD obtained full power on both Gas Turbines and on its electric drive. I look forward to acceptance trials and delivering Makin Island to the fleet."

The Gulf Coast shipbuilding team met several other milestones paving the way for builder's sea trials including the resolution of critical electrical cabling installation issues and a significant integrated propulsion system testing program.

The Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding-Gulf Coast test and trials team will join U.S. Navy personnel at-sea for Makin Island acceptance trials.

The Makin Island is 844 feet long and 106 feet wide and weighs 42,800 tons. Its 70,000 horsepower hybrid propulsion system will drive it to speeds in excess of 20 knots. As a multi-purpose amphibious assault ship, it is designed to transport and land a Marine Expeditionary Unit, a force of almost 2,000 Marines, ashore by helicopter, landing craft and amphibious assault vehicle. It will also have secondary missions of sea control and power projection by helicopter and fixed-wing vertical short take-off and landing aircraft; command and control; and mission support, including a hospital with six operating rooms.

Makin Island is scheduled for commissioning at her San Diego homeport in October 2009.

http://www.defpro.com/news/details/5461/

[Tango III]

Pic of Namibian patrol boat “Brendan Simbwaye”



The Navy of Namibia received last month , in Fortaleza, the patrol ship, “Brendan Simbwaye”, of Brazilian technology - the first product of this type manufactured for the foreign market. The value of the contract, carried out by Inace shipyards is estimated at US$ 26.5 million. The Namibian Navy also has an additional order for at least three fast motorboats developed in Brazil, for surveillance purposes. The “Brendan” is of the same Grajaú class, NPa Grajaú (P-40) of 12 units, which equips part of the Brazilian patrol fleet. It has a full displacement of 217 tons is 46.5 meters long. Well armed, it carries a 40mm cannon and 20mm machine guns, max speed 26 Kns, electronically controlled and with a rapid firing system. The 31 crew members - 5 officials, 26 seamen - can stay on a mission for ten days, within a radius of 4.400 kilometers.

[Tango III]

Sea Viper Shows Its Fangs



The new Sea Viper air defence missile system demonstrated its ability to protect air, land and sea forces during a second, successful test firing.

The missile system was successfully test-fired from the 12,000 tonne trials barge Longbow, near the Ile du Levant off the French coast.

The Longbow barge has a full replica of the air defence equipment the new Type 45 destroyers will carry, including long-range and missile directing radars, a combat control centre and missiles in their vertical launcher silos.

Sea Viper is a highly sophisticated system that has been designed to allow the new Type 45 Destroyer to protect forces, both at sea and over land, against attack by enemy aircraft, as well as defending the fleet against anti-ship missiles approaching from any direction and at supersonic speeds.

MOD Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) Medium Range Air Defence Weapons Team Leader, David Emly, said:

"This test was much more difficult with the target simulating a low-level anti-ship missile at close range and so I am very pleased with the result as it demonstrates that the Type 45 Destroyer's powerful Anti-Air Warfare capability is on track to be delivered in 2010."

Integral to the Sea Viper system is the Sampson Multi Function Radar which tracks targets and directs missiles towards them. This element is a bespoke design developed by BAE Systems to meet the Royal Navy's very specific requirements.

This latest success comes hot on the heels of the recent arrival of the first Type 45 destroyer, HMS Daring, into her home port of Portsmouth for the first time in January. Integrating the Sea Viper system is the main focus of the ship's remaining trials before she is declared ready for service.

BACKGROUND NOTES:

1. Sea Viper came into being on 28 January when Vice Admiral Sir Trevor Soar, Chief of Material Fleet, formally announced the name selected by the Royal Navy for its Principal Anti-Air Missile System (PAAMS).

2. Sea Viper is a maritime area air defence system composed of the Sampson radar, a Combat Management System, long range radar, the Sylver missile launching system and Aster 15 and Aster 30 missiles.

3. The Aster missiles are capable of speeds in excess of mach four and are highly agile, using an innovative system called 'Pif Paf'. This combines conventional aerodynamic control with a novel lateral thrust system. The trial comprised the firing of a single Aster 15 missile launched against a Mirach target simulating a low level attack from an anti-ship missile.

4. The first Type 45 Destroyer HMS Daring was handed over to the MOD on 10 December 2008. She sailed into her home port of Portsmouth for the first time on 28 January 2009. Final MOD controlled sea-trials and integration activity is now underway prior to her entering service with the Royal Navy in 2010.

http://www.defense-aerospace.com/art...-missile.html#

[Tango III]

United Kingdom selects Thales’s S1850M radar for new aircraft carriers



14:31 GMT, February 11, 2009 Thales Nederland has formalised a contract with BAE Systems Integrated System Technologies Limited for two S1850M Long Range Volume Search Radars to be installed on the new aircraft carriers for the Royal Navy. The carriers are being built by the Aircraft Carrier Alliance comprising the UK Ministry of Defence, BVT Surface Fleet, Babcock Marine, BAE Systems and Thales.

The first radar system is scheduled to be delivered during 2011 and the second radar system in 2013. The scope includes minor enhancements to the earlier Type 45 design to meet the specific needs of aircraft carrier operation.

Additional information:

The S1850M surveillance radar is based on Thales's SMART-L radar and was previously delivered to the Type 45 vessels for the UK Royal Navy and the Horizon class vessels of the French and Italian Navies, in a collaboration between BAE Systems Integrated System Technologies Limited and Thales Nederland. The system is capable of 3D long range automatic detection, track initiation and tracking of air targets. Its performance has been demonstrated in many tests and the system has proven to be capable of detecting stealth targets in high clutter environments.

http://www.defpro.com/news/details/5486/

[Tango III]

Belgian Frigate, Minehunter Handed Over To Bulgaria

On Monday Feb. 9, F910 Wielingen and M922 Myositis were officially handed over to Bulgaria, in a ceremony attended by various authorities of both countries.

The Belgian government decided on 22 December 1970 to order four new frigates, which would be built by the Belgian shipyards. These ships would replace the old escortships of the Algerine class. These were put out of service in 1969. The studies on this project already began in 1964 with the advice of the Dutch Navy and continued in 1971 in cooperation with the two Belgian shipyards, Boelwerf (Temse) and Cockerill (Hoboken - Antwerp). The construction of the ships began in 1974. The four ships, *F910 Wielingen, F911 Westdiep, F912 Wandelaar and F913 Westhinder, were commissioned in the following years.

The Bulgarian navy has christened the ships Verni and Tsibar respectively. Wielingen is, after F912 Wandelaar and F911 Westdiep, the third frigate, and Myosotis the first minehunter, to be handed over to the Bulgarian navy.
Disposal of the Wielingen also marks the decommissioning of the final Wielingen-class frigate by the Belgian navy. These ships were named for well-known sand banks along the Belgian coast. They were designed and built by Belgian shipyards.

Myosotis is the eighth ship of the Flower class, and in recent years was used to transport ammunition. The two ships will sail to Bulgaria on Feb. 10, at about 10 a.m.



http://www.militarium.eu/article.aspx?ID=811

Tsibar (former Belgian Navy M922 Myosotis)
Also called "CMT" for Chasseur de Mines Tripartite, all are named after flowers and are thus sometimes called the "Flower" class in international literature.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tripart...ass_minehunter

[Stonewall]

from:
DAILY COLLECTION OF MARITIME PRESS CLIPPINGS 2009 – 040


US replaces commander of Navy ship in
Hawaii grounding

The commanding officer of a one-billion-dollar Navy warship which ran aground off the coast of Hawaii was relieved
of his command Monday, the military said.
Captain John Carroll was replaced as commander of the USS Port Royal pending an investigation into how the ship
ran aground about a half-mile (0.8 kilometers) south of Honolulu Airport last Thursday, authorities said.
The state-of-the-art 9,600-ton guided missile cruiser was freed from shoal waters south of Oahu early Monday after it
spent three days stuck on a rocky and sandy seabed in 22 feet (6.7 meters) of water.
The cruiser was hauled to Pearl Harbor where it will enter dry dock repairs. Navy officials did not have a cost estimate
for the salvage operation. Officials said the ship was structurally sound, but a sonar dome at the front of the ship
leaked water and the propeller blade tips were sheared off. The USS Port Royal, which is equipped with AEGIS
missile technology, was commissioned in 1994.

[Fedaykin]

Originally Posted by Tango III

Here seen some pictures of F-22P's for PN. first unit undergoing sea trials.

I find interesting that the two AK730 mounts on the stern hanger are directed by a single EFR-1 Rice Lamp rather their own dedicated radar on each mount. I would of thought that would seriously hamper each mounts ability to tackle multi axis saturation attacks.

Also note she appears to have the grid circle for a harpoon deck lock system on her stern heli deck.

[Tango III]

Pacific Patrol Boats Life Extension Program


Greg Combet, Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Procurement, today announced that a contract has been signed between the Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) and Rosshaven Marine Pty Ltd (RHM) of Townsville for the refit of four Pacific Patrol Boats under a Life Extension Program (LEP).

Mr Combet said the contract came with an option for the refit of up to a further seven vessels, making up the final 11 vessels of a 22 vessel overall LEP refit program.

“The Pacific Patrol Boats (PPB) were built and delivered between 1987 and 1997 and gifted to Pacific Island Nations for sovereignty protection, maritime surveillance and other national purposes including search and rescue and disaster relief,” Mr Combet said.

A decision was made in 2000 to extend the life of the vessels by conducting LEP refits which would extend the original life of the vessels from 15 to 30 years.

Ten of the initial 11 LEP refits were under a previous contract with RHM. The new contract for the four LEP refits plus options for up to a further seven vessels resulted from competitive tendering, with RHM being selected as the preferred tenderer and subsequently the contractor following successful negotiations.

“The first three vessels are scheduled to complete their refits in early January 2010 with the intention to have the remaining vessels LEP refitted by the end of 2012,” Mr Combet said.

“Rosshaven Marine has advised that the Contract will ensure the engagement of about 60 employees in Townsville whilst also maintaining some subcontractor support in the region.”

http://www.defense-aerospace.com/art...rol-boats.html



Pacific class patrol boat

General characteristics
Type: Patrol Boat
Displacement: 162 tonnes full load
Length: 31.5 metres (103 ft)
Beam: 8.1 metres (27 ft)
Draught: 1.8 metres (5.9 ft)
Propulsion: 2 Caterpillar 3516TA diesels, 2820 hp (2.1 MW), 2 shafts
Speed: 20 knots (37 km/h)
Range: 2,500 nautical miles (4,600 km) at 12 knots (22 km/h)
Endurance: 10 days
Complement: 14-18
Sensors and processing systems: Furuno 1011 surface search radar; I band
Armament: various small arms, depending on operating country. May include GAM-BO1 20 mm, 7.62 mm machine guns, and/or 12.7 mm machine gun. Not all ships are permanently armed.
Completed: 22

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific-class_patrol_boat

[Tango III]

Weight loss regime beckons for LCS 1

The US Navy is mulling over the removal of several redundant and non-critical parts from Littoral Combat Ship 1 (LCS 1) USS Freedom in order to decrease the vessel's displacement.

Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) told Jane's that officials are considering taking out components "that have become unused on the finished ship". The proposed list includes engine removal rails for the twin Rolls-Royce MT-30 gas turbines.

Senior crew members assigned to the Lockheed Martin/Marinette Marine-built frigate said in December 2008 that the prototype vessel was three to five tons overweight.

A NAVSEA spokesman said on 6 February: "Through a combination of operating procedures and specific targeted weight and stability adjustments, the navy will be able to safely operate LCS 1 in its current weight condition."

http://www.janes.com/news/defence/na...0210_1_n.shtml

[Tango III]

The Frigate F-314 “Thor Heyerdahl” is the Fifth and Last of the Series that Navantia has Built for the Royal Norwegian Navy



Navantia has launched on 11st. February, at 17:12 p.m., in the Fene-Ferrol shipyard, the fifth frigate for the Royal Norwegian Navy, the F-314 frigate “Thor Heyerdahl”, named after this famous XX centuryNorwegian explorer.

The launching has taken place as an internal work milestone, after the cancellation of the official ceremony, scheduled for 9th. February, due to the worst weather conditions. The Godmother has been Miss Elisabeth Heyerdahl Lampe, great grandaughter of the explorer, and has been attended by NDLO General Director, General Trond Karlsen, as most relevant participant from the Royal Norwegian Navy. As an internal event, Navantia has been represented by the Fene-Ferrol shipyard, Angel Recamán Rivas.

The keel of this frigate was laid last March and the ship is expected to be delivered in September 2010, finalising the programme for the construction of 5 F-310 class frigates. The contract was signed in June 2000, after an international tender, in which Navantia competed with the most important european shipyards, and was until the contract with Australia, the biggest exportation contract in the history of naval construction in Spain.

Main characteristics:
-- Length overall: 123.25 m.
-- Maximum beam: 16.80 m.
-- Depth to main deck: 9.50 m.
--Full load displacement: 5,130 t.
-- Design draught: 4.90 m.
-- Crew: 146 people

http://www.defense-aerospace.com/art...n-frigate.html

[Tango III]

Commissioning of INS Carnicobar & INS Chetla



In a unique event, on 16 Feb 09, the Indian Navy will commission two ships, INS Carnicobar & INS Chetlat on the same day. These would be the first two in a series of ten Water Jet fast attack ships being built at Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers, Kolkata.

The ships are being commissioned at Chennai by the Hon'ble Governor of Tamil Nadu, Shri Surjit Singh Barnala and are the first ever water jet propelled ships of the Indian Navy. The commissioning marks another step in the direction of indigenisation of the Navy's ship building efforts.

These fast attack crafts are named after pristine islands located in the Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep respectively and will be based at Chennai thereby strengthening coastal security of the region. These fast attack crafts are most suited for interception of fast moving surface crafts apart from performing anti smuggling, fisheries protection, as well as search and rescue operations where time is of paramount importance.

These are the two ships of a new generation of ten Water Jet Fast Attack Crafts, designed and built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers, Kolkata. They are an improvement upon the earlier version of the Fast Attack Crafts, with a more efficient hull form developed indigenously. The Fast Attack Crafts can achieve speeds in excess of 35 knots.

The Water Jets of these ships are coupled with latest generation MTU 16V 4000 M90 engines with a combined propulsion power of 8160KW. The modified Aluminium superstructure of the vessels, reduces their Radar Cross Sections (RCS) and also provides improved habitability. A Reverse Osmosis (RO) Plants allow for fresh water generation increasing vessel endurance while the Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) complies with the latest International Maritime Organisation (IMO) regulations on sea pollution. The armament includes the 30mm CRN-91 Gun along with sensors manufactured by Ordnance Factory, Medak. The ships are equipped with IGLA missiles, SLRs, HMGs and LMG/MMG in their armament fit. These features are an up-dation over ships of the previous class and the current version of design is comparable with similar ships, built across the world.

http://www.militarium.eu/article.aspx?ID=878

[Tango III]

Belgian Navy - Leopold I Leaves for Lebanon

The Belgian frigate Leopold I will be the flagship of the UN Interim Force In Lebanon Maritime Task Force (UNIFIL MTF) between 1 March and 31 May. The Leopold I will leave the Belgian port of Zeebrugge on 16 February to relieve the French frigate De Grasse, the current flagship of the UNIFIL MTF.



For the next three months, the UNIFIL MTF will be commanded by Belgian navy captain Thierry Pynoo, who has been commissioned as an admiral for the occasion. He will lead a multinational staff of 20 afloat and two ashore at Naquorah.

The Leopold I will be supported by an Alouette III helicopter from the Belgian navy's Heli Flight based on board. Members of the Belgian army's 12/13th Line Regiment will be integrated into the Leopold I's protection teams and boarding parties.

The UNIFIL MTF's mission is to prevent illegal arms smuggling which could reignite the conflict in Lebanon. The Leopold I's deployment illustrates how stretched the Belgian navy is; the frigate already participated in the UNIFIL MTF from the end of August to the beginning of December 2008, checking 500 ships and handing over eight to the Lebanese navy for inspection ashore. Some 90 per cent of the frigate's current crew participated in that last mission.

http://www.nosi.org/2009/02/14/belgi...s-for-lebanon/

[Fedaykin]

Originally Posted by Scooter

Of course the "Million Dollar Question" is what did it hit??? Another submarine? Underwater Obstacle?

Well the Million dollar answer is HMS Vanguard

Looks like they bumped into each other...

[Scooter]

Originally Posted by Fedaykin

Well the Million dollar answer is HMS Vanguard

Looks like they bumped into each other...

You mean a French Navy SSBN hit a Royal Navy SSBN!