The Saudi's aren't getting the LCS variant pictured (they are getting the Freedom). They are paying the Pentagon to design a frigate based on the LCS which is a USN specific littoral ship. Their variant includes VLS etcSingha wrote:and ideal country to amortize the cost of these expensive white elephants with
I think they got it wrong though. 4 for $300 mil each has some logic to it though hyper expensive for the size and capability, the $12b price tag in the report suggests each costs $3billion....about the price of a ins vikrant ship and its airwing.
they could have just purchased a bunch of Saryu class patrol ships for all the 'stealthy' fighting these ships will do.
Its a deployed ship in the theater and joint ops with allies in the region was a cornerstone of the program from its inception and it has done so extensively given its limited deployment in the theater. I guess the USN also sent a carrier, I guess that must have also been for marketing for sale laterUS sent it on Malabar exercises....probably to look-see for IN. Marketing will follow later.
. The LCS concept is and was that of a small relatively cheap vessel that counters the Chinese strategic moves that utilizes its coast guard as a means to advance its territorial claims in the region. It is also the right size that would allow nations like Singapore that balance their relationships in the region to dock..A burke, Zumwalt would not have been allowed by some of the smaller players in the region for that is too much of an offensive capability and is likely to upset their relationship with China.SYDNEY — Japan's defense minister urged Australia Sunday to award a huge submarine contract to his country, saying such a deal would help bolster regional security.
Australia has put out to tender a project worth up to Aus $50 billion (US $36 billion) to replace its current diesel and electric-powered Collins Class submarines.
France and Germany are also in the running with Japan to secure the order, with a Nov. 30 deadline to submit final proposals.
Defense Minister Gen Nakatani said picking Tokyo could help ensure maritime security in the Asia-Pacific, alluding to the importance of regional allies such as the US, Japan and Australia working together in the face of China's growing military might.
He said after talks with his counterpart Marise Payne in Sydney that awarding Japan the contract would be of "strategic importance, significant strategic importance, and this is not just about transfer of defense equipment and capabilities."
"This will lead to operational cooperation between Japan and Australia... Japan and Australia and the US."
Nakatani added that if Japan were chosen, it would be a "model for strategic cooperation between Australia, US and Japan."
For Australia, cooperating with Japan — whose Soryu is widely seen as the best submarine of its type — risks angering its biggest trading partner China.
Payne said Japan was "a key defense partner" with "similar values, shared strategic interests."
"We have a common alliance with the US and a significant proportion of our discussions today was devoted to talking about enhancing that defense cooperation, with growing engagement between the Australian Defence Force and the Japan self-defense forces," she added.
But she said this was separate to the tender process, which she did not want to preempt.
Besides matching the range and endurance of the Collins Class, the new generation of subs are expected to offer superior sensor performance and stealth capabilities.
The tender process has been politically sensitive, with Canberra keen to maximize Australian industry involvement and jobs. There are fears that any off-the-shelf purchase could kill off the domestic shipbuilding industry.
French naval contractor DCNS told a parliamentary inquiry in July that it would be able to carry out more than 70 percent of construction in Australia.
John White, the Australian head of Germany's TKMS, which is also in the running to win the contract, has said his defense firm could also build all the submarines locally with some imported parts.
Nakatani said Japan would try to maximize the participation of Australian companies.
The US is trying to sell them as much as they can before they get engulfed in civil war.
SDSR 2015: UK commits to full F-35B procurement, fast tracks initial deliveries
The UK government has committed itself to the full programme-of-record of 138 Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft, as part of the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) released on 23 November.
Under the announcement the Royal Air Force (RAF) and Royal Navy (RN) are to get all of the short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) F-35Bs that they requested to equip the two Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers at sea and to replace the Panavia Tornado GR4 on land.
Under its previously held plans, the UK had committed itself to just 48 F-35s, of which only eight would be ready for use on the carriers by 2023 (the date that the full operating capability for both the ships and the aircraft were set to be declared). In pre-empting the government's announcement for the first 42 jets to be procured at an accelerated rate (24 will be deployed on the carriers with 18 to be used for training), Chancellor George Osborne said that the 24 F-35s deployed aboard Queen Elizabeth and Prince of Wales would afford the UK the second most powerful carrier strike capability after the United States.
"We are going to step up the aircraft carrier punch of the United Kingdom. We are going to make sure that when these aircraft carriers are available, they are going to have planes that can fly from them in force," he told the Sunday Times .
However, while all 138 F-35Bs have been committed to, financing announced in the SDSR itself covers only the first 42 aircraft to be in service by 2023.
The UK currently has two operational test and evaluation [BK-1 and BK-2] and one training aircraft [BK-3] delivered and flying out of Eglin Air Force Base (AFB) in Florida, with a third test aircraft [BK-4] signed for and due to be delivered in early 2016.
http://www.janes.com/article/56173/sdsr ... deliveries
This is what India should be, but Dubai, Emirates, SL, Mynmar, etc are taking away all this traffic and thus earnings.Like Dubai, Djibouti’s arid landscapes are unsuitable for agriculture, so making use of the country’s strategic position at the mouth of the Gulf of Aden – the world’s highest traffic maritime route – is critical to turn the country into a regional logistics hub.
Fourteen infrastructure projects, amounting to over $14bn, are focused on expanding Djibouti’s sea, air and land connections by 2035. The most important for travellers will be the new airport, which will separate military and commercial use and have the capacity to welcome 30 times the current number of visitors. (Credit: Dereje Belachew/Alamy)
Iran’s Naval Power Enhanced by Qadir Missile: Commander
November, 29, 2015
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said the Qadir anti-ship cruise missiles will boost the combat capabilities of his forces.
The new cruise missile will definitely improve the naval forces’ combat capabilities and help them protect the country’s borders and interests with more self-confidence, Sayyari told reporters on Sunday.
He made the comments in a ceremony in which the Defense Ministry delievred a large cargo of the homegrown long-range naval missile to the Navy.
Sayyari also hailed Qadir as an appropriate missile in diverse naval operations, saying it can be launched either from coast, a vessel or a submarine to hit naval targets.
Qadir can be prepared rapidly for launch, flies in low altitudes with high navigation capabilities, hits targets with great precision and destructive power, and suits for electronic warfare. It can be launched even from a helicopter.
Videos of testing Qadir show it identifying and annihilating a naval target at a distance of 300 kilometers away from the coast.
The domestically-made cruise naval missile was unveiled in August 2014 by President Hassan Rouhani.
In recent years, the Islamic Republic of Iran has made great achievements in its defense sector and has attained self-sufficiency in producing essential military equipment and systems.
Tehran has repeatedly assured other nations that its military might poses no threat to the regional countries, saying that the Islamic Republic’s defense doctrine is entirely based on deterrence.
A new class of patrol boats from Singapore are about as stealthy as surface vessel can get. The stealthy, knife-like Specialized Marine Craft sits just seven feet above the waterline, uses water jets for propulsion, and mounts a heavy machine gun.
The Specialized Marine Craft (SMC) is designed and built locally by Singapore Technologies Marine Ltd. The SMC is designed for naval base defense and force protection. Designed with stealth in mind, faceted surfaces cover the entire craft—even the bow-mounted machine gun.
SMC has a crew of four including the commander, coxswain, navigator, and weapons operator.
The 22 meter craft is powered by twin Hamilton waterjets at speeds "in excess of 30 knots", —which means the true speed is considerably higher. The boat has a draft of less than 4 feet, allowing it to work in shallow water close to shore.
SMC has advanced sensors for a small vessel, including a daylight camera, thermal imager, and radar. Sensor masts are retractable, further lowering the craft's radar signature. The boat is armed with a single gun, a remotely operated OTO Melara Hitrole .50 caliber machine gun housed in a stealthy turret.
4 Ways Russia's Military Is More Advanced Than You…
The SMC has reportedly been operational since 2009, but was only introduced the public earlier this year. Singapore has a policy of being intentionally vague about its military capabilities.
Here's the reveal video from Singapore's Ministry of Defence:
I believe they're meant to act as Guard dogs in the Singapore Bay Area only .The Basic design is meant to guard Naval dockyards & bases against incursions .That said wouldn't such assets be useful for patrolling waters around island territories as well?Arun Menon wrote:^What are they going to use them against? Pirates? smugglers? Are these lot busy scanning radar for enemy contacts? Or do they want to use these things to take on capital ships? Maybe the machine guns are in fact rail guns, able to cut through the armor of capital ships. Well the look "cool" enough to do that at least.
If only looks could kill.
Also, can they be used outside of the bay area of Singapore. They don't look like they were built for open seas.
North Korea’s first submarine capable of firing missiles underwater suffered serious damage during a failed test launch last month, according to defense officials.
The Sinpo-class submarine attempted to launch North Korea’s KN-11 submarine-launched ballistic missile during a test Nov. 28 in the Sea of Japan, but officials said the missile failed to properly eject from its firing tube, causing damage to the submarine and its sail.
Details of the damage were not disclosed by officials familiar with intelligence reports of the test.
The assessment of damage to the submarine was based on debris analyzed by U.S. satellites and other technical intelligence means.
The failed test is considered a significant setback for the missile submarine program, the officials said.
North Korea is building up its long-range missile inventory. It has a number of KN-08 long-range missiles deployed on road-mobile launchers.
The KN-11 SLBM is part of North Korea’s plan to develop missiles capable of hitting U.S. targets in the region and at long distances, analysts said. North Korea is believed to have a small nuclear warhead for its missiles.
The failed test was closely monitored by U.S. intelligence agencies that have been tracking the SLBM development program closely since at least last year.
The test was carried out in the Sea of Japan near Wonson, a coastal city in central North Korea.North Korean state-run media made no mention of the failed test. An earlier flight test was trumpeted by North Korea as a major step in the nuclear program.
The officials said it is believed North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Un was present for the failed test. Kim was photographed visiting a shoe factory in Wonson the day before the missile test failure.
The missile was believed to be fired from a modified submarine whose origins are unknown.
Bruce Bechtol, a former Defense Intelligence Agency analyst and expert on North Korea, said the SLBM test failure indicates that North Koreans are continuing to make progress in building a larger, blue-water submarine force.
“This test appears—at least in the early analysis—to be an actual test of a submarine along with the SLBM,.” Bechtol said. “Thus, since reporting confirms that this is the third test this year, Pyongyang seems intent on testing and fielding this submarine and the matching ballistic missile as quickly as possible.”
Bechtol said more failed tests can be expected on the way toward fielding a missile submarine. The weapon will give Pyongyang “a dual-strike capability against targets all over Asia and perhaps Hawaii,” he said.
It was the second test of what the Pentagon is calling the KN-11 missile and North Korea calls the Bukgeukseong-1.
A KN-11 flight test conducted in May was a success. The KN-11 was ejected from underwater and flew a short distance. Kim was present for that test.
A model of the new SLBM was shown for the first time in North Korea in October.
The miniature missile model appeared on state media along with two other ballistic missiles at an exhibition in Pyongyang marking the Oct. 10 anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea.
The design of the SLBM looks similar to China’s JL-2 SLBM, suggesting covert cooperation between Beijing and Pyongyang.
North Korea’s road-mobile intercontinental ballistic missile is based on a transporter-erector launcher supplied by China.
China has avoided any penalties for boosting North Korea’s nuclear missile program despite transferring strategic missile technology to North Korea in violation of United Nations sanctions.
Adm. Cecil Haney, commander of the U.S. Strategic Command, officially confirmed the North Korean submarine missile program in prepared testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee in March.
The Strales 76mm system with DART guided ammunition is the only weapon system in the world which can ensure high level performance (at a lower cost than dedicated anti-missile systems) in the engagement of manouevring supersonic missiles with high lateral g force. The system is very effective also in the engagement of fast manouevring little boats.
The DART projectiles are guided by a radio beam that follows the target by means of homing system. The projectile is fitted with a proximity fuze, but there were many hits during the firing trials.
The 76mm naval gun with Strales kit has the same characteristics of ballistic ammunition when it is used to engage air, naval and surface targets; with Vulcano ammunition it will ensure high precision target engagement, with a fire range two times higher than conventional ammunition.
The Strales system can be installed on the 76mm naval guns which are already in service.
OTO Melara is planning the production of Strales kits and new ammunition lots to guarantee quick delivery to new customers who will ask for this innovative system.
At present 12 Strales 76mm systems are in service, 15 are going to be delivered, and orders for 30 systems are foreseen in the next 5 years.
US Navy’s newest ship breaks down 20 days after commissioning, towed to emergency repair
Published time: 12 Dec, 2015 10:52
The US Navy’s brand new littoral combat ship, the Milwaukee, broke down on Friday and had to be towed for emergency repair just three weeks after commissioning. The warship’s troubles came after several days of propulsion system problems.
The USS Milwaukee was traveling from Halifax, Canada to Mayport, Florida, on its way to its homeport in San Diego when it suffered an engineering failure, the Navy Times reported.
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USS Freedom (Reuters / Lockheed-Martin) US Navy’s troubled Littoral Combat Ship program could face the axe
The salvage ship Grapple towed it more than 40 nautical miles to the Joint Expeditionary Base in Little Creek, Virginia, where the cause of the failure will be traced and repairs carried out.
Initial indications point to metal filings in the lube oil filter as the cause of the shutdown, the report said. The ship experienced propulsion problems after leaving Halifax. Engineers cleaned out the metal debris and locked the port shaft as a precaution, but it appears the fix wasn’t enough to keep the Milwaukee running.
"Reporting of a complete loss of propulsion on USS Milwaukee (LCS 5) is deeply alarming, particularly given this ship was commissioned just 20 days ago," Senator John McCain, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a statement to the Times.
The USS Milwaukee is the third ship of the Freedom class, Lockheed Martin’s contribution for the Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship program. The Navy couldn’t choose between this design and the rival contender from General Dynamics, the Independence-class LCS and contracted a dozen of each class. Three of each has been commissioned so far.
READ MORE: F-35 deathtrap: Pentagon jet’s ejection seat could snap pilot’s neck
The LCS program was designed to produce a multipurpose warship for patrolling littoral zones, waters close to shore. It suffered from an overblown budget and concerns over the warship’s ability to survive actual combat.
The American navy's newest ship, launched with great fanfare less than a month ago, has broken down at sea and had to be towed to land.
The USS Milwaukee, a vast, futuristic-looking beast, suffered an engineering problem while en route from Halifax, Canada, to Mayport in Florida. From Florida it was due to travel on to its home port of San Diego.
But the ship, commissioned on November 21, suffered problems on Friday.
The Navy Times said that initial reports suggest fine metal debris collected in the lube oil filter, causing the system to shut down.
"Reporting of a complete loss of propulsion on USS Milwaukee is deeply alarming, particularly given this ship was commissioned just 20 days ago," said John McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
The USS Milwaukee Naval Warship in Veterans Park in Milwaukee, WIThe USS Milwaukee Naval Warship in Veterans Park in Milwaukee, WI Photo: Abe Van Dyke / Demotix
“US Navy ships are built with redundant systems to enable continued operation in the event of an engineering casualty, which makes this incident very concerning.
“I expect the navy to conduct a thorough investigation into the root causes of this failure, hold individuals accountable as appropriate, and keep the Senate Armed Services Committee informed.”
The site of the $437 million vessel being towed to shore in Virginia will be deeply embarrassing for the navy.
Last month they trumpeted the ship's launch, saying: Milwaukee is a fast, agile, focused-mission platform designed for operation in near-shore environments yet capable of open-ocean operation.
"It is designed to defeat asymmetric "anti-access" threats such as mines, quiet diesel submarines and fast surface craft."
Afraid of China, Pentagon Looks to Improve Naval Anti-Ship Missiles
America has long seen itself as having the most competent naval force in the world. But China’s growing clout is forcing strategists in Washington to rethink their dominance, and the US Navy is about to spend millions on anti-ship missiles – the first such purchase in decades
The last time that a US naval vessel sank another ship was 27 years ago, when the USS Simpson attacked an Iranian gunboat in retaliation for an Iranian mine which had struck an American ship four days earlier. Ever since that event, Washington has assumed it maintains uncontested reign over the world’s oceans.
But the rapid rise of China on the global stage may be threatening that dominance, and the Pentagon is scrambling to adjust.
For one, the US Navy has relied on the same model of anti-ship missile since 1977: the Harpoon. But American military officials are concerned that the Chinese navy is capable of destroying or outmaneuvering those missiles.
To address those concerns, the US Navy is looking into a variety of options for revamping its offensive weapons.
One option is to retrofit the tried-and-true Tomahawk. While reliable, that missile was designed for striking stationary targets on land. The Pentagon began running tests on converted Tomahawks last January, and officials believe that successful sea variety could be deployed as in the next few years.
The Navy is also looking into creating its own version of the Long Range Anti-Ship Missile, originally designed to be launched via aircraft.
The Lockheed Martin-led industry team celebrated the launch of the nation's fifth Littoral Combat Ship, the future USS Milwaukee. (File)
© AP Photo/ Lockheed Martin
Epic Fail: US Navy’s Newest Ship Breaks Down in the Open Sea
These upgrades will force America’s enemies to "wake up and instead of just worrying about aircraft carriers or torpedoes from subs, they now have to worry about all surface ships and their ability to attack them," Vice Adm. Thomas Rowden, the Navy’s Surface Force Commander, told Aviation Week.
The US is also considering the possibility of spreading its Pacific air squadrons across a wider array of airfields from Palau to the Philippines. In this way, it could lessen the impact of an offensive missile attack against any one air base.
"It’s not that any of these places are out of range in an attack," said David Ochmanek, a former senior Pentagon official, according to Foreign Policy. "But if you put small numbers of aircraft in many places and you disperse the aircraft on the base itself, you limit your liability and raise the cost of suppression attack."
US military officials are also worried about the navy’s broader strategy. With over 300 naval ships in its fleet, Beijing is rapidly gaining on the United States, which could threaten Washington’s access to the Pacific. The Pentagon is also worried about the infamous Dongfeng DF-21D "carrier killer" ballistic missile.
This could present problems in areas like the South China Sea, where the US and China are currently engaged in a tense standoff. Expressing opposition to Beijing’s construction of artificial islands in the Spratly archipelago, Washington has sent naval patrols through the 12-mile territorial limit of those islands.
China, for its part, has maintained that it has every right to build within its own territory, and insists that the installations will be used primarily for humanitarian purposes.
If a conflict were to emerge out of those tensions, the Pentagon could not count on easy victory.
"You’re going to lose ships and jets and people," Ochmanek said. "Our military establishment came to this realization reluctantly. The challenge is as much conceptual as it is hardware related."
Read more: http://sputniknews.com/us/20151214/1031 ... z3uOMBvzIf
Chinese Submarine Practiced Missile Attack on USS Reagan
Cruise missile targeting of carrier risked naval shootout
BY: Bill Gertz
December 15, 2015 5:00 am
A Chinese attack submarine conducted a simulated cruise missile attack on the aircraft carrier USS Reagan during a close encounter several weeks ago, according to American defense officials.
The targeting incident near the Sea of Japan in October violated China’s 2014 commitment to the multinational Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea, known as CUES, designed to reduce the risk of a shooting incident between naval vessels, said officials familiar with details of the encounter they described as “serious.”
A section of the non-binding 2014 agreement states that commanders at sea should avoid actions that could lead to accidents or mishaps. Among the actions to be avoided are “simulation of attacks by aiming guns, missiles, fire control radar, torpedo tubes or other weapons in the direction of vessels or aircraft encountered.”
Navy officials recently briefed congressional staff on the incident that took place during the weekend of Oct. 24—days before the Navy warship USS Lassens sailed within 12 miles of disputed Chinese islands in the South China Sea, triggering vocal criticism from Beijing.
The Obama administration has kept details of the submarine targeting incident secret to avoid upsetting military relations between the Pentagon and the People’s Liberation Army.
Asked directly about the incident, Adm. Harry Harris, commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, did not deny that the encounter occurred. “I have nothing for you,” Harris stated in an email.
Pacific Command spokesman Capt. Darryn James earlier directed questions about the targeting to the Chinese navy. James also stated that Navy ships in the region are capable of defending themselves.
“I cannot discuss submarine operations, reports of submarine operations, or rumors of submarine operations,” James said. “I can tell you that we are completely confident in the effectiveness and capabilities of the ships and aircraft of the forward-deployed naval force.”
Additional details about the submarine-carrier encounter emerged after the Free Beacon first reported the incident Nov. 3.
The nuclear-powered Reagan is currently the Navy’s sole forward-deployed aircraft carrier strike group. It arrived at its base in Yokosuka, Japan on Oct. 1 and replaced the USS Washington strike group there.
Aircraft carrier strike groups are equipped with anti-submarine warfare capabilities, including ships armed with sensors and submarine-killing torpedoes.
Disclosure of the aircraft carrier targeting comes as two Chinese navy warships arrived in Pearl Harbor on Sunday.
China’s official news agency said the ships’ visit to Hawaii will last five days. “During the fleet’s stay here, the U.S. navy and the Chinese fleet will hold receptions for each other,” Xinhua said. “Friendly sports activities, such as basketball and soccer games, will be held between the two sides.”
The Pentagon has made developing closer ties with the Chinese military a top priority, despite concerns that the exchanges are boosting Chinese war-fighting capabilities.
Members of Congress have called for curbing the exchanges in the face of Chinese cyber attacks and destabilizing activities in the South China Sea.
On Capitol Hill, Rep. Randy Forbes (R., Va.), chairman of the House Armed Services subcommittee on sea power, said he is concerned by reports of China’s simulated ship attack.
“If true, this would be yet another case of China trying to show us that they can hold our forces in the region at risk,” said Forbes.
“Coming on the heels of anti-satellite tests and other demonstrations, this latest incident should be a reminder of the destabilizing course that China is on and the challenges we face in maintaining a stable military balance in the Asia-Pacific region,” Forbes added.
Naval warfare analysts said the incident highlights Chinese efforts to counter U.S. aircraft carrier strike groups, the United States’ major power projection capability in the Pacific.
Retired Navy Capt. Jim Fanell, a former Pacific Fleet intelligence chief, said the submarine incident, if confirmed, would be another clear case of the Chinese navy targeting the carrier strike groups, known as CVNs.
“The PLAN submarine force is on the leading edge of the PLAN for targeting U.S. CVNs in the East Asia arena, all for the expressed purpose of being able to attack and disable them in a contingency operation” he said. PLAN stands for People’s Liberation Army Navy.
Rick Fisher, a China military specialist at the International Assessment and Strategy Center, said the Chinese navy operates several types of submarines capable of firing anti-ship cruise missiles.
The Song-class and Yuan-class attack submarines can fire two types of torpedo tube-launched anti-ship cruise missiles, including the YJ-82 with a range of up to 22 miles.
Eight of China’s 12 Russian-made Kilo-class submarines are armed with Club anti-ship missiles with a range of up to 137 miles. Newer Shang-class submarine can also fire cruise missiles.
“That the U.S. side would be able to determine that the submarine was conducting a cruise missile strike would indicate that the Chinese submarine was under close surveillance,” Fisher said.
“That also raises the potential that the U.S. side could determine the Chinese submarine had hostile intent, potentially leading to the launching of defensive weapons.”
Fisher said the incident was serious because a U.S.-China shootout would likely result in the destruction of the Chinese submarine and the loss of its crew. “Even though China would have been at fault for the incident, the Chinese government would likely then use it as an excuse for initiating a series of attacks or incidents against U.S. naval forces,” he said.
Additionally, the targeting “certainly runs counter to a 2014 U.S.-China agreement to avoid such incidents at sea, which could indicate that China may have little intention to honor such this or other military confidence building agreements,” Fisher said.
The Navy’s main close-in anti-submarine warfare weapon is the RUM-139C rocket-launched anti-submarine torpedo, with a range of about 17 miles.
Ben Ho Wan Beng, a military analyst at Singapore’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, said the Chinese military is focused on using of cruise missiles against carriers. “China seems to stress the centrality of this weapon in attacking ships,” he wrote last week in the Diplomat.
Recent improvements in Navy defenses against submarines include a new electronic combat system, a towed sensor array, and the P-8 maritime submarine patrol aircraft.
“Whether or not these and similar measures would enable the U.S. to retain a distinctive edge in the undersea combat realm vis-à-vis China remains to be seen,” Ho said.
Lyle J. Goldstein, a U.S. Naval War College expert on the Chinese military, wrote on Sunday that a Chinese defense journal recently discussed ways to sink U.S. aircraft carriers.
A Chinese military analyst recently revealed that China is closely studying a report from earlier this year revealing that a small nuclear-powered French submarine successfully conducted a simulated attack on the aircraft carrier USS Roosevelt, sinking the ship and several support ships in the simulation.
“The article illustrates how Chinese military analysts are diligently probing for cracks in the U.S. Navy’s armor,” Goldstein wrote in the National Interest.
The October showdown between the Chinese submarine and the Reagan took place as the carrier sailed around the southern end of Japan on the way exercises in the Sea of Japan along with four other strike group warships.
Days after the incident, two Russian strategic bombers flew within a mile of the carrier at a height of 500 feet, prompting F-18s from the ship to scramble and intercept them.
The October incident was not the first time a Chinese submarine threatened a U.S. carrier strike group.
In 2006, a Song-class attack submarine surfaced undetected within torpedo range of the USS Kitty Hawk.
The state-controlled China Daily praised the implementation of the CUES maritime code agreement last year as a major step in U.S.-China military relations.
Wen Bing, a researcher at the Chinese army’s Academy of Military Sciences, told the newspaper that the code of conduct and U.S.-China warship exercise at the time “demonstrate the resolve of both countries to deepen military ties and avoid a maritime conflict escalating due to a lack of communication.”
In December 2013, a Chinese amphibious warship sailed in front of the guided missile cruiser USS Cowpens and stopped, causing a near collision in the South China Sea.
A Chinese Embassy spokesman did not respond to an email request for comment.
Under the Sea: Russian, Chinese Submarines Challenge for US
21:52 28.11.2015
The industry for building and acquiring modern submarines is growing exponentially. The United States, Russia, China and even India are designing and building multiple new classes of subs, equipped with a growing variety of weapons and sensors.
Christopher P. Cavas in his article for the Defense News wrote that although the US builds extremely capable submarines, at about $2 billion each, there are only so many subs the US Navy can acquire as ‘the supply will never meet the demand.’
Northern Fleet. Nuclear submarines base
© Sputnik/ V. Kiselev
Advanced Russian Submarines US Navy Should Watch Out For
Retired Vice Adm. Michael Connor, a former commander of the US Navy’s submarine forces, in a recent hearing on Capitol Hill said, “The undersea arena is the most opaque of all warfighting domains. It is easier to track a small object in space than it is to track a large submarine, with tremendous fire power under the water. That is why countries with the technical wherewithal to operate in this domain are pursuing advanced capability,” The Defense News website reported.
“The two countries that present the biggest challenge in the undersea are Russia and China, with Russia being the more capable of the two,” Connor said.
Connor in his briefing stressed that instead of building more submarines, more focus should be on sustained development of weapons and sensors to increase the power of US undersea forces. Among Connor’s top recommendations was the aim to extend the striking range of submarine-launched weapons.
He further mentioned that improvements should be made in the endurance of the vehicles, expanding the payload set and reaching a point where any submarine can recover the mission data, if not the vehicle.
“We need to do this while keeping the cost of the vehicle down. The cost should be low enough such that, while we would always like to get the vehicles back, it is not a crisis if we don’t. The value is in the data, not the vehicle,” Connor said, Defense News reported.
According to the Rep. Randy Forbes, R-Va., chairman of the subcommittee, “There’s a recognition that if we’re going to keep up with undersea dominance, it’s not just about creating more platforms, but we have to create relatively sophisticated systems of systems with the ability to multiply capability but not just adding a platform,” he said in a post-hearing interview, the Defense News reported.
Read more: http://sputniknews.com/military/2015112 ... z3ug0HyM7f
Britain’s independent nuclear deterrent could be torpedoed by an increasingly sophisticated breed of underwater drone, a leading defence expert has warned.
Rapid advances in underwater drone technology – autonomous underwater vehicles that can be controlled by ship- or land-based operators – threaten to make the controversial Trident nuclear submarines vulnerable, according to Paul Ingram, the chief executive of the British American Security Information Council (Basic).
Submarines have traditionally been seen as capable of providing stealth and invulnerability to pre-emptive attacks. The current requirement for Trident replacement subs is for them to operate as near to silently as possible.
However, a revolution in underwater drones, as well as advances in sonar, satellite and other anti-submarine warfare systems, mean that even totally silent submarines are likely to become detectable. Some sensor technologies can detect large submerged objects by monitoring small movements of surface water.
Experts warn that as the capabilities of detecting systems improve and their cost falls, large-scale remote and potentially autonomous sensor deployments become possible. The result is that the world’s oceans will become increasingly transparent, seriously calling into question the UK’s heavy reliance upon the Trident submarine programme for its nuclear deterrence.
“There is a major transition taking place in the underwater battle space and it is far from clear how the new submarine will be able to evade detection from emerging sophisticated anti-submarine warfare capabilities,” Mr Ingram said.
The revolution seen in aerial drone capabilities in recent years was likely to be extended to underwater craft, he added. A US study recently reported that up to 50 aerial drones, controlled by one operator, had “swarmed” in a simulated co-ordinated attack. New algorithms, or mathematical formulas, to command and control much greater drone numbers are already being developed. Similar advances in underwater drone operation would make it harder for submarines to escape detection, he said.
The US navy and other states including China are already known to be carrying out extensive research into underwater drones.
“With satellite surveillance able to look further and further into the water, coupled with the possibility of ‘swarming’ underwater drones which are likely to become cheaper and cheaper to produce, it raises serious questions about the wisdom of putting all your nuclear weapons on board a submarine,” he argued. “The only purpose for doing that, it is claimed, is to make them hard to detect, which could well be impossible to achieve by the time the new Trident programme is launched.”
The Basic think-tank is concerned by the lack of informed public debate about Trident. “The worrying thing is that nobody is debating this. It is an issue that nobody wants to talk about,” Mr Ingram said.
“Campaigners against Trident don’t want to talk about it because it’s not about the purity of their anti-nuclear arguments. Those in favour of maintaining a nuclear deterrence do not want to talk about it because if the seas become transparent then the sense of putting all of our nuclear weapons in relatively slow moving platforms such as submarines will pose fresh difficulties,” he said.
Military experts point out that the Royal Navy has long been involved in “cat and mouse” warfare – with Germany during two world wars and then with the Russians during the Cold War and beyond. They insist that underwater drones are but the latest tool in a race between submariners and their detectors.
In January, Carol Naughton, of the non-proliferation group British Pugwash, will launch a research project into the appropriateness of Trident as a platform for the UK’s nuclear weapons capability.
“We are in danger of embarking on a major spend that will not only fail to deliver the invulnerability required of the proposed deterrent system, but is also likely to add a worrying degree of instability into the nuclear weapons situation,” she said.
Last month the Prime Minister revealed that the strategic defence and security review (SDSR) had put the cost of the four subs at £31bn, up from £25bn nine years ago. The review said a contingency fund of £10bn would be set aside, suggesting the MoD anticipates the costs could rise still further.
The first sub is not due to come into service until the early 2030s
This is around 5 times the power of the currently deployed Laser Weapon System (LaWS)..REDONDO BEACH, California. Northrop Grumman won a contract from the U.S. Office of Naval Research (ONR) U.S. Navy to design, produce, integrate, and support shipboard testing of a 150-kilowatt-class solid state (electric) laser weapon system. The contract, dubbed Laser Weapon System Demonstrator (LWSD), will have three phases.
During Phase 1 Northrop Grumman engineers will develop a detailed design for the new system. Phase 2 will include assembly and ground test of the system, and Phase 3 will consist of at-sea testing of the system aboard the Navy's Self Defense Test Ship (SDTS) -- the former USS Paul F. Foster (DD-964). The Navy will lead the testing with Northrop Grumman providing the technical support.
Northrop Grumman officials say they have designed its system to be installed with minimal modification or additional costs for demonstrations onboard the Navy's DDG-51 FLT II class destroyers.
The initial award of $53 million will support work planned for the next 12 months. The contract could grow to a total value of $91 million over 34 months if ONR exercises all of its contract options.
Northrop Grumman has won the race to design, develop, and test a Solid-State High Power Laser Weapon System Demonstrator (LWSD) that could, if successful, form the basis for a deployable shipborne high-energy laser weapon.
The company's Space and Mission Systems business, based in Redondo Beach, California, was selected from six bidders to receive an initial USD53.1 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract from the US Office of Naval Research (ONR). Options, if exercised, could bring the total value of the programme to USD91 million.
A Broad Agency Announcement was released by the ONR in December 2014, outlining plans for the design, development, and at-sea test of a high-power solid-state Laser (SSL) prototype. This followed from ONR's earlier Maritime Laser Demonstrator (MLD) programme, and the deployment of an SSL Quick Reaction Capability in the form of the 30 kW-class AN/SEQ-3(XN-1) Laser Weapon System (LaWS) fitted to the afloat forward staging base platform USS Ponce. Based on commercial fibre laser technology, in late 2014 the LaWS system was certified as the first fully approved laser weapon system deployed by any US military service.
The LWSD forms part of the ONR's wider Solid-State Laser Technology Maturation (SSL-TM) effort, intended to de-risk and demonstrate technologies to realize a 100-150 kW-class SSL weapon. The US Navy's (USN's) DDG 51 Flight IIA guided-missile destroyer has been identified as the primary candidate for future shipboard installation and, according to the ONR, "represents a realistic goal for the design envelope and operating constraints".
Speaking to IHS Jane's earlier this year, Peter Morrison, ONR's program officer, said there was a recognition that multiple technology and architecture improvements may contribute to a more robust system that enhances system lethality, readiness, durability, and maintainability for implementation on a variety of navy platforms. "The government believes that improvements in lethality may be achieved through maturation and optimization of a variety of system characteristics, including laser power [studies suggest that SSL systems with laser power of 100-150 kW may be supportable using ship power and cooling], beam quality, beam director architecture, and other physical and optical aspects of the laser, beam director, and system design," he said. "The LWSD development effort ... is an integral part of the SSL-TM program [and] an important part of the navy's overarching science and technology strategy for directed energy weapons."
Morrison added, "Program funding and timeline currently only support testing on the ex-USS Paul Foster, which is the navy's Self-Defense Test Ship (SDTS). However, the design approach should address the possibility of subsequent installation on a DDG 51 Flight IIA-class destroyer with minimal modifications and cost."
The LWSD is intended to marry an industry-sourced Tactical Laser Core Module (TLCM) with government-furnished subsystems (such as a laser weapon control console and predictive avoidance system). As well as at-sea testing on the SDTS, the LWSD program additionally has the objective of achieving Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6 for the system in order to support a potential USN program of record milestone decision.
Northrop Grumman Space and Mission Systems previously developed the solid-state high-energy laser prototype for ONR's MLD program, which culminated in an April 2011 trial that demonstrated counter-materiel damage effects to disable a small boat target. The MLD laser weapon was based on technologies developed through several US Department of Defense programs, including the precision tracking system from the Tactical High Energy Laser (THEL) and solid-state laser technology from the Joint High Power Solid-State Laser (JHPSSL) program. The MLD laser used the same modular 15 kW neodymium yttrium aluminium garnet solid-state laser 'building block' used in JHPSSL; similarly, the MLD beam director was adapted from that used in the THEL system.
The three-phase LWSD programme will begin with a 12-month Phase I base period addressing the development and refinement of the TLCM design package and associated risk-reduction efforts. Phase II (Option Period I) will include subassembly, assembly, and system-level testing as well as residual risk-reduction activities. Separate land-based testing periods to be performed in the latter stages of Phase II will be used to validate the performance of the beam control system and to validate the overall performance of the TLCM.
The six-month Phase III (Option Period II) will see the government assume responsibility for LWSD installation and testing on the SDTS. It is anticipated that ship-based testing will consist of two two-week test periods, separated by up to a month during which the system will remain installed on the ship but not tested.
More Russian small cmissile corvettes to be uilt.Myanmar commissions second frigate with reduced RCS, hospital ship
Mrityunjoy Mazumdar, Alameda, California - IHS Jane's Navy International
29 December 2015
UMS Sin Phyu Shin (F 14), the Myanmar Navy's second guided-missile frigate with low observable radar characteristics. Source: Myanmar Navy
Key Points
•Myanmar's navy has commissioned new vessels including a second stealthy guided-missile frigate
•The frigate is fitted with two quad box launchers for Chinese C-802 anti-ship missiles
The Myanmar Navy commissioned several new vessels including UMS Sin Phyu Shin (F 14), its second guided-missile frigate with low observable radar characteristics, on 24 December 2015 - the service's 68th anniversary.
The commissioning ceremony was attended by the commander-in-chief of the country's defence services, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, who also inspected ongoing offshore patrol vessel (OPV) and corvette projects as well as infrastructure projects at the Naval Dockyard in Thanlyin, according to a release from the senior general's office.
The release also sheds new information on Myanmar's little-known frigate programme that commenced in 2005. The ships, Aung Zeya (F 11) and Kyan-Sit-Thar (F 12), were commissioned in 2010 and 2014, respectively, while construction of Sin Phyu Shin commenced in 2010.
Unlike first-of-class Aung Zeya , the second and third ships feature a stealthy superstructure with two masts and a helicopter hangar. The platform has a length of 106 m and a beam of about 13.5 m. Like Aung Zeya , it is likely that Sin Phyu Shin , is powered by two Chinese-assembled Pielstick 16 cylinder PA6 STC engines from Shaanxi Diesel Engine company.
The frigate is equipped with an India-supplied RAWL-02 (license-built Thales LW-08) 2D air search radar on the mainmast, a Chinese Type 362 missile-targeting radar in a radome atop the foremast along with two fire control radars - most likely Chinese Type 47 series. An India-made HMS-X hull-mounted sonar system is also fitted to the frigates.
Weapons include one Oto Melara 76 mm gun in a stealthy gun mount and three Chinese NG-18 systems for close-in defence. A North Korean-origin box launcher for six man-portable air defence system (MANPADS) is also fitted on the foredeck along with two North Korean small calibre gun mounts on the bridge wings.
Russia lays keels for first Project 22800-class small missile corvettes
Bruce Jones, London - IHS Jane's Navy International
23 December 2015
The keels of the first two ships in Russia's new Project 22800-class small missile corvettes are to be laid on 24 December at Pella Shipyard in St Petersburg.
Designed by the Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau, the vessels - Uragan and Taifun - are scheduled to enter service in 2017 and 2018, Russia's Defence Ministry announced on 23 December.
A production run of at least 18 units is planned.
The Project 22800 class is replacing Project 11356 Admiral Grigorovich-class frigates, which were equipped with Ukrainian engines. The new class has more powerful Russian engines with additional weapon systems.
Rear Admiral Viktor Bursuk, deputy chief of naval armaments, stated that the corvettes' principal armaments will be Kaliber NK long-range cruise missiles and A-190 100 mm artillery.
This design hasn't aged gracefully...Aditya G wrote:Russian Navy Kashin class destroyer Smetlivy.
Note the placement of the Kh-35 cells.
...
C Sword 90 Stealthy Corvette, France
A novel and innovative C Sword 90 stealth corvette concept design was unveiled at EURONAVAL 2014 exhibition held at Paris in October 2014. The corvette will feature a new hull and superstructure designed and developed by Constructions Mecaniques de Normandie (CMN) in collaboration with Thierry Verhaaren Architecte Naval (TVAN).
The C Sword 90 corvette can be deployed in deterrent missions, coastal and offshore defence, anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASuW) and anti-air warfare missions.
C Sword 90 design and features
Gowind Corvettes, France
DCNS of France first announced the Gowind family of corvettes in 2006. Since the initial announcement, DCNS has enlarged the Gowind family to four corvettes with length from 85m to 105m and displacement from 1,000t to 2,500t.
The C Sword 90 stealth corvette is designed to feature a stealthy hull with sloped surface and highly-integrated equipment. The vessel's round bilge shaped hull is made of steel, while the superstructure is made of steel/aluminium. The vessel can accommodate 65 crew members and can be fitted with 20 additional berths. It will be classified by Bureau Veritas (BV).
The corvette will have an overall length of 95m, overall beam of 15.7m, and maximum draught of 4m. The length and beam of the vessel at waterline will be 92m and 12.7m respectively.
The vessel is designed as a compact and multirole craft that can operate in high intensity war situations while meeting the requirements of modern day naval forces. It can be used in multiple missions including coastal and seaward Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance (ISR), electronic warfare tasks, scouting, and ground operations support.
The corvette can also carry two 11m high speed rigid-hulled inflatable boats (RHIBs) with dedicated davits, unmanned surface vessels (USV) and underwater unmanned vessels (UUV).
Sensors / radars aboard the stealthy corvette
The vessel will feature an extensive sensor package with electro-optronic surveillance and tracking system that can be used for ISR missions. The naval radar with four fixed array panels will ensure continuous 360° coverage over the sea and air.
The corvette will also be equipped with fire control radar, radar electronic support measures (RESM), Communications Electronic Support Measures (CESM), and an Integrated Bridge Control System (IBCS). The onboard sensors will be interfaced with the integrated naval communications system and IBCS aboard the vessel.
C Sword 90 weapon systems and countermeasures
The corvette can be armed with one 76mm or 57mm gun mounted at the forward bow deck. Two remotely controlled 20mm or 30mm guns are placed on port and starboard side. The vessel will also be equipped with eight MM40 Exocet anti-ship missiles and 16 vertically-launched anti-air missiles.
Two short-range air defence missiles on the deck will further enhance the protection against aerial threats. The two triple-tube torpedo launchers will allow the vessel to strike enemy submarines.
"The C Sword 90 stealth corvette is designed to feature a stealthy hull with sloped surface and highly-integrated equipment."
The vessel will be fitted with a decoy launching system for deceiving incoming anti-ship missiles and torpedoes. It will also integrate a hull mounted sonar and a towed sonar for conducting anti-submarine warfare (ASW) operations.
Helicopter handling capabilities
The C Sword 90 will feature a Level 1 Class 3 aft heli-deck supporting a 10t-class helicopter during day and night missions.
Engines and performance
The vessel is powered by two propulsion diesel engines driving two controllable pitch propellers (CPPs). It is also equipped with three main generator sets and one emergency generator set.
The corvette will have a range of 7,000nmi at an average speed of 12kt, and can sail at a maximum speed of 28kt. It will have 170m3 of fuel and 30m3 of fresh water storage capacities.
At the Surface Navy Association's (SNA) National Symposium currently held near Washington DC, Navy Recognition learned that Lockheed Martin is working on a "top side" (deck mounted) configuration for its Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) in addition to the vertically launched (from Mk-41) variant. The vertical launched LRASM was already successfully tested in September 2014."Lockheed Martin is preparing to compete for OASuW Increment II competition in 2017" Scott Callaway, Surface Launched LRASM Program Director, told us during SNA 2016.
In its deck mounted configuration, a LRASM launcher has the exact same footprint as a Harpoon launcher. It looks similar in form and shape as well: The LRASM missile fits inside a cylindrical canister positioned at an angle (just like the existing Harpoon launchers). The deck mounted LRASM shares the same MK 114 ASROCK booster as in the vertical launch variant. Lockheed Martin has already evaluated the console size requirements to accommodate LRASM and confirms the console would fit on the LCS frigate variant.
Navy Recognition also learned that LRASM could potentially come with land attack capability. While this capability is not part of the current (OASuW increment I) set of requirements (increment II requirements have not been released yet), we were told that a software update would provide LRASM with such capability. This is because LRASM is based on the AGM-158 JASSM (Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile) standoff land attack cruise missile. [Perhaps software re-use, but the seeker on the LRASM shares no commonality with the JASSM]
Scott Callaway concluded by telling us "Lockheed Martin is ready now for an at sea testing of LRASM in top side or Mk-41 VLS configuration".In the meantime, the U.S. Navy's NAVAIR (Naval Air Systems Command) announced the end of the first phase of inflight loads testing for the air launched LRASM program. With load testing completed, the U.S. Navy will now focus on noise and vibration tests.
We learned during SNA 2016 that jettison and live fire testing is planned to begin in 2017 with the B-1 and F/A-18E/F. Testing will continue until the early operational capabilities declaration in 2018 and 2019 respectively.
The LRASM is a long-range subsonic cruise missile designed for better range and survivability than current anti-ship weaponry. It is carried with the wings and tail stowed and then deployed once released from the aircraft. This missile development program is a joint effort of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Naval Air Systems Command and the United States Air Force.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 15 (UPI) -- Raytheon's new Excalibur N5 projectile was fired from a 5-inch naval gun during a flight test at Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona.
The Excalibur N5 is a 5-inch variant of Raytheon's Excalibur extended range precision projectile. The projectile is currently in use by the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps, in addition to other armed forces. The company expects the N5 variant will triple the effective range of naval gun munitions currently in use, while maintaining the same accuracy.
The new sea-based projectile is designed to be used for naval surface fire support, anti-surface warfare, and engaging fast attack craft.
The Excalibur is a co-developed project between Raytheon and BAE Systems. Future plans for the program also include the Excalibur S, which incorporates a digital semi-active laser seeker to further improve accuracy and reduce the risk of GPS jamming.
Not Could but WOULD. Air-Defense rounds are consuming a far larger share of the amount budgeted for all railgun rounds. Last year major chunks of the Electromagnetic railgun programs were transfered to either the Missile Defense Agency or the MDA was allowed to come in as USN's partner. There are also murmurs of a Rapid Capabilities Office to be created within the MDA for such projects (much like the USAF has its famous RCO). In the long term, railgun are the ultimate solutions for ballistic and cruise missile defense but particularly the former where very high speeds are beneficial.There could even be an anti-air development of the same of smaller caliber which would take care of anti-ship missiles at greater ranges too.
The competition for a A$50 billion ($34.55 billion) contract to build Australia's next submarine fleet is narrowing to a race between Japan and France as a bid from Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKAG.DE) (TKMS) loses ground over technical concerns, multiple sources said.
Australia is expected to decide the winner of one of the world's most lucrative defense contracts within the next six months, ahead of a national election in which the deal and the jobs it will create is expected to be a key issue for the conservative government.
TKMS is proposing to scale up its 2,000-tonne Type 214 class vessel, while Japan is offering a variant of its 4,000-tonne Soryu boats made by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (7011.T) and Kawasaki Heavy Industries (7012.T).
France's state-controlled naval contractor DCNS has proposed a diesel-electric version of its 5,000-tonne Barracuda nuclear-powered submarine.
Australia has said it wants a boat in the 4,000-tonne class.
Scaling a submarine to twice its original size presents exponential technical challenges, experts say.
That puts TKMS furthest from having the experience to offer what Australia wants in a large, long-range, stealthy submarine to replace its aging Collins-class fleet, said six industrial sources in Asia and Australia with knowledge of the situation.
"The German proposal is an enlarged version of a smaller existing submarine, and that technically is risky," said one source.
TKMS and one of the sources in Australia, who has decades of experience in the global arms industry, cautioned against jumping to conclusions as each side jockeys for the best outcome in what may ultimately be a political decision.
Australia wanted a partner to design and build a new submarine, which neutralizes any perceived advantage with existing bigger boats, said TKMS Australia Director Jim Duncan.
"The rumors could well be right. Who knows," Duncan told Reuters when asked to respond to what the industrial sources said. "My only advice, having spent many years in this environment is: believe nothing that you hear and only half of what you see."
Officials at the Future Submarine Program at the Australian Department of Defence did not respond to a request for comment.
DCNS Australia CEO Sean Costello declined to comment on his competitors, but said experience in large submarine design was critical for the Australian project.
LEADERSHIP CHANGE
Tokyo was initially seen as the frontrunner, partly due to close ties between Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who was ousted in a party coup by Malcolm Turnbull last September.
With Turnbull quiet on the matter, Japan is touting its offer as a way to build military ties between two allies in Asia, something U.S. officials have said they want to see as China emerges as a regional power.
But Tokyo, which until two years ago had a decades-long ban on arms exports, has been hobbled throughout the process by a lack of experience in managing overseas defense contracts and the shifting political tide in Canberra.
With Australia facing an economic slowdown, that has put job creation and innovation atop the political agenda.
Japan was slow to commit to build all vessels at South Australian shipyards, a politically significant pledge that both DCNS and TKMS made quickly.
At the same time, DCNS and TKMS pledged to share sensitive technology with the Australian government and promised packages of economic incentives.
Australia's Defence Department is formulating a recommendation based on materials submitted by the bidders late last year and is expected to give that to cabinet as early as March.
