International Naval News & Discussion

[abhik]

PLAN is reported to building the next gen of its SSBN after finishing the 3 Jin class(12 SLBM) class. this new class is reported to have 24 tubes which would make it 18,000t ohio class size. since their plan is to patrol and launch from bastion areas only given the overwhelming number of USN subs prowling around, this is a economical approach to putting more tubes under the water on fewer boats.

If its anything like the Ohio class it would point to a massive expansion in their N-arsenal. Considering that each Trident 2 D5 carries up to 8 MIRVs, thats a total of 192 warheads per sub, while most reports have claimed the Chinese arsenal to be around 300 or in the same range.

[Cosmo_R]

Pilot lands fighter jet on a STOOL after front landing gear fails

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/video/news/v ... fails.html

Wow...this was fantastic precision.

Yup the (turbofans) hit the sh**

[brar_w]

P-8 Poseidon with the Littoral Surveillance Radar System (2:55 onwards)

[brar_w]

Onodera sets out plans to buy amphibious assault ships

Japanese Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera has said that Tokyo is to consider the purchase of at least one amphibious assault ship.

"We are intending to acquire a transport ship capable of promptly sending out Self-Defense Force (SDF) units on missions to defend Japan's remote islands," Onodera told reporters after inspecting the Wasp-class assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD at the US Navy's San Diego base on 7 July.

"It's a multifunctional transport ship capable of providing assistance in a timely manner when a major disaster breaks out," he said.

The Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) already operates three Osumi-class tank landing ships (LST), JS Osumi , JS Shimokita and JS Kunisaki , which all have a well deck embarking two Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) hovercraft and a parking deck that can embark land vehicles.

Access is via lifts to the main deck or a ramp on the starboard side. The main deck is split between space for more land vehicles and a large helicopter landing pad aft the superstructure.

The Japanese Ministry of Defence confirmed to IHS Jane's in January that the Osumi class will be upgraded to allow them to embark BAE Systems AAV7A1 amphibious assault vehicles and Bell-Boeing MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft, both of which Japan intends to buy from the United States.

Asked about the difference with the existing Japanese ships, Onodera pointed to the fact that the Wasp class can carry many more LCACs below deck, and that the upper deck can carry many aircraft including MV-22s. He also said the ship is also fully compatible with operations using AAV7s.

COMMENT
Onodera's comments are in line with the Mid-Term Defense Programme (FY2014-18), which was adopted in December 2013 and stated that "the SDF will consider what the role should be of a multipurpose vessel with capabilities for command and control, large-scale transportation, and aircraft operations, which can be utilised in various operations such as amphibious operations, and reach a conclusion regarding its acquisition" by FY2018.

The Osumi-class upgrade can be seen as one element of this but the move to purchase a new platform is a longer term aim. Osumi was Japan's first flattop in the post-war period and so had its capabilities limited by defence planners to avoid any suggestion that it could have an offensive amphibious role.

This sensitivity has been trumped by the perceived threat from China to Japan's offshore islands, which has dominated MoD strategic planning discussions in recent years due to the escalation of the Senkaku/Diaoyu island dispute in the East China Sea.

In addition to platform procurements and upgrades, Japan is also setting up a marine corps-style force from Western Army troops based in Nagasaki, and has undertaken an increasing number of amphibious drills with the US Marine Corps and other countries.

Nonetheless, in San Diego Onodera was keen to stress the disaster relief capabilities of Makin Island and another Wasp-class ship USS Essex , which he said "played a crucial role" in the response to the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan.

He also failed to mention one key element of the Wasp class' capabilities: that it embarks fighter aircraft in the form of BAe-McDonnell Douglas AV8B Harrier IIs, which are to be replaced by the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II.

[Philip]

Yes the bastion approach is very difficult to defeat.It means sending in your attack subs/UUVs into the dragon's lair. The IN could do the same thing.Why build only N-subs? A barge equipped with ICBMs would be equally efficient as it would be used for one quick salvo.Pop out,launch,pop back in again. The beauty is that the missiles can also be fitted onto SSBNs when available.The risk has to be spread,why the nation needs LR strategic bombers too,apart from land based mobile missiles. Building hundreds of decoy launchers,silos whatever does no harm.The enemy has to be deceived and confused,again and again.

Here is a report on the Canadian lead in ASW warfare tx to its upgrades to legacy ASW LRMP aircraft, enough reason to examine outr own Bears and Il-38s,which may have much life left in their airframes.

http://o.canada.com/news/upgrades-to-au ... ne-warfare

Upgrades to Aurora aircraft puts Royal Canadian Air Force on cutting edge of anti-submarine warfare

Matthew Fisher
Published: July 14, 2014, 6:03 am

Somewhere over the Pacific Ocean — Gotcha!

The silhouette of a nuclear-powered U.S. navy Los Angeles class attack submarine, its periscope slashing through the surface, was quickly spotted by the crew of a Royal Canadian Air Force CP-140 Aurora maritime patrol aircraft during a five-hour mission south of the Hawaiian Islands over the weekend.

Within seconds of the discovery of the kind of boat that Tom Clancy made famous in the Hunt for Red October, the Nova Scotia-based turboprop swooped down to 100 metres above the ocean. The crew dropped several dozen passive and active sonar buoys as they circled near the target on a night when those in the air and at sea had the benefit of a dazzling full moon and a placid sea.

“We went out, hunted for it, found it, tracked it and did some simulated attacking,” said Maj. Angie Thomas who helped oversee the crew working a bank of sensors and radars.
RCAF CP-140 Aurora aircraft

“There are a lot of ships, a lot of submarines and a lot of aircraft, so it is a very complex air space, water space and sub-surface space, ” said Maj. Doug Publicover of CFB Greenwood NS, who flew an RCAF CP-140 Aurora aircraft on a mission south of Hawaii that hunted and found a nuclear-powered U.S. Navy Los Angeles class attack submarine. Matthew Fisher/Postmedia News

“We had a few glitches with our computers during the flight because no equipment is perfect. But we were able to overcome those as we know we can with the procedures (we have) in place and it actually makes for great training. We try to train as we fight and tonight was a perfect example of that and a great success.”

Precisely what the Auroras anti-submarine warfare (ASW) are capable of is of keen interest to the 22 navies participating in RIMPAC 2014. Two of the three Auroras that the RCAF has brought to the largest naval war games in the world have new Canadian-made Block III sensors and mission computers that may give Canada the deadliest anti-submarine warfare platform in the world.

“By leaps and bounds, we are far more capable with this aircraft,” said Warrant Officer Darren Struble as he prepared to throw a sonar buoy out of a tube that had been opened in the belly of the aircraft. “We are on the cutting edge of anti-submarine warfare.”
CP-140 Aurora maritime patrol aircraft

Somewhere over the Pacific Ocean — Crew members rave about a $1.5 billion upgrade to the RCAF’s CP-140 Aurora maritime patrol aircraft which has given Canada cutting-edge sensors and radars to hunt down submarines. Matthew Fisher/Postmedia News

The difference between the old monochrome screens and the colour ones used now is that the aircrew have a lot more situational awareness, he said. However, none of the 16 personnel on board the aircraft were able to provide many details about the video game wizardry they work with because almost everything about the Auroras’ expanded capabilities is top secret.

The latest upgrades to the Auroras have greatly improved the aircraft’s intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities, the crew said. Such improvements do not come cheap.

While the possible purchase of F-35 stealth fighters and the drawn out acquisition of new helicopters for the RCAF have received far more political and media attention, Canada has quietly spent more than $1.5 billion on upgrading 14 of its 18 Auroras. The price tag includes improvements slated to extend the life of the already 30-year-old airframes for at least another 15 years.

While the Auroras’ high-tech specialty is ASW, the aircraft also carry out patrols to assert Canadian sovereignty in the High Arctic, map out routes across polar ice and tundra for Inuit Ranger patrols, monitor foreign fishing fleets on the Grand Banks and off the British Columbia coast and assist with search and rescue missions over land and sea.
CP-140 maritime patrol aircraft

““We went out, hunted for it, found it, tracked it and did some simulated attacking, ” “said Maj. Angie Thomas of the Maritime Proving and Evaluation Unit from CFB Greenwood N.S. Matthew Fisher/Postmedia News

Canada’s three Auroras in Hawaii lined up at a U.S. Marine Corps air station on Oahu Island beside identical U.S.-made P-3 Orion air frames flown by aircrews from Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and the U.S.

“The change is huge. We’ve gone from being nearly obsolete to having the best of the best,” said Sgt. Francois Leveille of Montreal. “I’d put us up against a U.S. Navy P-3 any day.”

The hunt for the L.A. class sub, which was done in conjunction with several surface warships, was relatively easy because these were the first ‘baby steps’ of the month-long exercise. In a few weeks, the Canadian aircrews in Hawaii will participate in much more complicated war games scenarios where it is most unlikely that “enemy subs” will be found near the surface.
RCAF CP-140 maritime patrol aircraft

Warrant Officer Darren Struble prepares to launch a sonar buoy as his RCAF CP-140 maritime patrol aircraft zeros in on a nuclear-powered US Navy attack submarine during RIMPAC 2014, the largest naval exercise in the world. Matthew Fisher/Postmedia News

“There are a lot of ships, a lot of submarines and a lot of aircraft, so it is a very complex air space, water space and sub-surface space,” said the crew commander, Maj. Doug Publicover, who flew the mission and like everyone else on the aircraft is from CFB Greenwood N.S.

There were “a lot of different accents, a lot of different inter-operabilities where countries do not necessarily speak English as their first language. So it means communicating by radio is sometimes difficult. But we all speak a common language and that is what we are here to enhance.”

Angie Thomas, who is part of the RCAF’s Maritime Proving and Evaluation Unit, said the new state-of-the-art consoles in some of the Auroras are almost impossible to compare with those they replace “because we flex so far forward into the future.”

Having recently taken part in a NATO training exercise in Norway, the major said: “It was really amazing to see the different scenarios that we could put ourselves in, to the different weather that we could fly in and the capability that we could bring to the flight. I absolutely believe that we have one of the leading P-3 Aurora aircraft in the world for ASW to ISR to EW (electronic warfare). It is just going to become more amazing as we figure out the new tools.”

[brar_w]

142 photos from RIMPAC 2014

https://www.flickr.com/photos/compacflt ... 365129790/

[Singha]

were there two exercises in parallel, one in hawaii and one in san diego? I can see pix of both.

[Singha]

http://news.usni.org/2014/01/23/navys-next-air-war
a good read on USNs next doctrine of air war based on co-operative engagement and datalinks.

E2D will be able to provide targeting guidance to SM-6 and AIM-120 launched by platforms which cannot directly see the targets.
that way ships and non-stealthy a/c can use long range weapons at lesser risk.
stealthy front ends like JSF and UCAV will provide the picture back to the E2D.

[govardhanks]

Ground based Laser Weapons for marine vehicles
http://www.onr.navy.mil/en/Media-Center ... Laser.aspx

The Ground-Based Air Defense Directed Energy On-the-Move program, commonly referred to as GBAD, aims to provide an affordable alternative to traditional firepower to keep enemy unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from tracking and targeting Marines on the ground.

[brar_w]

E2D will be able to provide targeting guidance to SM-6 and AIM-120 launched by platforms which cannot directly see the targets.
that way ships and non-stealthy a/c can use long range weapons at lesser risk.
stealthy front ends like JSF and UCAV will provide the picture back to the E2D.

I've posted some more at various threads. Its called NIFC-CA and its a part of Aegis Baseline 9, and the first time OTH targeting happened was last year. Just a few days ago they took down a subsonic and supersonic target with NIFC-CA. The SM-6 and E-2D were designed from start for Baseline 9.

http://raytheon.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=2606

http://raytheon.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=2608

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DveoRhilv1A

[brar_w]

Boeing Maritime Surveillance Aircraft (MSA) showcased for the first time at Farnborough 2014

Boeing is showcasing its Maritime Surveillance Aircraft (MSA) for the first time at the Farnborough 2014 International Airshow currently held near London in the UK. It is a fully integrated, modular, open architecture solution, built using a combination of military and off the shelf technologies. The MSA concept was first unveiled by Boeing at the previous edition of Farnborough in 2012.

n February 2014, Boeing with its teammate Field Aviation conducted a successful testing during a four-hour flight from Toronto’s Pearson International Airport. Field Aviation modified a Bombardier Challenger 604 aircraft’s structures and systems into the MSA configuration. Boeing achieved first flight of the MSA demonstrator on an accelerated schedule due to rapid prototyping and lean manufacturing techniques by Boeing Phantom Works, the company’s advanced technology organization, working closely with industry teammates.

Boeing has selected the Challenger 605 business jet as the MSA platform (as seen at Farnborough 2014) and will leverage Field Aviation's engineering and modification experience with the Challenger family of aircraft to modify the jet.

MSA uses proven technologies developed for Boeing's P-8A Poseidon program to provide multi-mission surveillance capabilities. The baseline configuration features a Selex ES Seaspray 7300 Active Electronically Scanned Array multi-mode radar, a FLIR Star Safire 380 Electro/Optical/Infrared sensor, Electronic Support Measures, a Communications Intelligence sensor and Automated Identification System.

[brar_w]

SAN DIEGO (July 8, 2014) - One of two electromagnetic railgun prototypes on display aboard joint high speed vessel USS Millinocket (JHSV 3) in port at Naval Base San Diego. The railguns are being displayed in San Diego as part of the Electromagnetic Launch Symposium, which brought together representatives from the U.S. and allied navies, industry and academia to discuss directed energy technologies. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kristopher Kirsop/Released)

2nd prototype

[brar_w]

China Sends Uninvited Spy Ship to RIMPAC

China slipped an uninvited guest into the world’s largest naval exercise.

The U.S. invited four ships from China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) to the Rim of the Pacific 2014 exercise — a move that was hailed as a sign of improved military-to-military relations between the two countries.

But China also sent an electronic surveillance ship designed to monitor signals from the ships, right to the edges of the exercise.

“The U.S. Pacific Fleet has been monitoring a Chinese navy surveillance ship operating in the vicinity of Hawaii outside U.S. territorial seas,” Capt. Darryn James, a spokesman for U.S. Pacific Fleet, told USNI News late Friday.
“We expect this ship will remain outside of U.S. territorial seas and not operate in a manner that disrupts the ongoing Rim of the Pacific maritime exercise.”

James said the ship was not part of the exercise and would not speculate on the ship’s purpose but said that it appeared in the vicinity of Hawaii about a week ago.

“Any questions about the ship’s intent or capabilities will need to be addressed by the People’s Liberation Army Navy,” he said.

A message left with PLAN representatives at RIMPAC was not immediately returned.

As of Friday, the ship was operating south of the Hawaiian island of Oahu, near the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) carrier strike group (CSG) and the main body of the 50 ships participating in the exercise, several sources confirmed to USNI News.

The ship is a Dongdiao-class auxiliary general intelligence (AGI) ship, one in a class of three PLAN ships designed to gather electronic and communication data from surrounding vessels and aircraft, sources confirmed to USNI News.

China watcher Andrew Erikson said the ship is likely to be one the PLAN’s most experienced, in a late Friday interview with USNI News.

“This AGI is most likely to be the Type 815 Dongdiao-class intelligence collection vessel Beijixing (pennant number 851), home ported in the East Sea Fleet,” Erickson, an associate professor at the Naval War College said.

“Beijixing is the most experienced vessel from the PLAN’s most advanced class of AGI. Based on Internet photos and Japanese government and other media reports, Beijixing is China’s most well-traveled AGI, having operated frequently near and within Japan’s claimed Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).”

The Dongdiao-class off Hawaii is operating inside the U.S. EEZ but not in territorial waters, James said.

“The Chinese Navy AGI ship’s presence is in accordance with international law regarding freedom of navigation,” he said.

“The U.S. Navy operates in waters beyond the territorial seas of coastal nations around the world while adhering to international law and norms, and China’s AGI is permitted to do the same.”

Monitoring electronic signals and communications from rivals exercises is nothing new. The U.S. and then-Soviet navies were famous for stalking one anothers exercises to gain intelligence information. China often accuses the U.S. of doing the same in areas like the South China Sea.

Adversaries and allies both can learn much from monitoring and analyzing electronic signals from a plane or a warship — say the frequencies in which an air defense radar operates. Likewise the communications between ships and aircraft can tell an adversary procedures of how a navy operates.

What’s strange about the Chinese ship monitoring RIMPAC from afar is four PLAN ships and their crews have already been included in most levels of the operation.

“For an operation that risks making the PLAN look like an untactful guest, as well as undermining its insistence that it has the right to oppose similar activities in its own EEZ, China would want to deploy the vessel least likely to make visible mistake(s) that would generate further embarrassment in that fishbowl environment,” Erickson said.

The revelation of the spy ship near the exercise has caused at least one member of Congress to say the U.S. shouldn’t invite China back for RIMPAC 2016.

“Given China’s recent disregard for principles like freedom of navigation and the peaceful resolution of territorial disputes, it was already a stretch to reward Beijing with an invite to such a prestigious event like RIMPAC,” Rep Randy Forbes (R-Va.) chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces told USNI News in a late Friday statement.
“Now we learn they chose to disrespect the 20 other international participants by sailing an intelligence gathering ship directly into the middle of the exercise. It is clear China is not ready to be a responsible partner and that their first trip to RIMPAC should probably be their last.”

RIMPAC — held every two years — includes 50 ships, 200 aircraft and more than 25,000 military personnel from 23 nations. The exercises will run until August.

[NRao]

China: bite that hand. : )

Admire them in a way. Wish India was as aggressive.

[brar_w]

Raytheon Enters New Phase of Next Generation Radar Development

Raytheon announced on Wednesday that it has completed a preliminary design review (PDR) for the Air and Missile Defense Radar (AMDR) that will be fitted onto the Flight III Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers.

At the same time, the company announced that it has also completed the Integrated Baseline Review for the system. With the PDR completed, Raytheon will embark on what is called the engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) phase of the program.

“With the technology risks retired in the earlier technology development phase and cost reduction initiatives already implemented, we’re now fully focused on the fabrication of the AMDR system and completion of the engineering and manufacturing development phase,” said Kevin Peppe, vice president of Raytheon’s seapower capability systems business area in a release.Once development of the AMDR radar is completed, it will be fitted on to the second Burke-class destroyer built in fiscal year 2016. The 14-foot AMDR radar, which will fit into the ship’s deckhouse in much the same ways at the current SPY-1D radar, is expected to be revolutionary in many ways.

Constructed as an active electronically scanned array radar using Gallium Nitride-based transmit/receive modules, the Navy expects the system to be 30 times more power than the SPY-1 for about twice the electrical power input. It is Gallium Nitride technology that is enabling Raytheon to build the Flight III with the AMDR without straining the power and cooling capacity of the Burke-class hull.

The AMDR’s active electronically scanned array design will also enable digital beam forming, leading to a much more precise tracking. Further, the system could potentially be used to perform electronic attacks—a capability not found on any current Navy warship.

One advantage of the AMDR is that it is a scalable design that could be adapted for other vessels. The system is modular and groups of transmit/receive modules can be grouped together to form a radar for whatever application—either a smaller or larger vessel. However, at present, the Navy has no plans to fit the AMDR onto another type of warship.

[TSJones]

^^^^^It would be nice if everything worked that way but it rarely does. The fog of war can be very brutal. It does seem better to have some kind of system like that at your disposal than none at all. Still, I wouldn't go into action w/o understanding the odds. Unfortunately sometimes you just have to sit there and take it such as what happened at Okinawa with the kamakazis.

[Singha]

seems the small drum shaped engagement radars of the old aegis is replaced with the big new X band ones...all in all very impressive to pack in so many big radars ....

[brar_w]

^^^^^It would be nice if everything worked that way but it rarely does. The fog of war can be very brutal. It does seem better to have some kind of system like that at your disposal than none at all. Still, I wouldn't go into action w/o understanding the odds. Unfortunately sometimes you just have to sit there and take it such as what happened at Okinawa with the kamakazis.

Nothing is going to work 100% of the time. That is a reality for any system. The Point of the sensor-weapon mix and linkage is to maximize ones capability against the widest possible spectrum of threat. The first and most important way to do that is to have the Situational awareness at horizon ranges, and beyond (Through networks such as those developed under NIFCCA) followed by the weapons that can target those threats (SM3, SM6, ESSM for now). The cost-effective portion comes when the ships or some of the ships field Laser weapons, especially against swarming tactics both from the air, and through the water. EW capability through the powerful sensors opens up another huge door for complicating targeting for the enemy, especially with the Gallium Nitride based AESA

seems the small drum shaped engagement radars of the old aegis is replaced with the big new X band ones...all in all very impressive to pack in so many big radars ....

An Overview of the radar -

[Singha]

has X-band radars of such size ever been fielded on ships?
the fighter and SAM engagement radars are x-band but due to smaller aperture are limited in range, but they can discriminate small targets.
scaling up one to ship size will take care of range issue I think.

most modern radars like SAMPSON and MFSTAR continue to be S-band. and the search radars like S1850/Smart-L seem to be L-band.

[brar_w]

Not exactly on ships but pretty close

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea-based_X-band_Radar

most modern radars like SAMPSON and MFSTAR continue to be S-band. and the search radars like S1850/Smart-L seem to be L-band

The Spy1 is S band as well and so is the giant S Band AMDR. The AMDR has independent S band and X band radars with the S band Gallium Nitride AESA a good 2 feet bigger in diameter than the current largest Spy1 Radar on the AEGIS which is quite large Gallium Nitride Technology (S Band) obviously allowed them to get 25-30 times the performance with a 2x power load and not a significant increase in size. Had they developed for the same performance using traditional AESA, the radar size would have been too large for this hull or pretty much any other available to them. The X band Element of the AMDR is the SPQ-9B (which is USN standard) initially and the program would later transition into the AMDR-x around the mid 2020's. This is in line with the phased/spiral upgrade path of AEGIS replacement.

http://www.northropgrumman.com/Capabili ... fault.aspx



The official description is this -

The AMDR will combine an X- and an S-band radar: the X-band for horizon search, precision tracking, missile communications and terminal illumination, and the S-band radar for volume search, tracking, ballistic missile defense discrimination and missile communications. Navy operational requirements also call for defense against low-altitude, low-observable threats in heavy land, sea and rain clutter. The radar’s specifications stipulate that it must switch rapidly between ballistic missile defense, air defense and surface warfare roles. - See more at: http://www.afcea.org/content/?q=node/21 ... u13rF.dpuf

Interestingly Raytheon is also delivering a Dual Band Spy3 Radar for the Zumwalt (and the ford) -

http://www.navsea.navy.mil/nswc/dahlgre ... opment.pdf

This appears to be the precursor to the AMDR since it has a similar description but does not require the power, or sensitivity of the AMRD because the Zumwalt would not be an AEGIS ship. A future CGX based on the hull will most likely spot an AMDR that is much larger than the 14 footer that will go onto the Flt 3's in a couple of years. The entire program is designed around modularity and scalability and can be shrunk all the way down for an LCS class ship or up to a much larger vessel.

AMDR Test bed that matured the design. Apparently the test radar setup involved 1000 Gallium Nitride elements so only a very small number compared to the eventual set that will be produced.



http://raytheon.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=2615

I'd have to check, but if I recall correctly the AMDR-X is the Gallium nitride big-brother of the GAA AESA that is the Spy-3

[Singha]

pretty frightening for cheen and their plans I guess.

the japanese 'anti-swarm' AAW Akizuki class has I believe first fielded the dual band S+X radar thing, mounted high up to give max radar horizon for the ESSM salvos . the zumwalt will be the second one. you will note the akizuki radars are not that big, whether for cost or because their role is not long range AAW but protect the kongo ships against swarm attacks while the kongos will probably unleash anti ASBM SM3 and anti-air SM6.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OPS-50

this AMDR two-storey stack of S at bottom and X on top is a whole new level of big. gotta love the khan. no expense is spared in making the biggest and baddest kit.

iirc Mitsubishi is expected to get export license for arms from japanese cabinet this month, so others like kawasaki and shin-meiwa will get it too. idea is to reduce costs, which are very high due to low domestic numbers. each Soryu is said to be cost $2 billion!! to sell Soryu to australia (and I hope india as well!) , or the seaplanes to india they need the paperwork in place.

japan could be once place where we can source quickly working designs for SSK(soryu2) and LPHD which they have a strong collection of. inshallah.

[rkhanna]

China: bite that hand. : )

Admire them in a way. Wish India was as aggressive.

Fair game and I am sure the Americans appreciated the efforts

On another note.. WRT the IN ..do we have dedicated Intel ships like this or do we still rely on Fixed Stations and Aircrafts?

[brar_w]

the japanese 'anti-swarm' AAW Akizuki class has I believe first fielded the dual band S+X radar thing

Current AEGIS ships have the Spy1 (S Band) and the SPQ-9B X Band radars (Integration happened around 1999-2000). These radars have been exported as well. The SPQ-9B is not an AESA however so with the Spy-3 it would be replaced with a bigger fixed AESA. The AMDR will apparently take this AESA a step further and add Gallium Nitride Elements to it (just like it did to the S band AMRD). AEGIS replacement is a spiral and a multi phase program as the radar is set to be operational for decades. The current Baseline 9 AEGIS has no match anywhere so to upgrade this with totally new hardware is a fairly significant leap. The current plan is to bring the S band into the newer Flight 3 destroyers, and club them with the existing 9B radars. After a dozen or so ships they plan to make the shift to the AMDR-X (around 2023). By the mid-2020's the future hull design would also be finalized with delivered in the post 2030 time-frame. This is the reason why the AMDR has been asked to be modular as newer ship class would probably have growth for a much larger radar (16-18 foot) for even better performance against high end Electronic warfare and swarming attack. LCS international concepts also have the possibility to incorporate either the smaller SPy1 class radars or scaled down AMDR's.


http://www.navy.mil/navydata/fact_displ ... d=311&ct=2

this AMDR two-storey stack of S at bottom and X on top is a whole new level of big. gotta love the khan. no expense is spared in making the biggest and baddest kit

These radars last for ever. The Spy1 was introduced in 1973, and these ships would be in service for 2030 and beyond. With constant upgrades the system and the hardware is kept relevant (1973 saw a phased array radar with a 12 foot dia). The AMDR will most likely serve the USN till 2050 and beyond so its important that they incorporate the most cutting edge technology and have an open architecture and modular design that is upgradable. The Electronic warfare and the RF threat is also likely to increase so the radar must have the power to deal with that. Here the Flight 3 will be limited in growth but that is a known compromise while upgrading an existing ship (burke). Future replacement would have the Zumwalt's power system so it can add a lot of sensor growth room.

One thing with large X band sensors especially those incorporating high technology such as GAA or GAN is that it gives you a tremendous terminal ballistic missile defense capability with either the SM6 or a newer missile (THAAD on a ship ?)..



http://www.military.com/daily-news/2014 ... 2030s.html

iirc Mitsubishi is expected to get export license for arms from japanese cabinet this month, so others like kawasaki and shin-meiwa will get it too. idea is to reduce costs, which are very high due to low domestic numbers. each Soryu is said to be cost $2 billion!! to sell Soryu to australia (and I hope india as well!) , or the seaplanes to india they need the paperwork in place.

japan could be once place where we can source quickly working designs for SSK(soryu2) and LPHD which they have a strong collection of. inshallah.

I totally agree.

[Austin]

Russia receives first serially upgraded Il-38N MPA

[Philip]

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/australia-cra ... ml#WsPR1Bb

Australia cracks opens door to foreign submarine build
ReutersBy By Matt Siegel | Reuters – Mon, Jul 28, 2014

Australia's Defense Minister David Johnston (L) and Australia's Foreign Minister Julie Bishop attend a news conference at the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo June 12, 2014. Australia and Japan will create a framework pact to cooperate on military technology, the two countries said on Wednesday, a move that could pave the way for Japan to supply stealth submarine designs and components to Australia.
Reuters/Reuters - Australia's Defense Minister David Johnston (L) and Australia's Foreign Minister Julie Bishop attend a news conference at the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo June 12, 2014. Australia …more

By Matt Siegel
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia should discuss building its next-generation fleet of submarines overseas, the Department of Defence said on Monday, a shift that could open the door to a partnership deal with Japan that carries political risk at home and abroad.

Australia is looking for partners to help it build about a dozen diesel-electric submarines to replace its aging Collins Class fleet and help to extend its maritime surveillance deep into the Indian Ocean.

The proposed A$40 billion fleet of submarines is at the core of the nation's maritime defence strategy over the next two decades. Successive governments have pledged to build the vessels in Australia, creating much-needed manufacturing jobs.

The Department of Defence's 50-page Defence Issues Paper 2014, issued on Monday, is part of a public consultation process on a major strategic forces assessment due out next year.

In it, the department echoed previous concerns about cost raised by Defence Minister David Johnston.

"There is significant debate emerging about the future submarine and whether it should be built in Australia. This debate must consider the cost, risk and schedule as well as the benefits of the different options," the department said in the paper.

"What other military capability might be forgone if monies are committed to industries that do not meet international benchmarks?”

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has struck a tough stance towards struggling industries, declining to bail out anaemic auto manufacturers in a move that deepened acrimony between his government and trade unions.

Any decision to move construction of the submarine fleet overseas would likely cause a further backlash from working class voters.

MADE IN JAPAN?

Japan is considered one of the most likely beneficiaries if Australia does change its stance.

This month, Abbott and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe signed an agreement on military equipment and technology transfers.

Mirroring a partnership concluded with Britain a year ago, it establish a framework for industrial cooperation that could pave the way for a submarine deal with Australia.

Abe has been forging a more assertive defence posture in his year-and-a-half in office. In April, he eased a four-decade ban on military exports, which could allow Japan to ship submarine components or even completed vessels to Australia.

A deal would also help connect Japanese arms-makers like Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Kawasaki Heavy Industries to the world market for big, sophisticated weaponry.

It is also possible that Australia could purchase submarine hulls from Germany or Sweden and then opt to buy Japanese drive trains for the vessels.

Participants in a joint-development deal could include Britain's BAE Systems and state-owned Australian Submarine Corp, which maintains the nation's current fleet.

Experts say a Japan-Australia deal would send a signal to China of Japan's willingness to export arms to a region wary of Beijing's growing naval strength, especially its pursuit of territorial claims in the East and South China seas.

They warn, however, that the deal may not be viewed favourably in China, Australia's biggest trading partner and the region's emerging superpower, adding a layer to the political considerations for Australia.

(Editing by Robert Birsel)

PS:Vietnam's recent acquisition of 2-4 small amphib aircraft from Canada,Twin Otters,brings to mind what we can do indigenously,acquire more amphib versions of the Do-228s which we are already building in large qty. There is an Oz design with a fuselage float.This would be very cost effective for the CG acquisitions apart from larger Japanese amphibs being discussed.

BMD on warships for India would not be needed since the Indian peninsula can be defended with a holistic ground based system that employs a variety of radars,and missiles.But let's be honest.Given the proximity of both Pak and China,neighbours,100% defence against any form of missile is virtually impossible. The US on the other hand is far away from its most troublesome potential enemies,China,NoKo,etc.It can deploy in an advanced posture DDGs armed with missiles that can shoot down enemy ICBMs in their boost phase with data links from its extensive capability of sats,etc. What we need are many more sats which can detect missile launches,maritime sats with sub detection capabilities,ELINT/SIGINT,etc. Cruise missiles launched from subs close to Indian shores with N-warheads are another major headache.

[brar_w]

42 Ship formation, RIMPAC 2014

[Philip]

Oz having problems with building their 3 advanced anti-air DDGs,are to rope in BAe. Oz's capabilities to build and maintain their Collins class subs has also been something of a disaster.Thes ehave been the most expensive sub programme in history according to some,with the USN roped in to salvage the "underwater rock concert" noise levels of these ambitious subs.Oz is also building several Juan Carlos design amphib vessels,but the problem with its DDG construction could also see it buy its future subs built abroad,or at the least initiial boats.It suffers from a lack of skilled workers esp. in sub tech.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/la ... 06926525[b]
Urgent action vital on warship project: PM[/b]

July 30, 2014
PRIME Minister Tony Abbott wants urgent action to address the significant delays and cost overruns that are hampering major naval shipbuilding projects.

THE government is set to sack its own naval shipbuilder, ASC, and install British defence giant BAE Industries to rescue the $8.5 billion construction of three air warfare destroyers.
Mr Abbott says the project must be completed as quickly as possible with as few cost overruns and delays as possible.

"We have got to tackle that urgently and that is what the government is in the process of doing," he told reporters in Sydney on Wednesday.

The prime minister said the country needed a strong and viable naval shipbuilding industry that built world-class ships.

The ASC will be limited to maintaining the Collins Class submarines rather than building new warships, The Australian has reported.

Labor frontbencher Jason Clare says the move forms part of a report the government is keeping secret.

The report should be released to allow for a proper discussion about the state of the program, he said.

The "stop-start" nature of building warships in Australia meant there would be problems in construction, Mr Clare said.

"You're not going to be as efficient or as productive as you can be," he told Sky News, adding a continuous shipbuilding program was needed.

[Singha]

they have this quixotic quest to develop a independent industry in complete systems instead of focussing on profitable subsystems and munitions like israel does. first the subs, now a grand total of 3 ships.

I guess rich countries can afford to throw around money like this.

[brar_w]

Interest Rises in EU Acquisition of Mistrals Sold to Russia

The idea that the European Union — not Russia — would acquire two French Mistral-class helicopter carriers already sold to Moscow is gaining ground as the West adopted a ban against future arms deals to Russia, and the energy and financial sectors, analysts said.

On Tuesday , the EU adopted a tier 3 batch of sanctions — for the first time aimed at whole sectors rather than selected asset freezes — while excluding the controversial €1.2 billion (US $1.6 billion) contract for the Mistral warships.

Dual-use, civil-military equipment was included in the punitive measures, which are seen as pushing the Russian economy closer to recession and as a hit to fragile economies in Western Europe.

Paris has been quietly looking for an acceptable solution, with the EU seen as a possible exit from the contentious arms contract with Russia.

“If the two ships are handed over, it is as if nothing had happened,” said Edouard Tétreau, head of the Paris office of think tank European Council on Foreign Relations, referring to the shootdown of the Malaysian airliner and the loss of 298 lives.

German officials wonder how the Mistral problem can be resolved, a second analyst said.

Meanwhile, in eastern Ukraine, civil inspectors last week finally gained access to the wreckage of the Malaysian Airlines plane to retrieve bodies and determine what brought down the flight, after fierce combat between government troops and separatist fighters had prevented them from reaching the site.

Despite the highly public criticism of France, the EU has accepted that the Mistral deal would go forward.

The latest anti-Russia measures are seen as a sharing of the economic burden among the 28 EU states and an acceptance of the Mistral deal, a British official said.

“Sanctions are difficult for all member states of the European Union,” the official said. “It was very important to show the burden was being shared.

“All of us in imposing sanctions, of course, have to take some pain, but the actual decision on any particular issue is for the French government,” the official said.

The EU moves are intended to put pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin “to pull his troops away from the border and to really understand that what he’s been doing is unacceptable as part of the community of civilized nations,” the official said.

One possibility is the EU taking up the Mistral contract.

“It is being discussed in Paris as an option,” Tétreau said. “It is gaining traction in Paris. There are diplomats and politicians in Paris who see that as a possibility.”

The EU has ample financial means, with the official seven-year budget set at €1 trillion, he said. One of the ships could be based at the docks shared by Belgium and the Netherlands, and the second vessel in the Mediterranean, he said.

An alternative would be NATO, which has the infrastructure and mandate, he said.

If the EU were to make the move, there is the European Defence Agency (EDA), which has the pooling-and-sharing approach for the member states. That could be a financial system for acquiring military platforms, he said.

The EDA is a European agency but one that Britain views with deep skepticism as London sees NATO as the main military international organization and resists what it sees as a duplication pushed by Paris.

Jean-Pierre Maulny, deputy director of think tank Institut des Relations Internationales et Stratégiques, said, “It’s a good idea but it would stand more chance of success if it were part of a global package.

“If Germany supports the idea, that’s helpful,” he said.

The EU acquisition idea was floated in a piece published in May by senior researchers Claudia Major and Christian Molling from the German Institute for International and Security Affairs.

“Europe also offers the opportunity to solve the French dilemma by buying up the Mistral ships and using them for itself,” Major and Molling wrote. The German Navy has called for such a capability, but such an acquisition is beyond the financial reach of a single nation, the paper said.

Pascale Joannin, managing director of Fondation Robert Schuman, a think thank, said there has been debate following President François Hollande’s remarks that delivery of the Sevastapol, the second ship, would depend on Russia’s “attitudes.” The first ship is named Vladivostok.

“There is debate on the options on the table,” she said. “Where could the Sevastapol go?” she said.

There are two possibilities: The EU could acquire them, but the 28-nation community lacks the structure to manage the ships; or the French Navy could take over the ship and make it available for the EU, she said.

What to do with the Sevastapol has exercised minds in Paris.

Jean-Paul Perruche, chairman of EuroDefense-France, a specialist think tank whose members include retired senior officers, officials and procurement chiefs, said, “It has been under discussion for the last three months under confidentiality.”

The French position was for a ban on new arms deals but not on current contracts, a Defense Ministry spokesman said. Certain countries have called for the ban to apply to weapon contracts already signed, he said.

The French government has not looked for alternatives to delivering the ships. “France has never worked on this hypothesis,” the spokesman said.

“France is in an uncomfortable position,” said Loic Tribot La Spiere, chief executive of think tank Centre d’Etude et Prospective Stratégique.

The EU has adopted far-reaching economic measures against Moscow, but France is selling sophisticated warships, even if they are not delivered with weapons, he said.

Hollande said on July 21 it is up to the European Council to decide the sanctions and then they would be against future arms deals, not the present Mistral contract.

But if the council insisted on a retroactive measure, that would allow Hollande to say the move was set by the highest EU policy level and let Paris off the hook, Tribot La Spiere said.

An EU acquisition may be a good idea, but it would be complicated to implement: Who would crew the vessels, and some countries might object to paying France for the ships, he said.

Maulny agreed. “It risks being seen as too opportunistic for France,” he said.

Perruche, a former French Army general who served in the French mission at NATO, said the economic sanctions are essentially a political message, but their credibility relies on nations taking concrete actions.

Since those actions will generate economic damage, the consequences should be equally shared, he said. One of the ideas previously raised has been creation of a European assistance fund to help cut economic reliance on Russia, he said.

“A separation between political and business interest calls for a political leadership of Europe, whatever form it may have,” he said.

A senior French defense analyst has previously said the Mistral deal was essentially a “political problem” rather than industrial, as the contract was not vital to the domestic defense sector.

Jose Manuel Barroso, the President of the European Commission, and European Council President Herman Van Rompuy, said the sanctions were a “strong warning” to Moscow.

Besides Washington and London, leaders in Lithuania and Poland, and the Swedish foreign minister have called on France to back off from the Mistral deal. Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera told his French counterpart, Jean-Yves Le Drian, on a visit to Tokyo last week, there was “strong concern” about the sale to Moscow, Reuters reported. That was a polite way of saying “stop the deal,” said Onodera, the news report said.

Poland is looking to spend billions of dollars for submarines, multirole and combat helicopters, and surface-to-air missiles and French industry hopes to win business.

State-owned DCNS is the prime contractor for the Mistral, which is built with the Russian partner OSK in Saint Petersburg.

On the possible impact on French arms exports, DCNS Chief Executive Hervé Guillou said, “I have complete confidence in the government’s explaining to the various potential partners the why or why not the ships were delivered,” Agence France-Presse reported.

Safran played down the impact of the sanctions.

“Our defense activities are 10 percent of the group total, and Russia is not by any means the largest customer, so you are talking about something barely material at the Safran level,” said Chairman Jean-Paul Herteman, Reuters reported.

In July 2012, Safran’s Sagem defense unit signed cooperation agreements with Russian industry, including supply of opto-electronics and inertial navigation systems for tanks to local partner NKP Ouralvagonzavod, newsletter TTU reported.

The Group of Seven nations — the US, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Britain — indicated a willingness to extend sanctions if Russia failed to respect Ukraine’s sovereignty.

“Russia still has the opportunity to choose the path of de-escalation,” the G7 said on July 29. “If it does not do so, however, we remain ready to further intensify the costs of its adverse actions.”

Moscow responded the next day by banning most imports of fruits and vegetables from Poland, and said that could be applied to the whole EU. The EU will review the ban after three months.

[brar_w]

VP-45 launches first P-8A CTOT Harpoon missile at RIMPAC

Patrol Squadron (VP)-45 Combat Aircrew Four (CAC)-4 recently completed the first P-8A Coordinated Time on Top (CTOT) AGM-84D live missile shot with a Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) P-3C crew during RIMPAC 2014.
The missile shot was comprised of a P-8A-launched AGM-84D Harpoon missile and a JMSDF P-3C- launched ATM-84D Harpoon telemetry missile. The result was a successful strike against a surface target – with both missiles arriving simultaneously.
The challenging exercise displayed the P-8A Poseidon’s ability to coordinate with a foreign asset to deliver air-to-surface missiles on a target.
“This on-target shot represents the tip of the iceberg for current and future capabilities of the Poseidon,” said Lt. Cmdr. Carl White, officer in charge of the detachment.
“The P-8A platform will be an invaluable anti-surface warfare (ASuW) asset of the Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Force for decades to come.”
Lt. Justin Rogers, tactical coordinator of CAC-4, said “This live-fire CTOT exercise took several months of preparation, planning and coordination with a myriad of organizations, including Commander Patrol and Reconnaissance Group (CPRG), Commander Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 2 (CPRW-2) and CPRW-11.”
Rogers also noted the participation of Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Weapons School (MPRWS), VP-30), VP-26, Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX)-1, Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF), Fleet Weapons Support Team (FWST), Mobile Tactical Operations Centers (MTOC)-1 and -5, in addition to the expertise demonstrated by the JMSDF P-3C Orion aircrew.
White concluded, “We look forward to continuing the relationships we built at RIMPAC during on our upcoming deployment to the 7th Fleet Area of Responsibility.”
On the 24th anniversary of the RIMPAC exercise, the P-8A Poseidon showcased its abilities in joint anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, and intelligence surveillance reconnaissance scenarios. The VP-45 Pelicans joined a coalition of 22 participant countries and six observer countries that worked together to execute RIMPAC 2014, a massive training evolution involving 48 surface ships, six submarines, more than 200 aircraft, and 25,000 personnel.

[Philip]

Russia to induct a new Kilo 636.5 for the Black Sea fleet.2 more Kilos to be inducted this year.Along with new subs for Vietnam,etc., this is a real boom time in building late model upgraded Kilos at speed,at a rate of 3-4 per yr. In addition ,3 new nuclear subs were also laid down at Sevmash.This gives Russia the most impressive capability of building at least 6 subs every year,3 nuclear boats and 3 conventional boats.

http://en.itar-tass.com/russia/744059

Russia Navy to receive new submarine for Black Sea Fleet
Russia
August 08, 10:38 UTC+4
This submarine would be put on trials at Northern Fleet’s deep-water ranges after it is taken into naval service
© EPA/ANATOLY MALTSEV

Missile cruiser Vella Gulf
USS Vella Gulf enters Black Sea — US Navy
MOSCOW, August 08. /ITAR-TASS/. Project 636.5 Varshavyanka head diesel-electric submarine Novorossiysk produced for Russian Black Sea Fleet will be handed over to the country’s Navy on August 28, a high-ranking source in the military and industrial sector told ITAR-TASS on Friday.

“A festive St. Andrew naval flag-hoisting ceremony will be held abroad Novorossiysk at the Admiralty Wharfs in the city of St. Petersburg on August 28,” the high-placed military source said.

He recalled that this submarine would be put on trials at Northern Fleet’s deep-water ranges after it is taken into naval service, before being sent to a naval base on the Black Sea coast.

New diesel-electric submarine for Russia's Black Sea Fleet launched
Novorossiysk was laid in August 2010. Submarines of this project belong to the third generation developed by St. Petersburg-based Design Bureau of Marine Engineering Rubin and considered to be noise lowest in the world and have a higher combat capability than submarines of previous projects. Varshavyanka project submarines are upgraded fundamentally especially for Russian Navy provided with missile and torpedo weaponry, radioelectronic and hydroacoustic equipment.

Submarines of this project has a surface speed of 20 knots (37 kph), maximum submersion of around 300 metres, can go on autonomous sailing of 45 days, has a crew of 52 and underwater displacement of around four thousand tonnes.

The fifth and sixth submarines are to be laid down in October - November this year, for the 310th anniversary of Admiralty Shipyard. The submarines will be named Veliky Novgorod and Kolpino.

Admiralty Shipyard Director General Aleksandr Buzakov said previously that this year the enterprise should deliver to the Russian Navy three submarines of Project 636.3 - Novorossiysk, Rostov-on-Don and Stary Oskol.

http://en.itar-tass.com/russia/742490

Russia’s Sevmash shipyards lays down three new submarines
Russia
July 27, 17:34 UTC+4
Last year, as many as 26 warships had been floated out and seven ships had been transferred to the Navy, Russian President Vladimir Putin said
© RUPTLY/TASS TV

SEVEROMORSK, July 27 /ITAR-TASS/. Three new submarines - the Knyaz Oleg (Borei project), the Krasnoyarsk (Yasen project) and the Khabarovsk - were laid down on Sunday at Russia’s Sevmash shipyards, Sevmash director general Mikhail Budnichenko told

Russian President Vladimir Putin from Severodvinsk.
Russia’s Sevmash shipyard lays down 5th Borei-class nuclear sub - Knyaz Oleg

“Today, under the state arms programme endorsed by you and in compliance with the schedule set by the Russian ministry of defence, Sevmash laid down three new atomic submarines - the Knyaz Oleg, which is the fifth Borei, the Khabarovsk and one more Yasen, the modernized project 885M,” Budnichenko said during a videoconference session with the president who was onboard the Admiral Kuznetsov heavy aircraft carrier cruiser in Severomork.

A representative from the Russian defence ministry told Putin, who is Russia’s Supreme Commander-in-Chief, that the projects were properly financed. “So, let us wait for Sevmash to do its job in strict compliance with the contract terms,” he said.

Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, also present at Sevmash, said that the governmental military industry commission was working in collaboration with directors of sectoral enterprises to solve various problems, including social. “Because what matters most is people, their wellbeing, opportunities for self realization. Everything is normal in general,” he said.

On Sunday, the Russian Navy Day, President Putin visited the home base of Russia’s Northern Fleet in the city of Severomorsk in Russia’s northern Murmansk region, where he laid a wreath to the monument to Severomorsk heroes, inspected a lineup of warships and reviewed a parade and a theatrical show.

In his congratulatory message, the president reassured that the state would spare no effort to further develop Russia’s Navy, including the Black Sea Fleet. “Our special priorities include the strengthening of the combat might of the Black Sea Fleet. We will renew its ships, create a state-of-the-art military and social infrastructure,” he vowed.

Read also
Vladimir Monomakh strategic nuclear sub to be delivered to Russian Navy December, 2014
Russia’s new nuclear submarine to use only domestically made components
Russia’s newest nuclear submarine to join Navy before year end

Last year, he said, Russian ships had performed 43 missions, including to protect Russian civil vessels from pirates. The strength and glory of the Russian Navy “will only grow,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday, reviewing a parade on the occasion of the Russian Navy Day onboard the Admiral Kuznetsov heavy aircraft carrying cruiser.

“The Navy’s combat readiness and mobility will grow, its material and technical facilities will be built up, the coastal infrastructure will be modernized. New ships will be built,” Putin pledged. He noted that last year, as many as 26 warships had been floated out and seven ships had been transferred to the Navy, including the Yuri Dolgoruky and Alexander Nevsky strategic nuclear submarines. Apart from that, the Severodvinsk nuclear submarine with cruise missiles, which has already passed builder’s tests, will soon take up combat duty. Sixty more ships, boats and support vessels are under construction. Eleven vessels have recently been laid down.

The Knyaz Oleg strategic missile cruiser will be the fifth 995A Borei class submarine, while the multipurpose nuclear submarine Krasnoyarsk will be the fourth 885M Yasen class vessel.

The Sevmash shipyard has already handed over two Borei-class nuclear submarines to the Russian Navy: the Yuri Dolgorukiy and Alexander Nevsky. The third sub of this type - the Vladimir Monomakh - is expected to come into service with the Russian Navy in 2014.

The Yuri Dolgorukiy nuclear submarine, the first modernized Borei class ship, is still under construction. It was laid down in Severodvinsk in July 2012 in the presence of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Russian Navy was adopted the Severodvinsk Yasen-class multi-purpose nuclear attack submarine for reliability field testing in late 2013. The second 885M Yasen-class submarine Kazan was laid down in 2009. The third submarine Novosibirsk was laid down in 2013.

[Philip]

http://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/ ... ic-Desktop
China's navy no longer so inferior to Japan's, experts say

China's loss of the first Sino-Japanese war has been attributed to a disorganised navy. Although the northern fleet equalled, some say exceeded, the Meiji navy in terms of firepower, it was annihilated because it lacked coordination among its military units.

Today while Japan's navy may have a qualitative advantage over China's, the People's Liberation Army is catching up, analysts say.

In sheer manpower, China has the upper hand, with Beijing putting the PLA Navy's strength at 235,000, or more than five times the number in the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force.

But the Japanese navy has being training with modern warfare strategies, and with different units, for decades, according to Macau-based military expert Antony Wong Dong.

"PLA units are still exploring new ways to operate jointly, which could lead to merging their different weapon systems together," Wong said.

Toshi Yoshihara, an associate professor at the US Naval War College, said that although the Japanese navy was still superior in technological sophistication and experience, China was catching up quickly.

"China is out-building Japan virtually across the board," Yoshihara said.

He said the PLA Navy was deploying modern destroyers, frigates, fast-attack craft and submarines. "Japan is already having trouble keeping pace with this level of Chinese output."

As so many Chinese warships had entered production, adding mass and balance on the fleet, Japan could no longer rely on its qualitative advantage, Yoshihara said.

But a deciding factor would be the support of the US Navy. "The US-Japanese alliance is essential to weighing the overall naval balance," he said.

China might even have the edge now, according to Dr Lyle Goldstein, an associate professor at the China Maritime Studies Institute under the US Naval War College.

"In my opinion, the forces are quite evenly matched now, but China may even have pulled ahead in recent years," Goldstein said. He added that this was not the official assessment of the US Navy.

Japan last year formally unveiled the biggest warship in its fleet since the second world war - the Izumo-class helicopter destroyer.

The 248-metre ship, due to enter service next year, is designed to carry 14 helicopters, and complements Japan's two serving Hyuga-class helicopter destroyers, which are 197 metres long and can accommodate 11 helicopters.

Shanghai-based military expert Ni Lexiong said the helicopter destroyers could function as aircraft carriers for US planes, while China had only one aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, although observers say more are in the works.

China required nearly 10 years to convert the 67,500-ton Soviet-built Varyag into the Liaoning. It was formally delivered to the PLA in September 2012, and so far has been used for training.

"But Japan's helicopter carriers have been battle-ready for more than three decades with the help of the United States," Ni said. "Every one of its carriers is able to operate independently in combat."

Japan also enjoys an advantage in submarines, according to Wong. The PLA's existing submarines, many of which are old models, have been criticised by Western forces as "too noisy and too easily detected", while Japan has some of the most technologically advanced diesel-electric submarines in the world.

"The gap between the two countries' military capability, especially in hardware, has been narrowed, as Beijing has made a priority of boosting defence spending since it began double-digit growth in the early 1990s."

In March, Beijing said the annual budget for the military would by 808.2 billion yuan (HK$1.02 trillion), a 12.2 per cent increase over last year, and slightly higher than the average 10 per cent increase.

"On the software side, there is still a huge gap," Wong said.

"The PLA needs more time to catch up."
This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as PLA Navy catching up with Japan's, experts say

UUV tech dev.

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news ... -submarine\

Japan, US to develop fuel-cell submarine

Japan and the United States will jointly develop a fuel-cell powered submarine that can run for a month under the sea on a single charge, a report said Friday.

The top-selling Yomiuri Shimbun reported that the unmanned, 10-metre (33-feet) long sub would be able to chart a pre-programmed course before returning to base.

The story, citing unnamed Japanese defence ministry officials, comes as Tokyo and Washington look to beef up their security alliance as they warily eye an increasingly assertive China.

Defence ministry officials could not immediately confirm the deal.

The submarine would be used for patrolling with sonar capable of detecting potential threats, but it would not be equipped with torpedos or other weaponry, the Yomiuri said.

Japan's defence ministry would earmark about 2.6 billion yen ($25 million) over the next five years to develop the high-performance fuel cell, it added.

The US military reportedly got involved when it heard about its Japanese counterparts' plans for a fuel-cell sub.

Fuel cells generate emissions-free energy through a chemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen, and are most commonly associated with environmentally friendly vehicles.

Japan is a leader in the technology while the US a major player in hydrogen storage development.

In June, Japan and Australia announced a possible submarine development deal as they stepped up their defence ties.

[Austin]

US submarine located, ‘pushed out’ of border waters - Russian Navy’s General Staff

MOSCOW, August 09, /ITAR-TASS/. Anti-submarine forces of the Russian Northern Fleet located and ‘pushed out’ from the Russian border waters a foreign submarine, a high-ranking representative of the Navy’s General Staff said on Saturday.

“On August 7, 2014, the Northern Fleet located in the Barents Sea a foreign submarine, supposedly of the Virginia class of the U.S. Navy,” the source said.

“Active actions of the Northern Fleet’s anti-submarine forces ‘pushed out’ the submarine from the border waters of the Russian Federation,” the source said. “The contact with the submarine lasted for about 27 minutes, and then the American submarine left the region.

[Manish_Sharma]

US submarine located, ‘pushed out’ of border waters - Russian Navy’s General Staff

http://in.rbth.com/news/2014/08/09/us_s ... 37351.html

Anti-submarine forces of the Russian Northern Fleet located and ‘pushed out’ from the Russian border waters a foreign submarine, a high-ranking representative of the Navy’s General Staff said on Saturday.

“On August 7, 2014, the Northern Fleet located in the Barents Sea a foreign submarine, supposedly of the Virginia class of the U.S. Navy,” the source said.

“Active actions of the Northern Fleet’s anti-submarine forces ‘pushed out’ the submarine from the border waters of the Russian Federation,” the source said. “The contact with the submarine lasted for about 27 minutes, and then the American submarine left the region.

[brar_w]

A lot of stuff is coming up these days that reminds of the old cold-war stuff..Hopefully this will die down soon.

[govardhanks]

2014 US navy ships and submarines
http://www.raytheon.com/capabilities/rt ... 180603.pdf

[Aditya G]

http://warbirdinformationexchange.org]/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=48962

USS Sable (IX-81) was a training ship of the United States Navy during World War II. Originally built as the 'Greater Buffalo', a sidewheel excursion steamer, she was converted in 1942 to a freshwater aircraft carrier to be used on the Great Lakes. She was used for advanced training for naval aviators in carrier takeoffs and landings. One aviator that trained upon the Sable was future president George H. W. Bush. Following World War II, Sable was decommissioned on 7 November 1945. She was sold for scrapping on 7 July 1948 to the H.H. Buncher Company.

Before:



After:



Fascinating stuff.

[Singha]

video of ships leaving pearl harbour for rimpac. has shivalik in the end
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cq3pIwnZpIA

[abhik]

video of ships leaving pearl harbour for rimpac. has shivalik in the end
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cq3pIwnZpIA

I think its a So Ko ship ( ROKS Wang Geon (DDH 978) according to video description).

[Singha]

I thought the blurry side-on shot of a ship at the end was Shivalik...but you are right..no shtil. no rbu.