International Naval News & Discussion

Craig Alpert · Post by **Craig Alpert** » 01 Apr 2010 19:17

U.S. Navy frigate captures pirate mother ship USS Nicholas takes 5 pirates prisoner after coming under fire, Navy says

NAIROBI, Kenya - U.S. naval forces say they've captured five pirates after exchanging fire with them, sinking their skiff and confiscating a mother ship.

The USS Nicholas came under fire early Thursday from pirates in an area west of the Seychelles.

The U.S. Africa Command said the five pirates seized would remain in U.S. custody on board the frigate for time being. The Nicholas is home-ported in Norfolk, Va.
International naval forces have stepped up their enforcement of the waters off East Africa in an effort to thwart a growing pirate trade.

Experts say piracy will continue to be a problem until an effective government is established on Somalia's lawless shores. The country has not had a functioning government for 19 years.

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 02 Apr 2010 17:40

Suspicion of N.Korean Hand in Sinking Mounts

Military insiders believe there is mounting evidence that the Navy corvette Cheonan was hit by a North Korean torpedo before it broke in two and sank in waters near the de-facto inter-Korean border

Craig Alpert · Post by **Craig Alpert** » 04 Apr 2010 07:05

Another ship missing, South Korea military suspects Torpedo attack most probably sunk its naval patrol ship

03 Apr 2010 8ak: A South Korean fishing boat with 9 crew has sunk in a collision with a Cambodian registerd vehicle in the same waters where a South Korean Naval patrol boat Cheonan mysteriously sank last week. A military diver has also died in the rescue effort reports BBC.

South Korean Defense Minister Kim Tae-young said that he suspects a torpedo is the most likely cause of sinking of Cheonan. As evidence he points to thermal observation device readings and seismic wave recordings. However, the Hankyoreh reports that there is little evidence to suggest a North Korean torpedo attack since the ship's sonar did not detect one, but says that investigations are underway.

Meanwhile the U.S. is getting China on board to talk to North Korea about nuclear disarmament reports AFP.

Klaus · Post by **Klaus** » 05 Apr 2010 16:31

South Korean oil tanker hijacked on the high-seas by Somali pirates. A South Korean warship is trying to catch up, hopefully the IN will be in a position to provide assistance.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 08 Apr 2010 12:26

Newest SSN Severodvinsk to start trials this year

In 2010 Russian Navy will test new nuclear-powered attack submarine Severodvinsk (Project 855 Yasen). On May 7 the sub is expected to leave covered slipway and start trials, including those in the White Sea.

Since collapse of the USSR, Severodvinsk is the first submarine which was completely built in Russia. The submarine's surface speed is 16 knots; submerged speed is 31 knots; test depth is 600 meters; endurance is 100 days crew is 90 men.

The sub is armed with 10 torpedo tubes (650-mm and 533-mm), P-100 Onyx antiship cruise missiles, Kh-35 antiship cruise missiles, Kh-101 strategic cruise missiles, 3M-54E and 3M-54E1 antiship cruise missiles, 3M-14E cruise missiles used against land targets.

The submarine carries extraordinarily powerful armament capable to counter almost all present-day surface ships and submarines. For the first time torpedo tubes are located not in bow section but behind central station.

sumshyam · Post by **sumshyam** » 08 Apr 2010 18:01

Moscow set to upgrade Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier

The Fleet Admiral of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov, currently the only aircraft carrier serving as the flagship of the Russian Navy, will be upgraded, the media reported, quoting Navy sources. The aircraft carrier, due to enter a dry dock in 2012, will be re-launched in 2017.

First of all, the defective propulsion unit comprising steam turbines and turbo-pressurized boilers will be replaced either with a gas-turbine or nuclear propulsion unit.

The ship's 3M45 P-700 Granit (SS-N-19 Shipwreck) anti-ship cruise-missile launchers will be dismantled, and her internal layout changed. Consequently, the hangar area will be expanded to 4,500-5,000 sq. m. for storing additional fixed-wing aircraft.

The Admiral Kuznetsov's air defenses will be strengthened by replacing 3K95 Kinzhal (SA-N-9 Gauntlet) missiles with a multi-role naval system featuring 80-120 new-generation and medium-range surface-to-air missiles (SAMs).

Moreover, 4-6 Pantsir-S1 (SA-22 Greyhound) combined short to medium-range SAM and anti-aircraft artillery weapons systems will be installed.

The new weapons systems will feature state-of-the-art radio-electronic equipment, probably including the standard Sigma combat information and control system, due to be installed on all new generation Russian warships. The system facilitates unprecedentedly effective cooperation between task force elements.

The carrier will also receive aircraft catapults, a logical option. Considering the fact that her ski-jump will remain intact, one or two catapults can be located on the angled flight deck.

A similar engineering solution was envisioned for the incomplete Ulyanovsk super-carrier, whose keel was laid down in 1988, but the project was cancelled when it was 40% complete along with a sister ship in 1991 after the end of the Cold War.

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 10 Apr 2010 18:06

iPranged a submarine

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 12 Apr 2010 14:29

Excerpt:

Sweden to invest in new submarines
Published: 11 Apr 10
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/26006/20100411/

Dictionary tool Double click on a word to get a translation

The Swedish military is set to shell out billions of kronor for two new state-of the-art submarines while also upgrading two older vessels, defence minister Sten Tolgfors has revealed.

Swedish pension fund bars Israeli arms firm (30 Mar 10)
Sweden proposes veterans memorial day (19 Mar 10)
Swedish Armed Forces cuts troops and bases (6 Mar 10)

Writing in the Sunday edition of Stockholm daily Svenska Dagbladet, the minister conceded that the Baltic Sea area remained stable, with only Kaliningrad and St. Petersburg breaking the circle of EU and NATO-affiliated countries.

"However, one can never rule out long-term risks and incidents, which could also be of a military nature," Tolgfors wrote.

The multi-billion kronor investment is to be included in next week's spring budget proposal, he added.

Ship builder Kockums said in February that it had signed a contract with FMV (the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration) regarding the construction of next-generation submarines.

“This is an important first step, not only for Kockums, but for the Swedish Armed Forces as a whole," said Kockums CEO Alfredsson in a statement released at the time.

"We shall now be able to maintain our position at the cutting edge of submarine technology, which is vital in the light of current threat scenarios. HMS Gotland demonstrated what she is capable of during two years of joint exercises in the water off the USA. This next-generation submarine marks a further refinement of technology”, he said.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 12 Apr 2010 21:00

This site has some really nice information on Borei , Akula , Amur & Yasen ( In Russian )

885 GRANAY SSGN

955 BOREI / KASATKA SSBN

971 AKULA SSN

677 LADA SSK

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 12 Apr 2010 21:08

from the Yasen photo the bow section seems to be of larger diameter than rest of hull
and conning tower is actually lower down. quite a unique hull shape among SSNs.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 12 Apr 2010 21:30

^^^ Singha that is a test platform ( Yankee Big Nose/Pr 09780 "Akson-2" ) for the new 4th generation Large Spherical Sonar Suite "Irtysh-Amfora" . Irtysh-Amfora will be the primary sonar suite on Yasen , this replaces the digital Skat-3 sonar suite on Akula platforms.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 12 Apr 2010 21:43

oh ok.

I was wondering about some secret new hydrodynamic advance in hull shaping after the akula shape.

Ameet · Post by **Ameet** » 16 Apr 2010 22:53

South Korea: External explosion sank ship - link as pic of the salvaged ship

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/0 ... tml?hpt=T2

A South Korean investigator said Friday that an "external explosion" was the most likely cause of the mysterious sinking of a naval ship in which 46 South Korean sailors were lost in tense waters off the North Korean coast.

"There is a higher possibility of an external rather than an internal explosion," Yoon Duk-yong, the co-head of a government-appointed team to investigate the March 26 sinking of the corvette Cheonan, said Friday in a televised press conference.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 17 Apr 2010 11:50

And now another French sub scandal again involving Scorpenes,this time for Malaysia! Remember the earlier scandal involving Agostas for Pak and thge controversy about the price hike for Indian Scorpenes and the cock-up in our deal for the same?

http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/129377

Excerpt:

French courts asked to probe submarine deal
John Berthelsen | Apr 16, 10

A potentially explosive scandal in Malaysia over the billion-dollar purchase of French submarines, a deal engineered by then-defence minister Najib Razak, has broken out of the domestic arena with the filing of a request to investigate bribery and kickbacks from the deal in a Paris court.

Although the case has been contained for eight years in the cozy confines of Malaysia's courts and parliament, which are dominated by the ruling BN, French lawyers William Bourdon, Renaud Semerdjian and Joseph Breham put an end to that when they filed it with Parisian prosecutors on behalf of the Malaysian human rights organisation Suaram, which supports good-government causes.

Judges in the Paris Prosecution Office have been probing a wide range of corruption charges involving similar submarine sales and the possibility of bribery and kickbacks to top officials in France, Pakistan and other countries...

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 21 Apr 2010 21:26

Russia Black Sea Fleet presence in Ukraine extended for 25 more years

Ukraine has agreed to extend the term of Russian Black Sea Fleet presence in the country's Crimea for 25 more years, the Russian president said on Wednesday.

The new agreement, signed after talks between Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and his Ukrainian counterpart Viktor Yanukovych, also stipulates the extension for an additional five years after the term expires.

link

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 21 Apr 2010 21:29

After the defeat of US sponsored puttet regime via Orange revolution , Ukranian-Russia relations are back on track, extension beyond 2018 for 25 more years is really good news for Russia Navy.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 22 Apr 2010 08:45

Russia to build submarine-detecting satellite

Russia could build a satellite for the detection and tracking of submarines from space, a defense industry spokesman said on Thursday.

Vladimir Boldyrev, of the Kosmonit science and technology center, said the group had developed a space satellite module that could carry out remote sensing of the sea and "detect submerged submarines."

"Hopefully, it will be tested in space as early as 2011," he said, adding that work on the module started over a decade ago.

He offered no indication as to when the new satellite would enter service with the Russian Armed Forces.

Boldyrev added that the dual-use module would be used for both defense and civilian purposes, in particular, providing meteorological data.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 22 Apr 2010 12:28

Did NoKo really do it? There appears to be little motive for the North to have done so as hitherto,it has been scrupulous in behaviour towards the South despite raised levels of tension.What gain has there been for the North in comitting such an act? V.little other than earning even more condemnation from the west and the south. In fact it gives the South leverage against the North and an excuse fo strike at it militarily,especially at its nculear installations,as the North is reportedly about to test another N-weapon.

That latter reason could be the key to unravelling the entire mystery.If this was actually a "false flag" operation,where the SoKo corvette was actually sunk by its own special squad,it makes more sense.The North's naval capabilities are also rather primitive and it beggars the Q,as to how a NoKo sub,whose tech is limitd and v.dated,could've managed to sink a modern SoKo ship.The US's intel has been woefully wrong in Iraq and elsewhere and there is no guarantee to the International community that the US is spot on about the sinking blaming the North.

PS:Is there another reason though aggro from the North through its secret suicide human torpedoes? THis is one form of attack that could also be used ahainst us by Paki trained terrorists in the future.

http://english.chosun.com/site/data/htm ... 01171.html

'Human Torpedoes' Are the North's Secret Naval Weapon South Korean military officials are said to be focusing their attention on "human torpedoes" deployed by North Korea military after testimony by defectors that could link them to the sinking of the Navy corvette Cheonan on March 26.

Human torpedoes trace their origins to the Japanese underwater suicide bombers known as "kaiten" who were put into action at the end of World War II. North Korea's human torpedo units belong to the 17th Sniper Corps and are deployed in both the East and West seas at the brigade level. The units are made up of elite soldiers, just like South Korea's UDT/SEAL teams, and were fed very well even when the rest of North Korea's people were starving due to economic hardships, according to defectors.

Jang Jin-sung, a North Korean poet who defected to South Korea, wrote recently on his blog that the human torpedo units "are treated better than submarine crew and their training centers around suicide bombing attacks." North Korea reportedly formed such squads in each branch of the military after leader Kim Jong-il said during the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 that no military in the world can defeat an army that can carry out suicide bombings.

But the human torpedoes not only use suicide bombing tactics but also launch attacks using semi-submersible vessels equipped with light torpedoes or other explosives, which are fired or placed on their intended targets at close range.

The North is said to have come up with the human torpedoes after its defeat by South Korea in the first and second naval battles in the West Sea, which forced it to realize that it cannot win by conventional means.

Park Sun-young, a lawmaker with the Liberty Forward Party, told the National Assembly on April 8 a three-man team aboard a Seal Deliver Vehicle could have sunk the Cheonan. SDVs are used to transport commandos under water. Some military experts say an SDV laden with explosives could have approached the Cheonan to launch a suicide bomb attack.

But that is far from certain. Many experts say it would have been difficult to launch a human torpedo attack on the ship, considering the depth, speed of the underwater current and the heights of waves at the site of the tragedy. "SDVs are very slow and there is a low possibility that such vessels were used in an attack," Defense Minister Kim Tae-young told lawmakers earlier this month.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 22 Apr 2010 16:22

Chinese naval expansion gives Asian/ASEAN navies the jitters.

EXcerpts:

China’s growing naval power: Japan jittery
Before 2009 the PLAN has been a litoral force, only capable of defending Chinese territorial waters.
Recently South Korea announced that it wishes to deploy F35B fighters on its Dokdo class carrier. Although the Dokdo was built as a helo-carrier, the carrier was already designed for the deployment of fighter planes.
Just like South Korea, the Japanese have a helicopter carrier, the Hyuga, and are building a second one that should enter service in 2011. The story for Japan is similar to that of South Korea, even though it’s a helicopter carrier, the possibility exist to equip it with aircraft when needed
Warships off Okinawa and other incidents with an increasingly far-roaming and competent Chinese navy likely a harbinger of shocks to come

Tokyo’s shock, horror and alarm at the sighting a few days ago of a flotilla of 10 Chinese warships off Japan’s southern Okinawa island is undoubtedly contrived.

It has been evident for the past two decades as it invested huge amounts of money, time and effort into military modernization that Beijing intends to be able to project military power that supports its growing economic and diplomatic supremacy.

Just a few days before the latest encounter, a helicopter from a Chinese warship “buzzed” a Japanese naval vessel that was keeping watch on the exercises.

And in the past few years there have been other incidents with an increasingly far-roaming and competent Chinese navy.

This flotilla and its exercise to perfect coordinated actions at sea have the hallmarks of training the battle groups that will be necessary to protect China’s coming fleet of aircraft carriers.

Beijing has decided that although aircraft carriers and their defending battle groups are difficult to operate effectively, they are such a potent and visible demonstration of the ability to project military power and enforce political will that China must have them.

China’s first aircraft carrier is expected by western military analysts to come into service in 2015. By 2020 Beijing may have in its navy half a dozen carriers armed with the latest ground-attack and air supremacy fighter aircraft.

China’s development of a blue water, high seas navy on what was little more than a few coastal gunboats two decades ago has been a brilliant piece of gamesmanship.

Despite its efforts at obfuscation, Beijing’s evident determination to build and operate a navy capable of projecting power throughout Asia has worried China’s neighbours.

It has prompted an arms race in Asia, especially with the acquisition by China’s neighbours of submarines, which because of their stealth and multiple weapons systems offer great deterrent value.

India, which sees itself as Beijing’s main regional rival, is pursuing a massive naval expansion and modernization program designed to keep ahead of China.

Australia is doubling its submarine fleet to 12. Malaysia, Vietnam, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Singapore, Indonesia and South Korea are all in the process of acquiring or expanding their submarine fleets.

Without any apparent appreciation of the irony, Chinese military officers and associated academics have been warning at regional defence conferences in recent weeks that this arms race, especially the widespread acquisition of submarines, is inherently destabilizing in Asia.

A succinct picture of what is driving Asian governments to beef up their submarine fleets came earlier this month when, with more irony, Senior Colonel Chen Zhou, a researcher with the PLA’s Academy of Military Sciences, was trying to assuage the concerns among the governments of the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

“ASEAN countries should be assured that China’s development of its navy is only to maintain the country’s own maritime interests and regional peace and stability,” Chen said.

Well, since Beijing’s claimed “maritime interests” include disputes with Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan and Indonesia over the ownership of islands and submarine resources in the South China Sea, that was hardly reassuring. Japan increasingly alarmed by China’s growing naval power. By Jonathan Manthorpe, Vancouver SunApril 21, 2010. [email protected]

Today the Daily Telegraph reports yet another sign of its development of a blue water navy with a global strategic reach capable of threatening American and British cities: a huge underground naval base on the well-placed island of Hainan that, with good reason, is believed to be the home of its latest class of nuclear submarines equipped with nuclear weapons.
Particularly noteworthy is the ability of departing and incoming submarines to leave and enter the base underwater, thus significantly enhancing their ability to remain hidden from prying eyes.
“In a decade, there could be two carriers, larger destroyers, and, even ship- and submarine-launched anti-ship ballistic missiles [ASBMs] in the mix

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 22 Apr 2010 18:11

south korean ship probably sunk by midget submarine

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... edoes.html

Kartik · Post by **Kartik** » 22 Apr 2010 23:59

Putting this news up here because its related to Navies. the first NH90-NFH ASuW and ASW warfare helicopter handed over to the Netherlands..

looks really cool.

link

Date: 21/04/2010
The Royal Netherlands Navy Takes Delivery Of Its First NH90 NFH
AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, is pleased to announce on behalf of NH Industries the delivery of the first NH90 NFH helicopter to the Royal Netherlands Navy during an official ceremony held today at AgustaWestland’s Vergiate plant in Italy. The Royal Netherlands Navy has ordered a total of 20 NH90 NFH aircraft. Today’s event marks the first delivery of a naval NH90 NFH variant to a customer.

The Dutch, French, Italian, Norwegian and Belgian navies have ordered a total of 111 NH90 NFH naval helicopters which will give operators a dramatic improvement in operational capability and mission effectiveness, thanks to the outstanding technology incorporated in to the NH90.

The NH90 NFH variant is primarily designed for autonomous Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) and Anti Surface Warfare (ASuW) missions. The comprehensive mission equipment packages allow a wide range of additional missions to be performed including Search and Rescue (SAR), maritime patrol, vertical replenishment, troop transport, medical evacuation and amphibious support roles. The helicopter is designed for day and night operations in adverse weather conditions from the decks of ships. Due to its weight and dimensions, the deck-lock system, the deck traversing system and the automatic blade and tail folding system, it can operate from small frigates even in high sea states.

putnanja · Post by **putnanja** » 23 Apr 2010 00:04

Kartik wrote:Putting this news up here because its related to Navies. the first NH90-NFH ASuW and ASW warfare helicopter handed over to the Netherlands..

looks really cool.

Isn't this in contention for replacement of our seaking fleet?

Craig Alpert · Post by **Craig Alpert** » 23 Apr 2010 04:35

How's your FARSI BRFITES? Iran's military exercises in Persian Gulf. N-JOY

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 23 Apr 2010 20:52

Three PF warships simultaneously launched cruise missiles

"Simultaneous launches of supersonic cruise missiles against sea surface targets which imitated enemy ships were the culmination of tactical training exercise conducted by PF strike force. The exercise is headed by Capt 1 rank Viktor Sokolov, commander of PF Primorsk flotilla", specified the interviewee.

"Such firings had been carried out by Pacific Fleet before; however, current drills are specific ones. The group of antiship missiles simultaneously launched by three ships were aimed at one target and guided by a special aircraft apart from standard guidance means. This aircraft was performing tasks at a certain distance from firing zone", said Martov.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 23 Apr 2010 20:55

^^^ So do they mean the antiship missile launched by 3 ships were guided by ASW aircraft and ship simultaneously ?

So if the ship is lost they would still be guided by aircraft to its target , two way datalink between missile , ship and aircraft ?

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 23 Apr 2010 21:06

LADA Submarine Passes State Trials

Russian Navy will buy 26 Mig-29K

Craig Alpert · Post by **Craig Alpert** » 24 Apr 2010 03:39

Austin wrote:Three PF warships simultaneously launched cruise missiles

Any news on which "supersonic Cruise missile" was test fired???

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 24 Apr 2010 10:32

Craig Alpert wrote:Any news on which "supersonic Cruise missile" was test fired???

They did not mention the 3 ships that fired the missile , but looking at the fleet strength of Navy Pacific Fleet , it would be the P-500 fired from Slava or Sunburn from Udaloy

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 24 Apr 2010 12:44

Significant decision for the Russian Navy to buy the MIG-29K for its carrier.This will have positive effect on the future development of the aircraft,especially if brought upto ful MIG-35 std. with 3-D TVC engines which will assist in taking off from the ski-jump.

More on the CHinese naval expansion and ambitions.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/24/world ... 4navy.html

EXcerpt:

Chinese Military Seeks to Extend Its Naval Power

Bullit Marquez/Associated Press
The strategy reflects China’s growing sense of self-confidence and increasing willingness to assert its interests abroad.

By EDWARD WONG
Published: April 23, 2010
YALONG BAY, China — The Chinese military is seeking to project naval power well beyond the Chinese coast, from the oil ports of the Middle East to the shipping lanes of the Pacific, where the United States Navy has long reigned as the dominant force, military officials and analysts say.

China calls the new strategy “far sea defense,” and the speed with which it is building long-range capabilities has surprised foreign military officials.

The strategy is a sharp break from the traditional, narrower doctrine of preparing for war over the self-governing island of Taiwan or defending the Chinese coast. Now, Chinese admirals say they want warships to escort commercial vessels that are crucial to the country’s economy, from as far as the Persian Gulf to the Strait of Malacca, in Southeast Asia, and to help secure Chinese interests in the resource-rich South and East China Seas.

In late March, two Chinese warships docked in Abu Dhabi, the first time the modern Chinese Navy made a port visit in the Middle East.

The overall plan reflects China’s growing sense of self-confidence and increasing willingness to assert its interests abroad. China’s naval ambitions are being felt, too, in recent muscle flexing with the United States: in March, Chinese officials told senior American officials privately that China would brook no foreign interference in its territorial issues in the South China Sea, said a senior American official involved in China policy.

The naval expansion will not make China a serious rival to American naval hegemony in the near future, and there are few indications that China has aggressive intentions toward the United States or other countries.

But China, now the world’s leading exporter and a giant buyer of oil and other natural resources, is also no longer content to trust the security of sea lanes to the Americans, and its definition of its own core interests has expanded along with its economic clout.

In late March, Adm. Robert F. Willard, the leader of the United States Pacific Command, said in Congressional testimony that recent Chinese military developments were “pretty dramatic.” China has tested long-range ballistic missiles that could be used against aircraft carriers, he said. After years of denials, Chinese officials have confirmed that they intend to deploy an aircraft carrier group within a few years.

China is also developing a sophisticated submarine fleet that could try to prevent foreign naval vessels from entering its strategic waters if a conflict erupted in the region, said Admiral Willard and military analysts.

“Of particular concern is that elements of China’s military modernization appear designed to challenge our freedom of action in the region,” the admiral said.

Yalong Bay, on the southern coast of Hainan island in the South China Sea, is the site of five-star beach resorts just west of a new underground submarine base. The base allows submarines to reach deep water within 20 minutes and roam the South China Sea, which has some of the world’s busiest shipping lanes and areas rich in oil and natural gas that are the focus of territorial disputes between China and other Asian nations.

That has caused concern not only among American commanders, but also among officials in Southeast Asian nations, which have been quietly acquiring more submarines, missiles and other weapons. “Regional officials have been surprised,” said Huang Jing, a scholar of the Chinese military at the National University of Singapore. “We were in a blinded situation. We thought the Chinese military was 20 years behind us, but we suddenly realized China is catching up.”

Brando · Post by **Brando** » 30 Apr 2010 02:04

It sounds like good news for feminists and not-so-good news for the wives of "bubble-heads" (submariners)

Navy to allow women to serve on submarines

KINGS BAY NAVAL SUBMARINE BASE, Ga. -- The first U.S. women allowed to serve aboard submarines will be reporting for duty by 2012, the Navy said Thursday as the military ordered an end to one of its few remaining gender barriers.

The cramped quarters and scant privacy aboard submarines, combined with long tours of up to 90 days at sea, kept them off-limits to female sailors for 16 years after the Navy began allowing women to serve on all its surface ships in 1994.

There were some protests, particularly from wives of sub sailors, after the military began formulating a plan last fall. But it received no objections from Congress after Defense Secretary Robert Gates notified lawmakers in mid-February that the Navy intended to lift the ban. The deadline for Congress to intervene passed at midnight Wednesday.

Rear Adm. Barry Bruner, who led the Navy's task force on integrating women onto submarines, brushed aside questions from reporters about the potential for sexual misconduct or unexpected pregnancies among a coed crew.

"We're going to look back on this four or five years from now, shrug our shoulders and say, 'What was everybody worrying about?'" said Bruner, the top sub commander at Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base in coastal Georgia, where the announcement was made.

Why couldn't they just have all-female boats instead of co-ed boats ? I guess that would be prejudicial and would be perceived as an affront to the character of hetrosexual women compared to homosexual women!

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 03 May 2010 14:55

Amazing,that they were not detected and that there was no crisis during the two years that the subs went to sea with their safety valves blocked!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/may/0 ... cts-valves

EXcerpt:

Nuclear submarines went to sea with potentially disastrous defectBritish vessels Turbulent and Tireless allowed to leave port with safety valves sealed off, risking catastrophic explosion, leaked memo reveals
Severin Carrell and Rob Edwards guardian.co.uk, Sunday 2 May 2010 17.56 BST Article history
HMS Tireless. Photograph: Royal Navy/PA

Two British nuclear submarines went to sea with a potentially disastrous safety problem that left both vessels at risk of a catastrophic accident, the Guardian can reveal.

Safety valves designed to release pressure from steam generators in an emergency were completely sealed off when the nuclear hunter killers Turbulent and Tireless left port, a leaked memo discloses.

The problem went undetected on HMS Turbulent for more than two years, during which time the vessel was on operations around the Atlantic, and visited Bergen in Norway, the Portuguese capital, Lisbon, and Faslane naval base near Glasgow.

It was not noticed on HMS Tireless for more than a year, and was finally detected last month, two months after Tireless started sea trials from its home port at Devonport naval base in Plymouth.

Tireless was involved in another serious incident in 2007, when two submariners were killed in an onboard explosion in air purification equipment. In 2000, it was stranded in Gibraltar for nearly a year after a leak from pipework leading from its reactor, putting immense strain on British relations with Spain.

The Ministry of Defence memo, which was written last week, admits that both cases involving the sealed-off valves were "a serious incident" that raised major questions about "weak and ambiguous" safety procedures at Devonport dockyard and within the Royal Navy.

The blocked valves, on the hull of the submarines, meant that steam from nuclear-powered boilers could not have been released in an emergency, leading to a potentially disastrous build-up of pressure.

John Large, a consultant on nuclear safety who advises governments on submarine safety, said: "It was a very significant failure. These two submarines were unfit for service. It was a perilous situation."

putnanja · Post by **putnanja** » 04 May 2010 01:16

Gates suggests big changes coming for Navy

...
But he did say the military must rethink whether it can afford such a massive naval fleet at a time when the Army and Marine Corps need more money to take care of troops and their families.

"Do we really need 11 carrier strike groups for another 30 years when no other country has more than one?" Gates asked.
...
...
John Pike, director of the GlobalSecurity.org defense website based in Alexandria, Va., said this is the first time, as far as he knows, that Gates has addressed the cost of maintaining the roughly 300-ship Navy.

Pike said that Gates, by raising the issue of the size and composition of the fleet with the Navy league, had entered "the Lion's den" — a reference to the pushback he's likely to get from Congress. Many lawmakers protect the Navy shipbuilding industry because it means jobs in their districts.

...
..

Craig Alpert · Post by **Craig Alpert** » 04 May 2010 08:13

US naval power threatened by new weapons: Robert Gates

WASHINGTON: Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Monday said new weapons threatened US dominance of the high seas and questioned the US Navy's reliance on costly aircraft carriers and submarines.

Anti-ship missiles and stealthy submarines could undermine the US military's global reach, putting carriers and American subs at risk, Gates said in a speech to retired members of the US Navy.

"We know other nations are working on asymmetric ways to thwart the reach and striking power of the US battle fleet," Gates said.

He cited the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah, which had used anti-ship missiles against Israel in 2006, and Iran's arsenal of missiles, mines and speedboats that he said were designed "to challenge our naval power in that region."

The US military's "virtual monopoly" in precision guided weapons was "eroding" and the spread of missiles jeopardized Washington's means of "projecting power," he said.

More sophisticated submarines -- that are more difficult to track -- along with other underwater weapons "could end the operational sanctuary our navy has enjoyed in the Western Pacific for the better part of six decades."

The new "anti-access" weapons could potentially render America's costliest vessels obsolete, with vast sums of money devoted to "wasting assets," he said.

"Our navy has to be designed for new challenges, new technologies, and new missions -- because another one of history's hard lessons is that, when it comes to military capabilities, those who fail to adapt often fail to survive," he said.

With the United States fleet of attack submarines and warships far exceeding any other country, Gates questioned if it was wise to spend billions more on the same programs given the changing strategic landscape.

"At the end of the day, we have to ask whether the nation can really afford a navy that relies on three- to six-billion-dollar destroyers, seven-billion-dollar submarines and 11-billion-dollar carriers."

To reduce a dependence on carriers and regional bases, naval commanders will need to develop ways to strike at longer range with the help of robotic, unmanned aircraft as well as smaller subs and unmanned underwater vessels, he said.

...........................

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 04 May 2010 17:48

Gates has put the point of the blade right at the USN's heart.The USN's strength is based almost entirely upon its 11/12 carrier strike forces.Its nuclear subs primary task is survivability of its N-deterrent.The remaining attack subs can play havoc with enemy task forces and hunt down enemy (Russian and Chinese) SSBNs in their bastions.Marshal Malenkov once derogatively called the carrier the "fith hind leg of a dog" and his words dusted off in the light if Gates' comments seem fresh.However,it is a fact that without the US's carrier forces it could not have undertaken GW1 &2 and also prosecuted the war in Afghanistan.In the absence of base facilities in friendly countries,the US will for the next few decades have to rely upon carrier task forces.

It is true that carriers today are becoming more vulnerable thanks to the proliferation of newer anti-ship missiles,even ballistic missiles if one believes that the PLAN have perfected theirs-a capability being seriously discounted.Therefore,the carrier's screen of support ships and subs has to be able to sanitise the area around the carrier to at least 300km,the range of new anti-ship missiles under MTCR rules.Multiple hard kill defences ar also required and from WW2 stats,carriers do take hits and suffer battle damage.The only slver lining in all this is that a carrier,though a large warship,is as large as a drop of water in the huge oceans and can take considerable hits from bombs and missiles.It is still the torpedo that is the most deadly weapon that could sink or cripple a carrier.The carrier's are however most vulnerable when transiting through narrow straits like the Malacca Straits,where large numbers of land based aircraft and missiles can be thrown against the carrier task force.In the Falklands,the margin between victory and defeat for Britain was never so close perhaps in the RN's history,where if it had lost or suffered damage of a single carrier,the war would've been lost.The Argentinians came very close to achieving their objective and it was faulty fusing of the torpedoes of their U-209 subs,which saw the subs attacks against the carriers wasted.The Argentinian air force also came within a whisker of hitting the carriers.One must remember here that eve though the Sea Harrier was the key to the British victory in the air,the range of the aircraft was limited allowing the Argentinian aircraft to be able to attack the British task force sinking several warships.Had the RN a longer ranged conventional aircraft ,they would've perhaps suffered less casualties

What is the alternative for the US and other nations like India? For the US which has a global agenda and expeditionary ambitions,attacking any country on the face of the planet to prevent an enemy from striking the US mainland,it cannot do without the carriers.It must though reinvent the carrier through new concepts.Perhaps it even needs to double the number,of operating some additional smaller sized 50,000t carriers equipped with STOVL JSFs mainly,flat tops which are stealthy and use new all-electric drive propulsion/nuclear powerplants,perhaps even on catamaran hulls for faster speeds.The carriers will need to have even more sophisticated anti-missile defences in flushdeck silos.Ultimately,it is the combined firepower of the task force vs the attacking force which will prevail.

For India,we do need to have at least three flat tops to carry out open ocean ops defending our maritime interests within and without the IOR,especially ops in the ASEAN region where China is attempting to gain total domination of the S,China Sea through its forces based at Hainan island.Our greatest asset though is the unsinkable carrier,the great Indian landmass thrusts into the Indian Ocean like a dagger from where masses of long ranged aircraft-with refuelling if need be, and missiles can carry out ops against enemy forces.We must thank our geography,including our island territories which will act as forward defences,from where we can launch pre-emptive attacks against "hostiles".I have suggested for decades that for all classes of warships larger than 10-12,000t,they should be flatotops,from where STOVL aircraft can operate.The Japanese and S.Koreans have done exactly that with their "pocket carriers" ,which will operate such aircraft types in future,masquerading under the guise of "destroyers". These are being built in series in anticipation of the fast approaching day when China will begin to operate the Varyag and its own home built 60,000t+ flat tops.

Thus while Gates calls for carrier cuts,his chief opponent in the future,China,and those at threat from it are busy building their own,not to mention closest ally Britain!

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 05 May 2010 07:37

Gates to the ship industry: Shape up

http://ricks.foreignpolicy.com/posts/20 ... y_shape_up

Craig Alpert · Post by **Craig Alpert** » 06 May 2010 04:14

Stealth beneath the Seas

The British Royal Navy’s largest and most powerful attack submarine has commenced sea trials and is soon set to enter service heralding a new age in naval capability. At 97 metres long and displacing 7,400 tonnes submerged, Astute is designed to be the quietest and most stealthy submarine of her type, packed with an impressive range of kit including advanced secure communications capabilities and optimal detection avoidance characteristics.

Astute can carry more torpedoes and tube launched missiles than any previous class of Royal Navy submarine – nuclear or conventionally powered. Its Tomahawk missiles can strike at targets up to 1,000 kilometres from the coast with pinpoint accuracy.

Thanks to its Rolls-Royce nuclear reactor, Astute can circumnavigate the globe, underwater, and will never need to refuel during its planned 25 year life. Its dived endurance is limited only by the amount of food that can be carried and the endurance of the crew.

Full acceptance by the Royal Navy is due soon, when Astute will be handed over by its builders, BAE Systems. Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope said: ‘The Astute class is truly next generation. ‘They are immensely powerful vessels and they will form a key part of our future programme, giving the Royal Navy the versatility and technical excellence needed to operate successfully across the globe,’ he added.

.......................... The Astute class will exceed the capabilities of the Trafalgar and Swiftsure classes it will supersede – the design and construction has been described as more complex than the space shuttle.

................................

Astute is one of the first nuclear submarines to be designed entirely in a three dimensional computer aided environment – a step change from the principle that performance should be optimised by designing the smallest boat possible with little regard to cost.

The modular build of the Astute class sees huge steel cylinders carefully welded together to reveal the familiar submarine shape. Underwater, the hull is designed to resist the equivalent pressure of 400 family saloon cars piled one on top of the other, on every square metre of its surface.

Construction complete, Astute was inched out of the cavernous surroundings of Devonshire Dock Hall for launching. Unlike launches of the past, modern submarine construction means that Astute was lowered into the adjacent dock by a Rolls-Royce shiplift system capable of lifting vessels up to 23,400 tonnes – when built it was the largest shiplift in the world.

For more than 50 years, Rolls-Royce has supplied nuclear steam raising plant to the Royal Navy. Astute is powered by the latest development of the PWR2 – Pressurised Water Reactor, a development of the reactor design used in the Vanguard class ballistic submarines.

......................................

Innovative Astute has been a major project for Rolls-Royce. The work included the design and manufacture of reactor cores, high pressure vessels and the innovative propulsor. The company’s scope of supply also includes Astute’s turbogenerator, flexible couplings and thrust block and Rolls-Royce low voltage electrical systems distribute power throughout the submarine.

The next three boats (Ambush, Artful and Audacious) are currently under construction at Barrow, and Rolls-Royce continues to work with the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD), BAE Systems and other parties to ensure they continue to deliver affordable and capable submarines into the future.

....................................

Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) Director Submarines, Rear Admiral Simon Lister, described Astute as: ‘A quantum leap in capability from the Trafalgar class.’ She is designed to fulfil a range of key strategic and tactical roles including anti-ship and anti-submarine operations, surveillance and intelligence gathering and support for land forces.

......................................

Life on board a nuclear submarine is typically three times more densely packed with machinery and equipment than a surface ship, so there are great demands on space. In a welcome change from earlier subs, each of the 98-strong crew has his own bunk, eliminating the need for ‘hot bunking’.

The crew is kept fed and watered 24 hours a day by a team of five Royal Navy chefs, with shift patterns ensuring everyone gets three meals a day. Working from a galley measuring just 10m x 3m the chefs can, for example, serve up 18,000 sausages and 4,200 cereal breakfasts during a ten-week patrol.

Astute can manufacture its own oxygen from seawater and can purify the on-board atmosphere by removing and disposing of waste carbon dioxide, hydrogen and carbon monoxide. It is also the first Royal Navy submarine not to be fitted with optical periscopes – a range of equipment including thermal imaging cameras and low light video will enable her crew to capture, share and analyse surface images.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 06 May 2010 11:34

More on the SoKo corvette sinking.Fragments of aluminium from the torpedo that sunk it.Al is sup[posedl;y not used by SoKo torps.Most analysts believe that it was a Chinese wake homing torpedo which is designed to explode under the hull of a warship that was used.

Traces of explosive found on wreckage of South Korean warship

Traces of explosive have been found on the debris of a sunken South Korean warship, feeding speculation that it was destroyed by North Korea.

By Malcolm Moore in Shanghai
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... rship.html

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 06 May 2010 16:55

The way to go with the "Pirates of the Arabian"! Great work by the Russian special forces.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... rates.html
Russian special forces in dawn raid on oil tanker pirates

Russian special forces freed 23 sailors from an oil tanker, which had been captured by Somali pirates, during a dawn raid.

Published: 06 May 2010

RXcerpt:

The raid against the Liberian-flagged ship Moscow University came 24 hours after pirates had taken the ship over and the crew locked themselves in a safe room. The vessel is carrying 86,000 tons of crude oil worth about $50 million.

The special forces had been aboard the Russian anti-submarine destroyer Marshal Shaposhnikov, which moved to the scene after Wednesday's attack. The special forces boarded a helicopter and dropped down to the Moscow University, Rear Adm Jan Thornqvist, force commander of the EU Naval Force, said.

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Col Alexei Kuznetsov, the Russian Defense Ministry spokesman, said the pirates were being held aboard the tanker. Russian news agencies reported the death of one pirate during the raid, but Col Kuznetsov said the situation was still unclear.

The crew of the Moscow University had previously told officials they believed the pirates were trying to enter the engine room, Rear Adm Thornqvist said. The ship had been disabled and was not moving. Safe rooms, where crews seek shelter, are typically stocked with food, water and communications equipment and have reinforced doors that can only be opened from the inside.

The ship's owner, Novoship, said in a statement that the decision to free the ship was made knowing "that the crew was under safe cover inaccessible to the pirates and that the lives and health of the sailors was not threatened by anything."

Cmdr. John Harbour, a spokesman for the EU Naval Force, called the rescue "an excellent operation all around." He said the EU Naval Force had been working at a tactical level with the Russians, and that EU Naval Force personnel talked to the Russian crew by VHF radio. He said the EU had offered support to the Russians.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 06 May 2010 20:59

Philip these are not Russian SF in the true sense ( naval Spetsnaz and others ) but normal Pacific Fleet Marines who were specially trained in anti-piracy/hostage rescue mission before dispatching on anti-piracy patrol.

Some Images of Russian Pacific Fleet Marines in Training

Prior to antipiracy mission, marines practiced hostage rescue

Pacific Fleet (PF) marines who along with the crew of large ASW ship Marshal Shaposhnikov freed Russian tanker Moscow University captured by pirates had passed thorough special training in Vladivostok before anti-piracy mission off Somalia, reported RIA Novosti citing Capt 1 rank Roman Martov, director of PF Press Service.

Tanker Moscow University having 23 Russian crewmembers and 86,000 tons of oil on board was hijacked Wednesday morning at the eastern part of the Gulf of Aden. The ship was sailing from the Red Sea to China. Ship release operation was carried out by marines and the crew of large ASW ship Marshal Shaposhnikov. As a result, nobody suffered among Russians; pirates were captured.

"There is PF marine unit on board Marshal Shaposhnikov. Before cruise to the Gulf of Aden, marines had passed a special training course on rescue of civil ship captured by pirates. All drills were conducted under special program in live operational conditions", pointed out the interviewee.

According to him, all PF marines currently on mission in the Gulf of Aden are experienced soldiers, masterfully firing various types of weapons, well-versed in hand-to-hand combat and special warfare.

Many of them repeatedly took part in international antipiracy missions within PF task units.

The fourth PF task unit consisting of large antisubmarine warfare ship Marshal Shaposhnikov, tanker Pechenga and sea-going salvage tug MB-37 on March 29 arrived from Vladivostok to participate in international antipiracy mission.

There are two deck-based helicopters on board Marshal Shaposhnikov; they constantly conduct air reconnaissance

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 06 May 2010 21:06

the old "grom" type units would have simply dumped the pirates into the sea without further ado. the bear has been forced to wear a tuxedo now and become civilized.