Russian Navy News

03.30.2012Black Sea Fleet Marines Held Landing Assault Drill
Black Sea Fleet Marines Held Landing Assault Drill

03.30.2012Second Course of INS Vikramaditya Crew Completed Training at Sevmash
Second Course of INS Vikramaditya Crew Completed Training at Sevmash

03.30.2012Russian and Chinese Mariners to Train Jointly in Yellow Sea
Russian and Chinese Mariners to Train Jointly in Yellow Sea

03.30.2012Strenuous Work Continues on Yantar Research Ship
Strenuous Work Continues on Yantar Research Ship

03.30.2012Northern Fleet Marines to Attend Anti-Piracy Mission
Northern Fleet Marines to Attend Anti-Piracy Mission

03.30.2012SSBN Alexander Nevsky to Test Bulava
SSBN Alexander Nevsky to Test Bulava

03.29.2012Black Sea Fleet Commander Introduced His Deputy
Black Sea Fleet Commander Introduced His Deputy

03.29.2012Special-Purpose Ship Inflamed Near Murmansk
Special-Purpose Ship Inflamed Near Murmansk

03.29.2012Baltic Fleet Flagship Celebrated 18-th Anniversary
Baltic Fleet Flagship Celebrated 18-th Anniversary

03.29.2012Canada Classified "Russian Spy" File
Canada Classified "Russian Spy" File

03.29.2012Northern Fleet Rescuers Prepare for Bold Monarch 2012 Exercise
Northern Fleet Rescuers Prepare for Bold Monarch 2012 Exercise

03.28.2012Russian-Indian Subs May Get Air-Independent Powerplant
Russian-Indian Subs May Get Air-Independent Powerplant

03.28.2012ASW ship Vice Admiral Kulakov Prepares for Anti-Piracy Mission
ASW ship Vice Admiral Kulakov Prepares for Anti-Piracy Mission

03.28.2012Caspian Flotilla Task Group Holds Exercise
Caspian Flotilla Task Group Holds Exercise

03.28.2012Moscow Complains on US Arming Georgia
Moscow Complains on US Arming Georgia

03.28.2012Black Sea Flagship Finished Dock Repairs
Black Sea Flagship Finished Dock Repairs

03.28.2012Media: Russia, China to Hold Joint Naval Exercise
Media: Russia, China to Hold Joint Naval Exercise

03.27.2012Sports Center for NF Submariners to Open on Russian Navy Day
Sports Center for NF Submariners to Open on Russian Navy Day

03.27.2012Baltiysky Zavod Cuts Metal for New Icebreaker
Baltiysky Zavod Cuts Metal for New Icebreaker

03.27.2012Analysts: Russia Will Yield to US at India's Arms Market
Analysts: Russia Will Yield to US at India's Arms Market

03.27.2012Moscow Schoolchildren Visit Aircraft Carrier Admiral Kuznetsov
Moscow Schoolchildren Visit Aircraft Carrier Admiral Kuznetsov

03.27.2012Zvezdochka Prolongs Lifetime of Delfin-Class Subs to 35 Years
Zvezdochka Prolongs Lifetime of Delfin-Class Subs to 35 Years

03.27.2012Pacific Fleet Diver Died During Naval Exercise
Pacific Fleet Diver Died During Naval Exercise

03.26.2012Defense Ministry Issued Tender for Torpedo Servicing
Defense Ministry Issued Tender for Torpedo Servicing

03.26.2012Russian Defense Industry Gets Tax Benefits
Russian Defense Industry Gets Tax Benefits

03.26.2012Russian Navy to Field New Fizik-1 Torpedoes
Russian Navy to Field New Fizik-1 Torpedoes

03.26.2012SSBN Verkhoturye Left Covered Slipway
SSBN Verkhoturye Left Covered Slipway       

ITS Virginio Fasan Launched

Following the launch of the “Carlo Bergamini” last July, today Riva Trigoso (Genoa) shipyard celebrated the launch of the frigate “Virginio Fasan”, which is due for delivery at the end of 2012. The vessel is the second of a series of Fremm vessels - Multi Mission European Frigates - which were ordered from Fincantieri by the Italian Navy within the framework of an Italo-French program of cooperation.

Godmother to the ship was Mrs Gina Fasan, daughter of the officer Virginio Fasan. The frigate was named in honour of the 3rd Class Chief Mechanic of the Navy who drowned in the waters of Asinara on 9 September 1943 on board the destroyer “Vivaldi". Virginio Fasan took part in all the war operations carried out by the vessel and was awarded a silver medal for his service in the waters of Pantelleria in June 1942.

Present at the ceremony were, Gianluigi Magri, Undersecretary for Defence, Vice Admiral Luigi Binelli Mantelli, Commander in Chief of the Navy, Giuseppe Bono, CEO of Fincantieri and Corrado Antonini, Chairman of Fincantieri.
The vessel, which will be delivered in mid 2013, will feature a high degree of flexibility, capable of operating in all tactical situations. 139 metres long with a beam of 19.7 metres, the ship will have a displacement at full load of approximately 5,900 tonnes. The “Virginio Fasan” will have a maximum speed of over 27 knots and will provide accommodation for a crew of 145.

The ships in the FREMM program constitute state of the art vessels of European and Italian defence in the Mediterranean and will replace the “Lupo” and “Maestrale” class frigates built by Fincantieri in the 1970s.
Participating in the initiative as prime contractor for Italy is Orizzonte Sistemi Navali (51% Fincantieri, 49% Finmeccanica) and, as prime contractor for France, Armaris (DCNS + Thales).

The cooperation has drawn on the highly positive experience of the previous Italo-French program “Orizzonte” under which two frigates were built for the Italian Navy, the ”Andrea Doria” and the “Caio Duilio”. 

DCNS delivered the fourth Skjold FPB to Norwegian Navy

2012/03/30

On March 29th 2012, DCNS delivered the fourth-of-class fast patrol boat (FPB) P964-Glimt to the Royal Norwegian Navy. The six-boat Skjold program is led by a consortium comprising DCNS and two Norwegian contractors with DCNS acting as the combat system design authority and co-supplier.
The Norwegian authorities entrusted the Skjold program to a consortium of three contractors with DCNS as the combat system design authority and co-supplier. DCNS is working with Norwegian contractors Umoe Mandal and Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, through the Skjold Prime Consortium.

Skjold FPBs are designed specifically for maritime security and safety missions in Norway’s littoral waters. The combat system is tailored to demanding environments and reduced crewing. The communications and sensor suites are fully compatible with active participation in international and NATO-led operations. The vessels communication capabilities will be further enhanced as they will be upgraded with a state-of-the-art satellite communications system. The contract for this new capability has just been awarded by NDLO (Norwegian Defence Logistics Organisation) to the Skjold Prime Consortium.
With a length of around 50 meters, Skjold-class FPBs are heavily armed for their size. The combat system features eight anti-ship missiles and a 76-mm gun that can engage several targets at once at ranges exceeding 12 kilometers.
First-of-class P961-Storm was handed over on 9 September 2010, second-of-class P962-Skudd on 28 October 2010 and third-of-class P963-Steil on 30 June 2011.
The success of the Skjold program is the fruit of a long-term partnership between DCNS and its Norwegian partners. Between 1997 and 2004, DCNS demonstrated its expertise in combat system design and development as prime contractor for the modernization of 14 Hauk-class FPBs for the Royal Norwegian Navy.

Department of Defense Announces Selected Acquisition Report

http://www.defense.gov/news/PAC.PDF

Contract Awarded for Long Lead Time Materials for Construction of Sixth National Security Cutter

March 30, 2012

The third NSC, Stratton, transits the Chesapeake Bay on Oct. 31, 2011. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Andrew Kendrick.

The U.S. Coast Guard today exercised a contract option with Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. to procure Long Lead Time Materials (LLTM) for the construction of the sixth National Security Cutter (NSC).  The total value of the award is $87.9 million, approximately $1.7 million less than the LLTM contract option awarded for NSC #5 in January 2011.  The funds will be used to purchase components and materials to support construction of the new cutter, including steel plating, propulsion systems, marine turbine/diesel engines, ship integrated control system, switchboards and generators.   
The option award is divided into two phases.  The first phase, valued at $75.9 million, will procure the critical main propulsion and navigation systems, generators, electrical switchboards, major castings, and other items using amounts appropriated for LLTM in FY 2012.  The second phase, consisting of two separate options together totaling $12 million, will purchase valves and the Ships Integrated Control System.  The second phase will be supported with funding requested in the President's FY 2013 budget request.

The award of LLTM one year before production achieves a cost savings for the total acquisition cost of NSC #6 by allowing an earlier start of production efforts, reducing exposure to inflation risks and minimizing the time between production of NSCs #5 and #6.

Three NSCs have been delivered to the Coast Guard.  The first two NSCs, USCGC Bertholf and USCGC Waesche, are currently engaged in Coast Guard operations.  While on patrol from October to December 2011, Bertholf interdicted contraband with an estimated street value of $61 million.   During Waesche’s first patrol, from July to October 2011, her crew interdicted contraband with an estimated street value of $24.8 million.

The third NSC, Stratton, will be commissioned into service on March 31, 2012, in Alameda, Ca.  NSC #4 is in production at Ingalls Shipyards in Pascagoula, Miss.  Prefabrication activities for NSC #5 commenced March 6, 2012, in preparation for the start of production later this spring.

RV Roger Revelle AGOR 24 Undergoing Maintenance in Australia

March 30, 2012

Austal is pleased to announce the mooring of the US Navy’s Research Vessel ROGER REVELLE (AGOR 24) at its Marine Support Base in Henderson, Western Australia. Owned by the US Office of Naval Research and operated by the Scripps Institute of Oceanography, the 274 foot (84 meter) ship is pierside for maintenance and crew change out.

Austal Chief Operating Officer (Support and Systems) Charles McGill said: “The arrival of ROGER REVELLE is a true endorsement of the quality of our facility and the strength of Austal’s relationship with the US Navy.”

The docking of the ship highlights the strength of Austal’s Support and Systems capabilities . The range of ship support services provided to Austal and non-Austal operators in the defense, commercial and private sectors includes vessel and fleet maintenance; refit and repair; equipment and systems support; and consultancy.

These are provided from facilities in Australia (Henderson, Darwin and Canberra); Asia (Singapore and Philippines); the United States (Mobile, Washington D.C and San Diego); the Caribbean (Trinidad and Tobago); the Middle East (Dubai and Oman); and Europe (Gibraltar and United Kingdom).

Hawaii Welcomes San Diego Ships for Koa Kai

In this file photo, guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold (DDG 65) arrives at Pearl Harbor for exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2010. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Woody Paschall)

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii - The San Diego-based ships USS Benfold (DDG 65) and USS Vandergrift (FFG 48) joined four Hawaii-based ships in exercise Koa Kai 12-2 beginning March 30, to participate in the semi-annual exercise in and around Hawaiian waters.

This is the first time San Diego-based ships are participating in Koa Kai. Units participating in Koa Kai will conduct integrated flight operations, anti-surface and anti-submarine training, and dynamic ship maneuvers.

"Koa Kai provides an opportunity to exercise multiple warfare disciplines to ensure our ships are ready to deploy at a moment's notice," said Capt. Dave Welch, commander of Destroyer Squadron 31 (CDS 31). "Koa Kai is integrated, challenging, state-of-the-art training here in the Middle Pacific that helps us achieve full deployment readiness."

"We're extremely pleased that the San Diego-based ships USS Benfold and USS Vandergrift have joined us for this version of Koa Kai. Their participation will add great value and depth to the exercise," he added.

Benfold and Vandergrift join the Hawaii-based guided-missile cruiser USS Port Royal (CG 73); guided-missile destroyer USS Paul Hamilton (DDG 60); and the guided-missile frigates USS Crommelin (FFG 37) and USS Reuben James (FFG 57) and underway replenishment ship USNS Henry J. Kaiser (T-AO-187). The U.S. surface ships are joined by assets from Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, Helicopter Squadron Light 37, Commander Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 2, and the Royal Canadian Air Force 407 Long Range Patrol Squadron.

Koa Kai 12-2 is a maritime exercise to prepare independent deployers in multiple warfare areas, while also providing training in a multi-ship environment.

Hawaii-based surface combatants regularly deploy to the Asia Pacific region and often train with international partners while on deployment. Joint, interagency and international relationships strengthen U.S. Third Fleet's ability to respond to crises and protect the collective maritime interests of the U.S. and its allies and partners.

Koa Kai demonstrates the Pacific Fleet commitment to forward readiness, and prepares Middle Pacific ships to meet current and future challenges. 

Sponsor chosen for Cutter Richard Etheridge

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2012

Posted by: LT Stephanie Young

Cutter Richard Etheridge at builder's trials in Grand Isle, La., earlier this week. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Chief Warrant Officer Richard Ball.

Written by Lt. j.g. James Ellsworth, executive officer of Coast Guard Cutter Richard Etheridge.

The notion of a cutter or ship sponsor is deeply rooted in naval tradition, with a woman selected for each new ship based on its namesake or planned mission. Sponsors play an important role in the life of the cutter, maintaining a relationship with the crew and participating in ceremonies such as the ship’s commissioning and decommissioning.

Last week, Shirley Rochon joined the hallowed list of Coast Guard ship’s sponsors and was officially announced as sponsor of U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Richard Etheridge, the second Sentinel-class fast response cutter.

Cutter Richard Etheridge's command with representatives of the namesake Richard Etheridge at the Sentinel-class fleet dedication ceremony March 2, 2012. (From left to right) Frank Hester, great-nephew of Pea Island Surfman Dorman Pugh; Lt. j.g. James Ellsworth, executive officer; Lt. Cmdr. Christian Lee, commanding officer; Retired Rear Adm. Stephen Rochon; Joan Collins, great-niece of Dorman Pugh; Shirley Rochon. U. S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Andrew Rodriguez.

Cutter Richard Etheridge is named for Richard Etheridge, keeper of the Pea Island Life-Saving Station from Jan. 24, 1880, until his death on May 8, 1900. Etheridge was born into slavery and served in the enlisted ranks of the Union Army during the Civil War prior to joining the U.S. Life-Saving Service. During a time where the Life-Saving Service was under heavy scrutiny due to a series of widely publicized failures, Etheridge was identified byRevenue Cutter Service 1st Lieutenant Charles Shoemaker as “one of the best surfmen on this part of the coast of North Carolina.” He was appointed keeper of the Pea Island station and, in doing so, became the first African-American to command a life-saving station.

With Etheridge in command, Pea Island gained a reputation for being “one of the tautest on the Carolina Coast,” with its keeper well-known as one of the most courageous and ingenious lifesavers in the service. Their most famous rescue under Etheridge’s leadership was the Oct. 11, 1896, rescue of the entire crew of the schooner E.S. Newman, driven ashore by a terrifying storm.

Rochon is a 42-year verteran of Coast Guard civilian service and wife of retired Rear Adm. Stephen P. Rochon. The Rochons are deeply connected to Etheridge’s story, spearheading the 1996 posthumous awarding of the Gold Lifesaving Medal to Etheridge and his crew for the E. S. Newman rescue, 100 years after it happened.

Ensign Eva Daly, first lieutenant aboard Cutter Richard Etheridge, greets Shirley Rochon and retired Rear Adm. Stephen Rochon. U. S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Andrew Rodriguez.

Cutter Richard Etheridge’s crew had the opportunity to begin building a relationship with the Rochons during the Sentinel-class fleet dedication ceremony earlier this month. The event brought in representatives of the namesakes of the first 14 fast response cutters, including the Rochons. The crew of Richard Etheridge, who arrived at the shipyard for pre-delivery training in February, was honored to be a part of the event. Crew members had the unique opportunity to meet families and shipmates of the Coast Guard heroes for whom the sentinel class will be named.

Follow the U. S. Coast Guard Cutter Richard Etheridge on Facebook or on the Web for photos and updates as the cutter continues to move toward a planned August commissioning.

Cutter Richard Etheridge pulls away for builder's trials earlier in the week. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Chief Warrant Officer Richard Ball.

Shipbuilder and Ship Engine Manufacturer Agree to Pay Civil Penalty and Perform Environmental Project to Resolve Clean Air Act Violations

WASHINGTON – Coltec Industries Inc. and National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) have agreed to pay a civil penalty of $280,000 and spend approximately $500,000 on an environmental project to resolve alleged violations of the Clean Air Act (CAA) and EPA’s marine diesel engine air rules, the Department of Justice and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today.  The project will significantly reduce nitrogen oxide emissions from a testing stack at Coltec’s Beloit, Wis., engine manufacturing facility, improving air quality for residents.  Coltec and NASSCO also agreed to attach the required EPA engine labels to 40 ship engines that were previously unlabeled or improperly labeled.
“This is the first time a settlement addresses Clean Air Act violations in the marine engine manufacturing and ship building industries.  Under the settlement, Coltec and NASSCO will pay a just penalty and achieve compliance with the nation’s Clean Air Act and EPA’s emissions control regulations,” said Ignacia S. Moreno, Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division.  “Compliance with the Clean Air Act by all industries is essential to preventing harmful pollutants from being released into the environment, whether on land or at sea.”
“EPA is committed to enforcing the Clean Air Act’s standards for engines, including ship engines,” said Cynthia Giles, Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance.  “By ensuring that engines meet requirements and encouraging environmental projects that benefit nearby communities, we are making the air cleaner and healthier for the residents of southern Wisconsin.”
The CAA prohibits marine diesel engines from being sold in the U.S. unless the engines are covered by a certificate of conformity and have an EPA label indicating that the engine meets applicable emission standards.  Engines that are not certified may be operating without proper emissions controls and emitting excess carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides.  These excess emissions can cause respiratory illnesses, aggravate asthma and contribute to the formation of ground level ozone or smog.
On Sep. 30, 2010, the United States filed a complaint which alleged that Coltec violated the CAA by manufacturing and selling 32 marine diesel engines that were not covered by an EPA-issued certificate of conformity and that NASSCO violated the CAA by installing those engines in ships that NASSCO built and sold to the U.S. Navy.  The complaint also alleged that the 32 uncertified Coltec engines, plus eight more certified engines Coltec sold to NASSCO, had missing or improper emissions compliance labels required by EPA’s regulations.  Finally, the complaint alleged that NASSCO further violated the CAA by manufacturing and selling ships containing an additional six uncertified engines. 
The settlement also includes a supplemental environmental project in which Coltec and NASSCO will install a nitrogen oxide (NOx) control system to an engine test stand exhaust stack connected to Coltec’s Beloit engine manufacturing facility.  The engine test stand is used for testing large marine diesel engines that are manufactured and sold by Coltec for use in U.S. Navy ships.  The NOx controls required by the settlement are estimated to reduce levels of NOx by at least 85 percent, from approximately 102 pounds emitted per hour to approximately 16 pounds per hour.  The estimated cost to implement the project is $500,000 and will benefit the city of Beloit by improving air quality near the facility, particularly in the adjacent Merrill neighborhood. 
Coltec is a subsidiary of EnPro Industries Inc. and operates Fairbanks Morse Engine (FME), which supplies marine propulsion and ship service systems to the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard.
NASSCO is a subsidiary of General Dynamics. NASSCO designs and builds support ships, oil tankers and dry cargo carriers for the U.S. Navy and commercial markets.
The consent decree, lodged in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, is subject to a 30-day public comment period and court approval.

Regional Team Helps Launch U.S. Navy War of 1812 Bicentennial Celebration

PUT-IN-BAY, Ohio, March 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- United States Secretary of the Navy, Ray Mabus, recently launched the Navy's commemoration honoring the bicentennial of the War of 1812 at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Commemorating Ohio's critical role in the war, a regional team from the volunteer, nonprofit Perry Group presented the Secretary [see photo link] with a "Battle of Lake Erie Bicentennial Celebration" flag stitched with five indelible words: "Don't give up the ship".

"The flag draped over the shoulder of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry – as pictured in the Halls of Congress, U.S. Naval Academy Museum, and Ohio State House – include these instructional yet inspirational words that helped chart the course of victory for America against the British in the War of 1812," says David Zavagno, chairman of The Perry Group's Battle of Lake Erie Bicentennial Committee, which has been planning its tribute for over three years.  

Zavagno, along with Blanca Stransky, superintendent of the National Park Service, which oversees the Perry Memorial and surrounding grounds at Put-in-Bay, presented the navy blue flag to Secretary Mabus.

The turning point in the War of 1812 was the Battle of Lake Erie, when Oliver Hazard Perry – sailing under a "Don't Give Up the Ship" battle flag – led the U.S. Navy over the British Navy in a historic battle near Put-in-Bay, Ohio. The War of 1812, also remembered for Francis Scott Key's authoring of the Star Spangled Banner and burning of the White House by the British army, was America's first great Naval war, and the Battle of Lake Erie was the first-ever U.S. Naval fleet victory over the British navy.

The Navy, as part of its 15-city tour to commemorate the bicentennial of the War of 1812, will visit Cleveland Aug. 27 - Sept. 4, featuring Navy ships and special events. A video about the Navy's commemoration, including depictions of the pivotal Battle ofLake Erie, is available on YouTube: http://youtu.be/VD75BAzjqek.

The Battle of Lake Erie Bicentennial Committee encourages the public to visit http://www.battleoflakeerie-bicentennial.com (or use shortened link: http://bit.ly/BLE200) to learn more about the Battle of Lake Erie itself and the schedule of events surrounding the bicentennial celebration. 

Imtech Marine wins Netuba Turkey Trade Award

On 22nd March,  Imtech Marine received the Netherlands Turkey Trade Award 2012. The award was handed over to Terry van Velzen, Business development director of Imtech Marine, by the Turkish Ambassador, His Excellency Ugur Dogan in the city hall of Rotterdam. About 230 persons attended the award ceremony. The award is granted every two years, to a company or person who has remarkably contributed to the trade and/or investment relation between Holland and Turkey. The award grant co-incides with the celebration of 400 years of diplomatic relationships between Holland and Turkey.

Terry van Velzen about the award: We are very proud to be presented with this Netuba award for our entrepreneurship in Turkey. The Turkish special shipbuilding industry is positively developing itself in a new direction with more focus for Offshore related vessels, Navy ships, Mega yachts as well as special fishing vessels. With our wholly owned subsidiary Elkon who has been in the business for more than 30 years we have more than 240 marine professionals working for projects at Turkish shipyards supplying electrical, automation and hybrid electrical propulsion systems and services.  If needed technology transfer can be given for these projects by Imtech Marine in Rotterdam. Our local company Elkon is therefore not only the gateway to Turkey but also other MENA countries. I would therefore like to thank Netuba as well as Turkey for granting us this award. Teşekkürler Türkiye! 

Ships at Doha for DIMDEX 2012

The extensive warship display at Doha Commercial Port is an exciting and popular component of DIMDEX. Regional and overseas navies are invited to send their warships and crews to proudly display today’s most modern and capable ships.

AUSTRALIA – HMAS MELBOURNE FFG05	FRANCE – FNS CASSARD D614	INDIA – INS BETWA F39
MOROCCO – RMNS TAREK BEN ZIAD F613	OMAN – RONS MUSANDAM B14	TURKEY – TCG GIRESUN F491
PAKISTAN – PNS BABUR D182	PAKISTAN – PNS MADADGAR A22	PAKISTAN – PNS SHUJAAT P1030
USA – USS PEARL HABOR LSD 52	UK – HMS DARING D32	UK – HMS QUORN M41

Saab ensures maritime safety on Dutch waterways

 

Defence and security company Saab has received an order from the Dutch authority Rijkswaterstaat regarding delivery of the AIS automatic identification system. The system will increase safety on the Dutch waterways.
The contract means that Saab will provide the complete technical system solution within the DIAMONIS project (Dutch Inland AIS Monitoring System). Saab has forged a partnership with the local company Tein Telecom, which will be responsible for implementing the project locally, providing 24/7 support and more. The delivery comprises approximately 40 AIS base stations, a network solution and a web-based presentation system.
The AIS system transmits regular information about a vessel's position, speed, course etc. to other vessels and operation centres. The vessels are equipped with a transponder, which automatically sends updated information via VHF radio at certain intervals. The system increases safety by enabling vessels to quickly discover how other vessels are behaving in order to detect potential collision risks.
"Saab is a market leader within the AIS domain and the system will increase safety significantly throughout the extensive Dutch inland waterways. Rijkswaterstaat is a highly competent authority that has produced a detailed specification for the project, meaning that our well-established system solution will be enhanced even further in terms of functionality and performance," says Lars Bergholtz, Managing Director for Saab TransponderTech AB.
The contract is valued at over SEK 20 million and includes a number of future options, such as a possibel expansion of the system. The implementation of DIAMONIS will take place over 18 months.

Navy Delivers Three Coastal Patrol Boats to Iraq

 

The U.S. Navy announced the delivery of the seventh, eighth, and ninth 35-meter patrol boats (P-307, P-308, and P-309, respectively) to the Iraqi Navy at the Umm Qasr naval facility in Iraq, March 22, after each craft successfully completed reactivation in Bahrain.
"This team has again succeeded in lending its expertise in boat construction and acquisition to deliver these important assets to the Iraqi navy," said Frank McCarthey, Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships’ program manager for Support Ships, Boats and Craft.
The U.S. Navy and Swiftships Shipbuilders, LLC, Morgan City, La., are supporting the Iraqi Navy in the procurement and construction of the patrol boats which are capable of reaching 30 knots, armed with a 30mm gun weapon system, and operated by a crew of 25.
The Support Ships, Boats and Craft Program Office manages the acquisition of the patrol boats as a foreign military sales (FMS) case, with three more patrol boats planned for delivery.  In addition, the program office is executing a second FMS case for two 60-meter offshore support vessels which are planned to deliver in 2012.
PEO Ships currently manages the design and construction of all U.S. Navy destroyers, amphibious ships, special mission and support ships, as well as a wide range of small boats and craft for U.S. agencies and allied nations. Since its creation in November 2002, PEO Ships has delivered more than 40 warships and hundreds of small boats and craft from more than 20 shipyards and boat builders across the United States.

NSWC Crane Develops Tool for Calibrating Antennas on LPD 17 Class Ships

An innovative tool developed at Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division (NSWC Crane) now allows in-place testing of AN/SPS-48E antennas onboard the LPD 17 class ships.

Thanks to the Enclosed Mast Antenna Calibration System (EMACS), the SPS-48E antenna no longer needs to be removed and transported to a depot maintenance facility for calibration following repair and/or overhaul.

“We determined that a portable near-field scanner was the best method to test and tune these antennas,” said Patricia Herndon, NSWC Crane Radar Technologies, division head. “While the antennas and radars are in an enclosure aboard the ship, they still degrade over time and need repair—EMACS solves this issue.”

EMACS measures the antenna’s complex radar frequency data onsite and gives technicians the information needed to make repairs, adjustments or upgrades quickly and efficiently.

“It is critical that the antennas are functioning correctly so that the ship’s radar systems can detect threats,” said Herndon. “Our Warfighters rely on this technology throughout the lifetime of the system for safe and effective missions.”

In addition to building EMACS, the NSWC Crane team developed specialized rigging equipment to insert and extract this equipment in and out of the AEM/S and maneuver it inside the mast. All the large and heavy components, some weighing as much as 600 pounds, must be lowered through a two-foot diameter hatch on top of the AEM/S by a shipyard crane.

EMACS can now be used to test the AN/SPS-48E antennas after repair and, in the future, after an overhaul on all LPD 17 class ships, which are amphibious, warfare-capable ships that embark, transport and land elements of a landing force for a variety of expeditionary warfare missions. Certification was completed by NSWC Crane experts onboard LPD 22 in January while under construction at the Huntington Ingalls Shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss.

NSWC Crane is a Naval laboratory and a field activity of Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) with focus areas in Special Mission, Strategic Missions and Electronic Warfare/Information Operations. The Warfare Center’s research and development efforts support the Warfighter by providing capabilities and resources to advance technologies for the military.

Spanish Frigate joins NATO Group for Operation Active Endeavour Surge Operations

Commander of SNMG1 Commodore Ben Bekkering on a visit to Álvaro de Bazán. Once aboard and after brief introductions the Commodore attended a briefing on the capabilities of the frigate followed by a tour of the ship Bekkering expressed his keen interest in all the details of ESPS "Álvaro de Bazán" and later stressed his pride in having such a modern and technologically advanced ship under his command.

Spanish frigate Álvaro de Bazán has joined the ships of Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 as a new period of Surge Operations begins in the form of a sweep across a region of the Mediterranean Sea.

SPS Álvaro de Bazán joins the flagship HNMLS De Ruyter alongside HMCS Charlottetown and FGS Rheinland-Pfalz which today leave the Port of Piraeus, Greece.
Operation Active Endeavour is part of NATO's multi-faceted response to the terrorist threat. Its mission is to conduct maritime operations in the assigned area of operations to demonstrate NATO's resolve to help deter, defend, disrupt and protect against terrorism. As the Alliance has refined its counter-terrorism role over the years, the operation's mandate has been regularly reviewed and its remit extended. 
OAE was launched in 2001 following the terrorist attacks againstthe United States. It has since evolved into a comprehensive counter-terrorism operation that is based on the collection and analysis of information of the maritime traffic and on the surveillance conducted by NATO naval and air units. Surveillance by military assets is – at irregular intervals – concentrated into specific areas of the Mediterranean with 'Surge Operations' during which larger scale sweeps are conducted.

Navy's First Alternative Fueling Station Open in Hawaii

Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Hawaii officially opened the first of three Ethanol 85 (E85) fueling stations planned for the Navy's fleet of flex-fuel vehicles March 22 at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPHH). 

"The addition of this E85 fueling station to our fueling options directly addresses the energy mandates set forth by the Secretary of the Navy and the President," said Capt. John Coronado, commanding officer, NAVFAC Hawaii. "We have over one thousand E85-capable vehicles at JBPHH that will be able to take full advantage of this station and the two others to be installed." 

Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus has directed the Navy to reduce its consumption of petroleum by 50 percent before 2015, while the President's Executive Order 13514 calls for a 28 percent reduction in green house gases, such as carbon dioxide, by 2020.

Flex-fuel vehicles commonly use E85, an alternative fuel of 85 percent plant-based ethanol blended with 15 percent gasoline that performs as efficient as unleaded gasoline would in regular vehicles. Ethanol is environmentally friendly, produces less carbon dioxide emissions, and helps reduce Hawaii's dependence on foreign oil. 

In September 2010, NAVFAC Engineering Service Center (ESC) awarded a $315,767 contract to the Honolulu office of Innovative Technical Solutions, Inc. (ITSI) to develop and construct a 10,000-gallon above ground fueling station adjacent to the existing government fueling station on Paul Hamilton Avenue, JBPHH. NAVFAC Hawaii assisted ESC in executing the project. 

The contractor broke ground in April 2011 and completed all mechanical and electrical work July 15, 2011. Next, Space and Naval War Systems Command (SPAWAR) installed the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Fuel Master system, owners of the E85 fuel. After further adjustments, repairs, and final checks, the station became operational in March 2012. This means, all government gas cardholders and their government-owned flex-fueled vehicles are now expected to fill up with E85.

"Our E85 station may not have the amenities of some commercial fueling stations; but it will provide alternative fuel for personnel at JBPHH," said Coronado. "All passenger carrying vehicles can pull in and fill up."

The Navy's E85 fueling station is the second of its kind in Hawaii to come online after one on Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe opened in November 2010. Both are for government-use only. The Navy is currently evaluating other potential sites across the island. 

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