Australian Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

Status
Not open for further replies.

Pusser01

Banned Idiot
Re: Australia Military News Thread

Well, that pic of the launch is in fact of a Seahawk.

However, earlier in the year, Kaman announced that New Zealand was going to purchase ten new build Sea Sprites from it:

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!



KamanSH2Aus251fsml.jpg




So I am sure that the story is correct and the Penguins are being launched from Seasprites.

The Seasprites that the Kiwis are buying are actually the ones that the RAN had built then cancelled a few years ago. The Seasprites the RAN ordered were rebuilt ex USN airframes remanufactured to new standard.
Like wise the Penguins are also ones that Australia bought for use with the Seasprites and have been in storage since the cancellation, Kongsbergs is upgrading them to the latest spec for the Kiwis.
Cheers
 

Jeff Head

General
Registered Member
Re: Australia Military News Thread

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!



Australian-Navys-LHD-on-Its-Way-to-Melbourne.jpg


World Maritime News said:
Defence Minister Senator David Johnston today announced the departure of the hull of the second and last of the Royal Australian Navy’s new amphibious ships from Vigo in northern Spain.

Senator Johnston said the Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) hull will be transported to Melbourne, Australia, by the Heavy Lift Ship Blue Marlin. The hull was built at the Navantia Ferrol shipyard in Spain.

“The Canberra Class LHDs are the largest ships ever built for the Navy and will provide the Australian Defence Force with one of the most capable and sophisticated amphibious deployment capabilities in the world,” Senator Johnston said.

“This project was started by the Howard Government by the then Defence Minister Robert Hill and will produce a ship bigger than Australia’s last aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne.”

When completed the LHDs will be more than 230 metres long, 27.5 metres high and weigh around 27,500 tonnes.

Senator Johnston said each ship can carry a combined arms battle group of more than 1100 personnel, 100 armoured vehicles and 12 helicopters and features a 40-bed hospital.

“The departure of LHD02 (to be know as HMAS Adelaide) from Vigo en route for Australia marks another major milestone for the Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO), Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and the prime contractor BAE Systems.

“On arrival in Australian waters the ship will transit to Melbourne and then on to the Williamstown dockyard for consolidation of the superstructure and installation of the combat, communications and navigation systems by local ship builders BAE Systems.

“The trip is expected to take approximately eight weeks depending on weather conditions,” Senator Johnston said.

Following the completion of sea trials the vessel is currently scheduled to be delivered to the RAN in the second half of 2015.
 

bd popeye

The Last Jedi
VIP Professional
Re: Australia Military News Thread

Are the Aussies going to be able to operate these ships simultaneously? And who's going to man them? I hope they've not bitten off more than they can chew.
 

Jeff Head

General
Registered Member
Re: Australia Military News Thread

Are the Aussies going to be able to operate these ships simultaneously? And who's going to man them? I hope they've not bitten off more than they can chew.
Well, the 1st, the HMAS Canberra, is outfitting and getting close to being complete.


800px-LHD_Canberra_fitting_out.JPG


These ships are meant to replace the two Kanimbla Class amphibious vessels that the RAN operated until 2011. Originally, they were going to operate them until replaced by the Canberras.

But politicans decided they could save money by decomissioinging them both prematurely in 2011 after 17 years of service, and purchasing a used Bay Class vessel from the Royal Navy Auxillary, the Largs Bay.

In 2011, the Australian pols got a "good deal," and renamed her the Choules, and brought her to Australia where one of her two main electrical transformers involved in the ship's propulsion system promptly shorted out and failed. The second was found to be almost completely worn out, and they found there were no spares, so a new unit had to be manufactured. She was finally put in service in 2013 and expected to operate in an amphibious role unitl 2016 when the Canberra is commissioned.

Now the RAN knows why the UK wanted to get rid of her after only FIVE YEARS OF USE! She was originally commissioned by the UK in 2006. This is what officious bureaucrats and politicans do who have little knowledge of operational requirements and who slash willy nilly in an effort to save costs but end up costing more.

Both of the Kanimbla class were both former US Navy Newport Class LSTs.

The Canberra LPDs require a crew of 358 personnel to operate and can then also embark 1,000 tropps as needed. The Kanimblas have a crew of 240 personnel and can carry 450 troops. So they will need some more sailors than what they currently have for the two. I presume they have plenty of soldiers to place on either as the need arises.

The Kanimbla vessels went through a significant overhaul and refit in 1996 to change their operational capabilities and duties, going from LST to more of a Amhibios and air assault vessel the RAN calls a LPA.

The bow doors and long landing ramps characteristic of the Newport Class LST were removed. A large hangar for up to three Sea King or four Blackhawk helicopters was added to the aft deck and that helciopter landing deck strengthened and enlarged. The forward deck was converted to carry two LCM-8 landing craft, which are launched and recovered by a 70-ton crane. That area can also function as a third helicopter landing spot when the LCMs are either deployed or not present. Accommodation were increased to provide room for up to 450 troops. Finally, improved medical facilities and an upgraded galley were created.

Here's how the Newport Class looked in US service:


800px-USS_Fairfax_County_%28LST-1193%29_stbd_bow_view.jpg


Here's how the Kanimbla class looks after the conversion:


800px-HMAS_Manoora_2006.jpg


Anyhow, I believe the plan is to operate both of the Canberras concurrently in the same manner that the Kanimblas were operated, and then would only have one availabe during periods of maintenance, refit, or overhaul.

The Canberra, LHD-02 is supposed to be commissioned in 2016 with the Adelaide following 1-2 years later.
 

SouthernSky

Junior Member
Re: Australia Military News Thread

Are the Aussies going to be able to operate these ships simultaneously? And who's going to man them? I hope they've not bitten off more than they can chew.


Australia will have no problem operating these ships concurrently if and when required.
 

TerraN_EmpirE

Tyrant King
Re: Australia Military News Thread

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

PICTURES: Australia's first C-27J gets airborne
Print
By: CRAIG HOYLE LONDON 16 hours ago Source:

Alenia Aermacchi has begun flight-testing its first C-27J tactical transports for Australia and Chad, and also finalised a contract with new Spartan customer Peru.
The Finmeccanica company on 19 December announced that the Royal Australian Air Force’s first of 10 C-27Js had performed a debut flight from its Caselle airport site in Turin, Italy.
Asset Image
Alenia Aermacchi

Sporting air force colours and the service registration A34-001, Canberra’s lead aircraft is part of a project Air 8000 Phase 2 effort to replace Australia’s retired de Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou light airlifters.

Asset Image
Alenia Aermacchi

“The aircraft is currently undergoing final checks, in preparation for customer acceptance tests and procedures before its delivery to prime contractor L-3 Communications,” Alenia says. The US company will make modifications to the aircraft from 2014 under the terms of a Foreign Military Sales deal signed in 2012. All 10 Australian aircraft are due to be delivered before the end of 2015.

Asset Image
Alenia Aermacchi

Meanwhile, the first of two C-27Js on order for Chad has also been photographed during flight tests performed from the Caselle site. With a desert camouflage scheme, the aircraft carries the registration 1401.

The planned acquisition of two Spartans for the Peruvian air force has also now been finalised, Alenia says, with the order worth in the region of €100 million ($137 million).
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
 

Jeff Head

General
Registered Member
Re: Australia Military News Thread

Australia will have no problem operating these ships concurrently if and when required.
Well, SouthernSky, I appreciate your patriotism and positive attitude...but here on SD, you need to try and back up those good qualities with more substantive information.

After all, we all know that the RAN has had problems deploying all of its Collins SSKs, some of those reasons due to crew shortage, and those are also considerably important platforms.

As it is, I think the fact that the RAN operated the two Kanimbla class, and now the single Choules, is indicative of the desire by the RAN to operate both...and I too believe that they will, but in any case, they are going to have to increase their number of personnel deployed to amphibious operations in order to do so. And that will involve planning on their part.

BD Popeye served in the US Navy on US Aircraft carriers for well over 20 years. He understands full well what it takes to man these larger vessels, and as a sr. non-comm in his service he has also had his share of experience getting those new crew members squared away and up to snuff.

So, his question is a serious one, and should not be so quickly dismissed.
 

SouthernSky

Junior Member
Re: Australia Military News Thread

Yes Jeff, I'm well aware of bd popeye's background.

Personally I would not include the Collins class as an example in this discussion as there are multiple factors at play there which I don't believe will be replicated in the Canberra class.

The paying off of the four Adelaide class FFG'S to be replaced by three Hobart class AWD will obviously provide the RAN with personnel that will need to placed somewhere else.

I also can't help but wonder what two new LHD'S will do for recruitment and retention.

And has also been pointed out, the two ships will not always be at sea together anyway. If push comes to shove though you can bet your bottom dollar they will be.

The alternative is to have only one of the class, which isn't really an alternative at all.
 

Jeff Head

General
Registered Member
Re: Australia Military News Thread

Yes Jeff, I'm well aware of bd popeye's background.

Personally I would not include the Collins class as an example in this discussion as there are multiple factors at play there which I don't believe will be replicated in the Canberra class.

The paying off of the four Adelaide class FFG'S to be replaced by three Hobart class AWD will obviously provide the RAN with personnel that will need to placed somewhere else.

I also can't help but wonder what two new LHD'S will do for recruitment and retention.

And has also been pointed out, the two ships will not always be at sea together anyway. If push comes to shove though you can bet your bottom dollar they will be.

The alternative is to have only one of the class, which isn't really an alternative at all.
No probs, SouthernSky...just wanted to ensure that the discussion is kept professional and informative. Thanks for the additional info.

As to the Collins, clearly the technical issues may well not play, but the recruiting issues can easily make one wonder. Whether the technical issues beget that, is hard to say. I have family in the submarine service here in the States, and know that those personnel do move between the subsurface and the surface fleet in their careers.

Perhaps the two LHDs will help with recruitment and retention...I would hope so. They are going to be nice vessels with a lot of capability.

The three Hobart AEGIS DDGs will too. I just wish the RANs numbers could be kept up. I know the Hobart DDGs are going to be much more capable than the older Perry class...but the RAN invested a lot of money in upgrading those vessels and it would be nice to see their capabilities retained in addition to the Hobart.

A FFG the size of those vessels is sometimes a better option for particular tasking than the larger DDGs.

Oh well, can't have it all.
 

Pusser01

Banned Idiot
Re: Australia Military News Thread

Are the Aussies going to be able to operate these ships simultaneously? And who's going to man them? I hope they've not bitten off more than they can chew.

Honestly shouldn't be too much of problem. Tobruk will be paid off to crew Adelaide. Kanimbla & Manoora each had a crew around the 250 mark while the LHD's will be around the 350 mark but that's including a full aircrew, when it only has a couple of helos embarked the number of aircrew will decrease. Also the LHD's will have much larger army contingent onboard as permanent crew, around the 60 mark. There will be a pool of navy, army & airforce ashore who will bulk up numbers depending on the need at the time, ie afloat HQ, full hospital activation etc.
As for Kanimbla & Manoora being decommissioned too early, they were both knackered having been run too hard for too long without proper maintenance procedures. Also the fact we got them in not the best material state to start off with didn't help.
Cheers
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top