Australian Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

[FORBIN]

Not big but capable

 

[FORBIN]

I am guessing that they mean FY 2025. That means rapid procurement over the next 8 years with phase out of legacy hornets. Likely meaning large block buys post 2020.

Yes...but the Super Hrnets and the Growlers will be there past 2025.

They may plan on upgrading the Super Hornets they have to the Advanced Super Hronet.

That upgrade is available for any super Hornet...but I still do consider those 5th gen aircraft. 4++ perhaps.

The F-22, the F-35, the J-20, the Russian aircaft, and the new Japanese aicraft...those are the 5th gen aircraft that are on the table right now.

Although, IMHO, it is arguable that the most advanced Super Hornets and F-16, the Rafales and the Typhoons, are all strong enough, with their electronics and their weapons to give the J-20s and the Russian aircraft a run for their moeny IMHO.

Heck, even an F-22 and the F-35 are going to have to respect those aircraft.

According CAM reliable ofc all 72 F-35As fast delivered for end 2023, 2 now 8 later based to Luke back for 2020 with OCU logically first unit to do transition on the type then after the 3 Front line Sqns.

 

[Jura The idiot]

Naval Shipbuilding Plan
What is the Naval Shipbuilding Plan?
The Naval Shipbuilding Plan released on 16 May 2017 outlines the Government’s vision for the Australian naval shipbuilding enterprise and the significant investment required in coming decades.

The Australian Government is laying the foundations for an Australian-wide naval shipbuilding enterprise, ending the boom-bust cycle that has afflicted the Australian naval shipbuilding and sustainment industry. This will provide certainty to local businesses and shipbuilding workers.

Modernisation of our naval forces is a complex, national endeavour aimed at building and sustaining Australia’s naval capabilities, creating economic growth through maximising Australian industry involvement, and securing Australian jobs for future generations.

The Government will invest:

• around $90 billion in new naval ships and submarines;
• more than $1 billion in modern shipyard infrastructure; and
• more than $25 million in workforce growth and skilling initiatives to enable the delivery of these platforms.

Four key enablers are required to implement the Government’s Naval Shipbuilding Plan:

• modern, innovative and secure naval shipbuilding infrastructure;
• workforce growth and development;
• a sustainable and cost-competitive Australian industrial base; and
• a national collaborative approach.

Success will see the realisation of the significant strategic, economic and employment advantages to Australia that a national naval shipbuilding and sustainment capability can bring.

...:

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[KIENCHIN]

Not big but capable
View attachment 38694

Kinda small for an island continent the size of Europe as a matter of fact

 

[Jura The idiot]

Yesterday at 9:17 PM

Naval Shipbuilding Plan

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and now I read
Australia prime minister: Shipbuilding plan is 'an end to the boom and bust pattern'

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull launched Australia's long-awaited naval shipbuilding plan on May 16, including the construction of submarines, frigates and offshore patrol vessels, costing A$89 billion (US $66.12 billion), in Australian shipyards.

Turnbull launched the shipbuilding program with Defence Minister Marise Payne and Minister for Defence Industry Christopher Pyne at Osborne in South Australia, where the majority of construction work will take place.

“This is a great national enterprise. This is nation building. This is an end to the boom and bust pattern that we’ve seen with shipbuilding in Australia,” Turnbull said. “This is the largest investment in our defense capability of our Navy ever in peace time.”

Under the plan, the government will invest in the rolling acquisition of 12 conventionally-powered submarines under Project Sea 1000 (Future Submarine), the continuous build of nine frigates under Project Sea 5000 (Future Frigate) and a follow-on class of surface combats; and a continuous build program for minor naval vessels.

The minor naval vessels build program is already underway with construction of 19 patrol boats to be gifted to Pacific nations under Project Sea 3036, beginning this year at the Austal facility at Henderson in Western Australia. This will be followed by the Offshore Patrol Vessel program for the Royal Australian Navy under Sea 1180 from 2018, initially commencing at the Osborne Naval Shipyard and transferring to Henderson in 2020.

A request for tender (RFT) for the 2-vessel program , valued at $3 billion Australian dollars or U.S. $2.23 billion, was issued to the three shortlisted designers, Damen, Fassmer and Lürssen, in November 2016. A decision is expected shortly.

An RFT for the A$35 billion (U.S. $26 billion) Future Frigate design was released in March, with construction at Osborne to begin in 2020. The three shortlisted ship designers are BAE Systems (Global Combat Ship), Fincantieri (FREMM) and Navantia (F100-derivative).

The A$50 billion (U.S. $37.15 billion) Future Submarine project will acquire twelve DCNS Shortfin Barracuda 1A submarines, based on the French Navy’s nuclear-powered Barracuda. Construction of the boats will also be undertaken at Osborne, beginning in 2022.

Prime Minister Turnbull also announced an A$1.3 billion (U.S. $960 illion plan to upgrade infrastructure at Osborne and Henderson, which will include new cranes and heavy lift capability, welding stations and upgrades to workshops and storage facilities.

The shipbuilding workforce is expected to grow to over 5000 by the middle of the next decade and a Naval Shipbuilding College will open its doors in early 2018 to expand and develop the pool of skilled workers.

“We will transform our naval shipbuilding and sustainment industry here in Australia, with Australian workers, in Australian shipyards, using Australian resources,” Turnbull said.

“We believe that historically we have been too much of a customer and not enough of a supplier for our own defense capability needs," he continued. "That is the big strategic objective. I believe that it not only secures the capabilities, the physical assets, that our Defence Forces need, but also it secures our economic future, our industrial future, by having the skills and the industries that enable you to deliver the products of these advanced manufacturing processes in the defense sector right here. It has spill-over benefits into other industries and sectors and industries.”

The formal launch of the shipbuilding plan has been welcomed by industry, with Navantia Board Member (and former head of Australia’s Defence Materiel Organisation) Warren King describing naval shipbuilding as a ‘key pillar’ of Australia’s industrial base.

“Modernizing the Royal Australian Navy’s fleet has to be a key priority of our domestic shipbuilding industry but the export opportunities that will flow in the future are particularly exciting,” he said. “This really is a once in a lifetime opportunity for Australia’s shipbuilding industry.”

However some analysts believe the timetable for construction of the three types of vessel is overly optimistic. Speaking at the launch of the shipbuilding plan, Minister for Defence Industry Christopher Pyne said that the timetable was ‘tight’ but ‘achievable’ and he said he was confident that it could be met.

Andrew Davies and Mark Thomson, analysts with the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), aren’t so sure, noting in a recent blog that the in-service date of the first Future Frigate in particular is one- to four-years later than the RAND shipbuilding report, upon which the government’s plan is based.

"It looks as though the rumored late start to the frigate program has been quietly slipped into the plan,” they noted.

source is DefenseNews

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[Jura The idiot]

I noticed
Australian Navy’s third air warfare destroyer receives mast

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In another step towards completing hull integration in the coming months, Royal Australian Navy’s third air warfare destroyer, the future Sydney, received her mast on May 15.

AWD Alliance, with shipbuilder ASC at the helm, loaded out the mast onto the hull of Sydney, following a mast stepping ceremony that was held last week.

The mast stepping ceremony celebrates a long standing naval tradition, dating back to the ancient Romans, which involves placing a coin under the mast of a ship for good luck.

At the ceremony, Alliance general manager Paul Evans spoke about the traditions of the mast stepping and thanked the team for their hard work and dedication.

“Your commitment to excellence and finding improvements, combined with your demonstration of the true spirit of collaboration and teamwork has been noticed.”

Sydney ship manager Jason Loveday spoke about the lessons learned and how the team implemented them successfully.

“Our Ship 3 team critically analysed the build state of Ship 2’s mast outfitting, and evaluated the build strategy to introduce further efficiencies. I am very proud of our shipbuilding team for proactively working together to achieve a further improvement of 15% on top of the already optimised Ship 2 mast outfitting strategy.”

The three Hobart-class destroyers are more than 140 meters long, have a top speed of more than 28 knots, a range of about 5000 nautical miles and room for more than 200 crew members.

They carry a range of weapons, detection and electronic warfare systems onboard, which include an Aegis threat tracking system, SPQ Horizon Search Radar, 48 vertical launch missile cells, a 5″ gun for coastal operations and two quad launchers of anti-ship HARPOON weapon systems.

 

[Jura The idiot]

May 2, 2017

Apr 3, 2017

gosh
Navy's largest ships unable to join Cyclone Debbie emergency response amid engine troubles

source:

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and
LHDs remain alongside as Defence investigates propulsion issues
April 26, 2017 by

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now
HMAS Adelaide dry-docked as Defence struggles to fix billion-dollar military ship

One of the Royal Australian Navy's largest warships, HMAS Adelaide, has been dry-docked as naval engineers scramble to fix engine problems with the $1.5-billion vessel.

It is still unknown how long it will take to repair the Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD), which was only commissioned into service 18 months ago.

HMAS Adelaide's sister ship HMAS Canberraalso remains out of action, berthed at Sydney's Garden Island Naval base.

"You don't expect it when it's a few years old. This is capability that we should be confident that we got the specifications right and it should be operational," said David Smith from Professionals Australia, a union representing scientists and engineers in Defence.

"It's incredibly significant given the billions of dollars we're investing in naval capability."

In March, the

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after problems were identified with their propulsion systems.

HMAS Adelaide was moved into dry dock at Garden Island early on Wednesday morning but Defence is giving few details on the progress of the investigation and repair work.

"During first-of-class flight trials, Defence identified an emergent issue with the propulsion systems of HMAS Canberra. HMAS Adelaide was also inspected and there are indications of a similar issue," the Defence Department said in a statement.

"Defence has adopted a deliberate and disciplined approach to resolve this problem early in the ships' life."

Defence Minister Marise Payne has also expressed frustration at the time taken to repair mechanical problems with the Navy's two largest ships.

"This is the period of time in which, in Defence acquisition and implementation terms, we've identified these sorts of issues and we address them," she said.

"That's not to say that it's not frustrating that it has been an issue that's under examination for some time."

Some Defence insiders fear the engine issues on both ships will not be resolved before next month's Talisman Sabre military exercises with the United States, but the department and Minister are refusing to speculate.

"Whatever time that takes is frankly the time that it will take. I don't intend to ask them to rush it, I don't intend them to work to an artificial or self imposed deadline from anyone else," Ms Payne said.

Labor MP David Feeney is demanding the Government reveal publicly exactly what is wrong with the Royal Australian Navy's two LHDs.

"This Government I think now needs to step up to the plate and explain precisely what the circumstances are," he said.

"Moving these ships in the dead of night might be tricky but it's not actually telling the Australian people what we need to know — what is the status of these ships," he said.

source:

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[Jura The idiot]

Thursday at 9:28 PM

May 2, 2017
now
HMAS Adelaide dry-docked as Defence struggles to fix billion-dollar military ship

source:

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and
Australia's two new $1.5 billion warships may have design flaws, navy chiefs reveal

Propulsion problems on two new warships which cost taxpayers $3 billion could be the consequence of fundamental design flaws, navy chiefs have revealed, as they confirmed at least one of the vessels will miss major drills with the US next month.

One of the two ships, the HMAS Adelaide, has been dry-docked at Garden Island in Sydney Harbour so naval engineers and the manufacturers can open up the propeller system and examine whether the problems are as simple as parts being poorly fitted or something deeper.

Chief of Navy Tim Barrett and Rear Admiral Adam Grunsell, head of maritime systems at Defence's capability and sustainment group, acknowledged there could be a design problem, though they stressed it was still being investigated.

Such a fundamental problem would raise the likelihood the ship's overseas manufacturers would bear the cost under warranty.

"Am I disappointed? Yes. We were not expecting to find this," Vice Admiral Barrett said in a briefing in Canberra on Friday.

What is known is that oils have seeped into sections in which they don't belong within the external propulsion pods that drive and steer the ship. In the Adelaide, metal particles have also been found in the oil.

The findings appear to indicate that problems with seals have allowed oils to move around. Different parts of the system use different types of oil of varying thickness.

This in turn may have caused bearings to be worn which could have produced the metal particles in the oil in the Adelaide.

Each ship cost roughly $1.5 billion. They were built by Spanish firm Navantia using a propulsion system made by German firm Siemens. British firm BAE Systems integrated the ship's systems.

Rear Admiral Grunsell said: "The three companies themselves are looking very closely and working very closely on the detail because they want to understand what caused this as well. It may well be a design issue."

Spain's armada has a ship of the same design, the Juan Carlos I. It has had problems but not of the same nature. Despite being commissioned in 2010, it has done less sea time than the newer Canberra or Adelaide, Vice Admiral Barrett said.

This appears to leave open the possibility that the ship cannot actually perform at the level the manufacturers stated. Vice Admiral Barrett acknowledged this possibility, as well as that there were basic design or engineering problems.

"All of those aspects are part of what we're considering at the moment," he said. "Until we've done this work, we're not in a position to be able to say that and I would not speculate on any of those outcomes but clearly in root cause analysis you have to consider all of those options."

HMAS Canberra meanwhile has been taken to sea to do further tests. Vice Admiral Barrett confirmed the Adelaide would miss Exercise Talisman Sabre with the US starting in late June, though he was still hopeful the Canberra could take part.

On the question of who bears the cost, Vice Admiral Barrett said: "If we have to change our requirement because of what we've discovered here … then clearly whether that becomes a warranty issue or something that the Commonwealth has to live with, that's the bit that I am sensitive about saying too much because that would be a piece that the Commonwealth would choose to take up at a later stage."

source:

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is it frigging true "... the Juan Carlos I ... has done less sea time than the newer Canberra or Adelaide"
?!

 

[KIENCHIN]

Thursday at 9:28 PM

and
Australia's two new $1.5 billion warships may have design flaws, navy chiefs reveal

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is it frigging true "... the Juan Carlos I ... has done less sea time than the newer Canberra or Adelaide"
?!

What can I say, I am disappointed, why choose a design base on the Juan Carlos when it is known to have a problem.

 

[Janiz]

What can I say, I am disappointed, why choose a design base on the Juan Carlos when it is known to have a problem.

This time it looks like problem was different than on Juan Carlos. They got rid of the problems in the design of Australian ships but there's something new. It can't be predicted. Everyone makes mistakes - I don't want to talk about LCS project, but recently it turned out that German F-125's have design flaw...