Australian Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

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Miragedriver

Brigadier
Australia gets its first electronic warfare Growler aircraft

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(Defensa.com) On July 29, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) received at Boeing facilities in St. Louis, the first of its twelve aircraft electronic warfare EA-18G Growler. After delivery, the plane moves to the Naval Air Station China Lake in California for testing and then the Station Whidbey Island in Washington where Australian pilots gain experience formed alongside the US Navy.

In June last year Australia commissioned twelve such aircraft for airborne electronic attack (AEA for its acronym in English) for 3,000 million dollars, becoming the first international user after the US Navy. The RAAF justifies the purchase of such sophisticated equipment as a tool to maintain technological superiority over its regional adversaries and to operate closely with the United States in the region. The twelve Growler will be based at Amberley but is not expected arrival in Australia to 2017 being expected to reach initial operational capability (IOC) in mid 2018 and full operational capability (FOC) in early 2020.

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The EA-18G Growler is based on the F / A-18 Super Hornet RAAF has acquired the number of 24 units and in its mission to accompany electronic protection, disruption or jamming tactical. Replacing the Grumman EA-6B Prowler in the Navy and currently is the only plane of its kind in production. Advanced built the aircraft electronics let you perform electronic support missions in which it can act disturbing, misleading or denying the use of adversary electronic systems such as communications or radar. These teams are improved radios, communications systems capable of operating in a saturated electromagnetic space, satellite communications or disturbing high and low frequency of family ALQ mounted under the fuselage and the wings. Despite the advanced qualities of this aircraft Boeing currently has no new orders so if these fail, the assembly of the Growler will close and the Super Hornet at the end of 2017

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Back to bottling my Grenache
 
found a moment ago:
Australia to Invest Big in Its Surface Fleet
The Australian Government announced a long-term investment of over $89 billion in ships and submarines for the Navy over the next 20 years.

According to a media release, this investment will generate significant economic growth and sustain several thousand Australian jobs over decades.

The Government will implement a continuous build of surface warships in Australia. This means that Australia’s shipbuilding workforce will build Navy’s Future Frigates and Offshore Patrol Vessels.

Australia announced that it is bringing forward the Future Frigate programme (SEA 5000) to replace the ANZAC class frigates. As part of this decision, the Government will confirm a continuous onshore build programme to commence in 2020 – three years earlier than scheduled under Labor’s Defence Capability Plan. The Future Frigates will be built in South Australia based on a Competitive Evaluation Process, which will begin in October 2015.

The Government is also bringing forward construction of Offshore Patrol Vessels (SEA 1180) to replace the Armidale class patrol boats by two years, with a continuous onshore build commencing in 2018 following a Competitive Evaluation Process.

In the short term these two measures will sustain around 1,000 jobs that would otherwise have been lost. Once both programmes ramp up they will guarantee around 2,500 Australian shipbuilding jobs for decades.

The third major pillar of the Government’s naval shipbuilding plan will be based on the outcomes of the Competitive Evaluation Process (CEP) for Australia’s future submarine.

Overseen by an independent panel of experts, the CEP will ensure that capability, cost, schedule, and key strategic considerations – along with Australian industry involvement – are carefully and methodically considered by the Department of Defence.
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Miragedriver

Brigadier
The Australian government approves a plan for shipbuilding 65,000 million. The ships will be built next public shipyards

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(Defensa.com) Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced at a press conference last August 5 the implementation of a government plan to activate the Australian shipbuilding industry. Specifically, the shipyard has decided to strengthen the southern area, around Adelaide, where part of the public shipyards ASC and where the unemployment rate is higher. The plan involves the injection of up to 40,000 million, maintaining up to 2,500 jobs and building public shipyards in the next frigates and patrol vessels.

The decision on the program of submarines to replace Collins, is expected shortly after the Ministry of Defence budgets have been applied to candidates in contemplating the construction in Australia, the country of origin or production sharing. Defense Minister Kevin Andrews accompanied Abbot in the press conference and announced plans to renovate the Royal Australian Navy will total $ 65,000 million (US) and will be extended over the next two decades. The construction of the frigates to replace the current ANZAC expected will begin in 2020 and the replacement of the Armidale class patrol in 2018.

A historical program
The announcement has been reviewed by the Prime Minister as "historic" and is a revalidation of the public shipyards ASC questioned by delays and problems identified in the program AWD destroyers. Recall that the position of the previous Australian Defense Minister David Johnston in relation to him had reliability ASC shipyard was clear in his now famous statement that "no responsible to them or a canoe." For international shipyards that had set its sights on these programs will be the option to participate as technologists or authorities design alternative that has used the Spanish shipyard Navantia in building the Australian amphibious ships and destroyers AWD. Precisely Navantia was selected by the Australian Department of Defense to analyze the design of logistics ships for the RAN that just have not been mentioned in the announcement of the Prime Minister.

The reactions were not long in coming and a company interested in the process as BAE Systems has already asked the Australian government to inform it of the role to be played by other shipyards in the country. BAE Systems has facilities in Willianstown which has joined the amphibious ships of Spanish design and building blocks where AWD destroyers after joining ASC in Adelaide. In those same facilities ANZAC frigates class that will soon be replaced were built and in which BAE Systems wants to take part, as Navantia.

The heart of the matter remains the future of this shipyard ASC, for which the Australian Government commissioned several audits and which would intend to privatize totally or partially opening the door to Australian shipyards Austal Ltd. or self BAE Systems . The injection of public money and the burden of work would represent an attractive insured for any potential investor. Quite possibly the decision on the submarine program determine the future of the shipyards in relation to the creation of some kind of industrial alliance

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Back to bottling my Grenache
 
found a moment ago:
Australia to Invest Big in Its Surface Fleet
...
... related:
'Continuous Build' Effort Boosts Australian Shipyards
Australia's plans to advance the schedule for building frigates and patrol vessels and to emphasize domestic production effectively commits the government to a permanent shipbuilding industry, officials said.

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Defence Minister Kevin Andrews jointly announced a plan last week to bring forward the Royal Australian Navy's Future Frigate and Offshore Patrol Vessel programs and build the vessels in Australian shipyards.

Together with the Future Submarine program, the government says it will invest AUS $89 billion (US $65.4 billion) over the next 20 years.

Abbott committed to a "continuous build" of the surface warships in a measure to overcome the "boom and bust" cycles historically experienced by naval shipbuilders in Australia.

"The government will implement a continuous build of surface warships in Australia. This means that Australia's shipbuilding workforce will build the Navy's future frigates and offshore patrol vessels," he said. "It's the first time that any Australian government has committed to a permanent naval shipbuilding industry. This strategy will transform Australia's naval shipbuilding industry and put it onto a sustainable long-term path, giving the workforce certainty in the future."

In addition the prime minister and defense minister jointly announced that an additional $1.2 billion will be invested in the troubled Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD) program, together with "substantial additional shipbuilding management expertise" by October, in an effort to reform the project.

"The government will also undertake further reform of ASC [the lead shipbuilder in the AWD Alliance] to ensure Australian shipbuilding is best structured to support a continuous build program and future naval projects are delivered on time and on budget," Abbott said. "To this end, the government has commissioned a strategic review of ASC's shipbuilding capacity. The review will consider how to best implement long-term arrangements."

With the completion of the two Canberra-class LHDs and the winding down of the construction phase of the AWD program, naval shipbuilders in Australia are facing what has been coined the "valley of death." Both BAE Systems at Williamstown in Victoria and Forgacs in New South Wales have seen reductions in their respective workforce.

Abbott also announced that the frigates would be constructed in Adelaide, with the continuous build program to begin in 2020 after a competitive evaluation process to select a design. This effectively brings the Future Frigate program (SEA 5000) forward by three years over the timetable in the previous Defence Capability Plan.

The competitive evaluation process will begin this October and the government claims the timing will save over 500 jobs in the industry, helping to mitigate against a "cold start" after the completion of the current AWD program.

The Offshore Patrol Vessel program (SEA 1180) will be brought forward by two years, with a continuous onshore build to begin in 2018, again following a competitive evaluation process. It is not clear, however, where these vessels will be constructed.

Together, the surface combatant projects are valued at $40 billion and the government claims they will sustain around 1,000 shipyard jobs that otherwise would have been lost. It is estimated that around 2,500 jobs will result over the life of the programs.

Australia's Navy chief, Vice Adm. Tim Barrett, applauded the move to accelerate the programs.

"This provides certainty for not just the naval shipbuilding side of things, but it also provides certainty for planning, not just within Navy, but within the Australian Defence Force," he said. "Principally, the frigates will be used as the workhorses of Navy over the next couple of decades."

Asked if retirement of the current Anzac-class frigates would be brought forward as a result, Barrett said that no decision would be made before the completion of the competitive evaluation process.

"This timing is planned such that we can manage the Anzac class with the delivery of the new frigate," he told reporters.

For its part, BAE also welcomed the announcement, describing it as a "positive for Australia."

"We look forward to engaging with the federal government so we can better understand the implications this will have on our shipbuilding operations in Australia and the contribution we can potentially make as this country's leading naval shipbuilding prime contractor," acting Chief Executive Glynn Phillips said. "We know from our experience with building the current Anzac frigates, the two landing helicopter dock warships and other vessels, that when a continuous build program is in place, we can achieve and sustain productivity improvements that result in a globally competitive performance."

However, some political observers consider the announcement to build at least the frigates in Adelaide as a political move to shore up Liberal Party support in marginal areas in the lead up to the 2016 Australian federal election.

Further details of the Future Submarine program (SEA 1000) were not forthcoming during the announcement and there are fears in South Australia that the boats will be constructed offshore. The Australian government is dealing directly with its Japanese counterpart to evaluate the Soryu-class submarine, and DCNS of France and Germany's TKMS are engaged with Australia's defense acquisition agency to offer their proposals.

Abbott said the government has asked each potential partner to provide prices for a domestic build, a hybrid build and an offshore build, but noted that a recent Rand study into the viability of Australia's naval shipbuilding industry was less confident about the ability to build submarines locally.

"Let's wait and see what the competitive evaluation process gives us, but the point is that the Rand report was unambiguous; under the right conditions, we can effectively build surface warships here," he said. "The Rand report was less confident about submarines."

With regard to the benefits of a continuous build program for the surface combatants, Andrew Davies, a senior analyst with the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) in Canberra, said in ASPI's "The Strategist" blog that he remained skeptical, and also described the competitive evaluation process as a "beauty contest."

"We're far from convinced of the soundness of a continuous build program. But beyond that overarching point, it's difficult to say much more given the paucity of details in today's announcements," he wrote on Aug. 4. "Frustratingly, we weren't told how many vessels of each class will be built, nor the frequency with which they will be built. As a result, we don't know how a continuous-build program will be achieved in either instance. Will the fleet expand to accommodate a continuous-build scheme, or will the life-of-type be cut to allow more frequent replacement?

"Either way, there'll be substantial additional costs; which might explain why the notion of twelve future submarines seems to have morphed into acceptance of a fleet of only eight."
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found at Jane's, but the free part of the article is pretty short, so maybe somebody will tell us more :)
Adelaide undertakes final sea trials
The Royal Australian Navy's (RAN's) second Canberra-class landing helicopter dock (LHD), the future HMAS Adelaide , has left BAE Systems' shipyard in Williamstown to undertake final sea trials before delivery to the RAN later this year, the company announced on 18 August.

The 10 days of trials off the Jervis Bay area south of Sydney will involve testing the 27,500-tonne vessel's combat and communications systems in a range of scenarios to validate their capabilities, the company said.

On its return to Williamstown Adelaide will be prepared for delivery, during which time the RAN will perform various routine alongside exercises while the ship compartments and systems are progressively handed over to the crew.
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