SouthernSky
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All of a sudden the ADF has realised it now has the ability to project heavy armour beyond Australia's shores, and wants more of it.
Australian Military News, Reports, Data, etc.
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Eighth ANZAC Frigate Anti-Ship Missile Defense Ship Upgrade Completed
BAE Systems Australia this week bade farewell to HMAS Stuart, the eighth ANZAC frigate to be upgraded at the company’s Henderson site, the company announced in a March 9 release. After 600,000 hours of work, HMAS Stuart will now undergo sea trials prior to resuming service.
During its time at Henderson, the ship’s combat management system was upgraded and an infrared search and track system installed, as well as a phased array radar and dual navigation radar system. A number of other highly complex engineering and structural changes also were made including enclosing the quarterdeck and modifications to accommodate Royal Australian Navy (RAN) helicopters.
The RAN ships upgraded as part of this program were Perth, Arunta, Anzac, Warramunga, Ballarat, Parramatta, Toowoomba and Stuart.
“The upgrade of the fleet will provide sustained protection against anti-ship missile attack which is an essential element of Australia's maritime capability,” said BAE Systems Australia Chief Executive Glynn Phillips. “I am delighted that by working very closely with the RAN, the team has delivered this incredibly complex project ahead of schedule. As well as the capability of our workforce, we relied on a healthy and vibrant ship building industry to deliver this critical program to the Navy.”
More than 500 people were engaged throughout the ASMD element of the docking. A further 200 people from 35 small to medium enterprises and more than 100 local suppliers were needed to support the engineering and structural changes made to each ship.
BAE Systems now is preparing HMAS Perth for some initial work as part of its ANZAC Midlife Capability Upgrade Program (AMCAP), which will take several months. It will return at a future date for the remainder of the upgrades to be implemented.
The $2 billion, six-year AMCAP contract, includes improvements to the ANZAC fleet such as engines, propulsion, lighting, heating, cooling and communications systems, torpedo self-defense, and Nulka countermeasures enhancements.
HMAS Arunta is scheduled for docking at Henderson in September. It will be the first ship to receive all of it upgrades during 12 months on the hard stand at BAE Systems Henderson
BAE Systems Australia this week bade farewell to HMAS Stuart, the eighth ANZAC frigate to be upgraded at the company’s Henderson site, the company announced in a March 9 release. After 600,000 hours of work, HMAS Stuart will now undergo sea trials prior to resuming service.
During its time at Henderson, the ship’s combat management system was upgraded and an infrared search and track system installed, as well as a phased array radar and dual navigation radar system. A number of other highly complex engineering and structural changes also were made including enclosing the quarterdeck and modifications to accommodate Royal Australian Navy (RAN) helicopters.
The RAN ships upgraded as part of this program were Perth, Arunta, Anzac, Warramunga, Ballarat, Parramatta, Toowoomba and Stuart.
“The upgrade of the fleet will provide sustained protection against anti-ship missile attack which is an essential element of Australia's maritime capability,” said BAE Systems Australia Chief Executive Glynn Phillips. “I am delighted that by working very closely with the RAN, the team has delivered this incredibly complex project ahead of schedule. As well as the capability of our workforce, we relied on a healthy and vibrant ship building industry to deliver this critical program to the Navy.”
More than 500 people were engaged throughout the ASMD element of the docking. A further 200 people from 35 small to medium enterprises and more than 100 local suppliers were needed to support the engineering and structural changes made to each ship.
BAE Systems now is preparing HMAS Perth for some initial work as part of its ANZAC Midlife Capability Upgrade Program (AMCAP), which will take several months. It will return at a future date for the remainder of the upgrades to be implemented.
The $2 billion, six-year AMCAP contract, includes improvements to the ANZAC fleet such as engines, propulsion, lighting, heating, cooling and communications systems, torpedo self-defense, and Nulka countermeasures enhancements.
HMAS Arunta is scheduled for docking at Henderson in September. It will be the first ship to receive all of it upgrades during 12 months on the hard stand at BAE Systems Henderson
Fleet's support capability gets Sirius boost
The Royal Australian Navy’s replenishment capability is operating at capacity once again with HMAS Sirius back in the brine after four months of maintenance at Captain Cook Graving Dock, Garden Island.
The fleet tanker cut an impressive figure against the city skyline as she sailed out of Sydney Harbour and into the Pacific Ocean for sea trials recently.
She will return to Sydney briefly to take on bulk fuel at Gore Cove before commencing her transit home to Rockingham, Western Australia. It will be the first time a Navy tanker has ‘bunkered’ fuel at Gore Cove since HMAS Westralia did so in 1993.
The crew of 73 are looking forward to the upcoming increase in pace.
“We are excited about getting Sirius back to sea to do our job”, said Ship’s Warrant Officer Dale Young.
“When their ship is high and dry, sailors tend to feel a little high and dry as well, and that is how we have all been feeling about our beloved ship the past four months.
“It has been a trying time but extremely well handled by all onboard. Our repairs have been completed and we are keen to get back to work for Australia.”
Readying a ship and crew to return to sea safely requires hard work and detailed planning.
In the weeks leading up to their departure, the crew of Sirius had honed their fire, flood and toxic hazard procedures and conducted numerous ‘fast cruises’, which are carried out alongside and simulate a number of emergency situations which may occur at sea.
The ‘fast cruise’ is designed to test a ship’s organisation, watch bill proving and management of elementary safety incidents, such as a man over board, while safely tied up alongside.
“They are a great way to test being at sea without actually being at sea,” Warrant Officer Young said.
Sirius also tested its replenishment at sea rigs - which allow her to refuel and replenish other warships at sea while underway - and conducted a basin trial alongside to test the ship’s machinery.
Her readiness will be tested over the next three weeks at sea by a series of ship-run exercises, known as a shakedown, followed by a period of Sea Training Group covered training.
Sea Training Group is Navy’s in-house training and assessment team.
“Despite the hard work ahead of us we can definitely see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Warrant Officer Young said.
“We will spend a few weeks shaking off the cobwebs during the shakedown off the east coast before heading to Melbourne for a port visit. Then the bit everyone has been waiting for, heading west. By the time we return home it will have been six months we have been away from our family and friends in Western Australia.”
The Royal Australian Navy's afloat support capability is provided by the replenishment ships Sirius and HMAS Success.
Sirius can carry more than 34 million litres of fuel, including more than 5 million litres of aviation fuel for use by helicopters embarked in ships at sea.
She can replenish ships at sea by day and night, and is capable of replenishing two ships at a time.
A contract was signed with Spanish shipbuilding company Navantia last year to build Australia’s two replacement replenishment ships, with the first to be delivered by 2019.
The Royal Australian Navy’s replenishment capability is operating at capacity once again with HMAS Sirius back in the brine after four months of maintenance at Captain Cook Graving Dock, Garden Island.
The fleet tanker cut an impressive figure against the city skyline as she sailed out of Sydney Harbour and into the Pacific Ocean for sea trials recently.
She will return to Sydney briefly to take on bulk fuel at Gore Cove before commencing her transit home to Rockingham, Western Australia. It will be the first time a Navy tanker has ‘bunkered’ fuel at Gore Cove since HMAS Westralia did so in 1993.
The crew of 73 are looking forward to the upcoming increase in pace.
“We are excited about getting Sirius back to sea to do our job”, said Ship’s Warrant Officer Dale Young.
“When their ship is high and dry, sailors tend to feel a little high and dry as well, and that is how we have all been feeling about our beloved ship the past four months.
“It has been a trying time but extremely well handled by all onboard. Our repairs have been completed and we are keen to get back to work for Australia.”
Readying a ship and crew to return to sea safely requires hard work and detailed planning.
In the weeks leading up to their departure, the crew of Sirius had honed their fire, flood and toxic hazard procedures and conducted numerous ‘fast cruises’, which are carried out alongside and simulate a number of emergency situations which may occur at sea.
The ‘fast cruise’ is designed to test a ship’s organisation, watch bill proving and management of elementary safety incidents, such as a man over board, while safely tied up alongside.
“They are a great way to test being at sea without actually being at sea,” Warrant Officer Young said.
Sirius also tested its replenishment at sea rigs - which allow her to refuel and replenish other warships at sea while underway - and conducted a basin trial alongside to test the ship’s machinery.
Her readiness will be tested over the next three weeks at sea by a series of ship-run exercises, known as a shakedown, followed by a period of Sea Training Group covered training.
Sea Training Group is Navy’s in-house training and assessment team.
“Despite the hard work ahead of us we can definitely see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Warrant Officer Young said.
“We will spend a few weeks shaking off the cobwebs during the shakedown off the east coast before heading to Melbourne for a port visit. Then the bit everyone has been waiting for, heading west. By the time we return home it will have been six months we have been away from our family and friends in Western Australia.”
The Royal Australian Navy's afloat support capability is provided by the replenishment ships Sirius and HMAS Success.
Sirius can carry more than 34 million litres of fuel, including more than 5 million litres of aviation fuel for use by helicopters embarked in ships at sea.
She can replenish ships at sea by day and night, and is capable of replenishing two ships at a time.
A contract was signed with Spanish shipbuilding company Navantia last year to build Australia’s two replacement replenishment ships, with the first to be delivered by 2019.
Jura The idiot
General
The ASMD ugrade of the ANZACs is a good example of prolonging the viability and capability of a group of good ships.
They will serve the Australians well and work very well with the Hobart DDGs.
Still, those eight frigates and the three destroyers will represent the bulk of the serious surface combat capability of the RAN.
11 ships.
Not enough IMHO.
Not including carriers or large Amphibious ships of course. But those have to be protected.
I mean seriously, the UK, the French, the Italians, the Australians and several others are operating on a very small number of surface combatants. The UK has six DDGs and 13 FFGs. France has about 18 total serious surface combatants (not including the Floreal class). Same is true for Italy with four DDGs and about 12-13 FFGs. again, less than 20 serious surface combatants. Gerany operates well less than 20 serious surface combatants.
The US, Japan, and Korea seem to understand that a larger maritime capability is necessary for prolonged peace. Even India understands this.
Korea has a larger surface combatant fleet than either the French, Italian, or the English. It has 12 DDGs and adding more, and 15 FFGs and building more.
Japan has 18 DDGs (and building more) and 24 FFG sized vessels. They typically maintain a force of close to 50 modern surface combatants.
India has (despite the problems they have had) has 12 DDGs and 15 FFGs, and are building more. They wil end up maintinaing a fore of about 30 surface combatants.
Of course the US is operating about 70 destroyers, 22 cruisers, and now is back up to 14 frigate sized vessels launched.
Of course none of this includes the Submarines, which are equally critical. But the numbers, in terms of comparisons run about the same (except for Korea)
The US operates close to 55 nuclear subs.
Japan has 18 or 19 subs.
Korea has 18 subs.
The UK and France have six each.
Many of the western Eurpean nations are siply shadows of their old selves.
For example, in 1982, the Royal Navy operated 13 DDGs and 48 FFGs! Not to mention the four carriers and tnen amphibious ships they operated.
Oh well...such is life.
The Russians are also certainly a fa cry away from what they were in the 1980s as well...perhaps, in many ways, even in worse shape.
At least what the Royal Navy, the french, and the Italians are operating are very modern and capable.
Of course, someone else wh clearly understands the need for a large feet is China. Right now in terms of size, and modern vessels, they are far and away second ony to the US navy in terms of the number and capability od their DDGs and FFGs. By the end of this year they will be operating 30 modern destroyers and close to 40 modern FFGs, not including the 40 Type 056 lighter frigates...which themselves are armed hevily enough to be considered.
Jura The idiot
General
Jura The idiot
General
Tuesday at 8:24 AM
$35 billion Future Frigate Tender
amazing concept
and here comes
$35 billion Future Frigate Tender
while I wonder what's happened to the German
amazing concept
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