Australian Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

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Naval Today said:

Royal Australian Navy began preparations for the commissioning of its second Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD), NUSHIP Adelaide, which will take place Friday, December 4.

The 400 crew members of the Amphibious Assault Ship are readying themselves for this occasion.

Adelaide is the second of two Landing Helicopter Docks (LHDs) to be commissioned and marks the transformation of Australian Defence Force capability. She joins her sister ship Canberra in service.

The LHDs will be employed in different roles and can be configured to suit different missions. The world class amphibious capability can undertake a broad spectrum of operations from humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, security and stability operations across the Indo-Pacific region, to defence of the nation.

Adelaide can embark, transport and deploy an embarked force along with their equipment and aviation units. More than 1,000 embarked forces can be landed ashore by landing craft, helicopters, or a combination of both. She has a medical facility equipped with two operating theatres, an eight bed Critical Care Unit, and a variety of wards.

In addition, the medical facility has dedicated areas to accommodate pathology and radiology services, x-ray, pharmacy and dental facilities.

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Japan Times said:

Japan on Monday submitted its bid for Australia’s multi-billion dollar submarine contract, a deal that France and Germany are also desperate to win.

Australia has solicited bids for a project worth up to 50 billion Australian dollars ($36 billion) to replace its current diesel-electric Collins-class submarines, with a Monday deadline to submit final proposals.

A Defense Ministry official in Tokyo said Japan’s proposal includes plans to build the submarines in Australia, which is keen to secure more jobs in connection with the project.

The Abe administration substantially relaxed regulations on arms exports in April 2014. Winning the Australian sub deal would provide major impetus to Japan’s plans to export defense equipment to countries such as India and the Philippines.

Australia plans to spend some AU$20 billion to build as many as 12 submarines to replace its aging fleet.

The government-led Japanese team with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. and Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. has proposed the world’s first lithium ion battery-powered submarines against Germany’s plan to enlarge its export model and France’s nuclear subs.

Rival bidders DCNS SA of France and ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems GmbH of Germany have also offered to build the submarines in Australia and generate jobs.

The Defense Ministry official said Japan is “confident” its proposal will win, without disclosing further details, including proposed expenses and the construction period.

During a visit to Australia in November, Defense Minister Gen Nakatani said picking Japan could help ensure maritime security in the Asia-Pacific, alluding to the importance of regional allies such as the U.S., Japan and Australia working together in the face of China’s growing military might.

For Australia, cooperating with Japan on a defense project risks angering China, its biggest trading partner.

The tender process has been politically sensitive, with Canberra keen to maximize Australian industry involvement and jobs. There are fears that an off-the-shelf purchase would kill off the domestic shipbuilding industry.

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, the second of two Landing Helicopter Docks (LHDs) built for the Royal Australian Navy,was commissionedinto the Fleet today, alongside Garden Island, Sydney.

The Governor-General, His Excellency General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove, together with the Minister for Defence, Senator the Honourable Marise Payne, and Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Tim Barrett, attended the traditional ceremony held on Adelaide's aircraft hangar deck.

Around 1,000 guests made up of family, industry and government representatives from Australia and Spain watched the proud Commissioning crew of Navy, Army and Air Force members march onboard and saw the Australian White Ensign being raised for the first time, signifying Adelaide's entry into naval service.

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Now that all three competitors have issued final proposals in Australia's AU$ 50 billion (US $36.44 billion) Future Submarine program, an expert advisory panel will begin its evaluations and issue findings next year to guide the government's selection.

Up to 12 large conventional submarines will be acquired under Project Sea 1000. The Australian government selected France’s DCNS, TKMS of Germany and the government of Japan to participate in a competitive evaluation process (CEP).

“Since the CEP began in February, all three participants have worked closely with [the Department of] Defence and they should be congratulated for the hard work and significant investment they have made to reach this point,” Australian Defence Minister Sen. Marise Payne said in a statement.

“Submarines are Defence’s most complex, sensitive and expensive capability, so it is important that evaluation process is fair and robust.”

Each of the three bidders is required to submit three strategies for construction of the Future Submarine, from full completion in their home shipyards; through a hybrid model where initial boats are built in the home yard and the remainder in Australia; and a complete build in an Australian shipyard.

DCNS is proposing a conventionally powered derivative of its Barracuda nuclear attack submarine, known as the Shortfin Barracuda Block 1A. The company announced that its proposal, which includes a government-to-government agreement between the Australian Department of Defence and France’s Direction Générale de Armament, was submitted on Nov. 27.

TKMS is bidding a submarine which uses its existing HDW Type 216 boat as a reference design, but will be significantly scaled up to meet Australia’s requirements.

During the Pacific 2015 Maritime Exposition held in Sydney in October, TKMS Australia Chairman John White announced that the design would be named "Endeavour," after the barque of Capt. James Cook who landed on Australia’s east coast in 1770.

The Japanese government, in partnership with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Kawasaki Shipbuilding, is dealing directly with the Australian Defence Department’s procurement organization, the Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group. The Japanese are proposing a new submarine design based upon the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force’s current Soryu-class boat.

The CEP, which is being followed for both Sea 1000 and Australia’s Future Frigate (Sea 5000) programs in lieu of the traditional tender process, has attracted a great deal of comment from defense analysts and industry in Australia, with some likening it to a "beauty pageant."

Graeme Dunk, the manager of a national defense industry organization, the Australian Business Defence Industry, writing in the Australian Strategic Policy Institutes "The Strategist" blog in August, warned that the information resulting from the CEP will be less reliable than that coming from a tender process.

“While Defence will no doubt do a good job of the evaluation process, the results will therefore be more amenable to interpretation,” he wrote.

“Simply put, the selection of the contestants and the lack of detail in the information provided means that it will be easier for the government to make a decision other than the one that might be recommended by Defence.”

However Payne defended the strategy in her keynote speech to the Submarine Institute of Australia’s Science, Technology and Engineering Conference in Adelaide on Nov. 17, saying the government was determined to get the best capability and value for money through the CEP process.

“The aim of the CEP is to inform government’s decision on the international partner to work with Australia to develop and deliver the Future Submarine. Through this process, we will assess the ability of the participants to work closely with us, including how each would approach our capability and sustainment needs, and how cost and schedule would be managed throughout the program,” she said.

“For a program of this nature, we need to work closely with the selected international partner to fully develop the Future Submarine. This is going to be very resource-intensive for both Defence and the selected partner.

“Once the partner is selected, there will be about three years of further development work before we finalize the Future Submarine’s capability and cost.”

Australia’s chief defense scientist, Alex Zelinsky, also recently announced that Australia and Japan had signed a cooperative research agreement on marine hydrodynamics.

The agreement is the first joint research project to be undertaken in the defense sector by the two countries and will be conducted by Australia’s Defence Science and Technology Group and Japan’s Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency.

“Understanding hydrodynamics is vital for the future of Australia’s maritime defense and this collaboration will greatly benefit our technology development in this area,” Zelinsky said.

“While the research is not connected to the competitive evaluation process currently underway to assess Australia’s future submarine needs, the results from the research will have a broad applicability to Australia’s future maritime projects.”

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asif iqbal said:

I think Aussies should go for Japanese offer

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Navantia has signed a contract with Australian shipbuilder ASC for providing management services to AWD program. The signing took place in Sydney with the attendance of representatives of the Commonwealth, ASC and Raytheon, as well as the President of Navantia, José Manuel Revuelta and the Vicepresident of Navantia Australia Pty, Francisco Barón.

Navantia has been working in three important programs for the ADF since 2007, namely the Air Warfare Destroyers (AWDs), Landing Helicopter Docks (LHDs), and the LHD Landing Craft (LLC), under different contractual schemes to deliver to the best of its ability. ASC has signed a contract with Navantia whereby Navantia will provide the Shipbuilding Management Services (SMS) for the AWD Program.

This contract is part of the AWD Reform Strategy commenced by the Government in 2014. Navantia will bring it significant experience in AWDs to support ASC in building the AWDs. Navantia is fully committed in delivering this key capability to the Royal Australian Navy, as it has already done with the two LHDs, HMAS CANBERRA and HMAS ADELAIDE, this last unit being commissioned into the RAN on the 4th of December.

Navantia has a significant capability in Australia which jointly with the company’s Technical Operation Centre, also located in Adelaide, will be a valuable asset for future shipbuilding activities in Australia, providing the required expertise to face the future projects. Navantia is fully committed to Australia and will contribute to naval projects as far as possible within its proven capacity and ability to supply. Navantia looks forward to working with the Commonwealth and industry even more closely than before, to achieving the program goals that we totally share.

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The navy’s future submarine fleet could cost taxpayers at least $5 billion less than expected, according to secret price estimates given to Defence by the three international competitors.
The Australian understands that the confidential bids lodged with the government last month by Germany, France and Japan each offer a dramatically lower cost of building an eight-submarine fleet in Adelaide than was anticipated, in the range of $10bn-$12bn. It was previously expected that the project would cost about $20bn, based on a 12-boat fleet.
Even if the government decides to restore its original promise of building 12 submarines rather than eight, the bidders estimate the construction cost will reach only about $15bn, a little more than $1bn a boat, amounting to a potential $5bn saving for taxpayers.
The lower cost estimates reflect the robust competition between the three international bidders to secure the submarine deal, which will be the most lucrative defence contract in the nation’s history.
The cheaper than expected estimates for building the new fleet may tempt the government to try to keep its original promise of building 12 submarines, rather than the revised figure of eight submarines with an option for four more that was in Tony Abbott’s draft defence white paper before he was deposed by Malcolm Turnbull in September.
The Prime Minister and Defence Minister Marise Payne have delayed the release of the white paper until the first quarter of next year and have left open the prospect of revising the contents of the blueprint, including the size of the submarine fleet.
The number of future submarines and shipbuilding jobs has been a hot-button issue in South Australia, where the issue contributed to the demise of Mr Abbott’s prime ministership after he backed away from his election promise to build 12 submarines.
Each of the three bidders for the submarine contract — Germany’s TKMS, France’s DCNS and the Japanese government — has refused to disclose publicly their final estimated costs of building the new fleet.
Germany and France have been able to undercut costs more than expected because they are experienced submarine exporters with highly efficient international programs. Last year, Germany’s TKMS publicly estimated that it could build a 12-boat fleet for $20bn, but this figure has since been revised down.
Japan, which has not built a submarine overseas before, has reportedly tried to keep costs down by telling submarine builder Mitsubishi the bid should not be framed with profit as the priority. This could give Japan a cost advantage over Germany’s privately owned TKMS and France’s partly private DCNS, which would both be required to profit from the contract.
The Australian government wants the largest and most sophisticated conventional submarine ever built, a 4000-plus tonne boat with a US combat system and the ability to fire cruise missiles and deploy special forces.
Former prime minister Kevin Rudd decided in 2009 that he wanted to double the size of the navy’s submarine fleet from six to 12 to help combat a rising China, nut this number was driven personally by Mr Rudd without being backed by strategic assessments. Since then the South Australian government has backed the 12-submarine proposal as the holy grail for industry and jobs.
The Abbott government, which initially supported Labor’s 12-boat plan at the 2013 election, came to see it as an unaffordable indulgence and backed away from the plan only to see its poll numbers dive in South Australia.
In February this year, the government announced the three-way, 10-month competitive evaluation process and asked the three chosen international competitors to base their cost estimates on an eight-submarine fleet.
On November 30, each of the competitors lodged their final bids for the project. The initial cost estimates of $10bn-$12bn for an eight-boat fleet will not be the final price. The winning bidder will negotiate a final submarine design with Defence and this will determine the ultimate cost of the submarines.
The government has frequently used $50bn as the projected figure for the future submarine project but this includes sustainment costs through the 30-year life of the fleet, which usually equate to about two-thirds of the cost of construction.
The government says it will choose the winning bidder by mid-next year. Japan is offering a long-range version of its existing Soryu-class submarines, Germany is offering a version of its yet-to-be-built Type-216 design while France is offering a conventional version of its Barracuda-class nuclear submarines currently being constructed in France.

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Has Germany Lost the Bid to Build Australia’s New Subs?
A German bid is reportedly losing ground over technical concerns.

In the competitive bidding process for a $50 billion ($38.8 billion) contract to build Australia’s new submarine fleet in partnership with Australian industry, Germany appears to be losing over technical concerns, according to industry sources

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by Reuters.

“The German proposal is an enlarged version of a smaller existing submarine, and that technically is risky,” one source told Reuters. German defense contractor Thyssen Krupp Marine Systems (TKMS) is offering Australia a scaled-up version of its 2,000-ton diesel-electric Type 214 submarine, equipped with lithium-ion battery technology. As I

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previously, TKMS is offering the 4,000-ton

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, specifically designed to meet Australia’s needs.

In February 2015, the Australian government

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Germany, France, and Japan to bid for the country’s largest defense procurement program (the so-called SEA-1000 acquisition project)—a contract to build up to 12 new submarines for the Australian Royal Navy, replacing the six Collins-class submarines currently in service.

The requirements outlined in the bid including a 4,000-ton displacement, a range and endurance similar to the Collins-class submarines, sensor performance and stealth abilities better than the Collins, and a combat system and heavyweight torpedo developed jointly by the U.S. and Australia as the preferred combat system and armament, makes an off-the-shelf solution not an option.... to read more

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SamuraiBlue said:

I wonder if there was some move;

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