The Navy Vol_64_Part2 2002 - Navy League of Australia

A Mk-15 Block IB phalanx This newer versionhas a higher rale of fire, longer range, more onmount ammunition, is more accurate and can mmalso he remotel) controlled and fired from theoperations room via Us television camera againststationary or mov ing surface targetsAll 21 kits will be produced atRaytheon Missile System's Louisville.Kentucky, facility and installed at theRaytheon Canada Naval DefenceSystems Centre in Calgary. Alberta.Canada. Hie first kit will be delivered inSeptember 2(X)2 with the remaining kitsfollowing over a three-year period."This is a major undertaking forboth Raytheon and the Canadian Navy,said Dennis Carroll. Director of PhalanxSystems in Tucson. Ariz. "Not only doesthis initiative promote Phalanx in theinternational community, it also makesthe Canadian fleet one of the mostmodern in the world."Phalanx is a rapid-fire, computercontrolledradar and 20mm gun systemthat automatically acquires, tracks anddestroys enemy threats that havepenetrated all other ship defencesystems. More than 850 systems havemmbeen built and deployed in the Navies of21 nations. Most recently. PhalanxBlock IB was installed aboard USSHOWARD (DDG-83) and USSBULKELEY (DDG-84). the U.S.Navy's newest Arleigh Burke-classRight IIA Aegis destroyers."The Block IB surface mode, ourmost advanced system, providesunequalled capabilities in near-shore,littoral environments", said Carroll. "Ilprovides protection to ships and theircrews against an increased number ofthreats including small, fast gunboats:standard and guided artillery:helicopters: mines and a variety ofshore-launched, anti-ship missiles."China 'concerned' overASC saleThe sale of the Australiangovernment's 'nearly-idle' AustralianSubmarine Corporation (ASC) isreported to be encountering difficulties.It is believed that China has expressedstrong concerns during talks in Bejingbetween Prime Minister Howard andsenior Chinese leadership figures overany US companies buying an interest inthe Adeiaide-based submarine builder.The concern expressed involves thepotential ASC has to the US to buildsubmarines for Taiwan given the US'sinability to make diesel-electricsubmarines. President George Bushhas promised Taiwan diesel-electricsubmarines.ASC recently delivered its lastCollins-class submarines to the RAN.and it is anticipated that once theinstallation of a Replacement CombatSystem is completed around 2005 ASCwill be without any substantial workorders.Tlie MV-22 Osprey took to the skies of the US on May 29 for the first time after being grounded forover 17 months following the tragic Dec. II. 2(X)0 mishap. The first MV-22 test aircraft to resumeflying has improvements in its hydraulic an J flight control software systems that make it practically abrand new aircraft and the safest Osprey yet. according to V-22 progam official >.(US Naval Air Systems Command).r1With plans to privatise ASC thisyear. Australia has already signalled itspreference to secure General DynamicsElectric Boat Corporation (EBC) asASC's buyer, given the substantial USinvolvement in rectifying many of theCollins' problems.However. Australia's 'One China"policy at this stage negates any sale ofsubmarines to Taiwan but EBC'sacquisition of ASC could enable a vastamount of intellectual property onconventional submarine construction tobe transferred to EBC's US yard tocircumvent Australian policy.Canada still lackingSSK capabilityIt has been reported that the RoyalCanadian Navy has discovered a dent inone of the four Upholder classsubmarines being acquired from theRN. and. to add insult to injury, iswaiting to see if it will have to replacethe diesel generator exhaust valves in allthe submarines.HMCS VICTORIA, formerly HMSUNSEEN, has a 900cm2 by 0.25cmdepression in its hull, below thewatcrline. The dent was found whenVICTORIA was in dry dock in Halifaxfor a hull inspection during anintermediate docking period. It isunderstood that the Canadian Navy willlaunch a formal investigation todetermine the cause, and when ithappened. If the dent occurred whileVICTORIA was in the UK Canadawill seek costs from the RN for therepair.VICTORIA had been in dry dock inBirkenhead UK for a shaft replacementand the dent had not been apparent then.The boat then underwent sea trialsbefore sailing to Halifax.While the dent affects the maximumdesign depth, there is still a large safetymargin to the diving depth.Nevertheless, the RCN has restricteddiving depth by 25%.The RCN is studying three optionsregarding the dent: wait until thesubmarine's extended docking period inlate 2003 to fix it; strengthen thearea: or cut out the patch and weldin a new section of steel.Meanwhile, a UK-Canadian team isexamining cracks found in the dicselgeneratorexhaust, hull and back-upvalve of HMCS CHICOUTIMI(formerly HMS UPHOLDER).HMCS VICTORIA is due to returnto sea in July/August, but if thevalves have to be replaced (hatwill slip by about three months. HMCSWINDSOR entered its Canadian workperiod at the beginning of Apriland. barring any added complications, isexpected to be ready for sea trials laterthis year. HMCS CORNERBROOK(formerly HMS URSULA) hascompleted reactivation in the UK and isready to start sea trials.10 New frigates forItalyItaly's senate and houseparliamentary defence committee hasapproved a Eur5.68 billion (US$5.2bn)frigate replacement programme. Theprogramme envisages the Italian Navycommissioning 10 New GenerationFrigates (NGFs) between 2(X)8 and 2018.The NGFs will be built in twoconfigurations - four as anti-submarinewarfare (ASW) platforms and sixgeneral purpose/land attack vessels.The programme also calls forcommonality between the two types toreduce procurement and life-cyclesupport costs.The new ships will replace thecurrent inventory of two Lupo- andeight Macstrale-class frigates builtbetween 1977 and 1985. all of which aredueto retire in 12-15 years.Two Lupos have already beendecommissioned: the remaining pairwill follow by 2003. To bridge the gap.some of the Maestrales will undergo alimited overhaul between 2003 and2008 to extend their service life until theNGFs are commissioned.A preliminary feasibility study'Project 123". was completed by theNaval Staff's Studies and ProjectsDepartment earlier this year. The studycalled for a hull of no more than 5.000tons: 135m long, with a maximumcontinuous speed of 27kt and a cruisingA drawing of the Italian Navy's planned NewGeneration Frigate.range of 6.000nm at I8kt. The designwill adopt an electric propulsionarchitecture and a high level ofautomation to cut operating costs andreduce manning requirements to around130. Survivability will be improved byreducing signatures, making use ofinternal compartmentalisation andselective armouring.Both versions will be fitted with theS A AM IT (surface-to-air antimissile/Italy)self-defence system(based around the EM PARmultifunction radar and verticallylaunched Aster 15 missiles) and a127mm lightweight gun w ith extendedrangeguided ammunition. Secondarysystems include two 76mm guns withcourse-corrected ammunition for shortrangeself-defence and a flight deckwith hangar for an NH90 helicopter. Ahull-mounted sonar and MU-90 ASWtorpedo launchers will also be acommon feature.The ASW variant is believed to havean active variable-depth sonar andtowed-array receiver, together witheight Milas ASW missile launchers,placed amidships.Federal Budget boostsRAN fundsAustralia's defence efforts receivedanother boost in the recent FederalBudget. The Treasurer. Peter Costello.announced increases to meet the cost ofcurrent commitments to the war onterrorism and enhanced domesticsecurity arrangements in the aftermathof the September 11 terrorist attacks inthe United States, and for the RAN'scontinued commitment to maritimesurveillance and border protectionoperations.Overall funding risesOverall Defence Departmentfunding amounts to $19.3 billion for2002-03. This is up $711 millioncompared to the current financialyear. 2001-02. which was boosted by$1.1 billion in February after theGovernment was retur ted in theNovember general election. In additionto the costs of the current operations,the increases cover price rises and theimpact on the Defence Budget of thedepreciation of the Australian douar.Border protection significantDefence Minister Robert Hill saidthe Budget allocation would continueAustralia's contribution to theinternational coalition against terrorism,including Operation Slipper deploymentsof Special Forces, an RAN Task Groupin the Persian Gulf, and RAAFrefuelling aircraft in Kyrgyzstan. Hesaid also the protection of Australia'sborders was "one of the Defence Force'smost significant responsibilities."Defence and Customs have fundingin the Budget to trial the high frequencysurface wave radar that provides overthe-horizonborder surveillance.Capability delivery sustainedThe Deputy Chief of Navy. RADMBrian Adams said that Navy capabilitieswould account for $5.8 billion of thefunds provided by Government for ourdefence capabilities. and thatGovernment will expect thoseThe phoenix has risen. Then (left) and now (right). The rebuilt USS COLE is back in service after being attacked by suicide bombers in the Yemeni Harbourof Aden. Unconfirmed reports have suggested that the damage to the ship was far more extensive then originally estimated but that the ship hadlo be repaired as a sign of US resolve towards termrism (this was well before Sept 11 2001). One US Admiral is on record as saying thai the blast whichnearly sank the Arleigh Burke class destroyer was equivalent to a 3.0001b bomb. (USN)22 VOL. 64 NO. I THE NAVYTHE NAVY VOL. 64 NO. I 33