Cakra 401 SubMarine

Submarine to Test New Missile

noreply@blogger.com (aziel) — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 11:39:00 +0000

A new nuclear submarine will be ready to test the next generation of intercontinental missiles this year, a military shipbuilding spokesman said Tuesday.

The Yury Dolgoruky, the first of the country's new Borei class of submarines, has yet to fire the Bulava missile it was made to carry because of numerous failures during testing.

"By the beginning of the navigation season, all ships will be ready to carry out tests of the Bulava," said Alexander Kholodov, a representative of submarine-building shipyard Sevmash.

"This refers above all to the submarines Dmitry Donskoi and Yury Dolgoruky," he said.

The Dmitry Donskoi is an older Akula-class vessel used for previous Bulava tests while Borei-class submarines were undergoing testing.

The Bulava was designed to be carried on submarines like the Yury Dolgoruky, but repeated failures of the missile during tests have called the costly project into question.

The submarine's entry into service, carrying the Bulava, will be a major step forward for the military, which hopes to use rising oil revenues to increase its clout.

Separately, NATO officials said Tuesday that a Russian submarine would take part in one of its naval exercises for the first time.

The vessel is scheduled to join in next month's undersea rescue exercise off the Spanish coast. The exercise, held every three years, is the largest of its kind in the world and involves multiple subs, warships and search-and-rescue aircraft.

NATO's and Russia's surface ships cooperate closely as part of the international anti-piracy patrols off the Somali coastline. But no Russian sub has ever taken part in those missions.
(Reuters, AP)

exacerbates nuclear woes

noreply@blogger.com (aziel) — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 11:32:00 +0000

India conducted its first ‘peaceful’ nuclear test explosion, dubbing the operation ‘Smiling Buddha.’ But Buddha himself would at best have smiled sardonically at seeing his name tied to such an experiment.

After the test, India vowed never to weaponise its nuclear assets, a pledge that seems to have gone unheeded.

A decade later, the country again set out to test its nuclear capabilities in the Operation Shakti tests - five nuclear tests conducted over three days. Pakistan soon followed suit. It has long been clear that India intended to go back on its non-nuclear weapon pledge. Indeed, an early indication was the commencement of the construction of a nuclear submarine after the 1974 nuclear test. Nuclear drills, meanwhile, were reportedly being taught to every Indian naval officer as early as the 1950s by officials from the Bharat Atomic Energy Centre (BARC) in Mumbai, where India converts fissile material into nuclear weapon cores.

In 1976, Dr Homi Nusserwanji Sethna, the chairman of the Indian Atomic Energy Commission at the time, created the Diesel Propulsion Research Team (DPRT), an apparent subterfuge for designing a nuclear propulsion plant for India’s first nuclear submarine. A team of four naval officers led by Indian Navy Capt. PN Agarwala and Capt. Bharat Bhusan were inducted into the DPRT.

Many Indian Naval officers at the time were also trained in nuclear engineering at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and subsequently transferred to the Defence Research and Development Organisation’s classified nuclear submarine project, which was called the Advance Technology Vehicle (ATV).

More recently, during a nuclear discussion session at the India International Centre New Delhi, former Indian Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral shared an anecdote with the audience highlighting the Indian Navy’s desire to induct nuclear submarines with a long-range nuclear missile launch capability. This was the same Gujral who, while ambassador in Moscow in 1979 – and on the instructions of Indian Defence Minister C Subramaniam, Indian Defence Secretary K Subrahmanyam and BARC Director Raja Ramanna – reportedly met Adm Sergei Gorshkov and sought assistance with India’s quest for nuclear submarines and long-range, submarine-launched nuclear missiles.(source nation.com.pk)

plan to buy old German U-boats

noreply@blogger.com (aziel) — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 11:28:00 +0000

Navy chief Kamthorn Phumhiran is insisting on pushing ahead with the plan to procure six second-hand submarines from Germany, dismissing the other option of buying brand-new South Korean ones as being too expensive.

Adm Kamthorn yesterday said he would go ahead with the navy's original plan. It would be presented to the Defence Council chaired by Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon next week.

Gen Prawit had earlier voiced his support for the idea of acquiring two brand-new submarines from South Korea. He believed they would last longer than the decommissioned German ones.

The six Type U-206A coastal patrol submarines have been in use in Germany for more than 30 years and Adm Kamthorn admitted they had only another six or seven years of useful life left.

Though the South Korean Type U209 submarine is made using German technology, Adm Kamthorn said it is too big, with a displacement of 1,200 tonnes. "They also cost up to 13 billion baht each," he said.

Although the navy included the option of buying South Korean submarines in its feasibility study, it does not have enough money to buy the two new ones.

"It is most practical to buy the second-hand ones at a cost of 7.7 billion baht," said Adm Kamthorn, who also played down concerns over the usefulness of the submarines in Thai waters. "The navy has to take care of Thailand's marine interests valued at 900 billion baht a year. An investment of 7.7 billion baht will be worth it," he said.

If Thailand fails to secure the six submarines, the opportunity may go to Chile or Colombia, which are also interested in striking a deal with Germany, said navy Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations Thawiwut Phongphiphat.

A navy source said other countries in Southeast Asia have already strengthened their navies with submarines. Malaysia deploys two French-made ones, Singapore has four and Vietnam has three, with a plan to buy six more from Russia. Even Burma has already had its soldiers trained in submarine operations.

If the Defence Council and later the cabinet approve the navy's purchase plan, the first batch of 30 navy officers will be sent for a year of training in Germany before Thailand receives the submarines, said Vice Adm Thawiwut.

"The navy doesn't want to have these submarines, we need them," Adm Kamthorn said. "They are weapons for protection. They may be small, but a small cobra can bite a bigger person to death."

Two subs would be deployed in the Gulf of Thailand and two in the Andaman Sea, with the others as replacements. (source bangkokpost)

Navy Readies for its New Submarines

noreply@blogger.com (aziel) — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 06:02:00 +0000

The Israel Navy is making advanced preparations to absorb two new German-made Dolphin-class submarines, IDF journal Bamachaneh reported in its latest issue. The number of soldiers selected for submarine warfare has grown by 30% in the latest IDF recruitment batches, in order to man the additional submarines.

The Navy currently has three submarines, also of the Dolphin class, so the addition of two subs means that the force is growing 66% bigger. "We are in mid-process and are slowly adding more crews to be trained for service in the submarines," explained Naval Instruction Base Commander Col. Ronen Nimni. "We are also taking care to add crew commanders who closely mentor the soldiers."

More officers are being trained for submarine posts as well. The number of cadets who will be trained for submarine command positions is rising by 35%.

According to an article in World Politics Review, Israel's three submarines "reportedly carry nuclear-tipped cruise missiles of an unidentified type."

"The missiles, part of Israel's estimated 100-strong nuclear arsenal, reportedly have a range of up to 800 miles. The subs probably cannot hit Iran without passing through the Suez into the Red Sea and ultimately the Indian Ocean. The Red Sea is also the best route to the Gulf of Oman, where Israeli ships and submarines might enforce a blockade of Iran, during wartime." (Source : IsraelNationalNews.com)

Pentagon Said Likely to Back New Design for Ballistic Missile Submarine

noreply@blogger.com (aziel) — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 12:03:00 +0000

The U.S. Defense Department is likely to pursue a brand new design for its next nuclear-armed submarine, following a Navy recommendation during a key program review earlier this month, according to experts and observers.

The Pentagon's Defense Acquisition Board on December 9 completed an initial design review meeting on the so-called "SSBN(X)" effort, spokeswoman Cheryl Irwin confirmed last week. However, she indicated the department was not ready to release the review's results.

If approved by defense acquisitions czar Ashton Carter, the replacement submarine for today's Ohio-class ballistic missile vessels would enter its first major acquisition program phase, called "Milestone A."

A recent Congressional Research Service report estimated it would cost roughly $70 billion to replace the 12 ballistic missile submarines expected to populate the U.S. fleet by the end of this decade. The nation currently fields 14 Ohio-class boats.

The Navy has not released total cost projections for the new underwater craft, but has estimated it would spend $29.4 billion on the effort between fiscal 2011 and 2020. That figure, though, excludes costs for roughly two subsequent decades during which the 12 new submarines would be built and delivered.

The next-generation submarine is to initially carry today's Trident D-5 nuclear-armed ballistic missiles, but later could be fitted with new-design nuclear missiles and possibly conventional weaponry.

The first Ohio-class submarine to be replaced reaches the end of its 42-year service life in 2027. One subsequent vessel is slated to retire each year after that, with the last submarine expected to age out in 2040. The SSBN(X) submarines are to enter the fleet between 2029 and 2042.

One pivotal decision believed likely to come out of the Defense Acquisition Board review pertains to the approach the Navy will take in developing and building the replacement submarine. In an official "analysis of alternatives" that also has not been released, the Navy considered three possible design concepts for the Ohio-class follow-on, according to a recent Energy Department report.

First, the Navy could base its design on the Ohio-class vessel. This would have the potential benefit of saving much of the cost involved in designing a new submarine, which one 2008 estimate pegged at roughly $7 billion. However, service officials have said this approach would have the disadvantage of locking in older technologies that fail to meet the Navy's needs.

For example, it could be difficult to include in an Ohio-class design the silencing technologies the Navy believes are needed to combat modern detection equipment that future adversaries might field, among other features, according to naval sources.

Second, the service could alter the Virginia-class attack submarine design so that it could carry ballistic missiles. This approach could also offer cost-cutting advantages and transition the service to a smaller ballistic-missile vessel at a time when traditional Cold War nuclear threats are receding, according to analysts.

On the downside, modifying the more diminutive Virginia-class vessels would give the submarines a "humpback" appearance -- thanks to the insertion of a compartment for the large D-5 missiles -- and that could result in reduced capability in such areas as speed, maneuverability and stealth, the Navy has argued.

"A Virginia Insert SSBN would require redesign of the Virginia and would have technical and operational shortcomings and risks," the CRS report quoted the Navy as stating in March.

That leaves the Navy endorsing a new-design approach, the third option considered for the SSBN(X) in the service's analysis of alternatives, according to program experts. Though a new-design submarine involves additional cost, the Navy recently tailored back its size and speed requirements for the boat, defense leaders said this fall.

An "emphasis on affordability is already being applied to the next-generation ballistic missile submarine, where we are trimming [design] requirements without compromising critical capability," said Defense Secretary Robert Gates, appearing with Carter at a September 14 press briefing.

Pentagon-watchers said this month's Milestone A meeting was likely to have resulted in a schedule for the new submarine's development and testing, as well as possible cost-reduction goals for the program.

"The big problem is going to be money, because no one knows what they're going to cost," Norman Polmar, a longtime Defense Department consultant on naval issues, told Global Security Newswire yesterday.

There is little debate, though, over the basic necessity of replacing today's aging submarines.

"To maintain an at-sea presence for the long-term, the United States must continue development of a follow-on to the Ohio-class submarine," stated the Pentagon's Nuclear Posture Review, an assessment of strategic forces and strategy completed in April. "Since the lead times associated with designing, building, testing, and deploying new submarines are particularly long, the secretary of defense has directed the Navy to begin technology development of an SSBN replacement."

In February the Navy said that "owing to the unique demands of strategic relevance, [the new submarines] must be fitted with the most up-to-date capabilities and stealth to ensure they are survivable throughout their full 40-year life span," according to the Congressional Research Service.

Among the new capabilities the service is seeking in the new submarines is a nuclear fuel core that would last as long as the vessel, an improvement on the Ohio-class reactors that required midlife refueling, the October 28 CRS report states.

Whether Carter and his defense buying panel have fully backed all of the Navy's requests for SSBN(X) remains unclear, but it is "almost 100 percent certain" that the Pentagon will opt for a new design, one congressional source said last week.

Critics say, though, that the Navy analysis of alternatives failed to seriously assess the prospects for viable alternatives to a new design, effectively setting up the idea of designing a boat from scratch as the only acceptable option.

"That's the beauty of the Goldilocks approach, is that two options will always be unacceptable and then you land on the one you prefer anyway," Hans Kristensen, who directs the Federation of American Scientists' Nuclear Information Project, said in an interview yesterday.

The recent design review was also expected to decide whether the submarine will feature 16 or 20 missile tubes, according to the Capitol Hill aide and others who asked not to be identified in discussing the sensitive matter.

Each tube would be capable of launching a single D-5 ballistic missile or a future ballistic missile of up to the same size, but also might be able to fire multiple smaller weapons, according to experts.

To cut costs, the Navy is believed to be pressing for 16 missile tubes in the new submarine, though that does not mean that a new-design vessel would be smaller than the Ohio-class boat, which has 24 missile tubes, according to the CRS report.

In a recent briefing, "the Navy stated that an SSBN(X) would probably be about the same size and have roughly the same displacement as an Ohio-class submarine, even though it might have only 16 or 20 missile tubes," according to the congressional report. "Over time, technological advancements tend to add weight to a submarine design (compared with the same submarine produced 30 years earlier)."

In part because of technologies the Navy has long embraced to insulate the submarine's nuclear-reactor propulsion system, "there are real physical limits to how small you can make it," Kristensen said of the next ballistic missile submarine.

Polmar argued, though, that the Navy should consider using newer and smaller quieting technologies, such as "active" silencing approaches that cancel out reactor noise with other noise. Both of the analysts also said that if the Pentagon could accept a more limited patrol range for its next ballistic-missile submarine, the reactor and the overall size of the craft could be smaller.

"We don't have to stay as far at sea as we did during the Cold War," Polmar said.

On Capitol Hill earlier this year, lawmakers urged the Navy to consider buying a submarine smaller than the Ohio class -- such as a variant of the Virginia class -- that would be limited to launching a less-sizable missile like the Trident C-4, the weapon that the D-5 replaced.

"I think you ought to ask the engineers about a missile that might fit in the smaller submarine rather than the multibillion dollars you might have to sink into a replacement for the Ohio-class submarine," House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) told Navy Undersecretary Robert Work at a July hearing.

Work responded that the Navy had considered using the C-4, but opted instead to go with the D-5, even if that effectively ruled out using a Virginia-class design.

Rear Adm. Terry Benedict explained to a Capitol Hill breakfast audience the same month that retaining D-5 missile capability in the new submarine would help maintain continuity during a 13-year period between 2029 and 2042, as the Ohio-class boats gradually retire and their replacements transition into the fleet. Benedict directs the Navy Strategic Systems Planning office.

Though the decision would allow the Navy to avoid the cost and developmental risk of undertaking both a missile- and submarine-development program at the same time, it also would mean the Ohio-class replacement must be large enough to fit the D-5, which has a range of roughly 4,000 nautical miles.

"At the outset, we have a predecisional notion that we're going to keep the D-5, making other [submarine] options straw men," Kristensen said.

Polmar agreed that the Navy should seriously consider using the C-4 or a new-design missile that is roughly 35 feet in length, as it could still offer the service some 3,000 nautical miles in range.

Under the New START nuclear arms control agreement -- a U.S.-Russian pact currently on the Senate floor for a ratification vote -- the Pentagon anticipates capping its Trident D-5 missile force at 240.

Today the fleet carries 288 deployed D-5s, armed with a total 1,152 nuclear warheads.

The reduction in two vessels by the end of this decade is not, in itself, expected to affect the number of D-5 warheads fielded at that time, according to nuclear force analysts Kristensen and Robert Norris of the Natural Resources Defense Council. The numbers would allow for a slightly higher average warhead loading on each missile, if the Pentagon desired. (source globalsecuritynewswire)

Russian strategic sub recalled for inspection

noreply@blogger.com (aziel) — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 13:19:00 +0000

One of Russia's premier nuclear submarines, slated to carry its next generation of strategic missiles, has been called back from sea trials, possibly delaying deployment, a top weapons designer said on Monday.

The Yuri Dolgoruky, Russia's first Borei-class submarine, was designed to carry the nuclear-capable Bulava intercontinental missiles, which the Kremlin hopes to make the cornerstone of its arsenal over the next decade.

"Right now the cruiser is returning to the shop. I think the work will last half a year," Yuri Solomonov, a top engineer at Moscow's weapons design Institute of Thermotechnics, told a news conference.

The Yuri Dolgoruky had been undergoing sea trials and was expected to go into service in the first half of 2011, and its recall to the dock for further inspections will likely delay its adoption into service by the navy.

The multi-billion dollar project is the most ambitious in the Russian fleet's post-Soviet history, but has been repeatedly delayed by a string of unsuccessful Bulava missile launches. Seven out of 14 test launches have failed.

The Borei submarine has been eyed to restore the glory of Russia's once-powerful fleet, eroded by lack of funding and new technology since the fall of the Soviet Union.

"The situation with the cruiser is difficult," Solomonov said.

"If the problems are eliminated, then the 15th launch of the Bulava will be carried out on board the submarine. If not, then it will take place on board the Dmitry Donskoy," submarine, he added.

Solomonov did not elaborate and officials at the submarine shipyard Sevmash were not available for comment.

The second Borei-class submarine Alexander Nevsky has started dock trials, but has not yet been tested at sea. (source reuters)

Russia Launches Upgraded Submarine Missile Cruiser

noreply@blogger.com (aziel) — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 11:34:00 +0000

The Russian Zvezdochka Shipbuilder has launched the K-407 Novomoskovsk, strategic submarine missile cruiser after an interim overhaul and modernisation programme.

Novomoskovsk is the last strategic nuclear submarine to undergo modernisation at the shipyard, and is to be delivered to the Russian Navy.

The vessel is the sixth missile submarine of Project 667BDRM (Delfin Class, Delta-4 by Nato classification), whose service life has been extended by ten years after the overhaul.

The Delfin Class submarines are armed with 16 intercontinental ballistic missiles and form the basis of the Russian sea-based strategic nuclear forces, according to ITAR-TASS News Agency.

The submarines that have undergone similar modernisation include K-51 Verkhoturye, K-84 Yekaterinburg, K-114 Tula, K-117 Bryansk and K-18 Karelia. (Source naval-technology)

NGV Tech wins work with Daewoo shipbuilder

noreply@blogger.com (aziel) — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 08:11:00 +0000

Malaysian shipbuilder NGV Tech has signed a contract with Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering to construct two 250-foot training and patrol vessels for the Malaysian navy.

"In the period of 24 months, we will collaborate to design, build and deliver the naval vessels," NGV Tech Executive Chairman Datuk Zulkifli Shariff said.

"DSME will do the design. The vessel blocks will be transported to Malaysia and we will start joining it together at our 24-hectare shipyard in Sijangkang," Shariff said.

NGV Tech was founded in 1992 and is based in the city of Telok Panglima Garang, in the state of Selangor on the west coast of the Malaysian peninsula. Sijangkang is on the coast of Selangor.

The company offers design, fabrication, installation as well as repair and maintenance services for all type of ships including buoy tender vessels, offshore crew boats, patrol craft, landing craft, harbor tugs, hydro-graphic craft and strike craft.

NGV Tech builds around 40 ships annually in Sijangkang, generating around $160 million in revenues, a statement from NGV Tech said.

But the contract with South Korean firm Daewoo is NGV Tech's "maiden project" for the Malaysian navy, Shariff said. Each vessel will be worth $48 million-$58 million to NGV.

The company is also in direct discussions with the navy to design a 515-foot, multi-role support ship that could cost $380 million-$415 million. "We will start the retail design as per the requirments of the RMN and once orders have been confirmed, we can start building immediately," Shariff said.

Malaysia continues to expand its naval fleet, including with recent arrivals of two Scorpene submarines. The contract between the Malaysian government and French shipbuilders DCNS for the two Scorpenes, as well as associated logistics and training, was signed in June 2002.

The KD Tunku Abdul Rahman, the first Malaysian submarine reached its homeport in September 2009 and its sister ship, the KD Tun Razak, arrived last July. Malaysian navy classification for the two 210-foot vessels is Perdana Menter.

They have a maximum operating depth of 1,150 feet and a submerged speed of more than 20 knots. Their operational endurance is 50 days with six torpedo tubes for 18 torpedoes or missiles, according to analysts at Naval-Technology.com.

Main suppliers for the ships include Calzoni for naval handling and aviation lighting; Cloudis for cabling and planning software; L-3 Communications ELAC Nautik for sonar, echosounders and underwater communications; and Schneider Electric for energy management.

Chile and India have also ordered Scorpenes from DCNS.

In July, Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering won a $436 million order to build four very large crude carriers. Delivery of the ships to Malaysia's American Eagle Tankers is scheduled for October 2013, a Daewoo statement said.

AET is a unit of Malaysian petrochemicals shipper MISC.(source upi)

HMS Ambush: latest of Royal Navy's next generation of submarines

noreply@blogger.com (aziel) — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 06:12:00 +0000

HMS Ambush, the second of the Royal Navy's new Astute class of nuclear submarines, is powered by a nuclear reactor the size of a dustbin.

HMS Astute Photo: REUTERS

It is 97m long, the equivalent of 10 London buses, and weighs 7,400 tonnes compared with the 5,000 tonnes managed by its predecessor, the Trafalgar class.

It has the biggest "ears'' of any sonar system in service today, with the processing power of 2,000 laptops.

The nuclear reactor which drives the propulsion system is roughly the size of a dustbin but will last the 30-year life of the boat without needing to be replaced.

But there are some other big numbers to bear in mind - the first three Astute class submarines (HMS Astute, Ambush and Artful) cost the Government £3.8bn, according to last year's National Audit Office report, compared with an initial contract for £2.58bn.

That report also showed the project was 47 months late, with an original in-service date for Astute of May 2005.(source telegraph.co.uk)

Indian Navy to Install AIP System on Scorpene Submarines

noreply@blogger.com (aziel) — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 10:44:00 +0000

The Indian Navy is considering a proposal to equip Scorpene submarines, which are under construction, with an air independent propulsion (AIP) system to overcome the risk of detection.

The system, which is being built at Mazagon Dock, enables the boats to stay underwater without having to surface for more than three weeks.

DCNS CEO Patrick Boissier said the company was in talks with the navy and that the system could be integrated into the fifth and sixth submarines in 2018.

The navy is also looking at an indigenous AIP system, which is being developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation, according to Hindustan Times.

The first Scorpene submarine is expected to enter service in 2015 and the remaining within a span of three years.

India is constructing six Scorpene submarines with transfer of technology from DCNS under a Rs187.98bn ($4.16bn) programme called Project 75. (Source naval-technology)

Submarines to receive new batteries

noreply@blogger.com (aziel) — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 06:03:00 +0000

South Africa's fleet of three Heroine-class Type 209 diesel-electric attack submarines are to receive new batteries as part of their “first minor overhaul”, the Ministry of Defence and Military Veterans says in two answers to Parliamentary questions.

The battery consists of 480 man-sized cells and weighs 250 metric tons, according to a South African Navy briefing to Parliament last month. Navy Chief Director Maritime Strategy Rear Admiral Bernhard Teuteberg at the same briefing said a battery costs R35 million. He also described the overhaul as "major".

“In order to ensure that the SAS Manthatisi (S101) will be operational for a period of at least eight years on completion of the first minor overhaul, the SA Navy will procure a new battery for the submarine,” the ministry says in answer to a Parliamentary question by Freedom Front Plus MP Pieter Groenewald. “Each submarine will, in turn, be fitted with a new battery on completion of their respective minor overhauls.”

Another answer notes the Manthatisi is “presently in reserve, and has been so since October 2007. The submarine is being prepared to become the first Type 209 Submarine to be overhauled in Simon’s Town Naval Dockyard,” the answer continues. “The SAS Manthatisi will be undergoing an overhaul in accordance with the laid down schedules for this type of submarine. The scope of work for the overhaul of SAS Manthatisi is currently being determined.”

The Manthatisi is the lead-boat of class of three submarines acquired for R8.1 billion as part of Project Wills,a component of the controversial Strategic Defence Package. She was laid down at Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft, Thyssen Nordsee Werke, Kiel on May 22, 2001, was launched June 15, 2004 and commissioned November 3, 2005. It arrived in South African waters in April 2006. Her sisters were both commissioned March 14, 2007. The Charlotte Maxeke arrived in South African waters in April 2007 and SAS Queen Modjadji I in May 2008.

In answer to Groenewald's question as to whether the repairs might be done in Germany, where they had been built, the ministry said the Navy was “not giving consideration to sending the submarine to Germany for repairs. The requisite capabilities are being sourced and developed locally, and these capabilities will form the foundation for not only the maintenance of SAS Manthatisi but also the subsequent overhaul of SAS Charlotte Maxeke and SAS Queen Modjadji I, as scheduled in the SA Navy Maintenance and Upkeep Plan for the Medium to Long Term Expenditure Framework.”

The ministry insists in the first answer “the majority of this overhaul consists of routine maintenance and replacement of parts as opposed to repairs. Very little known repair work is required on the SAS Manthatisi. It will be the first submarine to undergo this process. Many elements of this process are unknown and infrastructure and training will need to be established in order to create a submarine overhaul capability in country. It is envisaged that the process will be complete by mid to late 2012.” Teuteberg last month said the Manthatisi wa expected to return to service in 2013.

“The Navy is currently in the process of establishing a list of maintenance to be completed during the minor overhaul. This list is termed the 'Scope of Work'. Once the Scope of Work has been established, the spares requirement will be known and will be the major factor in establishing the cost for the overhaul,” the ministry added.

The Business Day a month ago the boat's extended spell on the "hard" has variously been described as routine battery maintenance or the result of a minor encounter with the quay causing damage to the aft dive plane. Experts and opposition MPs have suggested that there is something more seriously wrong with the submarine.

Teuteberg told the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans that there were three issues involving the Manthatisi. The first was that when the submarine is in harbour it is plugged into a shore service to keep its 250 tons of batteries charged. The South African Press Association elaborated that “someone” had connected the submarine to this “the wrong way round", blowing fuses in the submarine, apparently because the wires had not been marked properly. The sailor responsible had been disciplined. "A board of inquiry was convened and... a person was held responsible; he was reprimanded," Teuteberg said.

The second was that in rough weather the vessel “banged” into a quay, causing minor damage to the aft plane, which helps steer and trim the submarine underwater. However, the integrity of the hull was not compromised, he said. SAPA noted the "bash" was sustained when putting to sea on a stormy day. "The entrance to the submarine base is too small for this type of submarine with one screw. We did touch the quay [with the aft plane] and bent plates slightly upwards. We immediately took the submarine out of the water and checked its water-tight integrity... the only damage was [the plane] which was bent upwards." Teuteberg said there were now plans to widen the entrance to the submarine pen "so that there is more space".

The third issue, Business Day says, involved the efficiency of the batteries, the admiral explained, saying that when being charged, batteries produced hydrogen and the build-up of the gas damaged some of the submarine’s 480 cells. The problem had been solved by introducing hydrogen release valves and the manufacturer had given the undertaking that some of the damaged units would be replaced free of charge, the broadsheet reports.

The Parliamentary question continues that the “battery is currently housed in the Submarine Battery Workshop where it is being trickle charged to ensure that the battery is maintained at operational levels. This means that the battery is being discharged and charged to ensure that the system remains operational without depreciating in Ampere Hours.” This despite the battery being replaced...

The answer also records that the fuse incident took place sometime in 2008, after the boat was placed in reserve. “The submarine's wiring is not damaged but an incident did occur in 2008 during which mainly fuses were blown in a shore supply box (external of the submarine),” the ministry said. “During a switch over from shore to ship electrical supply, an incident occurred whereby an AC [alternating current] plug was incorrectly inserted into a DC [direct current] socket. This led to a number of fuses being blown (as with trip switches) protecting electrical equipment onboard from incorrectly phased electrical supply. This incident has led to changes in design and standard operating procedures to ensure that a similar incident cannot occur again. The minor repairs that had to be affected to the outboard switchboard were completed shortly after the incident occurred, in excess of 18 months ago. There are currently no repairs required to the submarine's wiring.”

Freedom Front Plus defence spokesman Pieter Groenewald says it is a worry the boat was placed in reserve after just 18 months of service. It is a further worry that according to the answer the Navy and Armscor Dockyard currently lack the knowledge to service the submarine and that the whole process must still be learned. “For a submarine that cost R1.6 billion, the taxpayer is certainly not getting value for money. The minister cannot say what it [the service] will cost and there I uncertainty whether it is a major service or just a minor overhaul. The minister says it is a minor overhaul but in the briefing it was said this was a major service, hence the time period [two years] involved.”

The FF+ MP, who was a member of Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Lindiwe Sisulu's Interim National Defence Force Service Commission, added the battery is a further uncertainty. He says the answer is contradictory. In one line it is avered the current battery is being maintained but in the next it is said a new battery is being acquired. “... the question is why is the current battery still being charged and discharged? If a battery's lifetime is eight years, why is the existing battery's life just six years?

“From the minister's answer it is clear the full implications of the purchase was not realised and that the contract is defective. A proper contract would have ensured that the necessary knowledge of the maintenance and services required would have been part of the [contractor-provided] training,” Groenewald said. I will certainly be asking more questions to get clarity on this.” (Source defenceweb)

Russia delays Bulava nuclear missile test to 2011

noreply@blogger.com (aziel) — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 02:34:00 +0000

Russia has delayed the next submarine test launch of its troubled intercontinental nuclear missile Bulava until 2011, Itar-Tass state news agency reported.

Russia has delayed the next submarine test launch of its troubled intercontinental nuclear missile Bulava until 2011, Itar-Tass state news agency reported on Wednesday.

The Bulava missile, which Moscow plans to make the cornerstone of its nuclear arsenal over the next decade, has failed seven of its previous 14 tests, endangering the future of the project which is estimated to cost at least $3 billion.

The next test had been scheduled for Dec. 17.

"The White Sea region, from where the Bulava was to be launched, is covered with ice," Itar-Tass quoted an unidentified defence industry source, who had been due to attend the test launch, as saying.

"The exact date of the next test launch of the Bulava in 2011 is not yet decided, but it will take place in the first half of the year," he said.

Test launches have sent the nearly 37-tonne missile from Russia's border with Finland to the peninsula of Kamchatka, in Russia's Far East.

Russian defence sources have been quoted as saying that the 12-metre long Bulava, which means "mace" in Russian, would not enter service until tests proved it 98-99 percent reliable.

In previous tests the missile self-destructed leading to doubts about its reliability. One missile can hold 6-10 nuclear warheads, which would deliver an impact of up to 100 times the atomic blast that devastated Hiroshima in 1945.

Reuters

Testing of a New Submarine to Start

noreply@blogger.com (aziel) — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 01:17:00 +0000

“Alexander Nevsky” submarine has been launched at a plant in Severodvinsk. The vehicle is ready for final tests.

      The missile-carrying nuclear submarine “Alexander Nevsky” belongs to the newest generation of Russian submarines of the “Boreas” project. The vehicle will carry 16 “Bulava” ballistic missiles, as well as torpedoes for self-protecting.

      The submarine creators, who used cutting-edge technologies for building the submarine, believe that their vehicle would pass all tests successfully. Seven more missile-carrying nuclear submarines are 4expected to appear within the “Boreas” project.

(Source : RIA Novosti)

Watch videos about “Aleksander Nevsky” on RIA Novosti

noreply@blogger.com (aziel) — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 03:56:00 +0000

The nuclear submarine Aleksander Nevsky (Photo from RIA Novosti)

Russia plans to build eight subs of the Borey class. The first one, “Yury Dolgoruky”, has already gone through tests and is currently preparing for launch of its first Bulava missile. The third sub in the series, “Vladimir Monomakh” is under construction. The fourth, “Svyatitel Nikolay”, has also been started, but will be modernized and constructed under new modification compared to the three others.

UK to launch its biggest, deadliest nuclear submarine

noreply@blogger.com (aziel) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 22:10:00 +0000

A nuclear reactor which can power a small city and guided-missiles that can pulverise an enemy more than 1,000 miles away -- meet HMS Ambush, the Royal Navy's newest killer submarine.

The 'super-sub' can produce oxygen and drinking water from seawater to keep its 98 crew members alive in time of crisis.

More complex than the US space shuttles and able to circumnavigate the globe without surfacing, Ambush is 291 ft long, the same length as a football pitch, as wide as four double-decker buses and 12 storeys high.

Its nuclear-powered engine can propel her at more than 20 knots, allowing her to travel 500 miles a day, reports the Daily Mail.

And despite being 50 percent bigger than the Swiftsure and Trafalgar subs it will replace, Ambush is much quieter. Its propellers are the quietest ones, making less noise than a baby dolphin and undetectable to enemy vessels.

Of course, that is if enemy vessels can get near Ambush. The submarine's sonar and radar are so sensitive that it can detect ships a staggering 3,000 nautical miles away.

It means that if parked in the English Channel, Ambush would know if a ship left the New York harbour. A true titan of the deep, the 1.2-billion-pound warship will be launched at Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria Thursday.

A typical patrol lasts 10 weeks, but Ambush could theoretically stay underwater for its entire 25-year lifespan.

HMS Ambush will carry 38 missiles, a mixture of Tomahawk cruise missiles, which have a range of 1,240 miles, and Spearfish heavyweight torpedoes to target other ships and submarines.

Emergency Surface (Submarine)

noreply@blogger.com (aziel) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 14:10:00 +0000

Submarine diving (view from periscope)

noreply@blogger.com (aziel) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 14:02:00 +0000

Old HMS Ambush

noreply@blogger.com (aziel) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 13:46:00 +0000

HMS Ambush P-418 seen in 1947.

HMS Ambush P-418 underway in 1947.

HMS Ambush S-68 seen in 1961 after modernization

HMS Ambush S-68 seen in 1961 after modernization.

Reference : Maritime

Putin pledges $860b to modernise military

noreply@blogger.com (aziel) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 09:18:00 +0000

Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said today that the government had pledged $860 billion through 2020 to modernise and re-arm Russia's military.

Russia's armed forces have demanded an increase in spending to modernise ageing infrastructure and weapons systems after years of insufficient funding, which undermined performance in local conflicts after the break-up of the Soviet Union.

"We are allocating very serious, significant funds for the rearmament programme. I am even scared to pronounce this figure, 20 trillion roubles," Putin told government ministers and top military officers.

"We need to finally overcome consequences of those years when army and navy were seriously underfinanced," Putin said at the navy shipyard SevMash in the northern town of Severodvinsk on the White Sea.

Putin said the modernisation programme will focus on strategic nuclear forces, air-defence systems, communication, intelligence, a fifth generation fighter plane and on the navy, which would receive about 4.7 trillion roubles.

Russia has been struggling for years to reform its armed forces, dogged by low morale and poor living conditions since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.

While Russia crushed Georgia in a five-day war in 2008, the short conflict exposed technical problems and ageing equipment.

Putin also launched the dock trial of Russia's second Borei class nuclear submarine, the Alexander Nevsky, designed to carry Russia's Bulava intercontinental missile.

Russia is completing the construction of three Borei-class nuclear submarines.

The first one, Yuri Dolgorikiy, is already undergoing sea trials, and is expected to go into service in the first half of 2011, said Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov.

New weapons

The project is the most ambitious in the Russian fleet's post-Soviet history, but has been hampered by development of the Bulava missile, which the Kremlin hopes to make the cornerstone of its nuclear missile programme.

The Bulava has suffered seven unsuccessful tests out of 14 trials.

Ivanov said 79% of the 20 trillion roubles will go to purchasing new weapons while the rest will go to research and development.

Putin saluted sailors in black coats lined up aboard the submarine and congratulated them on the dock trial launch.

He briefly looked at the open empty silos where Bulava missiles will be eventually installed.

The submarine's chief engineer Alexander Reznikov said the 170-long Alexander Nevsky will be ready in December 2011 but declined to say whether it will be equipped with the expected 16 Bulava missiles by then.

"This is the first post-Soviet order that proceeded according to schedule," Reznikov told reporters.

The construction of the third Borei class submarine Vladimir Monomakh has already started.

The three submarines are named after medieval Slavic kings and are designed to carry a crew of 107 people.

"Our armed forces should be equipped with advanced machines such as this one as soon as possible," Putin said.(source tvnz.co.n)

New Russian submarine to be commissioned in 2011

noreply@blogger.com (aziel) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 00:49:00 +0000

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin Monday congratulated the dock trials of the Alexander Nevsky nuclear submarine in northern region of Severodvinsk, saying the submarine is due to enter service in Dec. 2011, Xinhua informed.

Alexander Reznikov, a new strategic missile-carrying submarine of the Borei class, is currently under construction at the Sevmash shipyard.

"The nuclear submarine is due to be handed over to the navy in 2011 if work goes at the set pace," Putin was quoted by local media as saying.

"It is precisely that this modern, quality equipment must be supplied to all our Armed Forces in the nearest future," he said.

In addition, Putin also told a meeting in Severodvinsk that Russian Armed Forces will receive over 1,300 types of weaponry in line with a draft arms procurement program until 2020.

"We will need to set up new or expand the existing production lines to manufacture 220 of the new types of weaponry," Putin was quoted by RIA Novosti news agency.

More than 20 trillion rubles (640.7 billion U.S. dollars) will be earmarked for weapons procurement, three times more than the sum allocated in the existing 2007-2015 program, he added.

The new program is expected to stipulate the upgrade of up to 11 percent of military equipment annually and will allow Russia to increase the share of modern weaponry to 70 percent by 2020.(focus-fen)

Lockheed Martin to upgrade RMS minehunting underwater vehicle capability and reliability

noreply@blogger.com (aziel) — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 09:52:00 +0000

Engineers at Lockheed Martin Corp. will upgrade the capability, reliability, and maintainability of the U.S. Navy's AN/WLD-1 Remote Minehunting System (RMS) -- a 23-foot-long semiautonomous, semisubmersible diesel-powered submarine that locates and classifies undersea anti-ship mines -- under terms of a $20 million contract awarded Friday from the Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington.

The RMS, an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) designed to help safeguard military and commercial shipping from hidden underwater mines, often requires frequent repair or replacement, Navy officials say. This can be a problem when operating from the Navy's Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, which can accommodate only one of the RMS vehicles.

Although the Navy is designing the Littoral Combat Ship to accommodate two RMS vehicles to provide sufficient redundancy for the maintenance-heavy minehunting UUV, the RMS also has been found to have a difficult time reliably detecting and classifying mines in shallow waters with rough sea floors, Navy officials say.

As a result, the Lockheed Martin Undersea Systems division in Riviera Beach, Fla. -- the RMS designer and manufacturer -- is taking on the RMS Reliability Growth Program to upgrade the minehunting system's reliability and capability. Lockheed Martin will do the work at its Riviera Beach, Fla., and Syracuse, N.Y., facilities.

The RMS is essentially a small diesel-powered submarine with a snorkel and antenna mast that can function autonomously or under control of a human operator. The vehicle’s mast, which always protrudes from the water, gives the vessel over-the-horizon and line-of-sight radio communications, and continuous Global Positioning System navigation.

The RMS mission is to detect and pinpoint mines in the water so other systems can come back and destroy them later, or to enable Navy commanders to alter their missions to avoid mine fields. The RMS has an onboard camera, which helps the vehicle navigate and avoid obstacles, and its primary sensor payload is the Raytheon AN/AQS-20 Minehunting Sonar System, which the AN/WLD-1 tows behind it at variable depths to locate mines.

Navy officials have found that a proficient crew can use the RMS to detect and classify moored mines in deep water, or find moored and bottom mines in shallow water. The system's shallow-water capability, however, is limited to locations where the bottom is smooth and the clutter density is low. The RMS, Navy officials say, is less capable of detecting mines under other conditions. (source militaryaerospace)

For more information contact Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Sensors online at www.lockheedmartin.com, or Naval Sea Systems Command at www.navsea.navy.mil.

Japan Could Deploy Troops in Korea in Emergency

noreply@blogger.com (aziel) — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 09:49:00 +0000

Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan raised hackles in Korea on Saturday by saying Tokyo will consider dispatching troops there to rescue Japanese citizens in case of an emergency. Kan told reporters his government will consult on the matter with the South Korean government and revise Japanese laws to allow the country's Self-Defense Force to engage in such rescue operations.

The daily Tokyo Shimbun reported on Sunday that the Japanese government already sounded out to the Korean government the possibility of dispatching SDF transport aircraft and vessels to Seoul, Incheon and Busan to rescue around 28,000 Japanese citizens residing in Korea.

U.S. warships led by the nuclear-powered attack submarine Houston sail the Pacific Ocean south of Japan on Friday.

But the daily said the Korean government rejected the proposal citing a potential public outrage among Koreans who may be reminded of the forced occupation of their country by the Japanese imperial military from 1910 to 1945. Seoul was also reportedly concerned that the consultation itself could give the impression that a war is imminent.

But Seoul denied knowledge of the plan. "Japan neither raised the issue nor discussed it with us," a Cheong Wa Dae official said. "We don't know in what context Kan made the comments."

Another Korean official said the dispatch abroad of Japanese troops "is a matter of controversy even within Japan" and the remarks "were almost totally unexpected." He added the comments "appear rather imprudent considering they came from the Japanese leader and concerned sensitive national security issues." (Source chosun)

Submarine defense systems that protect against torpedo attacks to be provided by Sedna Digital Solutions

noreply@blogger.com (aziel) — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 09:46:00 +0000

Submarine electronics experts at Sedna Digital Solutions LLC in Manassas, Va., will provide the U.S. Navy with submarine defensive warfare systems that enable U.S. ballistic missile and fast attack submarines to respond automatically to torpedo attacks under terms of a $14.3 million contract announced last week by Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington.

Sedna Digital Solutions will provide the Navy with AN/WLY-1 acoustic interception and acoustic countermeasures systems for U.S. submarines. The AN/WLY-1 has threat platform sonar- and torpedo-recognition capability for early detection, classification, and tracking of torpedo threats to Navy submarines.

This submarine defensive warfare system , which allows radius of curvature and multipath ranging, also has a control subsystem for launch management of all onboard countermeasure devices and launchers.

The Navy's contract to Sedna Digital Solutions is a modification to a previously awarded contract, also includes pre-cable kits, maintenance assistance modules, and spare parts. (source : militaryaerospace)

Nuclear powered submarines in the Brazilian market

noreply@blogger.com (aziel) — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 08:22:00 +0000

Navy forces in Brazil are making huge plans to introduce new nuclear powered submarines. They are planning to purchase 20 conventional submarines and 6 nuclear powered submarines.

The development of first nuclear powered submarine involves expensive research and development so, Brazilian navy has projected a cost of 2 billion Euros in the construction of first nuclear powered submarine for which funds will be paid to the French DCNS shipyard.

As per an agreement signed last year for the production of submarines, France and Brazil will work in the joint collaboration. They have decided to build 15 new submarines while 5 will be renovated.

Brazil is trying to develop its defense outlay to claim its control on the continent for which protests have been made for permanent membership of the U. N. Security Council. Rival countries have noticed Brazilian’s massive expansion of naval forces against which they have already taken few steps like Argentina has decide to restore its nuclear development program this month.

Brazil is a poor country but despite of its poverty, it has managed to produce highly qualified scientists and technicians for its defense industry.

Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has brought enough attention and funds for the development of defense industry in Brazil, which was annihilated in Iraq-Iran war. He also invigorated the defense modernization which was left untouched since 1980’s when military was replaced by democratic rule.

Brazilian’s officials claim that once this project gets completed, Brazilian navy forces would be most high-tech forces in South-America.

Brazil navy has taken this step in order to preserve their oil and gas resources. In total a fleet of 26 submarines will be manufactured among which the conventional submarines will be building up in two batches with the first batch of 15 new sub. These submarines would be little larger than the French vessels.

Earlier Brazilian’s are supposed to work under restrictions laid down by U. S. administrations in the fields of reprocessing, missile programs, uranium mining and fuel processing but in 1980’s Brazil has taken a bold step and purchased nuclear materials and equipment from West Germany and at present it has two nuclear power plants in operation and one under construction. (source eyugoslavia.com)

WWII Japanese sub PIC

noreply@blogger.com (aziel) — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 06:15:00 +0000

This photo shows the two-man Japanese submarine that was discovered grounded in Hawaii the day after the Pearl Harbor attack of Dec. 7, 1941. The photo in front of City Hall was taken Dec. 14, 1942, during a War Bond sales drive.(source pasadenastarnews)

A midget Japanese submarine beached in Hawaii after the attack on Pearl Harbor of Dec. 7, 1941.

Battered Japanese midget submarine believed to be M-14, raised from the floor of Sydney Harbour on 1st June 1942.