US Navy

Rappel du premier message :

Bonjour/Bonsoir ;

Alors, je vous présente quelques portes avions USA :

USS Carl Vinson


USS Harry S Truman


USS Nimitz



USS Eisenhower


USS George H. W. Bush


USS Kity Hawk



USS Wasp


USS Tarawa


USS Saipan

Citation :

L-3 Awarded U.S. Navy P-3 SMIP Contract



L-3 Communications announced today that its Platform Integration division has been competitively awarded an approximately $104 million contract to perform aircraft sustainment for the U.S. Navy's fleet of P-3, EP-3 and NP-3 aircraft. This indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (ID/IQ) program follows a previous program awarded to L-3 in 2005.

The Sustainment, Modification and Installation (SMIP) program provides for an intensive depot-level process for P-3 airframe and component inspection and deficiency identification. The program corrects deficiencies to ensure safe and reliable operation, as well as to enhance the aircraft service life expectancy to sustain inventory levels throughout the service period.

"We are extremely pleased to be selected to continue our work keeping the P-3 mission-ready and flying safely," said Nick Farah, executive vice president of L-3 Platform Systems. "Our ability to accomplish airframe sustainment concurrently with system integration will return these aircraft to service rapidly and affordably."

Work will be performed on all types, models and series of P-3 aircraft in the 147-aircraft U.S. Navy fleet.

L-3's SMIP work includes a range of aircraft sustainment and modernization activities, including:

• P-3 outer wing refurbishment,
• P-3 outer wing installation,
• Special structural inspection kits (SSI-Ks),
• Phased maintenance inspections (PMIs), and
• Modification/installation programs (MIPs).

L-3 has more than 60 years of aircraft modification experience, modifying hundreds of P-3 aircraft for customers throughout the world, including the U.S. Navy, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Australia, Canada, Greece, Korea and New Zealand. L-3's experience and capability includes a dedicated wing refurbishment facility and workforce with current P-3 experience, as well as critical tooling, data and material necessary to support all P-3 initiatives.

defpro

Citation :

Infrared Search and Track System reaches Milestone B



NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, Md. --The Navy’s infrared search and track (IRST) system reached Milestone B June 17.

The acquisition review board, led by Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development, and Acquisition) Vice Adm. W. Mark Skinner, determined the IRST system has satisfied all requirements for Milestone B and will enter the engineering and manufacturing development phase of the program.

The IRST capability, which will be employed on the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, is a long-wave infrared sensor system that searches for and detects heat sources within its large field of regard. Unlike radar systems, IRST is passive and does not give off radiation, making it harder to detect.

“The Infra-Red Search and Track system will transform the way the Super Hornet conducts air-to-air operations. It is truly a game changing capability,” said Capt. Mark Darrah, F/A-18 and EA-18G program manager (PMA-265). “This new capability will give the warfighter an advantage over traditional fire control systems for air-to-air missions in a high-threat environment.”

The IRST allows long-range detection and tracking of enemy under normal and electronic attack environments. It increases survivability and lethality in both offensive and defensive counter-air roles.

“I am proud of how we have worked with our industry partners, Boeing and Lockheed Martin, to bring this much-needed capability of detecting enemy aircraft, one step closer to the fleet,” said Brian Hall, deputy program manager of the F/A-18 and EA-18G program office.

Along with the Distributed Targeting System, which reached Milestone C earlier this spring, the IRST capability is part of the Navy’s F/A-18E/F flight plan, designed to ensure that the Block II Super Hornet will stay ahead of known and emerging threats through 2025 and beyond.

Now moving on to the engineering and manufacturing development phase, the IRST system will be fully integrated onto the F/A-18E/F platform and prepared for manufacturing. The program will then request a low-rate initial production decision in Milestone C, which is slated for the middle of fiscal year 2014.

navair.navy.mil/index

Citation :

Austal Awarded Construction Contract for JHSV 6 and 7

The U.S. Navy has exercised contract options funding the construction of the sixth and seventh Joint High Speed Vessel (JHSV), as part of a ten-vessel program potentially worth over US$1.6 billion. The construction contract for both vessels is valued at approximately US$313 million.

Austal Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Bellamy, noted that this contract demonstrates the U.S. Navy’s confidence in Austal as a leading defence prime contractor.

“With options remaining for a further three vessels, the JHSV program is expected to deliver a predictable revenue stream of AUD$330 million per annum from 2012 to 2015, which is approximately 60 per cent of Austal’s historical revenue.”

As prime contractor, Austal was awarded the construction contract for the first 103-metre JHSV in November 2008, with options for nine additional vessels between FY09 and FY13. The Austal JHSV team includes platform systems engineering agent General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems who is responsible for the design, integration and testing of the ship’s mission systems, including internal and external communications, electronic navigation, and aviation and armament systems.

Austal received authorisation from the Navy to start construction on the first vessel of the contract, Spearhead (JHSV 1), in December 2009 after completing the rigorous design over a 12-month period. Spearhead is scheduled for launch in August 2011 and delivery in December 2011. Construction on Vigilant (JHSV 2), began at Austal’s Mobile, Alabama, USA shipyard on September 13, 2010.

Austal USA’s President and Chief Operating Officer Joe Rella remarked, “this award facilitates the continued development and growth of our U.S. operations, as well as the expansion of our Alabama workforce from over 2,000 to nearly 4,000."

Austal is also currently building a second Independence-variant 127-metre Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) for the U.S. Navy, Coronado (LCS 4), which is scheduled for launch in September 2011. As prime contractor, Austal recently received a U.S. Navy contract for construction of up to an additional 10 Littoral Combat Ships, including Jackson (LCS 6) and Montgomery (LCS , to be appropriated in the following five years, with a total value in excess of $3.5 billion. Once commissioned, these 10 vessels will join the Austal-built USS Independence (LCS 2) which was commissioned in January 2010.

defpro

le navire Ro-Ro du MSC, USNS Pililau, entrant à Agadir en Mai :

alors je sais pas si elle est deja posté mais c'est trop

Citation :

U.S. Navy Awards Construction Contracts for JHSV 6, 7

WASHINGTON | The U.S. Navy awarded contract modifications to Austal USA June 30 to exercise options for the construction of Joint High Speed Vessels (JHSVs) 6 and 7.

These are the sixth and seventh ships fully funded under a November 2008 fixed-price incentive contract modification, previously awarded for the detail, design and construction of one JHSV.

The modification also contained an option for the construction of up to nine additional ships and associated shore-based spares.

Authorization to proceed with construction of JHSVs 2 and 3 was granted January 2010 and authorization to procure long lead time materials for JHSVs 4 and 5 was granted June 2010.

"The awards represent the newest additions to a shipbuilding program that is pursuing an aggressive schedule and a relentless drive for affordability," said Capt. Henry Stevens, program manager for the Strategic and Theater Sealift Program Office of Program Executive Office Ships. "We continue to work diligently with the shipbuilder to evaluate and improve production processes and efficiencies. JHSV 6 and 7 will benefit from the hard work and integrity of everyone involved."

The JHSVs will be used for fast intra-theater transportation of troops, military vessel and equipment. They will be capable of transporting 700 short tons 1,200 nautical miles at an average speed of 35 knots and can operate in shallow-draft ports and waterways, interfacing with roll-on/roll-off discharge facilities and on/off-loading a combat-loaded Abrams Main Battle Tank. Other joint requirements include an aviation flight deck to support day and night air vehicle launch and recovery operations.

The JHSVs will also have airline-style seating for 312 personnel and fixed berthing for 104 additional passengers. JHSVs are designed to commercial standards, with limited modifications for military use.

Combatant commanders will have the flexibility to use JHSVs in a variety of roles, to include supporting the overseas contingency operations, conducting humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, supporting special operations forces and supporting emerging joint seabasing concepts.

The program initially divided the 10 prospective ships of the JHSV class into five ships for assignment to the Army and five ships for assignment to the Navy. However, both services agreed to transfer the Army's five JHSVs to the Navy during the Army/Navy Warfighter Talks in December 2010. Both departments signed a memorandum of agreement May 2 to transfer the JHSVs, and all 10 JHSVs will now be assigned to the Navy.

The ships will be built at Austal USA in Mobile, Ala. To improve production efficiency, Austal USA has been implementing modular manufacturing techniques and facilities. Austal USA's second modular manufacturing facility, currently under construction, represents an $80 million investment that will provide a significant increase in the shipyard's capacity. Austal USA and the Navy anticipate these additional production efficiencies will reduce construction duration, reduce production costs and streamline existing production processes across both the JHSVs and littoral combat ships under construction at the shipyard.

defpro

Bizarre ce problème

Citation :

Le plus récent bâtiment de l’US Navy se désintègre lentement


Le plus récent bâtiment de l’US Navy disparait lentement, une molécule à la fois. Il s’agit de l’USS Independence, le 2è exemplaire des nouveaux Littoral Combat Ships, des bâtiments rapides et reconfigurables selon la mission. Ces bâtiments sont supposés devenir les bâtiments à tout faire de la Navy de demain.

L’US Navy a découvert le mois dernier de graves problèmes de corrosion autour des moteurs de l’Independence. Le problème est tellement grave que le bâtiment, qui a à peine un an, devra être mis au sec pour que des panneaux entiers de sa coque soient remplacés.
Contrairement au premier LCS, l’USS Freedom, l’Independence a une coque principalement composée d’aluminium. Et c’est une des causes du problème.
Le problème avec les bâtiments à coque d’aluminium, c’est que 2 métaux, reliés électriquement, se corrodent à des vitesses différentes. Dès que des équipements en acier ont été installés à bord, la coque en aluminium a commencé, lentement, à se dissoudre littéralement.
La corrosion de l’Independence se concentre principalement au niveau des hydro-jets, où des pièces en acier entrent en contact avec la structure environnante, en aluminium. Des fuites de courant électrique, provenant semble-t-il du système de combat du bâtiment, ont apparemment déclenché le phénomène.
On ignore pourquoi le constructeur, qui a construit des centaines de bateaux à coque en aluminium n’a rien vu venir. De son côté, la Navy a déjà disposé de bâtiments à coque en aluminium.
Il est possible que des mesures d’économie, destinées à maintenir le prix unitaire en dessous des 400 millions de $, puissent expliquer le problème. Outre les gros systèmes d’armes, parmi la liste des éléments supprimés des LCS, on trouve un système de protection cathodique, destiné à prévenir la corrosion.
L’Independence recevra ce système, aussi appelé “cathodes sacrificielles”, dès que possible. Et les futurs LCS en seront équipés dès la construction.

Wired

Ce bateau veut surement son indépendance....................

Citation :

Northrop Grumman MQ-4C BAMS First Flight Set for Summer 2012



The first Northrop Grumman MQ-4C broad area maritime surveillance (BAMS) aircraft is on track for rollout in the spring of 2012, with first flight that summer.

The first prototype aircraft is being fitted with electronics at Northrop Grumman’s factory in Palmdale, California. The wings, currently in Texas, will be delivered in summer 2011. The empennage is expected in early July 2011, and the Rolls-Royce engine in early August. The fuselage of the second airframe is under construction at a Northrop Grumman facility in Mississippi, and will be transferred to Palmdale in September.

A formal declaration of initial operational capability is expected in 2015. The US Navy will stand up one base per year; at least one base, Al Dhafra in the United Arab Emirates, is partially operational with BAMS-D, the demonstrator aircraft converted from an ex-US air force Block 10, which provides half the navy’s airborne maritime surveillance of the Persian Gulf.

The navy is currently focusing on speeding up the incorporation of signals intelligence capabilities, said Walt Kreitler, Northrop’s director of business development. “The maritime signal set is different from the overland signal set, that’s just the nature of the beast, but we’re confident we’re going to meet the navy’s requirements,” he said. BAMS will also be used as a communications relay.

Northrop is planning to migrate to a common software architecture for all MQ- and RQ-4 models, a move to be completed in the 2016-17 timeframe. “Every version of the aircraft gets ever more capable, ever more sophisticated, ever more reliable,” said Northrop.

flightgloba

Citation :

Raytheon to Produce Mk44 RAM



Raytheon has been awarded a contract modification for the production of 90 block 1 mk44 mod 2 rolling airframe missile (RAM) guided-missile round pack all-up-rounds and 40 ordnance alteration kits.
The $57.8m contract, awarded by the US Naval Sea System Command, includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of the modification contract to $113m.
Co-developed and co-produced under a Nato cooperative programme between the US and Germany, the RAM guided-missile weapon system will provide anti-ship missile defence for multiple ship platforms.
Work will be carried out at the company's facilities in Arizona, West Virginia and Massachusetts, US, and in Germany, and is expected to be complete by December 2013.

naval-technology

Citation :

US Navy and Northrop Test Systems to Operate X-47B UAV

The US Navy and Northrop Grumman have successfully completed testing of the ship-based X-47B unmanned air vehicle (UAV) software and systems to allow future operation from an aircraft carrier.
The test was conducted on the USS Dwight D Eisenhower (CVN-69) aircraft carrier with several successful launches and recoveries of a manned surrogate aircraft equipped with X-47B precision navigation control software in the western Atlantic.
The first test of the hardware and software systems was to ensure safe and successful integration of unmanned systems with all aspects of carrier operations.
The flight tests of X-47B hardware and software were conducted on a King Air Beech 300 aircraft and a surrogate F/A-18 aircraft.
The surrogate testing results will be used to continue to refine the mission management, navigation, guidance and control software that the X-47B will use to perform its first carrier landings in 2013.
The autonomous aerial refuelling demonstrations are planned for 2014.
Northrop is the navy's prime contractor for the unmanned combat air system carrier demonstration (UCAS-D) programme

naval-technology

Citation :

Austal Awarded construction contract for 6 and 7 Joint High Speed Vessel
The U.S. Navy has exercised contract options funding the construction of the sixth and seventh Joint High Speed Vessel (JHSV), as part of a ten-vessel program potentially worth over US$1.6 billion. The construction contract for both vessels is valued at approximately US$313 million.

Austal Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Bellamy, noted that this contract demonstrates the U.S. Navy’s confidence in Austal as a leading defence prime contractor.

“With options remaining for a further three vessels, the JHSV program is expected to deliver a predictable revenue stream of AUD$330 million per annum from 2012 to 2015, which is approximately 60 per cent of Austal’s historical revenue.”

As prime contractor, Austal was awarded the construction contract for the first 103-metre JHSV in November 2008, with options for nine additional vessels between FY09 and FY13. The Austal JHSV team includes platform systems engineering agent General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems who is responsible for the design, integration and testing of the ship’s mission systems, including internal and external communications, electronic navigation, and aviation and armament systems.

Austal received authorisation from the Navy to start construction on the first vessel of the contract, Spearhead (JHSV 1), in December 2009 after completing the rigorous design over a 12-month period. Spearhead is scheduled for launch in August 2011 and delivery in December 2011. Construction on Vigilant (JHSV 2), began at Austal’s Mobile, Alabama, USA shipyard on September 13, 2010.

Austal USA’s President and Chief Operating Officer Joe Rella remarked, “this award facilitates the continued development and growth of our U.S. operations, as well as the expansion of our Alabama workforce from over 2,000 to nearly 4,000."

Austal is also currently building a second Independence-variant 127-metre Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) for the U.S. Navy, Coronado (LCS 4), which is scheduled for launch in September 2011. As prime contractor, Austal recently received a U.S. Navy contract for construction of up to an additional 10 Littoral Combat Ships, including Jackson (LCS 6) and Montgomery (LCS , to be appropriated in the following five years, with a total value in excess of $3.5 billion. Once commissioned, these 10 vessels will join the Austal-built USS Independence (LCS 2) which was commissioned in January 2010.

austal.com

Citation :

JFK honoured with new US warship



THE US Navy's next aircraft carrier is being named the John F Kennedy -- the second time an aircraft carrier has been named after the assassinated president.
The first USS John F Kennedy made a high-profile visit here in 1996 when it was visited by more than 10,000 people in Dublin Bay.
But high winds in the bay caused the boarding pontoon to tear a large hole in the JFK's hull. The visit was planned to honour JFK and Commodore John Barry, from Co Wexford, regarded as the "father of the US Navy".
The new USS John F Kennedy will cost an estimated $14bn (€9.78bn) and will be the second in the Gerald R Ford class of carriers.
The supercarrier will be manned by 4,660 sailors, powered by two nuclear reactors, and carry 75 aircraft, including the new F-35C Lightning stealth fighter.
The president's daughter, Caroline, who as a 10-year-old named the first JFK in 1967, was present at the naming of the second JFK aircraft carrier.
"President John F Kennedy exemplified the meaning of service, not just to country, but service to all humanity," Navy Secretary Ray Mabus said.
Kennedy joined the US Navy in October, 1941 and took command of PT 109, a small motor torpedo boat, in the Pacific theatre of war during World War Two.
On a mission to intercept Japanese shipping, his boat was rammed by a Japanese destroyer, splitting it in half.
Kennedy led his crew members to safety over the next six days and received a Purple Heart for the injuries he received.
The new supercarrier is due to be completed by 2019.
mlavery@herald.ie

Citation :

Boeing to Provide Combat Radios for US Navy


Boeing has been awarded a firm-fixed-price order for the procurement of 964 combat survivor evader locator system handheld radio sets.
The order was awarded through the General Services Administration (GSA) schedule and also includes 1,928 rechargeable batteries and 80 radio set adapters.
The radio sets will provide multiple communication options for search and rescue missions.
Work will be carried out at the company's facility in Huntington Beach, California, US, and is expected to be completed in February 2012.
The US Naval Air Systems Command will be the contracting activity.

naval-technology

Citation :

Rep. Forbes: Navy may nix one aircraft carrier and delay another




Navy officials are considering removing one aircraft carrier from its plans as the Pentagon trims its budgets, Forbes said.

Navy officials are considering removing one aircraft carrier from its plans as the Pentagon trims its budgets, Rep. Randy Forbes (R-Va.) said Tuesday.
As the Defense Department and other national security agencies prepare to cut $400 billion over 10 years — and perhaps more — each military service will be asked to shrink its budgets.
It remains unclear just how much the Navy will be directed to cut from its annual budget.


During a House Armed Services Committee Readiness subcommittee hearing, Forbes said cuts of those sizes concern him. The potential ramifications on the sea service's fleet could be big, he said.

Forbes noted Navy officials are considering delaying buying the aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) by two years, which was first reported by Defense News this month.
Then Forbes said he has heard the Navy also is considering stripping another future carrier from its long-term shipbuilding plan. That eyebrow-raising remark likely will send ripple waves across the Defense community
Lawmakers from districts and states that are home to U.S. carriers and their related industries are likely to make a lot of noise if such plans are included in the sea service's 2013 budget plan.
Two senior admirals testifying at the session did not directly respond to Forbes's questions about either alleged change in aircraft carrier plans.
The aircraft carrier JFK is expected to cost around $10.3 billion, according to a recent Congressional Research Service study. The following aircraft carrier, CVN-80, is slated for delivery in 2018 with a projected cost of around $13.5 billion, according to CRS.
While the services will do everything possible to spare hardware platforms, big-ticket items like aircraft carriers can produce big savings quickly. But, notably, ones that are planned could also be added back in down the road.

thehill.com

Citation :

U.S. Navy Names Littoral Combat Ship Little Rock

Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced today that the next freedom-class littoral combat ship (LCS) will be named the USS Little Rock (LCS 9).

Little Rock is the second ship to bear the name of the capital city in Arkansas. The USS Little Rock (CL-92/CLG-4/CG-4) was originally a Cleveland-class light cruiser that served after World War II, and was one of six to be converted to a Galveston-class guided missile cruiser. She was decommissioned in 1976 and now holds a place of honor as a museum ship in Buffalo, N.Y.

Little Rock will be designed to defeat growing littoral threats and provide access and dominance in the coastal waters. A fast, agile surface combatant, the LCS provides the required war fighting capabilities and operational flexibility to execute focused missions close to the shore, such as mine warfare, anti-submarine warfare, and surface warfare.

The LCS Class consists of two different hull forms, the Freedom variant and Independence variant – a semi-planing monohull and an aluminum trimaran – designed and built by two industry teams; Lockheed Martin and Austel USA. These seaframes will be outfitted with reconfigurable payloads, called mission packages, which can be changed out quickly as combat needs demand. These mission packages are supported by special detachments that will deploy manned and unmanned vehicles and sensors in support of mine, undersea and surface warfare missions.

Little Rock will be 378 feet in length, have a waterline beam of 57 feet, displace approximately 3,000 tons, and make speed in excess of 40 knots. The construction will be led by a Lockheed Martin industry team in Marinette, Wis.

Additional information about Freedom class Littoral Combat Ships is available online at http://www.navy.mil/navydata/fact_display.asp?cid=4200&tid=1650&ct=4 .

defpro

Citation :

Navy Claims Another Milestone toward X-47B Carrier Landing
July 18, 2011
Military Aircraft



The Northrop Grumman X-47B unmanned combat air system demonstration aircraft is making progress toward its first carrier landing, scheduled for 2013. (Photo: Northrop Grumman)
The U.S. Navy stepped closer to the first carrier landing of an autonomous, unmanned aircraft following the July 2 carrier touchdown of a manned F/A-18D surrogate aircraft. It is equipped with the same avionics and software planned for the Northrop Grumman X-47B unmanned combat air system demonstration (UCAS-D) aircraft. The X-47B made its first flight on February 4 this year, and its first carrier landing is scheduled for 2013.

The recent surrogate test involved several launches and recoveries from the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, at sea in the western Atlantic off Virginia. The challenge was to automate flight procedures and communications between the aircraft and ship, traditionally performed visually and by voice communications between pilots and air operations personnel on final approach.

To support an autonomous air vehicle, shipboard equipment was modified so that the vehicle, the mission operator, the landing-signal officer and the carrier’s air-traffic-control facilities communicated on the same digital network. Networking and transmission of precision GPS navigation data were provided via the Rockwell Collins tactical-targeting network using high-speed, low-latency datalink.

Navair said its UCAS Aviation/Ship Integration Facility at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Maryland, prepared for the event through a steady build-up of software simulations and flight tests. Air Test and Evaluation Squadron VX-23 provided the F/A-18 surrogate aircraft. Testers also employed a King Air Beech 300, operated by Airtec of California, Md., that flew in the vicinity of the aircraft carrier to test mission management, command and control, communications, air traffic control and navigation functions between X-47B software and the ship. The Navy is using the King Air to test system functionality that does not require actually landing on the ship.

ainonline

Citation :

Lockheed Martin Awarded $85 Million Contract To Support U.S. Navy Antisubmarine Warfare Mission





ORLANDO, Fla., July 18th, 2011 -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] received an $85 million contract to continue its operations and maintenance support to five U.S. Navy ocean surveillance ships as part of the service’s antisubmarine warfare mission. The competitive one-year contract includes four additional one-year options.
The Surveillance Towed Array Sensor System program provides sustainment and logistics management for all installed antisubmarine warfare mission systems, including passive and active surveillance equipment and computer network systems.
“The antisubmarine warfare mission is of significant importance to the Navy,” said Carey Smith, vice president of technical services in Lockheed Martin’s Global Training and Logistics business. “The equipment we maintain is vital to that mission, whenever and wherever these ships may be.”
Operated by the Navy’s Military Sealift Command, the ships and their crews conduct training and missions worldwide. Maintenance is primarily performed at Commander Fleet Activities Sasebo, Japan. Other locations include the United Kingdom and Virginia Beach, Va.
Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 126,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation's 2010 sales from continuing operations were $45.8 billion.

lockheedmartin

Citation :

L’US Navy cannibalise ses équipements pour passer les inspections

Nombre de cas de cannibalisation par bâtiment et par trimestre

Classe de bâtiment Jan-Mars 2010 Avril-Juin 2010 Juillet-Sept 2010 Oct-Dec 2010 Total 2010
Porte-avions 0,45 0,64 0,36 0,09 0,385
Ravitailleurs de sous-marins 0,5 0 0 0 0,125
SNLE 1,43 1,07 1,29 0,86 1,1625
SSGN 1 0,25 0,5 0,75 0,625
SNA 1,4 1,26 1,19 0,93 1,195
Bâtiments amphibies 0,37 0,23 0,09 0,11 0,2
Croiseurs, frégates... 0,27 0,41 0,31 0,31 0,325
Bâtiments auxiliaires 0 0 0 0 0
Chasseurs de mines 0,33 0,06 0,28 0,43 0,275
Moyenne toutes classes 0,64 0,44 0,45 0,39 0,48

article entier:

http://www.corlobe.tk/article25215.html

Citation :

‘Transformer’ UAS Propulsion System Tested in Wind Tunnel



The propulsion system for an unmanned aircraft that takes off vertically like a Transformer Robot then shifts to horizontal flight mid-air were tested yesterday at the University of Maryland’s Glenn L. Martin Wind Tunnel.

la suite : http://www.uasvision.com/2011/07/22/%E2%80%98transformer%E2%80%99-uas-propulsion-system-tested-in-wind-tunnel/#more-5658

Citation :

Wasp prepares for Joint Strike Fighter

USS Wasp

ATLANTIC OCEAN - The crew of the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) is preparing the ship to become the first at-sea test platform for the U.S. Navy’s test variant of the F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF).

Recently, four members of Wasp’s Air Department traveled to one of the Navy’s premier test facilities at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., to help give them a good idea of what WASP can expect when testing begins. The group consisted of Cmdr. Stephen McKone, Wasp’s Air Boss; Lt. Michael Curcio, Wasp’s Aircraft Handling Officer and F-35B Ship Integration Project Officer; Ens. Maguel Brooks, Wasp’s Air Bos’n; and Senior Chief Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handler) Richard McCray.

“The F-35B is a really unique aircraft,” said Lt. Curcio. “It possesses characteristics on par with our legacy fighter/attack aircraft; it is the first Short Take Off/Vertical Landing (STOVL) aircraft to possess both stealth and supersonic capability. This aircraft alone has the potential to completely revitalize the utility of large-deck amphibious platforms by adding significant strike capability to their resumes.”

The F-35B will replace the Department of Navy’s current Vertical and /or Short Take Off/Landing (VSTOL) aircraft, the AV-8B Harrier. The Harrier has been in the U.S. arsenal since 1984 and has been extensively used during both Persian Gulf Wars. It is also assigned to Marine Air Groups (MAGs) and Marine Expeditionary Units to support Marines on the ground and to facilitate amphibious assault operations around the globe.

During Wasp’s four-month maintenance availability conducted earlier this year, major modifications were completed to various elements of the ship including the flight deck and combat systems equipment. These modifications included moving the flight deck’s “Tram Line,” or yellow line, which is used by pilots to guide them when performing short landings, closer to the port side of the ship. Also, the aft NATO Sea sparrow missile launcher mount was removed and replaced with a “dummy” launcher.

“The ship has had a few physical changes made to it,” said Curcio. “Some of these are necessary to accommodate the physical differences between the Harrier and the F-35B, while others will help the engineers to collect data on both the ship's effect on the aircraft and the aircraft's effect on the ship. For example, the flight deck tramline was shifted slightly to port to accommodate the F-35B's larger wingspan, while the operational aft NATO Sea Sparrow launcher was replaced with an a test launcher laced with sensors to measure heat, vibrations, overpressure, and sound levels.”

dvidshub

Citation :

Download HiRes


Download HiRes


FORT MONROE, Va. (July 20, 2011) A common unmanned surface vehicle patrols for intruders during Trident Warrior 2011. The experimental boat can operate autonomously or by remote. The Trident Warrior experiment, directed by U.S. Fleet Forces Command, temporarily deploys advanced capabilities on ships to collect real-world data and feedback during an underway experimentation period. (U.S. Navy photos by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Scott Youngblood/Released)

Citation :

Navy OKs plan to sink ships in Gulf of Alaska



By Sean Cockerham - Anchorage Daily News via AP
Posted : Tuesday Jul 26, 2011 14:14:51 EDT


ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The Navy has obtained authority to blast and sink as many as two real ships a year in the Gulf of Alaska over the next five years to give pilots and gunners authentic targets for their sights.

But ocean campaigners say that even decommissioned, stripped-out ships, like the ones the Navy will use as targets, contain residual hazardous materials that can poison the Gulf’s rich habitat for years. They’re trying to stop the target practice before it begins.

In May, the Navy finished an environmental review of new training options and authorized itself a maximum of two ship sinkings a year in the Gulf.

A Navy spokesman said there is currently no schedule to start the Alaska sinkings. But opponents of the practice want to ensure it doesn’t happen.

The Sierra Club and Basel Action Network, a Seattle-based environmental group, petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency this month to stop the Navy’s nationwide SINKEX program.

They maintain it will have toxic side effects, including release of PCBs into the environment.

“The Navy’s plan to extend SINKEX operations to the Gulf of Alaska, one of the richest fishing grounds in the world, while also acknowledging their intention to sink vessels without first removing all toxins, is a threat to marine life in the Gulf of Alaska,” said Colby Self of the Basel Action Network, who co-authored a recent report on the program.

The group identified carcinogenic polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, as a particular concern but also complains of asbestos and other hazardous pollutants.

The environmental groups want the Navy to recycle the ships, with their tons of reusable steel, copper and other metals. But the Navy sees an opportunity for training, a chance to fire live weapons in an ocean environment at a real ship. The Navy operates the program under an EPA permit that requires the vessels to be stripped as completely as possible, including emptying all fuel lines, draining hydraulic equipment and, if possible, removing “non-liquid PCBs” including plastic, gaskets, flaked-off paint and electric cable insulation.

“Solid PCBs would be removed to the maximum extent practicable, but some vessel materials with PCBs would remain on board when the vessel is sunk,” according to the Navy’s environmental impact statement for the program.

The impact statement concluded that the level of remaining contaminants would not hurt ocean resources.

A Washington Post story this month explored concerns over the program to sink old Navy ships, focusing on vessels sunk to create artificial reefs for ocean habitat and tourism. The story quoted a Florida state fisheries official saying that a spike in fish-tissue PCB contamination occurred a year after the USS Oriskany, a naval aircraft carrier, was sunk to create an artificial reef in 2006.

The newspaper reported that contamination levels have since dropped below advisory levels, although the most recent round of tests found elevated PCB levels in two red porgy and two scamp grouper that were sampled. The environmental administrator for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s division of marine fisheries management said the levels will be monitored, adding that the peak levels of contamination would be a problem only for people relying on these fish for their main source of food.

The proposed Alaska sinkings wouldn’t be to create artificial reefs, which the Navy says is done in significantly shallower water and much closer to shore. The Navy’s environmental impact statement describes the Alaska exercises as a training opportunity for the fleet.

“A SINKEX is typically conducted by aircraft, surface ships, and submarines in order to take advantage of a full size ship target and an opportunity to fire live weapons,” the report says.

The Alaska sinkings would occur at least 50 nautical miles out to sea and in water that’s deeper than 6,000 feet. The Navy listed a large area lying roughly southeast of the Kenai Peninsula as a potential location for sinking exercises. The Navy says the sinkings would avoid designated “habitat areas of particular concern.”

The Navy looked at multiple training options as part of the environmental impact statement but ended up picking the one that included the maximum two annual summertime sinking exercises as being the best for assuring fleet readiness.

“Currently the Navy has no SINKEX events scheduled, period. Everybody can speculate but there’s nothing scheduled,” said Mark Matsunaga, a U.S. Pacific Fleet spokesman in Hawaii.

Matsunaga said that the vessels are cleaned “very rigorously” before any sinking exercises happen.

The Navy took public comments on the environmental impact statement. But the proposed sinkings didn’t get nearly as much attention from Alaskans as the Navy’s plans to train with mid-frequency active sonar in the Gulf of Alaska.

The Alaska Marine Conservation Council and others were alarmed at the detrimental effects that the sonar can have on marine mammals, particularly whales. The Navy said it works to avoid any interaction with marine mammals and has protective measures to minimize the impacts.

Self, of the Basel Action Network, maintains that people should also be concerned about the sinkings.

“We can expect PCB leaching and uptake in the Gulf of Alaska if the Navy moves ahead with its plan to sink two vessels annually,” he said.

An EPA spokeswoman said this week that the agency had just received the petition to shut down the program.

“We are currently evaluating this request,” the spokeswoman said.

Does the EPA have concerns about the Navy sinking decommissioned ships in the Gulf of Alaska?

“EPA has been working with Navy and others regarding the use of the SINKEX permit as part of Navy exercises in the Gulf of Alaska and plans to continue discussions to ensure that these activities are conducted in an environmentally protective manner,” the agency replied.

A spokeswoman in Juneau for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said her agency has worked closely with the Navy on monitoring and mitigation to protect marine mammals.

.navytimes

Citation :

Download HiRes



ATLANTIC OCEAN (July 30, 2011) Sailors aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Nitze (DDG 94) perform a recoverable exercise torpedo (REXTORP) fire exercise. REXTORP is a launch and recovery exercise using a dummy torpedo. (U.S. Navy photo/Released)

Citation :

Raytheon to Continue to Support Phalanx System




The US Naval Sea Systems Command will award a contract modification to Raytheon for engineering and technical services in support of the mk15 Phalanx close-in-weapon system (CIWS).

The Phalanx CIWS is a rapid-fire automatic terminal defence weapon system designed to detect, track, engage, and destroy surface targets, anti-ship missiles and slow air targets.

The system is an integral element of the fleet defence in-depth concept and the ship self-defence programme of the US as well as for Japan and Saudi Arabia under the foreign military sales programme.

Currently, the system is fitted on 187 navy ships and is used by more than 20 foreign militaries.

Work will be carried out at the company's facility in Arizona, US, and is expected to be completed by April 2012.

naval-technology