Armée Britannique/British Armed Forces

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Des bâtiments de défense anti-aérienne ... sans missiles anti-aérien
Publié le 14 mars 2009.

Le National Audit Office (NAO), l’équivalent britannique de la Cour des Comptes, a indiqué que les nouveaux destroyers Type 45 de la Royal Navy auraient 2 ans de retard. Le budget prévu a été dépassé de 1,5 milliard de £ pour 6 exemplaires.
Le NAO a aussi indiqué que les navires prendraient au départ la mer sans leur système de missiles anti-aériens à cause de retard dans la mise au point.
Le ministère a indiqué que, après des retards au début du programme, il respectait désormais le calendrier.
Les destroyers sont les chevaux de trait de la Royal Navy, protégeant contre des attaques aériennes les bâtiments plus gros comme les porte-avions, et fournissant un appui feu pour les troupes au sol.
Ils effectuent aussi un large éventail d’autres missions comme les patrouilles anti-pirates et le secours en cas de catastrophe naturelle.
Une flotte vieillissante
Le ministère britannique de la défense avait d’abord prévu d’acheter 12 destroyers Type 45, mais ce chiffre avait été réduit à 8 en 2004, puis à seulement 6 l’an dernier.
Néanmoins, le NAO indique que le programme, qui devait au départ couter 5 milliards de £, couterait au final près de 6,5 milliards de £ (pour un nombre de bâtiments divisé par 2).
Le premier des destroyers, le HMS Daring, qui a été lancé en 2006, ne dispose toujours pas de la totalité de son système de communications. Il ne recevra pas avant 2011 son principal système de missiles anti-aérien, le PAAMS. Celui-ci peut abattre en même temps plusieurs appareils ou missiles ennemis.
Il devra aussi attendre jusqu’en 2014 pour être équipé de la capacité de combat en coopération, qui relie ensemble les systèmes de combat et les senseurs de plusieurs navires, améliorant leur capacité à combattre ensemble.
Le NAO indique que, en raison de ces retards, la Royal Navy devra conserver plus longtemps ses destroyers Type 42 vieillissants, qui avaient été conçus pour la Guerre Froide et que les Type 45 doivent remplacer.

http://www.corlobe.tk/article13114.html

AMRAAM_88 a écrit:

Je n'aime pas les dessins des navires perfides.Ils ont toujours un dessin très particulière et caractéristique, mais esthétiquement je les trouve vraiment moches.C'est tout le contraire aux dessins des navires de nos frères italiens par exemple,lesquels j'aime bien généralement...

+1000 AMRAAM
reste quand même que coté téchnique on est entrain d'un navire qui sera surment révolutionnaire comme le 23 d'ailleurs

Fremo a écrit:

mais tous de même voilà un autre aspect qui nous montre que l'Europe de défense restera utopique, je crois que modifier la Fremm à leur Sauce ca leur serait revenu encore moins cher pour le coup

Ce qui m'étonne avec les Britaniques c'est qu'ils hésitent pas à mettre sous tutelle US leur dissuasion nucléaire ( missile Trident 2 D-5, qui équipe les class Venguard, d'origine US )

Mais refuse obstinément de s'impliquer davantage dans l'Europe de défense ...

Viper a écrit:

Ce qui m'étonne avec les Britaniques c'est qu'ils hésitent pas à mettre sous tutelle US leur dissuasion nucléaire ( missile Trident 2 D-5, qui équipe les class Venguard, d'origine US )

Mais refuse obstinément de s'impliquer davantage dans l'Europe de défense ...

Les dépenses militaires ne sont plus le souci des populations depuis la fin de la guerre froide et tout le monde occidental (et surtout britannique!) croit dur comme fer que le parapluie américain le met à l'abri de tout sauf du terrorisme (ce qui est encore vrai pour le moment). J'ai été longtemps opposant à l'Europe de la défense, mais là, je crois que la question ne doit même plus se poser : elle est la condition de la survie politique et diplomatique de l'Europe sinon de sa survie tout court...

Citation :

AgustaWestland to Upgrade Ten More Lynx for the British Army

09:55 GMT, March 27, 2010 AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a £42 million contract extension by the UK Ministry of Defence for the upgrade of 10 more British Army Lynx Mk.9 helicopters with LHTEC CTS800-4N engines. The contract was announced by Quentin Davies MP, Minister for Defence Equipment and Support, during a visit to AgustaWestland’s Yeovil facility today. The Minister also accepted delivery today of the seventh upgraded Lynx Mk.9A before handing it over Lt Col Mike McGinty, Commanding Officer 9 Regiment Army Air Corp, the first unit that will deploy to Afghanistan with the aircraft. Giuseppe Orsi, CEO, AgustaWestland said during the visit “We are delighted to have been awarded this follow on contract for the upgrade of ten more Lynx. This Lynx upgrade programme has demonstrated again how AgustaWestland, working in partnership with the Ministry of Defence, can deliver the capability required by British armed forces rapidly and within budget.” This contract extension follows on from a contract signed in December 2008 for the initial upgrade of 12 aircraft, the first four of which were upgraded and delivered back to the British Army in just 12 months. Delivery of the additional ten Lynx Mk.9A aircraft back to the British Army will start in early 2011 and be completed in early 2012. AgustaWestland has pulled forward AW159 Lynx Wildcat programme technologies to provide a rapid engine upgrade for the British Army Lynx AH Mk.9 aircraft. The new CTS800-4N engines produce 37% more power than the current Gem engines that are fitted to the Lynx AH Mk.9 giving the aircraft a significant increase in power which allows it to operate more effectively in extreme hot and high conditions. This latest contract will mean the entire British Army fleet of 22 Lynx Mk.9 helicopters will be upgraded to Mk.9A standard in a seamless conversion programme. The major upgrade requires the top deck structure of the aircraft to be modified and fitted with new engine bays and cowls to accommodate the CTS800-4N engines. The cockpit is also modified to accommodate new engine controls and the engine instrument display system. Additionally minor changes are made to the transmission system and aircraft structure to enable the increased power of the engines to be fully utilised. This year, less than 18 months after the original contract award, the first Lynx Mk.9A helicopters will deploy to Afghanistan to support British and coalition forces, where its exceptional hot and high performance will enable it to operate year round in the demanding environmental conditions experienced there

defpro

Citation :

Scramble of RAF Jets – Friday 26 March 2010


March 26, 2010 by Rob Vogelaar · Leave a Comment

On 10^th March 2010, two RAF Tornado F3 fighter aircraft of 111(Fighter) Squadron were scrambled from RAF Leuchars (Fife) in the early hours of the morning to intercept two Russian TU-160 BLACKJACK aircraft, which were approx 100nm to the west of Stornaway on the North-West coast of Scotland. The Tornadoes shadowed the Russian ac as they progressed south before the BLACKJACKs turned north, short of the Northern Irish coast, before subsequently exiting UK airspace.
RAF Leuchars fighters have successfully scrambled to intercept Russian aircraft on more than 10 occasions since the start of 2009. The Tornado F3 is planned to go out of RAF Service in 2011; RAF Leuchars will become the RAF’s second Typhoon fighter base later this year.

aviationnews

Citation :

Renumbering Parade Royal Air Force Cottesmore.





On Wednesday 31^st March 2010 Royal Air Force Cottesmore will see the renumbering of No IV (AC) Squadron, commanded by Wing Commander Harv Smyth DFC MA RAF, to No IV (R) Squadron; and the disbandment of No 20 (R) Squadron, commanded by Wing Commander Lincoln Taylor BEng MA RAF. An historical occasion and a milestone in Royal Air Force history.
No IV (AC) Squadron has spent the bulk of the last 5 years supporting operations in Afghanistan; most notably the Squadron was awarded Headquarters 1 Group’s Operational Performance Trophy in recognition of the Squadron’s exceptional performance whilst in combat on Operation HERRICK in 2006. Since returning from Afghanistan in the Spring of 2009 the Squadron has worked tirelessly to regenerate all its frontline capabilities, culminating in its most recent deployment to EXERCISE RED FLAG in Nevada. Whilst Wednesday’s parade will be a particularly poignant event for IV (AC) Squadron, since the ‘Happy IV’ team will be breaking up, it is extremely fitting that the IV Squadron name plate will be kept alive in reserve status as the Harrier Operational Conversion Unit at Royal Air Force Wittering.
No IV (AC)’s last day of Squadron flying was Friday 26^th March. Celebrating this auspicious occasion they flew a Diamond 9 formation flypast of Royal Air Force Cottesmore and Wittering. Wing Commander Harv Smyth stated beforehand, “It will undoubtedly be an incredibly emotional affair, since not only is it IV (AC)’s final flying event, but also because it will be my own personnel final sortie in a Harrier”.
After 72 years of overseas service in India, the Far East and West Germany, No 20 Squadron returned to Royal Air Force Wittering in 1992. Since then, in the guise of No 20 (R) Squadron, it has trained over 200 RN and RAF Harrier pilots on ab intio, and subsequent postgraduate and specialised courses, as well as all the ground crews for the front line squadrons. On Wednesday, the 20 Squadron standard will be laid up, symbolising the end of the historic and glorious contribution that this Squadron has made over the past 95 years. However, inheriting the IV (R) nameplate will be an honour that the Operational Conversion Unit will be proud to bear and take forward for the next generation of Harrier pilots and engineers.
In addition, the last GR 7 (40A) will be retired on 31 March and will fly in the final IV (AC) formation. Joint Strike Wing, as it will be known on 1 April 2010, will move to a full GR 9 force, even more capable than its predecessor and totally optimised for its combat role.
Wednesday’s parade will take place in the morning and will be reviewed by the Commander in Chief, Air Command, Air Chief Marshal Sir Chris Moran KCB OBE MVO ADC MA BSc FRAeS RAF. Other senior guests will include Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Keith Williamson GCB AFC and a considerable number of serving and retired officers from No IV (AC) and No 20 (R) Squadrons

aviationnews

Citation :

British To Equip New Chinooks With Thales Avionics





LONDON - New Chinook helicopters being ordered for Britain's Royal Air Force will feature an avionics package provided by local supplier Thales UK rather than the standard Rockwell Collins fit, say industry sources.

The British are ordering 10 Chinooks in the first phase of a deal with Boeing for up to 24 machines to bolster its current force of twin-rotor helicopters. The business case for the initial order is scheduled to be considered by the MoD Investment Approvals Board on April 15.Related Topics

The industry sources said the British have opted to take the F model of the Chinook from Boeing's Philadelphia production without the Rockwell avionics and instead fit the same Thales package that is being installed in an RAF upgrade program for the machine known as Project Julius.
A final decision has not yet been made on whether the avionics work will be done in the United Kingdom by Project Julius lead contractor Vector Aerospace or AgustaWestland at its Yeovil factory, said the sources.
The British recently announced they had signed a deal with Boeing to begin initial design and long-lead manufacturing work on the helicopter order.

defensenews

HMS Monmouth au port de Valence le 31-03-10
Photos Socaire

Citation :

Bow Completed for UK's New Aircraft Carrier

Babcock has completed the manufacture of the first blocks of the UK Royal Navy's first Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carrier at its Appledore dockyard and will ship the components to its Rosyth dockyard this month for assembly and integration.
The blocks are the first two sub-blocks of the lower block one (LB01), which comprises the forward sections from the keel up to the flight deck.
LB01 consists of six sub-blocks (VB001-006), ranging in weight from around 112-339t.
The first two sub-blocks include the bulbous bow (VB001) and the bow section that sits above the second sub-block (VB002) comprising decks seven to five below the hangar deck.
The bulbous bow is the projecting 'bulb' at the bow of the ship, which alters the bow wave generation and water flow around the hull to reduce drag and increase the carrier's speed, fuel efficiency and stability.
VB001 is 30.3m long, 10.8m wide and 9.6m high, and weighs around 293t, while the second sub-block is 21.6m long, 17.4m wide and 6.2m high, and uses 112t of steel.
Both blocks will be joined together at Rosyth, including integration of electrical cabling, mechanical pipe systems, ventilation ducts and furniture.
The remaining sub-blocks (VB003-006) currently under construction at Appledore will be shipped to Rosyth in early 2011.
The 280m-long and 74m-wide HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales will have a displacement capacity of 65,000t.

naval-technology

MERLIN HM1 - ZH852 - Gibraltar 04/04/10
Photos Daniel Gibdan





LYNX HMA8 - XZ691 - Gibraltar 28/10/09
Arrivé à bord de la frégate HMS Lancaster.
Photos Daniel Gibdan

Citation :

Rolls-Royce completes first propeller and gas turbine for Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carrier programme

Rolls-Royce, the global power systems company, has completed two significant milestones for the Royal Navy’s new aircraft carriers, Queen Elizabeth and Prince of Wales, with completion of the first propeller and the successful testing of the vessels’ first MT30 gas turbine.
The propeller, measuring almost seven metres in diameter and weighing 33 tonnes, has completed acceptance tests at the Rolls-Royce facility in Kristinehamn, Sweden.
The Kamewa Adjustable Bolted Propeller is manufactured from nickel aluminium bronze and features five blades mounted on a central hub – there will be two on each of the aircraft carriers.
Rolls-Royce is also supplying shaft lines which will link each of the vessels’ two propellers with the power source. Each propeller will deliver around 50,000 horse-power – the highest power Kamewa propeller ever developed by Rolls-Royce.
The first of four MT30s for the two 65,000 tonne vessels also passed a programme of stringent tests and certification at the Rolls-Royce Marine test facility, in Bristol, where the gas turbine was operated across a range of load conditions up to the maximum power output of 36MW.
Rolls-Royce is part of a ‘sub-alliance’ team comprising Thales, Converteam and L-3 and has overall responsibility for delivery of the entire power and propulsion system.

Richard Dingley, Rolls-Royce Director Programmes – Naval said: “The delivery of these two major components is a significant achievement for everyone involved in the QE Class programme. The gas turbines will, through an innovative electrical system, provide the power needed to turn the propellers and drive these huge vessels through the water at speeds of up to 25 knots.
“We are extremely proud to be involved in the development of these vessels, working alongside our many partners in the Aircraft Carrier Alliance to supply mission-critical technology and systems.”
Tony Graham, head of Capital Ships at the Ministry of Defence, visited the Bristol test facility and gas turbine build line recently to see progress on the project. He said: “The heart of the ship is now beating. These engines will breathe life into the steel hull and are another demonstration of the progress being made.”
Matt Pollitt, Rolls-Royce Test Integration and Support Manager and his team carried out the MT30 test. He said: “The gas turbine performed as expected during the tests, which simulated what you would see from the bridge of the ship in a range of different sea conditions.
“We put the engine through rigorous tests including what happens when the ship rapidly demands either large amounts of power or large reductions in power due to propulsion motor trips. The engine coped well with such extreme load characteristics and I’m pleased to say it passed its Lloyd’s certification too.”
The MT30 is the most powerful available gas turbine in the marine market today and on the carriers will form part of an integrated electric propulsion system which includes the giant propellers and propeller shafts as well as rudders, thrust bearings and low-voltage electrical systems.
Source: Rolls Royce.

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