US Navy

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(Jan. 26, 2013) Huntington Ingalls Industries celebrated significant progress today as the 555-metric ton island was lowered onto the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) at the company’s Newport News Shipbuilding division. The 60-foot long, 30-foot wide island was the 452nd lift of the nearly 500 total lifts needed to complete the aircraft carrier. (U.S. Navy photo courtesy Huntington Ingalls Industries/Released)

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Hagel Visits First Zumwalt-Class Destroyer

By US Department of Defense on Monday, November 25th, 2013



Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said the not-yet-launched Zumwalt-class destroyer he toured here today “represents the cutting edge of our naval capabilities.”

The ship, now known as the Pre-Commissioning Unit, or PCU, Zumwalt, will become the USS Zumwalt, named for former Navy Adm. Elmo Zumwalt. Officials said the ship is about a year away from
Now littered with large protective crates storing systems not yet installed, the ship is being fitted with new automated systems. The Zumwalt, Navy officials explained, has highly accurate long-range weapons, an impressive power generation capability and a design emphasizing “stealthy” radar-defeating materials and shapes.

The ship will be home ported in San Diego, Hagel noted, and it “represents an important shift … in America’s interests to the Asia-Pacific,” he told a mixed crowd of sailors, government civilians and General Dynamics employees assembled near where the ship is docked.

Hagel thanked General Dynamics and its workforce at Bath Iron Works, which will produce all three of the Zumwalt-class ships planned for production. The secretary called the facility “a magnificent institution that’s been part of the security of this country for 130 years.”

The secretary also spoke to a number of sailors and defense civilians present, who are working to get the ship ready for active duty. Hagel thanked them and their families for their service.

Sharon E. Burke, assistant secretary of defense for operational energy plans and programs, accompanied Hagel’s delegation on the ship tour. Later, she spoke to reporters while en route to Halifax, Nova Scotia, where Hagel landed later in the day for an international security forum that starts tomorrow.

Burke said that the ship’s power generation capacity — 78 megawatts, impressed her. One megawatt of power can power about 1,000 American homes.

The massive amount of available power makes the ship expandable for future weapon systems such as rail guns, which “take a lot of pulse power,” Burke noted.

“Also, you’re running a lot of very sophisticated systems on that ship,” she said. “It gives them a lot of room to be able to run all those systems.”

The ship can generate 78 megawatts of power, and can channel it to propulsion, shipboard use and weapons systems. Officials said the guided missile destroyer is the first Navy ship to be fully electrical, and it was designed to use automated systems as much as possible to decrease the number of sailors needed as crew.

For example, officials said, automatic systems route, store and load the 300 rounds of 24-pound ammunition each of the ship’s two 155mm guns can fire. The guns have, in testing, successfully fired at a rate of 10 rounds a minute and with 20- to 40-inch accuracy at a range of more than 60 nautical miles, officials noted.



Read more: http://www.defencetalk.com/hagel-visits-first-zumwalt-class-destroyer-49725/#ixzz2leO84P00

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U.S. military to deploy latest equipments in Asia-pacific region: U.S. Pacific Fleet chief

The U.S. military is deploying the newest and best equipment, weapons and human resources into the Asia-Pacific region to fight against regional security threats, indicating the region's immensely importance to the interests of the United States, U.S. Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Harry B. Harris said Friday.



Harris, who was promoted to admiral and assumed command of the U.S. Pacific Fleet in October 2013, paid his first visit to South Korea following his trip to Japan.
"We are putting the best equipment we have forward in the Pacific before we send them anywhere else," Yonhap news agency quoted Harris as saying.
The admiral said the U.S. Navy will soon replace the P-3C Orion with the newest maritime patrol aircraft, the P-8A Poseidon, for its first deployment in Japan.
Besides, the DDG-1000 Zumwalt-class stealth destroyer will join in the Pacific Fleet and the Littoral Combat Ship will rotate near Singapore. MH-60 maritime helicopters and Virginia-class attack submarines in Hawaii are also on the list of latest weapons.
Harris called this move as a "physical manifestation" and said the U.S. government's budget cut on the military policy will not affect its rebalance commitment toward Asia and the Pacific.
"Maintaining stability, peace and prosperity is what the U.S. rebalance to the Pacific is all about. And a key component to that policy is strengthening our regional alliances and partnerships," said Harris.
He said he is committed to deepening the maritime element of their defense relationships with all of their regional allies and partners, adding that his visit to Seoul was to reassure their South Korean partner of the rebalancing to the Pacific.
Harris also noted that the U.S. army is keeping a close eye on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), pledging strong joint deterrence capabilities to deter threats by the DPRK with missiles and nuclear weapons.

http://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1372

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Northrop Grumman Delivers Additional MQ-8C Fire Scout to the U.S. Navy

2013-11-25T12:00:00-0800

SAN DIEGO – Nov. 25, 2013 – Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) has delivered the second MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned helicopter to the U.S. Navy after completing final assembly at the company's unmanned systems center in Moss Point, Miss.

The aircraft is joining the first one delivered to Naval Base Ventura County, Point Mugu, Calif., to conduct flight testing before using the system for operational missions in 2014.

"Since 2006 we have conducted final assembly of the earlier MQ-8B Fire Scout aircraft from our Moss Point facility, so we have a lot of manufacturing experience there," said George Vardoulakis, vice president for medium range tactical systems, Northrop Grumman. "With the MQ-8C variant being assembled there as well, we can use the same expertise and quality processes already developed."

The MQ-8C Fire Scout is the Navy's newest unmanned helicopter that can fly twice as long and carry three times more intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance payloads than the existing variant.

To prepare the second MQ-8C Fire Scout for flight operations, a series of ground and flight tests will occur to validate payload integration and that communications between the ground control system and the aircraft are working properly.

Including the two test aircraft, 14 new Fire Scouts are currently under contract to be built. The Navy's current plan is to purchase 30 MQ-8C Fire Scouts.

Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing innovative systems, products and solutions in unmanned systems, cyber, C4ISR, and logistics and modernization to government and commercial customers worldwide. Please visit www.northropgrumman.com for more information.

http://www.northropgrumman.com

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Metal Shark Aluminum Boats Wins Major US Navy Contract



Jeanerette LA November 25, 2013 - Louisiana-based aluminum boat manufacturer Metal Shark Aluminum Boats LLC has been awarded a contract to produce up to 350 specialized vessels for the United States Navy, the company announced today.
The fixed-price contract is for the construction of the Navy’s High Speed Maneuverable Surface Target (HSMST) vessels. Based on Metal Shark’s high performance 26-foot Relentless center console model, the twin engine, welded aluminum HSMSTs will be utilized by the Navy primarily for advanced weapons system testing and fleet training exercises.
“Metal Shark works diligently to exceed customer expectations and meet stringent mission requirements by providing advanced yet cost-competitive solutions, “ said Chris Allard, President of Metal Shark. “Large contracts such as this help us to increase our efficiencies, creating a trickle-down effect that positively impacts our ability to accommodate our state, local, and commercial customers as well.”
The Navy has issued an immediate production order for nearly $14 million worth of Metal Shark HSMSTs, with nearly three times that amount expected to follow by the contract’s conclusion in 2016.

http://seawavesmagazine.blogspot.fr/2013/11/metal-shark-aluminum-boats-wins-major.html

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SM-6 Achieves Initial Operational Capability



WASHINGTON - The Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) tactical missile has reached initial operation capability, the Navy announced in a Nov. 26 release, with SM-6s successfully loaded onboard guided-missile destroyer USS Kidd in San Diego.
The SM-6 is designed to provide naval vessels with extended range protection against cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles and fixed and rotary wing aircraft.
“We’re very pleased to achieve [initial operational capability] on schedule,” said Capt. Mike Ladner, the major program manager of Surface Ship Weapons, whose portfolio includes SM-6.  “The SM-6, with its ability to extend the battle space, truly improves shipboard air defense capability. I’m very proud of the entire Standard Missile team on this historic achievement.” 
SM-6 has entered full-rate production and the program has already delivered 50 missiles ahead of schedule and under budget. Follow-on test and evaluation will continue into 2014 to validate the integrated fire control capability in an operationally realistic environment.
Program Executive Office for Integrated Warfare Systems, an affiliated program executive office of the Naval Sea Systems Command, manages surface ship and submarine combat technologies and systems and coordinates Navy enterprise solutions across ship platforms.

http://www.seapowermagazine.org/stories/20131126-sm6.html

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Pentagon builds forces in Pacific, eyes China


WASHINGTON — The Pentagon is fortifying bases in the Pacific and looking to revive World War II-era air bases as part of an effort to survive a Chinese missile attack that could wipe out critical installations on Okinawa and elsewhere, military records, interviews and congressional testimony show.
The strategy indicates the evolution of the administration’s shift toward Asia, which includes the creation of a growing base in northern Australia. Chinese missiles have been a preoccupation of Pentagon planners who worry they could be used as a threat to deny access to the region by U.S. ships, planes and troops.
Chinese ballistic missiles — termed anti-access, area denial weapons — mean that virtually every U.S. base in the Pacific is under “heavy threat,” said Michael Lostumbo, director of the RAND Center for Asia Pacific Study. A RAND report found that 90 percent of the bases were within 1,080 nautical miles of China, the distance it defined as being under heavy threat.
“We compared threats in the Pacific region with other regions,” Lostumbo said. “The Pacific bases are all under threat if you are considering Chinese ballistic missiles.”
RAND identified three options for dealing with the threat: moving bases out of missile range, hardening aircraft hangars and dispersing aircraft to limit the damage any one attack could exact.
Pentagon strategists are re-examining bases such as Kadena on Okinawa because its proximity to China makes it particularly vulnerable, a senior officer said. The other reason to explore options, according to another senior officer, is to disrupt planning by the Chinese military and keep it guessing. Both officers spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
Among recent developments with U.S. forces in Asia:
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Darwin, Australia. The Marine Corps is beefing up its presence. The first deployment of 200 Marines occurred last year. The goal, says Capt. Eric Flanagan, a Marine spokesman, is to rotate as many as 2,500 Marines to the base as part of an air-ground task force.
“This rotational basis allows for Marines to be present in the region without large basing requirements,” Flanagan said in an email. “We won’t need big mess halls, exchanges or other military base comforts, lessening the cost of having Marines in the region.”
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Guam. Since 2000, the Pentagon has been bolstering forces on the westernmost U.S. territory, according to the Congressional Research Service. About 8,000 Marines based on Okinawa are slated to move there. The buildup and regular military exercises concern the Chinese, the service said in a report dated Nov. 15. The island has two important U.S.bases: Apra for the Navy and Anderson for the Air Force.
For the Pentagon, a key concern on Guam is an attack by Chinese or North Korean missiles, the report says. That is reflected in requests for hundreds of millions of dollars to fortify fuel bunkers and airplane hangars. The Air Force seeks a “hardened facility” for its bombers, cargo and tankers. The hangar would have concrete roof and walls with a thickness of 31/2 feet, according to budget documents.
Air Force Chief of Staff Mark Welsh told Congress this month that the commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific has asked for the protection in the event of a missile attack. Welsh put the cost at $256 million for the new fortifications.
“The hardened facilities on Guam are in response to a combatant commander request to provide more resilient capability on Guam because of an increased threat of surface-to-surface missile attack,” Welsh said. “He didn’t request that everything be hardened, just those things that are key facilities that you couldn’t improvise if there was damage.”
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Tinian and Saipan. Two islands in the North Pacific, U.S. territory not far from Guam, could be candidates for dispersing aircraft among a number of bases, according to the Pentagon. The Air Force seeks more than $115 million to build infrastructure on Saipan. The intent, according to budget documents, is to use the island for exercises and as emergency landing strips in case of bad weather.
The islands have long held strategic importance to the U.S. military. In World War II, American troops seized them from Japanese forces in 1944 and set up a sprawling base on Tinian for B-29 bombers to strike Japan. The Enola Gay and Bock’s Car flew from Tinian in August 1945 to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

http://www.navytimes.com/article/20131125/NEWS08/311250022/Pentagon-builds-forces-Pacific-eyes-China

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Poseidon's inaugural deployment starts Friday

The inaugural deployment of the P-8A Poseidon will begin Friday when the War Eagles of Patrol Squadron 16 depart Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Fla., for Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan.

VP-16 returned to Jacksonville from its last P-3C Orion deployment in June 2012 and began the transition into the new airframe the next month. The squadron completed the transition in January and has been preparing for the deployment ever since.

The squadron will deploy with six aircraft and 12 aircrews. However, the crews will be smaller than those flying P-3s, as each only has nine people instead of 11. One of those cuts was the enlisted flight engineer, which the Navy decided was expendable due to technology upgrades. The job can now be fulfilled by the two pilots, aided by high-tech avionics.

The P-8 is the first new maritime patrol aircraft to enter Navy service in over 50 years. Building on the experience from the half century of flying the P-3, the P-8 brings to the plate a greater payload capacity, higher operating altitude, and its technology can be easily upgraded as capabilities improve, officials say.

The deployment begins the era of the P-8, as the “Mad Foxes” of VP-5 have completed their transition in August and will deploy in mid-2014. They will be followed by the “Pelicans” of VP-45, who started their P-8 transition July 15.

http://www.militarytimes.com

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Navy buys one Insitu RQ-21A Blackjack UAV in preparation for ramping-up production

PATUXENT RIVER NAS, Md., 28 Nov. 2013. are buying one new tactical unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), intended as an organic and dedicated multi-intelligence UAV for U.S. Marine Corps and Navy tactical commanders, in preparation for ramping-up production of the front-line tactical unmanned aircraft.

Officials of the Naval Air Systems Command at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Md.,awarded an $8.8 million contract this week to Boeing Insitu Inc. in Bingen, Wash., for one low-rate-initial-production II RQ-21A Blackjack UAV, to include air vehicles, ground control stations, launch and recovery equipment, and air vehicle support equipment.

The Boeing Insitu RQ-21 is a twin-boom, single-engine, monoplane UAV for surveillance and reconnaissance. It an be launched and recovered on land or at sea without runways, using a pneumatic launcher and net-type recovery system.

The Blackjack -- so-named last September -- is eight feet long with a 16-foot wingspan designed to carry multi-sensor payloads in large pod below its nose. The UAV can fly as fast as 104 miles per hour, cruises at 63 miles per hour, ca

http://www.militaryaerospace.com

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US, Japan monitor Liaoning's course to South China Sea


China's aircraft carrier Liaoning sailed through the Taiwan Strait to enter the South China Sea on Nov. 28, escorted by two destroyers and two frigates. Although the fleet did not pass the waters close to the disputed Diaoyutai (Diaoyu or Senkaku) islands, its maiden journey to the South China Sea has put the United States and Japan on alert.
Sources close to the Chinese military told China's Global Times that the Liaoning kicked off its training mission as soon as it left the Taiwan Strait. "The training has become more like active combat since it was closely followed by American and Japanese scouting vessels and aircraft," a source said.
In Taiwan, Ministry of National Defense spokesman Luo Shou-he noted that the Liaoning and its escorts maintained a course on the western side of the center line of the Strait. A newspaper photo showed that all ships at the military base in Keelung, northern Taiwan, were on stand-by while the Chinese fleet made its way south.
Taiwan's United Daily News, a government-leaning daily, reported the ROC military were closely monitoring the fleet's movements and that it had deployed missiles as a precaution.
A source close to the Chinese military said a US Los Angeles-class submarine from Guam has also appeared in the East China Sea, where tensions have run high over the past week after Beijing announced a new air defense identification zone which covers the contested islands claimed by Japan, China and Taiwan. "It is believed to be tasked with collecting electronic signals from our ships," he remarked.
At present, a combat group led by the carrier USS George Washington is engaged in a joint marine exercise with Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force off Okinawa, Global Times reported.

http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?id=20131130000116&cid=1101

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SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND

Lockheed Martin MST-Undersea Systems, Mission & Unmanned Systems, Riviera Beach, Fla., is being awarded a $9,999,830 contract to lease the S301i, a commercially-classed dry submersible vessel with lock-in/lock-out capability and to support risk mitigation research, development, test, and evaluation for long-term Dry Combat Submersibles program objectives in support of United States Special Operations Command, Program Executive Office - Maritime.  Work will be performed primarily at government facilities located in Panama City, Fla., with an 18 month expected completion date.  Fiscal 2013 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $5,813,830 are being obligated at time of award.  This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition.  One offer was solicited and received.  U.S. Special Operations Command, Tampa, Fla., is the contracting activity (H92222-14-C-0003). 
 
http://www.defense.gov/contracts/contract.aspx?contractid=5175

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US Navy deploys Standard Missile-6 for first time

SM-6 achieves initial operational capability

TUCSON, Ariz., Dec. 2, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Navy is deploying Raytheon Company's (NYSE: RTN) Standard Missile-6 for the first time, marking the initial operational capability milestone for the U.S. Navy's newest, most advanced extended range area defense weapon.

"We're very pleased to achieve initial operational capability on schedule," said Capt. Mike Ladner, Surface Ship Weapons major program manager. "The SM-6, with its ability to extend the battlespace, truly offers improved capability for the warfighter. I'm very proud of the entire STANDARD Missile team on this historic achievement."

The SM-6 provides extended range protection against fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles and cruise missiles. The interceptor combines the airframe and propulsion of legacy Standard Missiles with the advanced signal processing and guidance control capabilities of the Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM).

"This is a monumental moment for the SM-6 program and signifies a new era of fleet defense for our naval warfighters," said Dr. Taylor W. Lawrence, president, Raytheon Missile Systems. "The SM-6 significantly improves the sailor's ability to strike at various targets at extended range."

Raytheon has delivered more than 50 SM-6 interceptors to the Navy under low-rate production contracts. In September, Raytheon won a contract for $243 million to build 89 new SM-6 interceptors, signaling the start of full-rate production.

About the Standard Missile-6

SM-6 delivers a proven extended range air defense capability by leveraging the time-tested advantages of the Standard Missile's airframe and propulsion.

The SM-6 uses both active and semi-active guidance modes and advanced fuzing techniques.
It incorporates the advanced signal processing and guidance control capabilities from Raytheon's Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile.

http://raytheon.mediaroom.com

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U.S. Navy Accepts Lockheed Martin MUOS-2 Satellite, Ground Stations After Successful Testing

Lockheed Martin has completed on-orbit testing of the second Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) satellite and handed over spacecraft operations to the U.S. Navy. The handover also includes acceptance of three MUOS ground stations that will relay voice and high-speed data signals for mobile users worldwide.



MUOS-2 was launched July 19, 2013 aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. The system dramatically improves secure communications, delivering simultaneous and prioritized voice, video and data for the first time to users on the move.

“MUOS-2 benefits from continuous improvement. We completed our baseline on-orbit testing in half the time compared to MUOS-1,” said Iris Bombelyn, vice president of Narrowband Communications at Lockheed Martin. “We look forward to supporting the Navy’s test and evaluation phase to demonstrate the total capability of the Mobile User Objective System. When commissioned, the full digital data and flexible network management capabilities will be available to users for both MUOS-1 and MUOS-2.”

The Naval Satellite Operations Center will soon begin relocation operations to place MUOS-2 in its operational slot. There, it will undergo testing and evaluation prior to formal government commissioning in 2014.

MUOS satellites are equipped with a wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) payload that provides a 10-fold increase in transmission throughput over the current Ultra High Frequency (UHF) satellite system, which is also on board. The WCDMA payload gives users the advantage of high-speed data and priority access that legacy systems did not.

Lockheed Martin's MUOS operations team conducted the on-orbit deployment and checkout of all spacecraft systems over a 4 month period. The spacecraft systems and integrated ground and network systems were evaluated with three radio access facilities and new MUOS-compatible terminals. A growing number of terminals are taking advantage of the MUOS advantage since first connections with the advanced waveform began earlier this year.

Government testing will take place before MUOS-2 is turned over to U.S. Strategic Command for operational use.

http://www.navyrecognition.com

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US Navy lance un drone aérien depuis un sous-marin

http://www.corlobe.tk/spip.php?article33452

....

armé de 2 × quad RGM-84 Harpoon
1 × Mk.75 76 mm OTO Melara, 62 cal. gun  
pour des petits patrouilleurs de 41m !!! meme notre OPV-70 fait pale figure devant !!!!  

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The patrol combatant missile hydrofoils USS TAURUS (PHM-3), foreground, and USS HERCULES (PHM-2) cruise alongside one another during a patrol.

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Howard O. Lorenzen completes Final Contract Trials

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- The missile range instrumentation ship USNS Howard O. Lorenzen (T-AGM 25) successfully completed its final contract trials (FCT) in San Diego, the Navy announced, Dec. 5.

FCTs, run by the Navy's Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV), is the final review in a series of post-delivery tests and trials exercising all aspects of the vessel and its systems, including main propulsion, damage control, supply, deck, navigation, habitability, electrical systems and operations. INSURV officials monitored the successful demonstration of the ship's systems including both in-port and at-sea testing.

Constructed by VT Halter Marine in Pascagoula, Miss., T-AGM 25 and its Cobra Judy Replacement (CJR) radar system will be the replacement for USNS Observation Island., which was launched in 1953. CJR will provide worldwide, high-quality, dual-band radar data in support of ballistic missile treaty verification.

The crew consists of civilian mariners that operate the ship and an Air Force operations and maintenance crew to operate the mission radars.

"The crew demonstrated their professionalism and dedication throughout many weeks of hard work to ensure the successful completion of the final contract trials, as assessed by INSURV," said Capt. Roderick Wester, CJR major program manager, Program Executive Office for Integrated Warfare Systems (PEO IWS). "Captain Patrick Christian, the ship's master, thoroughly prepared his crew and ensured the highest level of material readiness for Howard O. Lorenzen."

CJR is a PEO IWS program. Design and construction of T-AGM 25 was managed by PEO Ships. The Navy will transfer the vessel to the U.S. Air Force for operations and maintenance once the ship reaches initial operational capability in 2014.

PEO IWS, an affiliated program executive office of the Naval Sea Systems Command, manages surface ship and submarine combat technologies and systems and coordinates Navy enterprise solutions across ship platforms.

http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=78070

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Electromagnetic Catapults Are Emblematic Of U.S. Navy's All-Electric Era

In November, the U.S. Navy christened the first Ford-class aircraft carrier at Newport News Shipbuilding, marking the end of the beginning of a new era of naval warfare.

The USS Gerald Ford, which weighs more than 100,000 tons and spans a length of more than 1,000 feet, is the first of the U.S. Navy’s new generation of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, which are also called supercarriers. With a price tag of $13.7 billion, the Ford-class carrier is the most expensive military vessel built in the history of the world.

Equipped with two cutting-edge nuclear reactors, the carrier will be capable of producing 250% more electric power than previous carriers.

And it will need every one of those electrons to power what is perhaps the supercarrier’s most revolutionary technology (at least among those that are unclassified) – the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS).

General Atomics, the San Diego, CA CA +1.11%-based defense contractor, pioneered the EMALS for the Ford-class aircraft carriers.

The EMALS uses a 300-foot linear induction motor (LIM) to catapult airplanes off the carrier at a speed of 150 miles per hour. The LIM, which is integrated in the flight-deck structure, converts electrical current into electromagnetic forces to launch aircraft with significantly more precision than the conventional steam-powered system. The enhanced precision allows EMALS to launch more kinds of aircraft, from heavy fighter jets to light unmanned aircraft.

Of the carrier’s many technological marvels, the EMALS is perhaps the most emblematic of the Navy’s planned all-electric ships.

The whole EMALS juggernaut depends on the delivery of massive 122 megajoule-jolts of electricity to catapult planes into the sky. The jolts are so huge that the EMALS includes an elaborate energy storage system to supplement power provided by the nuclear reactors. The system stores a staggering 400 megajoules on four disk alternators.

After launching an aircraft, the alternators can be recharged in only 45 seconds. The supercarrier will be able to launch 220 sorties per day, about 25% more air missions per day than the current carriers.

China’s military is reportedly in hot pursuit of its own EMALS.

http://www.forbes.com

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USS Theodore Roosevelt Launches New Aircraft


USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT, At Sea -- The aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) launched and recovered E-2D Hawkeyes, from the Tiger Tails of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 125, for the first time, Dec. 3.

With notable improvements and new features, the E-2D is a major advancement from the E-2C Hawkeye.

"The E-2D brings a significant number of improvements to the older E-2C," said Cmdr. Paul Lanzilotta, commanding officer of VAW-125. "The biggest thing is the sensor and radar systems. They are much more advanced in the E-2D. The E-2D is capable of seeing much farther and it is far more capable of detecting targets on the surface and in the air. This helps ensure the carrier strike group is adequately defended, even hundreds of miles away. We can see it all."

Other improvements include a fully integrated-all-glass-tactical cockpit, advanced identification friend-or-foe system, a new radar with both mechanical and electronic scanning capabilities, electronic support measures enhancements, new mission computers and tactical workstations.

"Along with the many technological advances, the E-2D is also a much smoother flying aircraft now," said Lanzilotta. "These aircraft are brand new. They still have that have that 'new car smell'."

After hundreds of practice landings on shore, the launch and recovery of the E-2D onboard Theodore Roosevelt begins VAW-125's final transition process from the E-2C to the E-2D.

http://www.military.com

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Sechan to improve target-detection and fire-control for Navy's underwater mines


PANAMA CITY, Fla., 11 Dec. 2013. U.S. Navy littoral and mine warfare experts needed smart weapons control for air-dropped anti-ship and anti-submarine mines. They found their solution from Sechan Electronics Inc. in Lititz, Pa.

Officials of the Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division in Panama City, Fla., announced a $17.2 million contract to Sechan Monday to develop and build the Target Detecting Device (TDD) MK 71 Mod 1 to support the Quickstrike Mine Improvement program.

The TDD contains a multi-sensor suite with digital circuitry that uses a Navy-supplied target-detection algorithm to determine a firing solution for the Navy's Mk 65 purpose-built underwater mine, as well as for the Mk 63 and Mk 62 general-purpose bombs that converted to function as bottom mines.

The TDD algorithm determines whether or not a valid target enemy ship or submarine is present by processing sensor input data based on timing, period, and amplitude. When the system detects a target, the algorithm issues a command to detonate the mine.

Navy ordnance experts lay minefields using the Mk 65, Mk 63, and Mk 62 by dropping the mines from aircraft such as the B-52H Stratofortress, F/A-18A/D Hornet, B-1B Lancer, and P-3C Orion. Parachutes can deploy on the mines to slow them before entering the water.

The Mk 65 mine is a dedicated thin-wall 2,300-pound mine, while the Mk 63 is a 1,000-pound mine and the Mk 62 is a 500-pound mine. The Mk 63 and Mk 62 are converted from conventional aircraft bombs, which eases logistics aboard deployed Navy aircraft carriers. All three mines are in the Navy Quickstrike mine family.

The Mk 65 is the centerpiece of the Navy's Quickstrike family of mines. It uses variable influence-type target-detector systems against submarines and surface vessels. It has a special arming device, a nose fairing, and a tail section adaptable to parachute option.

The Mk 65 is 10.7 feet long, 2.4 feet in diameter, can operate in waters as deep as 600 feet, and packs variable explosive warheads as large as 2,000 pounds. The first versions of the Mk 65 were deployed with the Navy in 1983.

The Sechan TDD will control the actuation of explosives in Quickstrike underwater mines. Sechan experts will concentrate on three major areas of TDD development: target influence sensors; sensor signal processing and target logic; and timing and control logic.

These areas control the mine's trajectory, arming, and end-of-life functions. Sechan experts will work on advanced signal processing techniques applied to sensor outputs to determine if a valid target is present, or if the detected influence signal is being generated by a countermeasure device.

Sechan also will apply state-of-the-art, low power, microprocessor and field-programmable gate array (FPGA) technologies to the TDD for mine timing and control functions. Sechan will do the work on the current contract in Lititz, Pa., and should be finished by December 2018.

http://www.militaryaerospace.com

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Raytheon awarded $75 million for DDG 1000 program

Delivering critical capabilities, bringing the next-generation destroyers to life

TEWKSBURY, Mass., Dec. 12, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) has been awarded $75 million to complete remaining hardware and electronics for DDG 1000 and 1001, the first two ships of the Zumwalt-class of multimission destroyers. The award reflects exercised options under a previously awarded U.S. Navy contract.

Raytheon's progress on the program continues, remaining on-cost and schedule, meeting all program milestones and shipyard need dates. Under this contract, Raytheon will complete outstanding hardware and electronics production and assembly for the first two ships of the class, including electronics for the multi-function towed array for the sonar suite; canister electronics and uptake kits for the MK 57 Vertical Launching System; and the advanced procurement of Electronic Modular Enclosure shelters for the third ship, DDG 1002.

"The collaboration of this government-industry team has been outstanding, a high-performing team of experts working together to bring the Navy's vision to reality," said Raytheon's Kevin Peppe, vice president of Integrated Defense Systems' Seapower Capability Systems business area. "As systems and deliveries complete, and integration and testing continue, we are advancing closer to demonstrating the capabilities of the most technologically advanced surface combatant in naval history."

As the prime mission systems integrator for DDG 1000, Raytheon provides all electronic and combat systems for the program.

To date, the company has:

Delivered more than 3,500 hardware items, completing mission systems equipment production for DDG 1000. Production is more than 95 percent complete for DDG 1001.
Delivered 35 fully populated, integrated and tested Electronic Modular Enclosures, completing the first two ship sets as well as an additional 3 EMEs for the Self-Defense Test Ship.
Completed more than 6.7 million lines of code for the Total Ship Computing Environment, the integrated mission system for the ship class, achieving all testing and readiness milestones on schedule. Currently 96 percent complete, TSCE software is approaching next level certification, Technology Readiness Level 7.
Completed advanced ship activation pilot for DDG 1000, demonstrating control of pumps and valves; first use of shipboard software connecting distributed control workstation, TSCE infrastructure network and engineering control system.
Tested 5,000 hull, mechanical and engineering (HM&E) signals to engineering control system and validated 12,000 additional hardware signals, at the Land-based Test Site.
Completed more than 1.3 million lines of code for SPY-3/Dual Band Radar for DDG 1000, DDG 1001, CVN 78 and the Self Defense Test Ship and delivered complete radar suite equipment for all ship sets.
Dedicated a team of experts onsite at the shipyard, supporting installation, integration and test in-line with construction progress to meet HM&E milestones and prepare for ship activation.
Remained on cost and schedule throughout execution of the program – a testament to the design and development approaches employed, mitigating risks and maturing technologies through phased and incremental testing.

Additionally, the first MK 57 Vertical Launch System and the first Integrated Undersea Warfare suite, with dual-frequency, hull-mounted sonars, have been installed on DDG 1000.

DDG 1000 entered the water Oct. 28, 2013, at Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine. Construction will continue dockside, supported by Raytheon's Ship Integration and Test team onsite for ongoing system integration and testing.

http://raytheon.mediaroom.com

Quand l'Us Navy craignait que le porte avions Russe coule......
http://www.corlobe.tk/spip.php?article33529

Citation :

Pentagon Contract Announcement


(Source: US Department of Defense; issued Dec. 13, 2013)



Lockheed Martin Corp., Mission Systems and Training, Manassas, Va., is being awarded a $124,531,317 modification to a previously awarded contract (N00024-11-C-6294) for the development and production of the acoustic rapid commercial-off-the-shelf insertion (A-RCI) and common acoustics processing for Technology Insertion 12 (TI12) through Technology Insertion 14 (TI14) for the U.S. submarine fleet.

A-RCI is a sonar system that integrates and improves towed array, hull array, sphere array, and other ship sensor processing, through rapid insertion of commercial off-the-shelf based hardware and software.

Work will be performed in Manassas, Va., (60 percent) and Clearwater, Fla., (40 percent) and is expected to be completed by December 2014. Fiscal 2013 and 2014 research, development, test and evaluation funds; fiscal 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 shipbuilding and conversion, Navy funds and fiscal 2014 other procurement, Navy funding in the amount of $20,573,237 will be obligated at the time of the award. Contract funds in the amount of $8,385,273 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.

The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.



**Lockheed Martin Mission Systems & Training, Liverpool, N.Y., is being awarded a $24,462,051 fixed-price incentive, firm-fixed-price, and cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the production and support of AN/BQS-25 low-cost conformal arrays (LCCA).

The AN/BQS-25 LCCA is a passive planar array mounted on the aft submarine sail structure that is integrated with the Acoustic Rapid commercial-off-the-shelf insertion AN/BQQ-10 system to provide situational awareness and collision avoidance for improved tactical control in high density environments.

This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $92,476,516.

Work will be performed in Syracuse, N.Y. (90 percent), Akron, Ohio (7 percent), and Marion, Mass. (3 percent), and is expected to complete by March 2015. Fiscal 2013 other procurement, Navy funds in the amount of $3,846,509 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with two offers received.

The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-14-C-6227).


http://www.defense-aerospace.com/articles-view/release/3/150253/lockheed-wins-%24216m-for-us-navy-sonar-work.html

Citation :

Future USS Jackson Launches, Marks LCS Milestone

MOBILE, Ala. -- The future USS Jackson (LCS 6) launched from the Austal USA shipyard in Mobile, Ala., Dec. 14, marking an important production milestone for the littoral combat ship program.

Jackson joins the future USS Milwaukee (LCS 5), which will launch from the Marinette Marine Corp. yard in Wisconsin next week.

These ships are the first vessels procured under the block buy contract awarded in 2010 and represent the true beginning of "serial production" for the class. With serial production, the Navy is able to realize benefits such as improved cost structure per vessel and reduced construction time.

"Seeing multiple littoral combat ships on the Mobile waterfront is a beautiful thing," said Capt. Tom Anderson, LCS program manager. "Serial production is in full swing at both building yards and we are seeing ship construction milestones."

Following the launch, the ship will undergo outfitting, and test and evaluation of its major systems at the Austal shipyard.

The ship's christening, a ceremony that marks the official naming of the vessel, is planned for the spring.

The LCS class consists of two variants, the trimaran design Independence variant, and the monohull design Freedom variant. The ships are designed and built by two industry teams, led by Austal USA and Lockheed Martin, respectively. Jackson is the third LCS constructed by Austal USA.

Both variants within the LCS class are fast, agile, focused-mission platforms designed for operation in near-shore environments yet capable of open ocean operation. The LCS is designed to embark specialized mission packages to defeat "anti-access" threats such as mines, quiet diesel submarines and fast surface craft.

The Navy has been able to incorporate much of the knowledge gained in the construction, test and operation of LCS 1 and LCS 2, the lead ships of the class, into follow on ships.

Many of those are currently in various stages of construction, and will deliver to the Navy over the next few years. They include Jackson's sister ships; Montgomery (LCS , Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10), Omaha (LCS 12), Manchester (LCS 14) and Tulsa (LCS 16).

Program Executive Office Littoral Combat Ships is affiliated with the Naval Sea Systems Command and provides a single program executive responsible for acquiring and sustaining mission capabilities of the littoral combat ship class, from procurement through fleet employment and sustainment. Delivering high-quality warfighting assets while balancing affordability and capability is key to supporting the Navy's Maritime Strategy.

http://www.military.com

Citation :

Future USNS Millinocket (JHSV 3) completes builder's sea trials


The future USNS Millinocket (JHSV 3), completed builder's sea trials at the Austal USA shipyard on Dec. 13, in Mobile, Ala. Successful completion of builder’s trials marks the end of the first phase of a set of rigorous trials during which all of the ship’s systems and capabilities are evaluated to ensure they are in accordance with its plans and specifications. During this phase of trials, Austal conducted comprehensive tests to the ship’s major systems including the combat, propulsion, ballasting, communications, navigations and mission systems.

The future USNS Millinocket (JHSV 3), completed builder's sea trials at the Austal USA shipyard on Dec. 13, in Mobile, Ala. Successful completion of builder’s trials marks the end of the first phase of a set of rigorous trials during which all of the ship’s systems and capabilities are evaluated to ensure they are in accordance with its plans and specifications.
Spearhead class Joint High Speed Vessel during sea trials


(Picture: Austal)

"Millinocket performed well," said Strategic and Theater Sealift Program Manager Capt. Henry Stevens. "Over the last few days, we conducted hundreds of tests to evaluate the ship’s systems, handling and capabilities all of which bring us one step closer to acceptance trials and delivery."

Millinocket is the third ship of the JHSV class. This versatile, non-combatant, transport ship will be used for the fast intra-theater transportation of troops, military vehicles and equipment.

The future USNS Millinocket (JHSV 3), completed builder's sea trials at the Austal USA shipyard on Dec. 13, in Mobile, Ala. Successful completion of builder’s trials marks the end of the first phase of a set of rigorous trials during which all of the ship’s systems and capabilities are evaluated to ensure they are in accordance with its plans and specifications.
Spearhead class Joint High Speed Vessel during sea trials


(Picture: Austal)

JHSV is designed to commercial standards, with limited modifications for military use. The vessel is capable of transporting 600 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 (M1A2). Other joint requirements include an aviation flight deck to support day and night aircraft launch and recovery operations. The JHSV class will have airline style seating for 312 embarked forces, with fixed berthing for 104.

As one of the Defense Department's largest acquisition organizations, PEO Ships is responsible for executing the development and procurement of all destroyers, amphibious ships, special mission and support ships and special warfare craft. Delivering high-quality war fighting assets — while balancing affordability and capability — is key to supporting the Navy’s Maritime Strategy.

http://www.navyrecognition.com