Naval and Defense News

[xavierv]

Part 1 video coverage from Balt Military Expo in Poland

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3becvi50u_w

- DAMEN new SIGMA 10514PL Coastal Patrol Ship and Patrol Vessel
- Some views of ORP Grom Orkan-class fast attack craft (with SAAB RBS15 anti-ship missile) of the Polish Navy
- HSwMS Södermanland SSK Submarine of the Royal Swedish Navy
- Saab Kockums A26 Submarine
- DCNS Scorpene-class Submarine with MBDA's Naval Cruise Missile
- TKMS 212A Submarine

[xavierv]

Russia’s large amphibious assault ship Ivan Gren LST at sea for first time during trials

Russia’s Project 11711 large amphibious assault ship Ivan Gren built at the Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad in west Russia has gone to the Baltic Sea for the first time during its running trials, shipyard spokesman Sergei Mikhailov told TASS.

"The large amphibious assault ship Ivan Gren went to the Baltic Sea for the first time at 10:30 local time [11:30 Moscow time]. The ship will pass at sea several days," Mikhailov said.

According to the spokesman, "the ship’s propulsion engines and radar, as well as its running characteristics will be tested".

On June 17, the large amphibious assault ship Ivan Gren left the Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad to arrive at the acceptance base in Baltiysk and start undergoing shipbuilders’ trials. The trials are expected to last through September. After that, the ship will start undergoing state trials. If they are successful, the ship will join Russia’s Navy.

http://www.navyrecognition.com/index.ph ... ew&id=4131

Russia's Rubin Design Bureau produces Klavesin-2R-PM UUV demonstrator

Russia`s Rubin Central Design Bureau for Marine Engineering (a subsidiary of the United Shipbuilding Corporation) produced the demonstrator of Klavesin-2R-PM unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) in 2015, according to the company`s 2015 annual report.

"In 2015, Rubin finished the production of working construction documentation for Klavesin-2R-PM UUV intended for search operations at depths down to 6,000 m. The Rubin`s research and development (R&D) fabrication line produced the vehicle`s prototype. The special testing equipment with transport-docking module was manufactured to test the vehicle`s algorithms. In late 2016, the UUV`s demonstrator was tested at the Krylov State Research Center`s experimental tank to confirm its meeting to the operational requirements and to define the vehicle`s navigability", the report said.

http://www.navyrecognition.com/index.ph ... ew&id=4133

Russian Navy Slava-class Cruiser Marshal Ustinov to Start Sea Trials in August - September

The Russian Navy Northern Fleet’s Project 1164 (NATO reporting name: Slava-class) Marshal Ustinov guided missile cruiser currently being repaired and upgraded at the Zvyozdochka Shipyard in Severodvinsk in north Russia will start undergoing running trials at sea in late August - early September, the shipyard’s press office told TASS.
...
According to various sources, the Marshal Ustinov is being fitted with an advanced missile system, probably, the Kalibr (SS-N-27 Sizzler) or Oniks (SS-N-26 Strobile). The upgrade will provide the cruiser with the Podberyozovik three-dimensional long-range target acquisition radar and Fregat-M2M sea-skimming target acquisition radar. There have been statements that the ship will not receive advanced air defense missile systems.

http://www.navyrecognition.com/index.ph ... ew&id=4121

[xavierv]

Elbit Systems’ Seagull USV Successfully Completes Torpedo Launch Trials

Elbit Systems completed recently a trial test torpedo launch from its Seagull multi-mission, autonomous Unmanned Surface Vessel(USV) system. The trial, performed out of Israel's Haifa port,demonstrated the capability of Seagull to install and launch lightweight torpedoes, adding to the advanced capabilities of the USV, which is designed to carry out unmanned maritime missions, such as protection of critical sea areas and high-value assets against submarines and sea mine threats.

http://www.navyrecognition.com/index.ph ... ew&id=4135

[Hongjian]

I dont consider NI to be trustworthy, especially their click-baity titles. But some articles, like this here, do quote some serious official Naval Analysts... Still, articles about submarine noise levels are always to be taken with salt.

http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-bu ... tack-16741

Is China’s new Type 093B nuclear-powered attack submarine on par with the U.S. Navy’s Improved Los Angeles-class boats?

At least some U.S. naval analysts believe so and contend that the introduction of the new People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) submarines is an indication of just how quickly Beijing is catching up to the West.

“The 93B is not to be confused with the 93. It is a transition platform between the 93 and the forthcoming 95,” said Jerry Hendrix, director of the Defense Strategies and Assessments Program at the Center for a New American Security—who is also a former U.S. Navy Captain. “It is quieter and it has a new assortment of weapons to include cruise missiles and a vertical launch capability. The 93B is analogous to our LA improved in quietness and their appearance demonstrates that China is learning quickly about how to build a modern fast attack boat.”

Other sources were not convinced that Beijing could have made such enormous technological strides so quickly—but they noted that the topic of Chinese undersea warfare capability is very classified. Open source analysis is often extremely difficult, if not impossible. “Regarding the question on the Type 093B, I really don’t know, anything is possible I suppose, but I doubt it,” said retired Rear Adm. Mike McDevitt, now an analyst at CNA’s Center for Naval Analyses. “I have no doubt that the PLAN has ambitions to at least achieve that level of capability and quietness.”

Personally, I dont think it is too inconceivable that China achieved a level of quieting technology comparable to the US late 80s, seeing the massive investments and advancements in industrial and technological fields, especially in terms of nuclear reactor design. There must be spill-over effects from the civilian nuclear industy, which made great strides since the last decade, enabling China to compete internationally.

Anyway, it seems that the latest GE images show that 2 more 09IIIBs have been completed in Huludao Shipyard. This makes five 09IIIB (3x in GE image from 2013-14, plus those two now). Measurement shows that they are about 113m long and 11,5 meters in diameter - maybe some measurement errors along the way, but indeed larger than the 100m of the basic 09III and about the size of the 688i as well.




Such a mass-production in such short time frame is very surprising, especially considering that the PLAN operated merely two basic Shang-classes for nearly a decade. The PLAN seems to be satisfied with this new design - And perhaps happy that they can fully replace all Han-class SSNs boat-for-boat now.

[Dysta]

Inferior or not, those subs are built by themselves, and they are of course can change and improve the design within their capability and budget. With an aircraft carrier commissioned and sail along the group, SSN is a must to go further and more enduring than conventionals, to protect the fleet and provide offset attacks silently.

The newer 093s might born in the toughest time because the US P-8A and equivant type of MPAs (and autonomous sub-hunters in the future) are exported and commissioned in many countries, squeezing the breathing room for subs even smaller. I don't know if China ended up their new carrier groups are mimicking the Soviet doctrine to protect subs with J-15s, but I think building more nuclear subs is essential because the underwater deterrence is still more flexible than surface warships.

[xavierv]

New Guided Missile Destroyer Project for ROC Navy Emerges out of Taiwan

Pictures of a scale model and computer renderings of a new guided-missile destroyer project for the Republic of China (Taiwan) Navy (ROC Navy) emerged last week in the 中国军事中國軍事武器 (China Military Chinese Weapon) magazine. This new destroyer project is in line with Taiwan's new naval acquisition plan which was unveiled late last year. The new plan called for four new destroyers (among other vessels).

http://www.navyrecognition.com/index.ph ... ew&id=4140

[xavierv]

Part 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OuOS-YqSMk

In this video, coverage of:
- Lacroix Defense Sylena Mk2 multiple decoy launcher
- BAE Systems Bofors 57Mk3 and 40Mk4 naval gun systems
- Thales CAPTAS 2 variable depth sonar
- ECA Group drones and UUV
- PT Pal Indonesia SSV and KCR 60

[Dysta]

This is a military accident, but why it can lock on the innocent ship, and no self-destruct or disengagement system?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/as ... story.html

Taiwan misfires anti-ship missile, kills 1 fisherman


TAIPEI, Taiwan — Taiwan’s military said it mistakenly fired a supersonic anti-ship missile Friday that hit a fishing boat, killing one and injuring three people, on the day rival China was celebrating the Communist Party’s anniversary.

The 500-ton patrol boat Chinchiang was undergoing an inspection inside a military base when the Hsiung Feng III missile was fired and landed about 40 nautical miles (75 kilometers) away in waters off the islands of Penghu near Taiwan, the official Central News Agency said.

The Defense Ministry said the missile penetrated a nearby Taiwanese fishing boat, killing its captain and injuring three crew members.

A preliminary investigation showed that missile operators likely failed to follow proper procedures, CNA said.

A full investigation was under way, while the navy sent a helicopter and boats to search for the missile, the report said.

More at link.

EDIT 1: Pictures of the ship, see for the damage.

My opinion: It's fortunate for surviving victims, because the entry is at the frontal bridge, and the missile was 'fast enough' to penetrate it, so the explosive cone did not lumbered the keel. Thus it did not sink.

Still, no explanation why it was engaged.

[Hongjian]

Impressive that such a small target like a fishing boat could be hit, at over-the-horizon distance. This tells one about the seeker capabilities of modern anti-ship missiles.

Apparently, this incident was far from being harmless and could have caused a major conflic:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DC_-dO19PXw

Basically says that the PLAN coastal radar and missile brigades immediately turned on their FCS after the launch of that missile, preparing for counter-attack by DF-series ballistic missiles.
But the PLAN radar brigades noticed how it blasted one of Taiwan's own fishing ships instead, and were just lol ok.

Only five seconds more, and we would have had a new Taiwan Strait Crisis going on.

[Dysta]

ORIGINAL: Hongjian

Only five seconds more, and we would have had a new Taiwan Strait Crisis going on.

Whatever the ultimate intention is, the captain of fishery is dead, and everyone know how powerful the HF-3 is (not entirely, because it's not a warship's superstructure).

Should it be a feature for CMANO like 'over-penetration' or something like that? Because that hit is direct, but not catastrophic to sink, thanks for the explosion came 'too late' from a clean entry. If that's in scenario, the fishing boat below 1000t is definitely a goner.

[mikmykWS]

ORIGINAL: Dysta

ORIGINAL: Hongjian

Only five seconds more, and we would have had a new Taiwan Strait Crisis going on.

Whatever the ultimate intention is, the captain of fishery is dead, and everyone know how powerful the HF-3 is (not entirely, because it's not a warship's superstructure).

Should it be a feature for CMANO like 'over-penetration' or something like that? Because that hit is direct, but not catastrophic to sink, thanks for the explosion came 'too late' from a clean entry. If that's in scenario, the fishing boat below 1000kt is definitely a goner.

Notice anything in the logs?

Mike

[Dysta]

ORIGINAL: mikmyk

Notice anything in the logs?

Mike

Running test 20 times. Should I make a new thread about it?

[mikmykWS]

The logs should have a line about penetration.

Mike

[Dysta]

ORIGINAL: mikmyk

The logs should have a line about penetration.

Mike

I presume I can just post here.

Okay, Running over 10 times already, but all the damage results are mostly same, no matter the hitting direction, or the fishing boat has no fuel. So I only post 5 of them:

Test 01

12:02:06 - Contact VAMPIRE #1 has been lost.
12:02:06 - Commercial Fishing Boat [35m] damage report: Diesels has suffered additional damage!
12:02:06 - Commercial Fishing Boat [35m] is sinking!!!
12:02:06 - Commercial Fishing Boat [35m] has suffered weapon damage: 436.5 DPs
12:02:06 - 97% penetration achieved
12:02:06 - Weapon: Hsiung Feng III #9 has impacted Commercial Fishing Boat [35m].
12:02:06 - New contact! Designated VAMPIRE #1 - Detected by Commercial Fishing Boat [35m] [Sensors: Mk1 Eyeball] at 189deg - 0.4nm - No Contrail Detected.

Test 02

12:02:03 - Contact VAMPIRE #1 has been lost.
12:02:03 - Commercial Fishing Boat [35m] damage report: Diesels has suffered additional moderate damage.
12:02:03 - Commercial Fishing Boat [35m] is sinking!!!
12:02:03 - Commercial Fishing Boat [35m] has suffered weapon damage: 369 DPs
12:02:03 - 82% penetration achieved
12:02:03 - Weapon: Hsiung Feng III #9 has impacted Commercial Fishing Boat [35m].
12:02:03 - New contact! Designated VAMPIRE #1 - Detected by Commercial Fishing Boat [35m] [Sensors: Mk1 Eyeball] at 180deg - 0.4nm - No Contrail Detected.

Test 03

12:02:15 - Contact GuidedWeapon #1 has been lost.
12:02:15 - Commercial Fishing Boat [35m] damage report: Diesels has suffered additional damage!
12:02:15 - Commercial Fishing Boat [35m] is sinking!!!
12:02:15 - Commercial Fishing Boat [35m] has suffered weapon damage: 441 DPs
12:02:15 - 98% penetration achieved
12:02:15 - Weapon: Hsiung Feng III #9 has impacted Commercial Fishing Boat [35m].
12:02:15 - Contact: VAMPIRE #1 has been type-classified as: GuidedWeapon (Classification by: Commercial Fishing Boat [35m] [Sensor: Mk1 Eyeball] at 0 nm)
12:02:14 - New contact! Designated VAMPIRE #1 - Detected by Commercial Fishing Boat [35m] [Sensors: Mk1 Eyeball] at 201deg - 0.5nm - No Contrail Detected.

 
Test 04

12:02:04 - Contact GuidedWeapon #1 has been lost.
12:02:04 - Commercial Fishing Boat [35m] damage report: Diesels has suffered additional light damage.
12:02:04 - Commercial Fishing Boat [35m] is sinking!!!
12:02:04 - Commercial Fishing Boat [35m] has suffered weapon damage: 351 DPs
12:02:04 - 78% penetration achieved
12:02:04 - Weapon: Hsiung Feng III #9 has impacted Commercial Fishing Boat [35m].
12:02:04 - Contact: VAMPIRE #1 has been type-classified as: GuidedWeapon (Classification by: Commercial Fishing Boat [35m] [Sensor: Mk1 Eyeball] at 0.1 nm)
12:02:03 - New contact! Designated VAMPIRE #1 - Detected by Commercial Fishing Boat [35m] [Sensors: Mk1 Eyeball] at 180deg - 0.6nm - No Contrail Detected.

Test 05

12:02:03 - Contact VAMPIRE #1 has been lost.
12:02:03 - Commercial Fishing Boat [35m] damage report: Diesels has suffered additional light damage.
12:02:03 - Commercial Fishing Boat [35m] has suffered weapon damage: 450 DPs
12:02:03 - Commercial Fishing Boat [35m] damage report: Diesels has suffered additional damage!
12:02:03 - Commercial Fishing Boat [35m] is sinking!!!
12:02:03 - Commercial Fishing Boat [35m] has suffered blast damage: 56.2 DPs
12:02:03 - 100% penetration achieved
12:02:03 - Weapon: Hsiung Feng III #9 has impacted Commercial Fishing Boat [35m].
12:02:03 - New contact! Designated VAMPIRE #1 - Detected by Commercial Fishing Boat [35m] [Sensors: Mk1 Eyeball] at 180deg - 0.4nm - No Contrail Detected.

Result:

Entry Point: Due North from the Fishing Boat
Target Distance: <55 nm
Weapon Damage: 351-450 DPs (33 DPs for Fishing Boat)
Blast Damage: 56.2 DPs (1/5 of all tests)
Additional Damage(s): Diesels (fuel?) x5
Penetration: 78-100%
Target Result: All is sinking

--------------------------

Does that mean the real-life event that HF-3 did not sink the boat is a luck of lottery, or the penetration percentage has a different meaning than what I thought?

I presumed the missile in CMANO struck the fishing boat wasn't entirely entered the boat (below 100%), and the weapon damage (presumed as kinetic) overwhelmed the boat's DP, thus it's sinking.

If that's 100%, that means the missile is totally going inside the boat, maximunized the weapon damage with an additional blast damage. Well, the fishing boat should be a fragment of scraps already.

But what's the circumstance to achieve the 'hit but not sinking'? Besides the over-penetration (over 100%, like the missile is exiting from inside), I hardly think the others.

[mikmykWS]

Ok look at the log to see the hit and then open the scenario editor to see what damaged is caused. You'll also notice also the results of hits that include flooding and fire. Put it all together and you can see how we modeled stuff.

Mike

[Hongjian]

Taiwan doesnt even know themselves, why the HF-III didnt completely shred that small fishing boat. For the crew, aside of the skipper, it was devil's luck.

Here, another substanciation about that PLA radar story. Looks like China's radar surveillance is indeed quite capable in immediately picking up a sea-skimming missile launch even over the horizon.

http://focustaiwan.tw/news/aipl/201607010032.aspx

No abnormalities detected in Chinese fleets: Taiwan's Navy
2016/07/01 23:49:55
Taipei, July 1 (CNA) No abnormalities have been detected in China's naval or air force fleets after a missile was mistakenly launched by a warship during a testing drill from a military base in southern Taiwan earlier Friday, the Navy said.

"No abnormal deployments of China's warships and war planes have been discovered by us following the incident, and all such news reports are far-fetched speculation," Navy Chief of Staff Vice Adm. Mei Chia-shu (&#26757;&#23478;&#27193;) said.

He was referring to local media reports that said shortly after a Hsiung Feng III supersonic anti-ship missile was fired by mistake from one of the Navy's 500-ton Chinchiang-class corvettes during a testing drill at Zuoying Military Harbor in Kaohsiung at 8:15 a.m., it was immediately detected by China's radars and that in less than one second, Taiwan's radars also screened abnormal radar signals from China's Fujian Province.

According to the report, the signals of Chinese radars returned to normal five seconds later only after the Taiwanese missile fell into the sea.

Earlier in the day, Mei said the missile did not cross the median line of the Taiwan Strait before sinking into waters off the Penghu archipelago after striking the boat.

The strait, which divides Taiwan and China, has an average width of 180 kilometers (97 nautical miles).

The missile hit a Taiwanese fishing boat "Hsiang Li Sheng" (&#32724;&#21033;&#26119;) about two minutes after it was fired, killing the captain and wounding three others. But it did not immediately explode or cause the vessel to break up.

As to a reporter's question on how the military could convince international society and mainland China that the incident was not orchestrated to coincide with the celebrations to mark the founding of the Communist Party of China in Beijing, Ministry of National Defense spokesman Maj. Gen. Chen Chung-chi (&#38515;&#20013;&#21513;) rejected such a link and stressed that it was purely an accident by a soldier who had failed to followed standard operating procedures.

He urged the local media to stop making such speculation and reiterated that it was merely an accident, which carried no political motivation or any aim to escalate tensions in the region.

The Navy said later Friday that the blunder was caused by a Navy sergeant who set off the missile without following procedures and without any superior officers present while the missile was on the wrong combat and launch mode, instead of on the missile drill simulation mode.

(By H.H. Lu and Flor Wang)
enditem/cs

[mikmykWS]

Its a wooden or fiberglass ship and a supersonic missile. It went right through!

Does any of this really matter[:)]

Mike

[CapnDarwin]

There was no blast as that missile sailed through the ship in less then a tenth of a second. It is also possible the missile was not "attacking" the fishing boat, but was passing through on its way to its target point. Odds are we will never know all the facts.

[Dysta]

Missile struck into the engine compartment should be instantly ignited it, but the picture shown only shreds of mess at the stern, and the burnt mark is nearly non-present. But it's the weapon damage, more than 10 times than the boat's DP had sunk it, and it's not a mission-kill (disabled).

I would agree it's the devil's luck, as far as the hull and/or keel isn't punctured to get flooded. You cannot expect only 2 surviving crew in that boat could save themselves if either fire or flood is active.

EDIT: Wait, it's a confirmed missile test intended to target a barge, where a fishing boat was nearby. Is that mean the missile installed the training warhead? It might be an accuracy test rather than the damage test.

[xavierv]

Successful M51 Ballistic Missile SLBM Test in Operational Conditions from French Navy SSBN

The French Ministry of Defense announced that an M51 submarine launched ballistic missile (SLBM) was test launched "in operational conditions" from French Navy (Marine Nationale) ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) Le Triomphant on July 1st 2016.

This test was successful and was carried out without nuclear charge. The missile was monitored throughout its flight phase by means of DGA testing facility and Missile Range Insrumentation Ship Monge (A601). The impact zone is located in the North Atlantic several hundred kilometers from any coast.

The M51 is fitted today on board three of the four new generation SSBNs of the French Navy (Le Triomphant class). The transition of the entire French Navy's strategic oceanic force fleet to the M51 missile is expected by the end of the decade.

http://www.navyrecognition.com/index.ph ... ew&id=4155

GD NASSCO Awarded Contract to Build Next Generation of U.S. Navy Fleet Oilers TAO(X)

General Dynamics NASSCO, a subsidiary of General Dynamics, has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Navy for the detailed design and construction of the next generation of fleet oilers, the John Lewis class (TAO-205), previously known as the TAO(X). This contract is for the construction of six ships.

http://www.navyrecognition.com/index.ph ... ew&id=4154