Naval and Defense News

[SirAndrew]

wrote this article for CIMSEC, hope you enjoy [;)]

http://cimsec.org/arab-allies-must-step ... gulf/41255

[kevinkins]

Glad to see professionals are here in this great forum. Bravo.

Kevin

[xavierv]

Japan Officially Selects F-35B Fighter as STOVL Aircraft

Japan's Ministry of Defense (MoD) has officially announced the selection of the F-35B fighter as its future short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft. The U.S. government and Lockheed Martin were the sole bidder.

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/20 ... -aircraft/

[xavierv]

TADTE 2019: Latest Taiwanese Naval Projects for ROC Navy

The latest Taiwanese naval projects were showcased at the 2019 Taipei Aerospace & Defense Technology Exhibition (TADTE) which was held this week in Taiwan: A new LPD project, a mine-laying ship and the flight II of the well known Tuo Chiang-class corvette.

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/20 ... -roc-navy/

After the "air defense LHD" from Qatar, here is the "surface combatant LPD" from Taiwan...

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U.S. Marines Demonstrate M142 HIMARS MLRS Capabilities in Amphibious Raid

U.S. Marines with 3rd Marine Division demonstrated the mobility and lethality of the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System during a simulated amphibious raid, Aug. 14, 2019.

The training provides an opportunity for the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Navy to enhance their interoperability and develop new methods of integrating Marine assets into the naval expeditionary force. During the operation, a HIMARS platoon from 12th Marine Regiment successfully loaded personnel and equipment onto a U.S. Navy landing craft, utility, where it was then transferred to another location and offloaded on shore for follow-on missions.

This capability makes HIMARS a more lethal and extensive asset. “This exercise helps showcase our unit’s mobility and the mobility of the HIMARS in the Indo-Pacific,” said U.S. Marine Cpl. Pablo Villegas, a HIMARS operator who participated in the training. He went on to say that HIMARS are typically driven over land or inserted into an area of operations via aircraft, now that HIMARS are able to be transported via a LCU, there are no limits to where the HIMARS can be.

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/20 ... ious-raid/

[xavierv]

ROK Navy to get Aircraft Carrier, Arsenal Ship as part of Ambitious 5-year defense plan

South Korea's Ministry of National Defense (MND) unveiled on August 14 an ambitious mid-term defense plan for 2020-2024. In addition to known projects (KDX III Batch II and KSS III Batch II) the plan calls for the design of two new naval projects for the ROK Navy: An LPX-II aircraft carrier and an arsenal ship.

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/20 ... ense-plan/

[Ancalagon451]

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/29477/lets-talk-about-the-post-inf-treaty-u-s-test-of-a-ground-launched-tomahawk-missile

Am I the only one that thinks that this proves the russians correct, when they complained about the Aegis Ashore being a INF-violating launcher back in 17?

Ancalagon

[Randomizer]

From War on the Rocks:

Guide to becoming an Admiral in the Russian Navy

-C

[Hongjian]

This was fast as heck. Just in June, you could even argue that what was thought to be the first Type 075 LHD hull in Shanghai wasnt even a military ship...
Now, the island is installed and the ship is only a month from being launched. Construction took just under a year.

[stilesw]

From War on the Rocks:

Guide to becoming an Admiral in the Russian Navy

-C

Hi Christopher,

Interesting guide, thanks. I've included it in the Dropbox reference library.

As always, any forum member can have access to this Dropbox resource. Just PM me with your email address.

-Wayne Stiles

[Primarchx]

ORIGINAL: Ancalagon451

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/29477/lets-talk-about-the-post-inf-treaty-u-s-test-of-a-ground-launched-tomahawk-missile

Am I the only one that thinks that this proves the russians correct, when they complained about the Aegis Ashore being a INF-violating launcher back in 17?

Ancalagon

That article states that the Aegis Ashore Mk41 were specifically modified to not permit installation of Tomahawk.

[Ancalagon451]

That article states that the Aegis Ashore Mk41 were specifically modified to not permit installation of Tomahawk.

Well, since:

- Lockheed-Martin themselves are calling them "identical to the fielded maritime system"

- They are visually undistinguishable from their ship-mounted counterparts and

-There has been no information about the nature of the alleged modifications, unlike the cases of the compartimentalized bomb bay of the B-1B or the condemned missile tubes of the Ohio subs (both modified to comply with the START treaty)

You can color me more than a bit sceptic about that.

Ancalagon

[Filitch]

Financial year begins about calendar year ago. Either Lockheed Martin provides work free or US planned to withdraw from INF at least at summer 2018

[ExNusquam]

ORIGINAL: Ancalagon451

That article states that the Aegis Ashore Mk41 were specifically modified to not permit installation of Tomahawk.

Well, since:

- Lockheed-Martin themselves are calling them "identical to the fielded maritime system"

- They are visually undistinguishable from their ship-mounted counterparts and

-There has been no information about the nature of the alleged modifications, unlike the cases of the compartimentalized bomb bay of the B-1B or the condemned missile tubes of the Ohio subs (both modified to comply with the START treaty)

You can color me more than a bit sceptic about that.

Ancalagon

While I have no evidence to back it up, it would be very easy to simply not install any of the TLAM mission planning systems or associated data connections in the cells themselves. Modified could simply mean they never installed the necessary cables.

ORIGINAL: Filitch

Financial year begins about calendar year ago. Either Lockheed Martin provides work free or US planned to withdraw from INF at least at summer 2018

1. INF has always allowed ground launch of intermediate range systems for R&D for air and sea launch. If you were going to give the Navy a Surface/Sub-Surface strike mission again this is a permissible test.

2. The 2018 Nuclear Posture Review (released February 2018) explicitly noted that the US was conducting this treaty compliant research as a pressure mechanism to attempt to bring the Russians back into compliance. You can see how well that worked out...

[Primarchx]

ORIGINAL: Ancalagon451

That article states that the Aegis Ashore Mk41 were specifically modified to not permit installation of Tomahawk.

Well, since:

- Lockheed-Martin themselves are calling them "identical to the fielded maritime system"

- They are visually undistinguishable from their ship-mounted counterparts and

-There has been no information about the nature of the alleged modifications, unlike the cases of the compartimentalized bomb bay of the B-1B or the condemned missile tubes of the Ohio subs (both modified to comply with the START treaty)

You can color me more than a bit sceptic about that.

Ancalagon

Sort of a moot point now, anyway.

[Dysta]

ORIGINAL: Primarchx

Sort of a moot point now, anyway.

Yep. Not to mention the world military are getting eager to arm land-based long range weaponries for their armies. The demise of INF is expected no matter who becomes the US or Russian president. I don’t think a launcher that being handicapped to fire only one type of weapon is a good idea, even they are risking to violate the treaty before the expiration.

[xavierv]

USS Ohio cruise missile submarine completes 2-year refit

Fully refreshed after more than two years of refitting, the US Navy’s oldest guided missile submarine, USS Ohio (SSGN 726), is once again ready to set sail, the PSNS & IMF Public Affairs said on August 15, 2019.

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/20 ... ear-refit/

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Raytheon’s Enterprise Air Surveillance Radar successfully tracks first targets

Raytheon and the U.S. Navy completed the first system-level tests of SPY-6(V)2, the Enterprise Air Surveillance Radar (or EASR), at the Surface Combat System Center at Wallops Island, VA.
...
Two variants of EASR are being built: a single-face rotating array designated AN/SPY-6(V)2 for amphibious assault ships and Nimitz class carriers, and a three fixed-face array designated AN/SPY-6(V)3 for Ford class aircraft carriers and the future FFG(X) guided missile frigates.

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/20 ... t-targets/

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RAN Hobart-class Guided Missile Destroyer fires SM-2 missile in Australian waters for the first time

HMAS Hobart (III) has become the first Royal Australian Navy Hobart class Guided Missile Destroyer to fire a missile in Australian waters. Hobart fired an SM-2 Standard Missile in the East Australian Exercise Area against an unmanned target during trials off the coast of New South Wales, achieving excellent results.

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/20 ... irst-time/

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BAE Systems 57mm Gun Systems Selected for Indonesia’s New KCR-60M

The Indonesian Navy has selected BAE Systems’ Bofors 57 Mk3 naval gun system for the country’s KCR-60 fast-attack vessel program. The initial contracts with government-owned shipbuilder PT PAL Indonesia include four 57 Mk3 gun systems.

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/20 ... w-kcr-60m/

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Not surprising (at all) but it is now semi official

USMC to Fly First F-35B from Japan’s Izumo-class Aircraft Carriers

U.S. Marine Corps' F-35B STOVL fighters will be the first fixed wing aircraft to fly from Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) Izumo-class "helicopter destroyers", following the conversion of both JS Izumo and JS Kaga into aircraft carriers.

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/20 ... -carriers/

[Filitch]

ORIGINAL: ExNusquam
1. INF has always allowed ground launch of intermediate range systems for R&D for air and sea launch. If you were going to give the Navy a Surface/Sub-Surface strike mission again this is a permissible test.

2. The 2018 Nuclear Posture Review (released February 2018) explicitly noted that the US was conducting this treaty compliant research as a pressure mechanism to attempt to bring the Russians back into compliance. You can see how well that worked out...

This is not case of "R&D for air and sea launch". This is definitely ground-launched missile, moreover missile BGM-109G is object of treaty, launch conducted from launcher not distinguishable from launchers for ground-launch missiles. The bunch of treaty violations.

Please, every big country policy has dirty stain. USA wanted to dismiss treaty, USA found occasion and break the treaty. Any kind of "Nuclear Posture Review", statements of State of Government etc. is only diplomatic games, not more. Don't take it seriously, look deeper.
Probably Russia needs to dismiss treaty too. But in this concrete case USA was more aggressive and goal-oriented.

[Filitch]

The first flight of Altius-U UAV, MQ-9 counterpart

https://www.janes.com/article/90556/rus ... tius-u-uav

[Scar79]

ORIGINAL: Filitch

The first flight of Altius-U UAV, MQ-9 counterpart

https://www.janes.com/article/90556/rus ... tius-u-uav

Well, not quite. Altius is three times heavier and has twice longer range. Orion looks more like a counterpart of Reaper.

[Dysta]

ORIGINAL: Hongjian

This was fast as heck. Just in June, you could even argue that what was thought to be the first Type 075 LHD hull in Shanghai wasnt even a military ship...
Now, the island is installed and the ship is only a month from being launched. Construction took just under a year.

More pictures of the 075 island:

https://twitter.com/OedoSoldier/status/ ... 9481459712