Naval and Defense News

[SunlitZelkova]

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news ... ries/1598/

If you read between the lines, I see this as pointing out major weaknesses in the supply chain as opposed to the factories potentially being located to unstable regions. This maker apparently has no relation to the defence industry but it makes me wonder how vulnerable other chip makers are, either to accidents to sabotage (physical or cyber).

[Blast33]

ArmeedelAir intend to reach French Polynesia via the U.S. in 48 hr. The mission will involve three Rafale-s, two...A330MRTT & one A400M...we will interact with the U.S. and their command in the Pacific Ocean"https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/ ... g-aircraft

Nice one to try in CMO! [8D]

[kevinkins]

Actually, looking at the app Marine Traffic, Ukraine does have access to sea shipping via Odesa and along the Dniper River. But I bet they wish Kerch was freely open to them. Melitopol has a few tugs in it, but it's so close to Russia.

[Blast33]

So, who needs his reading glasses?
https://www.bellingcat.com/news/mena/2021/04/19/persian-posturing-irans-drone-fleet-seen-from-space/

[Blast33]

A Raytheon RIM-174 SM-6 missile integrated on a left wing pylon of a Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet in flight. Credit: Michael Grove.
The photo was taken in 2018 , close to Point Mugu.
https://twitter.com/clemente3000/status/1384384499535028226/photo/1

And some background info:

Capt. Michael Ladner, program manager, told USNI News in 2014 that several new missions could be added via software-only upgrades. In addition to being easily reconfigurable, the SM-6 has been shown to work with the Navy’s fighter datalinks by the engagement of an aerial target utilizing targeting data provided by an F-35 in 2016. A short development process would allow the SM-6 to be qualified for Super Hornet use by 2020.

There are some additional benefits beyond providing a counter to the emerging long-range cruise missile bomber threat. At first instance, the SM-6 would provide a much longer range air-to-air missile than the AIM-120D and help to bridge the gap between the AIM-120D and the longest ranged Chinese and Russian AAMs that are either in development or newly in service. The SM-6 would also provide a more effective anti-ship weapon to the Super Hornet. Notwithstanding, it is a smaller warhead than the Harpoon, the SM-6 provides a much larger kinetic punch than the subsonic AGM-84 Harpoon due to its Mach 4 speed, is more survivable against modern CIWS systems due to its high speed and has a longer range. If the SM-6 were to be acquired in large quantities for airborne use, the per unit cost of the missiles would drop dramatically and allow the missile to be purchased in larger quantities for use in the original SAM role. Additionally, the employment of the SM-6 on the Super Hornet would allow potentially allow for the Super Hornet to widen the engagement range of a carrier strike group in the BMD role.
https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2018/03/01/giving_the_super_hornet_more_punch_think_sm-6_113137.html

[KungPao]

Indonesian submarine goes missing north of Bali

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-56829278

[DESRON420]

The GAO analysis of the USN Dec 2020 shipbuilding plan has been released. By the mid-2020s adjusted shipbuilding spending is higher than the Cold War average! No wonder it was greeted with derision.

[Bashkire]

Two new patrol boats announced for the Royal Navy - HM Ships Dagger and Cutlass.

They'll be based in Gibraltar, will have speeds up to and including 40 knots, and will be armed with 3 7.62mm GPMGs and have the option to swap those out for .50 cal HMGs.

[Blast33]

ΙΝS Lahav, currently the most powerful warship of the #IsraeliNavy (equipped with Barak-8 SAM and ELTA's MF-STAR/ELM-2248), with Iron Dome system on the flight deck in order to provide protection to the southern gas fields.

These are probably not in your standard CMO Sa'ar-5 weapon loadout..
https://twitter.com/D__Mitch/status/1393543357834596355

[Blast33]

Will the Vulcano break the supremacy of the guided missiles?

https://navalpost.com/vulcano-restores-the-importance-of-gun-systems/
The engagement types, methods, and tactics have been evolving in accordance with developing technology. Large gun systems, which dominated the naval warfare scene for decades, began to be replaced by different types of guided missiles. Because now, enemies can be detected from greater distances, position and movement information can be transferred beyond the horizon, and targets that are too far to be seen with the eye can be engaged with high accuracy.

This situation pushed the cannon systems into the background of naval warfare. With some exceptions, gun systems began to be seen as more defensive than offensive because the gun systems range was much lower than the guided missiles. However, the smart ammunition solution produced by Leonardo and BAE Systems company with the Vulcano model began to change this situation.

Offering significantly greater range and precision, the new munition is compatible with the most land and naval platforms, including 155mm and 5-inch (127mm) gun systems to defeat land and sea threats. The Vulcano family capitalizes on new and emerging technology based on a fin-stabilized airframe with canard control for extended range and terminal guidance, with mechanical interfaces like standard ammunition.

Following the remarkable results achieved in the development of the Vulcano Program, the Italian Navy General Staff and Oto Melara are jointly investigating the feasibility of integrating GPS and IR guidance technology onboard. Vulcano allows “launch and forget” operations, responding to split fire distribution requirements: a further target can be engaged with no need to wait for lethality assessment on the previous target.

As a guided projectile, the fin-stabilized munition offers autonomous GPS/INS guidance, practically doubling the range of current gun systems. When engaging fixed land-based targets or surface targets at sea, the new projectile enables even small vessels to engage targets with high precision at a high rate of fire. The new capability will allow small littoral combat ships, frigates, or gunboats to dominate a vast coastal area from a stand-off distance, out of the range of new medium-range anti-ship coastal defense missiles, rockets or artillery.

Vulcano uses common guided or unguided projectiles, fitted with a new multi-modal RF microwave fuse offering altimetric (airburst), proximity (against aerial, naval, and surface targets), or delayed impact (penetrating) and self-destruct modes. Employing the optimal fusing method enables the five-kilogram pre-fragmented warhead made of a tungsten-steel compound to provide twice the lethality of existing rounds at 80% of the weight.



Vulcano:
“VULCANO” is a family of unguided (BER) and guided (GLR) ammunition for the 76mm, 127mm naval guns, and 155mm land artillery systems.

VULCANO 127mm ammunition is conceived to give the 127/54 C and the 127/64 LW Naval Guns the capability to meet any present and future Precision Naval Fire requirement Support and Long Range engagement of Surface Targets.

vulcano
An Infographic Of Vulcano Munition
VULCANO 127mm BER maintains the anti-air role as well.
VULCANO 127mm rounds capitalize on new and emerging technology-based upon a fin-stabilized airframe with canard control for terminal guidance; mechanical interfaces are the same as standard 127mm ammunition.

VULCANO 127mm available rounds are:

Ballistic Extended Range (BER) unguided multirole ammunition with multi-function programmable fuze;
Guided Long Range (GLR)ammunition with IR sensor for the anti-ship role;
Guided Long Range (GLR)ammunition with IMU+GPS autonomous guidance for precise NFS actions (a Semi-Active Laser sensor can be fitted as an option).
vulcano
127 Mm Gun
Firing VULCANO 127mm ammunition does not affect the barrel life.

Configurations of the Munition
BER (Ballistic Extended Range)

Unguided multipurpose ammunition
▪ Up to 60Km range
▪ Multifunctional Fuze
– Altimetric
– Proximity
– Time
– Impact/delayed impact
▪ Notched HE warhead

GLR (Guided Long Range/IR)

▪ Up to 80Km range
▪ Autonomous IMU+GPS guidance
▪ IR Terminal guidance
▪ Precise anti-ship firing
▪ Notched HE warhead

GLR (Guided Long Range)

Guided ammunition for NFS
▪ Up to 100Km range
▪ Autonomous IMU+GPS guidance
▪ Precise shore bombardment firing
▪ Notched HE warhead
▪ SAL terminal guidance(optional)

Ship integration
Any equipment to operate Vulcano ammunition is integrated into gun
control cabinet including:
▪ Guidance Control Unit
▪ Programming device for ammo initialization
▪ Digital interface with ship data transfer system

[kevinkins]

Not news, but an interesting essay:

https://www.realcleardefense.com/articl ... 78283.html

[theohedd]

ORIGINAL: Blast33
Vulcano:
“VULCANO” is a family of unguided (BER) and guided (GLR) ammunition for the 76mm, 127mm naval guns, and 155mm land artillery systems.

VULCANO 127mm ammunition is conceived to give the 127/54 C and the 127/64 LW Naval Guns the capability to meet any present and future Precision Naval Fire requirement Support and Long Range engagement of Surface Targets.

Is it just me, or does this thing look like the bastard child of a JDAM, a mortar round, and an M982 Excalibur artillery shell?

[kevinkins]

Just great news:

https://news.yahoo.com/nuclear-flash-ca ... 18744.html

You don't need hackers.

[kevinkins]

https://apnews.com/article/iran-largest ... 05c6629fcd

[zclark]

The National Interest uses CMO

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboo ... dly-186428

[KungPao]

One such sim is Command: Modern Naval/Air Operations, a new game that attempts to model modern sea and air warfare as closely as a game for civilians can.

Welcome to 20.... 2013.
the original article was posted back in 2013

https://warisboring.com/how-i-lost-the-battle-of-the-south-china-sea/

[thewood1]

An article that gives more background on the transformation of the USMC.

https://www.19fortyfive.com/2021/06/the ... -u-s-army/

[AndrewNguyen1984]

Well we're screwed again...damn us all.

https://news.usni.org/2021/06/14/mda-u-s-aircraft-carriers-now-at-risk-from-hypersonic-missiles

[Dysta]

ORIGINAL: AndrewNguyen1984

Well we're screwed again...damn us all.

https://news.usni.org/2021/06/14/mda-u-s-aircraft-carriers-now-at-risk-from-hypersonic-missiles

I think US military is already well-aware the terminology “Hypersonic” before 21st century. And if China is also building a supercarrier with equivalent if not superior to the US Navy counterpart, then China should worry the same from what US/NATO have about (sub-)hypersonic weaponries in near future.

But I am more concerned about a weapon that entirely negate every close-air point defenses, like this one:


(From https://twitter.com/jpg2t785/status/1403847795304402946)

The air-launch, high speed diving anti-ship missile-torpedo (torpessile?) was leaked as a rumor that Chinese military is being curious about. It doesn’t require Mach >5 at the terminal phrase to penetrate shipborne point defenses, but rather entirely render them irrelevant by submerge into water and supercavitate toward the ship, no CIWS or missile can intercept it when it’s submerged, unless some hard-kill anti-torpedo countermeasures are already in service.

[Blast33]

Croatia will buy 12 secondhand Dassault Rafale fighter jets from France to modernize its air force, including fleet support and training
Croatia’s government has selected the Dassault Aviation Rafale for its Air Force following an international call for tenders as part of its Multi Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) program to replace its current MiG-21s.

In the government-to-government deal worth €999 million, the Croatian Air Force will receive 12 secondhand Rafale that were previously in service with the French Air Force, as well as fleet support and training.

France is to deliver the first six aircraft in 2024, with the remainder following in 2025. The deal includes 10 single-seat models and 2 two-seat models.

Croatia will be the fifth Rafale export customer, confirming the advanced technological and operational abilities of the latest-generation, combat proven, multirole fighter.