Category Archives: Navy

Navy

Near Future Submarine

June 4, 2023 Dmitry Shulgin Leave a comment

The construction of the third new generation submarine related to the U212NFS (Near Future Submarine) program for the Italian Navy and assigned to Fincantieri has received parliamentary approval and will now follow the standard administrative procedure.

The programme, which includes two vessels contracted in 2021, as well as the creation of a Training Center, is led by OCCAR (Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en matière d’Armement, the international organization for joint armament cooperation).

Pierroberto Folgiero, Chief Executive Officer of Fincantieri, commented: «Within the NFS program we are both design authority and prime contractor. The prosecution of the program acknowledges Fincantieri’s technological and managerial leadership, in full continuity with the pillars set out in our business plan. The submarine is a unique strategic and industrial asset, combining shipbuilding and its highest standards with the underwater, a sector in which crucial games will be played also thanks to our vision of the future».

The first two vessels will be delivered in 2027 and 2029, with the steel cutting of the second unit scheduled for June 6th.

The U212NFS submarines will be highly innovative, with significant design modifications which will all be developed independently by Fincantieri in accordance with the requirements of the Navy. The program responds to the need to secure adequate underwater spatial surveillance and control capacity, considering the future complex scenarios of underwater operations and that the operational lifetime of the 4 «Sauro» class submarines, currently in service, is drawing near. It also aims at upholding and further developing Fincantieri’s acquired strategic and innovative industrial know-how, as well as consolidating the technological lead attained by the company and its supply chain, major industries, and small and medium-sized enterprises of the sector, enhancing the presence on board of technologically advanced component parts developed by Italian industries.

The submarines carry out many different tasks for the benefit of the community on a daily basis, preserving national interests and collective defense within the framework of the most important alliances in which the Italy participates, NATO and the EU. They range from purely military missions to operations pertaining to freedom of navigation, anti-piracy, keeping the energy supply routes safe (due to the presence of seabed resources or underwater infrastructure), observance of international law, fighting terrorism, defending external borders, and safeguarding maritime infrastructure, including essential offshore and underwater infrastructure, not least preserving marine ecosystems.

Navy

The Irresistible Subduer

June 1, 2023 Dmitry Shulgin Leave a comment

On May 26th, ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems handed over a frigate to the Navy of the Arab Republic of Egypt. It is the second in a series of four MEKO A-200 EN frigates. The ceremony in Bremerhaven, which was attended by high-ranking Egyptian and German Navy officials, also included the naming of the vessel. The Commander in Chief of the Egyptian Navy, Vice Admiral Ashraf Ibrahim Atwa, named the ship «AL-QAHHAR», meaning «The Irresistible Subduer».

ENS Al-Qahhar — ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems hands over second frigate for Egyptian Navy

«This project is considered a role model for many countries in the field of joint military industrialization», stated Vice Admiral Atwa. «Today, with the delivery of the ‘AL-QAHHAR’ frigate, our project has reached its midway».

«With today’s handover ceremony, we add a further highlight to the excellent relationship between the Egyptian Navy and ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems», said Paul Glaser, CFO of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems. «The ongoing cooperation on naval surface vessels and submarines is one of the cornerstones of the long-term partnership between our two countries. The first-of-class ship ‘AL-AZIZ’ is already in service and has since proven its technical capabilities and reliability, and its sister ship ‘AL-QAHHAR’ will be just as successful».

In its class, the MEKO A-200 EN is one of the most powerful warships in service today. The next-generation vessels are more than 121 metres/397 feet long, 16 metres/52.5 feet wide and have a maximum speed of more than 29 knots/33 mph/54 kph. Featuring a stealthy design, the frigates are dedicated to taking on the role of the new central combat platform of the Egyptian Navy. Each ship will possess an extensive range of both defensive and offensive capabilities.

In total, the Arab Republic of Egypt ordered four structurally identical vessels, with the first three units being produced in Germany and the fourth vessel being built by Alexandria Shipyard in Egypt. The building contract was signed in September 2018. Construction work on «AL-QAHHAR» started in December 2019, with keel laying in March 2020 and launching in August 2021. She will start the journey to her homeport in Alexandria in a few days. The next milestone in this project will be the handover of the third vessel of the series, «AL-QADEER», later this year.

Navy

NEMO mortar systems

May 31, 2023 Dmitry Shulgin Leave a comment

Sweden is strengthening its defence capabilities at sea with eight new mortar vessels. These vessels will be equipped with the Patria NEMO Navy turreted 120-mm system.

Patria is delivering its mortar system to the Swedish armed forces for the first time as a subcontractor to Swede Ship Marine AB. Amphibious units in Stockholm and Gothenburg will soon have eight vessels that can provide artillery support from the sea.

The vessels have been ordered by FMV (Försvarets materielverk) from Swede Ship Marine AB. In addition, Patria is also delivering its NEMO mortar systems for training purposes.

Patria NEMO Navy is a light and compact system, ideal for applications in fast-moving naval fleets and mechanised fleets. The turret can be integrated into a variety of platforms, including Patria 6×6 armoured vehicle, which the Swedish armed forces have already ordered from Patria. This combination will be on display when the Swedish army celebrates its 500-year anniversary at Gärdet, Stockholm, on 27 May 2023.

«We have developed the best possible solution for Swedish amphibious troops together with Swede Ship Marine AB. It is yet another example of Swedish-Finnish corporate cooperation, and it also confirms the unique position of Patria’s NEMO mortar system in the Nordic market, as well as globally», says Mats Warstedt, Head of Market Area Nordics at Patria.

Patria NEMO Navy and NEMO Container – A real game changer on board

Navy

Surveillance Ship

May 28, 2023 Dmitry Shulgin Leave a comment

Austal Limited is pleased to announce that Austal USA has been awarded a US$113,906,029 fixed-price incentive (firm target) and firm-fixed-price contract for detail design of the Auxiliary General Ocean Surveillance Ship T-AGOS 25 Class for the United States Navy. The contract includes options for detail design and construction of up to seven T-AGOS 25 class ships which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of the contract to US$3,195,396,097.

T-AGOS 25 class — Austal USA has been awarded a contract for the detail design and construction of up to seven T-AGOS 25 Ocean Surveillance Ships for the United States Navy (Image: U.S. Navy)

T-AGOS ships, operated by United States Military Sealift Command (MSC), support the Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) mission of the commanders of the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets by providing a platform capable of passive and active anti-submarine acoustic surveillance. The 110 metre/361 feet, steel ‘Small Waterplane Area Twin Hull’ (SWATH) vessels support the Navy’s Integrated Undersea Surveillance System (IUSS) by gathering underwater acoustical data using Surveillance Towed-Array Sensor System (SURTASS) equipment.

Austal Limited Chief Executive Officer Paddy Gregg said the T-AGOS contract adds to Austal USA’s growing portfolio of steel shipbuilding programs and is a further demonstration of the US Government’s trust in Austal USA’s capabilities.

«T-AGOS is a unique auxiliary naval platform that plays an integral role in supporting Navy’s anti-submarine warfare mission. Austal USA is honoured to be selected to deliver this critical capability for the Navy, utilising our advanced manufacturing processes, state-of-the-art steel shipbuilding facilities and our growing team of shipbuilders. The T-AGOS contract is a clear acknowledgment of Austal’s capabilities in steel naval shipbuilding, that includes the Navy’s Towing, Salvage and Rescue (T-ATS) ships, an Auxiliary Floating Drydock Medium (AFDM), and the US Coast Guards’ Offshore Patrol Cutters. These four steel naval shipbuilding projects, and our continuing successful delivery of the Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) and Spearhead-class Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) programs, are positioning Austal USA exceptionally well to meet the growing demands of the US Navy and Coast Guard», Mr. Gregg said.

As prime contractor for the contract, Austal USA is teaming with L3Harris Technologies, Noise Control Engineering, TAI Engineering, and Thoma-Sea Marine Constructors to deliver the TAGOS-25 program, from the company’s new steel shipbuilding facility in Mobile, Alabama.

Utilising proven, advanced manufacturing processes and innovative production techniques that incorporate lean manufacturing principles, modular construction, and moving assembly lines, Austal USA is currently delivering multiple naval shipbuilding programs and sub-contracted projects, including:

Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ships (17 of 19 vessels delivered);
Spearhead-class Expeditionary Fast Transports (13 of 16 vessels delivered, including the largest uncrewed capable vessel in the U.S. Navy, USNS Apalachicola, EPF-13);
Four Navajo-class Towing, Salvage and Rescue (T-ATS) Ships;
Up to 11 Heritage-class Offshore Patrol Cutters for the US Coast Guard;
An Auxiliary Floating Dock Medium (AFDM);
Elevators for the Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier, USS Enterprise (CVN-80);
Command modules for Virginia-class Submarines (SSN).

This ASX announcement has been approved and authorised for release by Austal Limited Chief Executive Officer, Paddy Gregg.

Navy

Acceptance trials

May 25, 2023 Dmitry Shulgin Leave a comment

Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII’s) Ingalls Shipbuilding division announced on May 19, 2023 the successful completion of acceptance trials for Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer the future USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG-125).

«Collaboration has been the single largest enabler to delivering this new capability to the fleet», Ingalls Shipbuilding President Kari Wilkinson said. «Our extended network of Navy, Ingalls and supplier partners got this done through open communication, hard work and tenacity».

USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG-125) is the first Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyer being built for the U.S. Navy by Ingalls and incorporates a number of design modifications that collectively provide significantly enhanced capability. DDG-125 contains a myriad of offensive and defensive weapons designed to support maritime defense needs well into the 21st century. Flight III configured destroyers include the AN/SPY-6(V)1 Air and Missile Defense Radar (AMDR) and the Aegis Baseline 10 Combat System that is required to keep pace with the threats of the future.

Ingalls has delivered 34 destroyers to the U.S. Navy, with five Flight IIIs currently under construction including DDG-125, USS Ted Stevens (DDG-128), USS Jeremiah Denton (DDG-129), USS George M. Neal (DDG-131) and USS Sam Nunn (DDG-133). The final Ingalls-built Flight IIA ship, USS Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG-123), sailed away from Ingalls in April and was commissioned this month in Key West, Florida.

Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are highly capable, multi-mission ships and can conduct a variety of operations, from peacetime presence and crisis management to sea control and power projection, all in support of the United States military strategy and the joint force. Guided missile destroyers are the backbone of the U.S. surface fleet and are capable of fighting multiple air, surface and subsurface threats simultaneously.

HII completes acceptance trials for the future USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG-125)

CHARACTERISTICS

Length Overall	510 feet/160 m
Beam – Waterline	66 feet/20 m
Draft	30.5 feet/9.3 m
Displacement – Full Load	9,700 tons
Power Plant	4 General Electric LM 2500-30 gas turbines; 2 shafts; 2 CRP (Contra-Rotating) propellers; 100,000 shaft horsepower/75,000 kW
Speed	in excess of 30 knots/34.5 mph/55.5 km/h
Range	4,400 NM/8,149 km at 20 knots/23 mph/37 km/h
Crew	380 total: 32 Officers, 27 CPO (Chief Petty Officer), 321 OEM
Surveillance	AN/SPY-6 AESA 3D radar (Raytheon Company) and Aegis Combat System (Lockheed Martin); SPS-73(V)12 Navigation; SPS-67(V)3 Surface Search; 3 SPG-62 Illuminator; SQQ-89(V)6 sonar incorporating SQS-53C hull mounted and SQR-19 towed array sonars used with Mark-116 Mod 7 ASW fire control system
Electronics/Countermeasures	SLQ-32(V)3; Mark-53 Mod 0 Decoy System; Mark-234 Decoy System; SLQ-25A Torpedo Decoy; SLQ-39 Surface Decoy; URN-25 TACAN; UPX-29 IFF System; Kollmorgen Mark-46 Mod 1 Electro-Optical Director
Aircraft	2 embarked SH-60 helicopters ASW operations; RAST (Recovery Assist, Secure and Traverse)
Armament	2 Mark-41 Vertical Launching System (VLS) with 96 Standard, Vertical Launch ASROC (Anti-Submarine Rocket) & Tomahawk ASM (Air-to-Surface Missile)/LAM (Loitering Attack Missile); 5-in (127-mm)/62 Mark-45 gun; 2 (1) CIWS (Close-In Weapon System); 2 Mark-32 triple 324-mm torpedo tubes for Mark-46, Mark-50 ASW torpedos or Mark 54 Lightweight Torpedo

Guided Missile Destroyers Lineup

Flight III

Ship	Yard	Launched	Commissioned	Homeport
DDG-125 Jack H. Lucas	HIIIS	06-04-21		San Diego, California
DDG-126 Louis H. Wilson, Jr.	GDBIW
DDG-128 Ted Stevens	HIIIS
DDG-129 Jeremiah Denton	HIIIS
DDG-130 William Charette	GDBIW
DDG-131 George M. Neal	HIIIS
DDG-132 Quentin Walsh	GDBIW
DDG-133 Sam Nunn	HIIIS
DDG-134 John E. Kilmer	GDBIW
DDG-135 Thad Cochran	HIIIS
DDG-136 Richard G. Lugar	GDBIW
DDG-137 John F. Lehman	HIIIS
DDG-138	GDBIW
DDG-139 Telesforo Trinidad	HIIIS
DDG-140 Thomas G. Kelley

Navy

Fourth Constellation Frigate

May 24, 2023 Dmitry Shulgin Leave a comment

The U.S. Navy on May 18, 2023 exercised a contract option for a fourth Constellation class guided-missile Frigate. FFG-65 will be built by prime contractor Fincantieri Marinette Marine (FMM). The contract option award was $526,293,001.

First-in-class USS Constellation (FFG-62) is in production in Marinette, Wisconsin, and sister ships USS Congress (FFG-63) and USS Chesapeake (FFG-64) are under contract.

The Constellation class will have multi-mission capability to conduct air warfare, anti-submarine warfare, surface warfare, electronic warfare, and information operations. Specifically, the FFG-62 class includes an enterprise air surveillance radar, Baseline Ten AEGIS combat system, a Mk-41 Vertical Launch System (VLS), communications systems, MK-57-gun weapon system countermeasures, and added capability in electronic warfare and information operations with design flexibility for future growth.

FMM on April 30, 2020, was awarded the contract for the design, construction and delivery of the first ten Constellation Class Frigates.

Program Executive Office Unmanned and Small Combatants (PEO USC) designs, develops, builds, maintains, and modernizes the Navy’s expanding family of unmanned maritime systems, mine warfare systems and small surface combatants.

Spec Sheet

PRINCIPAL CHARACTERISTICS
Length Overall (LOA)	151.2 m/496.1 feet
Length Between Perpendiculars (LBP)	140.9 m/462.2 feet
Beam Overall	19.7 m/64.6 feet
Design Draft	5.5 m/18.0 feet
Installed Power	48,679 hp/35,803 kW
Service Life	25 years
ACCOMMODATIONS
Total Accommodations	200
Officer Berthing	24
Enlisted Berthing	176
WEIGHT ESTIMATE
LS Displacement	WT (LT) 6,016 (6,112.6 tonnes)
LS Displacement	KG (FT-ABL) 29.72
FL Displacement	WT (LT) 7,291 (7,408 tonnes)
FL Displacement	KG (FT-ABL) 26.74
MACHINERY AND AUXILIARY SYSTEMS
CODLAG Propulsion Plant	1 × Gas Turbine
	2 × Electric propulsion motors
	4 × Ship service diesel generators
	1 × Auxiliary propulsion unit
MISSION
Combat System	AEGIS B/L 10; AN/SPY-6(V)3; AN/SQQ-89(V)16; MK-48 Gun Weapon System
Hangar	1 × MH-60R, plus Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Armament	1 × MK-110 57-mm gun
	32 × MK-41 Vertical Launch Systems
	16 × Naval Strike Missile weapon systems
	1 × MK-49 Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM)
	4 × MK-53 MOD 9 Decoy Launching Systems
	2 × AN-SLQ-32(V)6 CM (SEWIP) BLK II suites

Navy

Keel-laying ceremony

May 22, 2023 Dmitry Shulgin Leave a comment

The keel for the future USS Louis H. Wilson Jr. (DDG-126), a Flight III Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, was ceremonially laid at Bath Iron Works, May 16.

The ship is named for Marine Corps Commandant, General Louis Hugh Wilson Jr., a World War II and Vietnam War veteran who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroism during the Battle of Guam. Following his service in Vietnam, he served as the 26th Commandant of the Marine Corps from 1975 to 1979.

The contemporary keel laying ceremony represents the joining together of a ship’s major modular components at the land level, and is a significant milestone in the production of a ship. The keel is authenticated with the ship sponsors’ initials etched into a ceremonial keel plate that is later incorporated into the ship. Co-sponsors of DDG-126 are Doctor Susan Rabern and Mrs. Janet Wilson Taylor, General Louis H. Wilson’s first daughter.

The event commemorated the first Flight III ship to be ceremonially laid down at Bath Iron Works.

«We are proud to reach this important milestone in the production of the future USS Louis H. Wilson Jr.», said Captain Seth Miller, DDG-51-class program manager, Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships. «This great warship will carry the legacy of General Wilson’s unwavering commitment and service to our country».

The DDG-51 Flight III upgrade is centered on the AN/SPY-6(V)1 Air and Missile Defense Radar and incorporates upgrades to the electrical power and cooling capacity plus additional associated changes to provide greatly enhanced warfighting capability to the fleet.

Bath Iron Works is currently under contract to build 10 destroyers, and is currently in various stages of construction on the future USS John Basilone (DDG-122), USS Harvey C. Barnum Jr. (DDG-124), USS Patrick Gallagher (DDG-127), USS William Charette (DDG-130), and USS Quentin Walsh (DDG-132).

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, sealift ships, support ships, boats and craft.

CHARACTERISTICS

Length Overall	510 feet/160 m
Beam – Waterline	66 feet/20 m
Draft	30.5 feet/9.3 m
Displacement – Full Load	9,700 tons
Power Plant	4 General Electric LM 2500-30 gas turbines; 2 shafts; 2 CRP (Contra-Rotating) propellers; 100,000 shaft horsepower/75,000 kW
Speed	in excess of 30 knots/34.5 mph/55.5 km/h
Range	4,400 NM/8,149 km at 20 knots/23 mph/37 km/h
Crew	380 total: 32 Officers, 27 CPO (Chief Petty Officer), 321 OEM
Surveillance	AN/SPY-6 AESA 3D radar (Raytheon Company) and Aegis Combat System (Lockheed Martin); SPS-73(V)12 Navigation; SPS-67(V)3 Surface Search; 3 SPG-62 Illuminator; SQQ-89(V)6 sonar incorporating SQS-53C hull mounted and SQR-19 towed array sonars used with Mark-116 Mod 7 ASW fire control system
Electronics/Countermeasures	SLQ-32(V)3; Mark-53 Mod 0 Decoy System; Mark-234 Decoy System; SLQ-25A Torpedo Decoy; SLQ-39 Surface Decoy; URN-25 TACAN; UPX-29 IFF System; Kollmorgen Mark-46 Mod 1 Electro-Optical Director
Aircraft	2 embarked SH-60 helicopters ASW operations; RAST (Recovery Assist, Secure and Traverse)
Armament	2 Mark-41 Vertical Launching System (VLS) with 96 Standard, Vertical Launch ASROC (Anti-Submarine Rocket) & Tomahawk ASM (Air-to-Surface Missile)/LAM (Loitering Attack Missile); 5-in (127-mm)/62 Mark-45 gun; 2 (1) CIWS (Close-In Weapon System); 2 Mark-32 triple 324-mm torpedo tubes for Mark-46, Mark-50 ASW torpedos or Mark 54 Lightweight Torpedo

Guided Missile Destroyers Lineup

Flight III

Ship	Yard	Launched	Commissioned	Homeport
DDG-125 Jack H. Lucas	HIIIS	06-04-21		San Diego, California
DDG-126 Louis H. Wilson, Jr.	GDBIW
DDG-128 Ted Stevens	HIIIS
DDG-129 Jeremiah Denton	HIIIS
DDG-130 William Charette	GDBIW
DDG-131 George M. Neal	HIIIS
DDG-132 Quentin Walsh	GDBIW
DDG-133 Sam Nunn	HIIIS
DDG-134 John E. Kilmer	GDBIW
DDG-135 Thad Cochran	HIIIS
DDG-136 Richard G. Lugar	GDBIW
DDG-137 John F. Lehman	HIIIS
DDG-138	GDBIW
DDG-139 Telesforo Trinidad	HIIIS
DDG-140 Thomas G. Kelley

Navy

The fourth and last

May 20, 2023 Dmitry Shulgin

The delivery of the corvette QENS Sumaysimah (F104), the fourth and last of the Al Zubarah-class ordered to Fincantieri by the Qatari Ministry of Defence within the national naval acquisition program, took place on May 16, 2023 at the Muggiano (La Spezia) shipyard.

The ceremony was attended by, among others, by Staff Major General (Sea) Abdullah Hassan Al-Sulaiti, Commander of Qatar Emiri Naval Forces, H.E. Khalid bin Yousef Al-Sada, the Ambassador of the State of Qatar to Italy, Major General Hassan Rashid Al Ali, Head of Qatar Armed Forces Projects, Staff Major General Hilal Al Muhannadi, Defense Attaché of the State of Qatar in Rome, Vice Admiral Salvatore Vitiello, Commanding Officer of Italian Navy Logistic Command and Naval Equipment Inspector, and Dario Deste, General Manager Naval Vessels Division of Fincantieri.

The Al Zubarah-class corvettes, designed consistent with the Rules for the classification of Naval Ships (RINAMIL Rules), will be highly flexible and capable of fulfilling different kinds of tasks, from surveillance with sea rescue capacities to being fighting vessels. They will be about 107 meters/351 feet long, 14.7 meters/48 feet wide, and equipped with a combined diesel and diesel plant (CODAD), with a maximum speed of 28 knots/32 mph/52 kph. The units will be able to accommodate 112 persons on board.

Furthermore, the corvettes will be capable of operating high-speed boats such as Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat (RHIB) through lateral cranes or a hauling ramp located at the far stern. The flight deck and hangar are sized for hosting one NH90 helicopter.

Air, Navy, Unmanned Systems

Full operational configuration

May 19, 2023 Dmitry Shulgin

Airbus Helicopters and the French Armament General Directorate (DGA) tested the Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) VSR700 for the first time in an operational configuration from a ship at sea. At the beginning of May, the VSR700 performed 80 fully autonomous take-offs and landings from a civil vessel equipped with a helicopter deck, cruising off the coast of Brittany in the west of France.

«This flight test campaign was an important step for the VSR700 programme as it allowed us to validate the excellent performance of the drone in operational conditions, which were representative of its future missions», said Nicolas Delmas, Head of VSR700 programme at Airbus Helicopters. «The VSR700 prototype opened its flight envelope in winds above 40 knots/46 mph/74 kph, accumulated eight hours of testing in 14 flights, and made successful landings in several different sea states», he added.

In 2022, the autonomous take-off and landing capabilities of the VSR700 were tested from the same vessel using an Optionally Piloted Vehicle (OPV) based on a modified Guimbal Cabri G2 equipped with the Autonomous Take-Off and Landing (ATOL) system developed for the VSR700. This time the test campaign took place with the SDAM demonstrator and fully validated the capabilities of the system as part of the SDAM (Système de Drone Aérien pour la Marine) study that was awarded to Airbus Helicopters and Naval Group in 2017.

Autonomous take-off and landing capabilities are a key asset of the VSR700 and are made possible with the use of the Airbus DeckFinder system. This enables autonomous launch and recovery of Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs) with an accuracy of 10-20 cm/3.9-7.9 inch during challenging operations in harsh environmental conditions, independently of GNSS/GPS and regardless of degraded visual conditions.

This new test campaign follows two series of trials that were conducted with the DGA in late 2022 and early 2023 from the Levant Island test center located in the south of France. During these trials, the SDAM prototype demonstrated its ability to operate in a maritime environment. The handling qualities of the aircraft were tested as well as the capabilities of the sensors (a maritime surveillance radar, an electro optical sensor, and an Automatic Identification System (AIS) receiver) alongside the mission system developed by Naval Group.

The next development steps will see the second VSR700 prototype perform its maiden flight ahead of flight testing onboard a French Navy FREMM during the second semester of this year.

Navy

Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee

May 17, 2023 Dmitry Shulgin

The U.S. Navy commissioned its newest Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, USS Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG-123), during a 10:00 a.m. EDT ceremony on Saturday, May 13, in Key West, Florida.

Rear Admiral Cynthia Kuehner, Commander, Naval Medical Forces Support Command and Director of the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps, delivered the commissioning ceremony’s principal address. Remarks were also been provided by the Honorable Donald Norcross, U.S. Representative, New Jersey’s 1st District and member of the House Armed Services Committee; the Honorable Carlos Del Toro, Secretary of the U.S. Navy; Admiral Mike Gilday, Chief of Naval Operations; the Honorable Teri Johnston, mayor of Key West; and Ms. Kari Wilkinson, president of Huntington Ingalls Industries-Ingalls Shipbuilding division. The ship’s sponsors, Ms. Louisa Dixon, Ms. Virginia Munford, and Ms. R. Pickett Wilson, also were in attendance.

The ship’s namesake, Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee, served as the second Superintendent of the Navy Nurse Corps in 1911, and was also the first woman recipient of the Navy Cross. When she entered naval service in 1908, she was one of the first 20 women, known as the «Sacred Twenty», to join the newly established Navy Nurse Corps and contributed her nursing skills to the U.S. Navy during the First World War. This is the second ship named after Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee. The first ship, USS Higbee (DD-806), was the first combat warship named after a female member of the U.S. Navy.

«Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee was ahead of her time, from being one of the first members of the Navy Nurse Corps, to being its second Superintendent, to being the first woman to earn the Navy Cross», said Secretary of the U.S. Navy Carlos Del Toro. «I am confident that the crew who will sail USS Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee will continue to honor and embody her trailblazing legacy».

The ship will be the 73d Arleigh Burke-class destroyer to be commissioned, with 17 additional ships currently under contract for the DDG-51 program. The ship is configured as a Flight IIA Technology Insertion destroyer, which enables power projection and delivers quick reaction time, high firepower, and increased electronic countermeasures capability for anti-air warfare. The future USS Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG-123) will be 509.5 feet/155.3 m long and 59 feet/18 m wide, with a displacement of 9,496 tons. It will be homeported in San Diego.

Ship Characteristics

Length Overall	510 feet/156 m
Beam – Waterline	59 feet/18 m
Draft	31 feet/9.5 m
Displacement – Full Load	9,217 tons/9,363 metric tons
Power Plant	4 General Electric LM 2500-30 gas turbines; 2 shafts; 2 CRP (Contra-Rotating) propellers; 100,000 shaft horsepower/75,000 kW
Speed	in excess of 30 knots/34.5 mph/55.5 km/h
Range	4,400 NM/8,149 km at 20 knots/23 mph/37 km/h
Crew	380 total: 32 Officers, 27 CPO (Chief Petty Officer), 321 OEM
Surveillance	SPY-1D Phased Array Radar (Lockheed Martin)/AN/SPY-6 Air and Missile Defense Radar (Raytheon Company) and Aegis Combat System (Lockheed Martin); SPS-73(V) Navigation; SPS-67(V)3 Surface Search; 3 SPG-62 Illuminator; SQQ-89(V)6 sonar incorporating SQS-53C hull mounted and SQR-19 towed array sonars used with Mark-116 Mod 7 ASW fire control system
Electronics/Countermeasures	SLQ-32(V)3; Mark-53 Mod 0 Decoy System; Mark-234 Decoy System; SLQ-25A Torpedo Decoy; SLQ-39 Surface Decoy; URN-25 TACAN; UPX-29 IFF System; Kollmorgen Mark-46 Mod 1 Electro-Optical Director
Aircraft	2 embarked SH-60 helicopters ASW operations; RAST (Recovery Assist, Secure and Traverse)
Armament	2 Mark-41 Vertical Launching System (VLS) with 96 Standard, Vertical Launch ASROC (Anti-Submarine Rocket) & Tomahawk ASM (Air-to-Surface Missile)/LAM (Loitering Attack Missile); 5-in (127-mm)/54 (62) Mark-45 gun; 2 (1) CIWS (Close-In Weapon System); 2 Mark-32 triple 324-mm torpedo tubes for Mark-46 or Mark-50 ASW torpedos

Guided Missile Destroyers Lineup

Flight IIA: Technology Insertion

Ship	Yard	Launched	Commissioned	Homeport
DDG-116 Thomas Hudner	GDBIW	04-23-17	12-01-18	Mayport, Florida
DDG-117 Paul Ignatius	HIIIS	11-12-16	07-27-19	Mayport, Florida
DDG-118 Daniel Inouye	GDBIW	10-27-19	12-08-21	Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
DDG-119 Delbert D. Black	HIIIS	09-08-17	09-26-20	Mayport, Florida
DDG-120 Carl M. Levin	GDBIW	05-16-21		Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
DDG-121 Frank E. Peterson Jr.	HIIIS	07-13-18	05-14-22	Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
DDG-122 John Basilone	GDBIW	06-12-22
DDG-123 Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee	HIIIS	01-27-20	05-13-23	San Diego, California
DDG-124 Harvey C. Barnum Jr.	GDBIW
DDG-127 Patrick Gallagher	GDBIW

Modern weapons

Category Archives: Navy

Near Future Submarine

The Irresistible Subduer

NEMO mortar systems

Surveillance Ship

Acceptance trials

CHARACTERISTICS

Guided Missile Destroyers Lineup

Flight III

Fourth Constellation Frigate

Spec Sheet

Keel-laying ceremony

CHARACTERISTICS

Guided Missile Destroyers Lineup

Flight III

The fourth and last

Full operational configuration

Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee

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Flight IIA: Technology Insertion

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