Category Archives: Navy

Navy

rMCM program

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On 30 November 2021, Naval Group has laid the keel for the first of the twelve mine countermeasure vessels of the Belgian-Dutch rMCM program, intended for Belgium. The keel laying ceremony took place in Concarneau, in the presence of the Belgian Chief of Defence, Admiral Michel Hofman, and the Dutch Chief of Defence, General Onno Eichelsheim.

rMCM program
Naval Group lays the keel for the first mine countermeasure vessel of the Belgian-Dutch rMCM program

This program was awarded in 2019 to Belgium Naval & Robotics, the consortium formed by Naval Group and ECA Group, following an international competition. It provides for the supply to the Belgian Navy and the Royal Dutch Navy of twelve mine countermeasures vessels and around a hundred drones integrated inside a toolbox that will equip the vessels.

Kership, a joint venture between Naval Group and Piriou, is in charge of the production of the twelve vessels which are assembled in Concarneau. They will be armed afloat by Piriou. Naval Group, as overall architect and prime contractor, is responsible for the design of the ships, the overall integration, and the testing and commissioning of the mission system (combat system and mine countermeasures system). ECA Group, as co-contractor, is in charge of the unmanned drones’ system. Thedrones will be produced in ECA Group workshop (Ostend, Belgium). The maintenance of the ships will be carried out in Belgium in close collaboration between the Belgian Navy and Naval Group Belgium, with the assistance of its partner Flanders Ship Repair.

The first delivery is scheduled for the end of 2024 in Zeebrugge, Belgium. Deliveries will then be staggered until 2030.

Pierre Eric Pommellet, CEO of Naval Group said: «We are very happy to be here in Concarneau to take this next step in the program with the keel laying of the first mine countermeasure vessel. This program is the result of European cooperation between Belgium and the Netherlands, in which Naval Group is proud to participate. It is also the result of a solid industrial partnership and of a commitment to competitiveness between Naval Group and ECA Group. Our teams will continue their hard work to deliver these latest generation ships, specialised in mine warfare and perfectly adapted to the operational use targeted by the Belgian and Dutch navies».

Dominique Giannoni, CEO of ECA Group said: «ECA Group is pleased to be present at this ceremony alongside its partner Naval Group. All ECA Group teams are mobilised for the success of this highly innovative program: it aims at an unprecedented level of automation of mine warfare operations, with the coordinated implementation of underwater, surface and aerial drones. In close collaboration with Naval Group teams, we are developing an integrated and optimised system to meet the requirements of our Belgian and Dutch customers».

«In the context of mine warfare, the idea of increasing the distance between the threat and the crews is not new», announced Admiral Hofman, Belgian Chief of Defence. «In the 2015 NATO Maritime Operations study, the main shortcomings of shipborne systems were slow operation, poor mine discrimination, inability to detect buried and drifting mines, self-defence and the ability of platforms to easily project globally. It was already clear that the existing conventional platforms could not meet all these challenges. Therefore, we were looking for a reliable partner to carry out this small revolution in mine warfare».

CPF BAM Claude Bultot, head of the program said: «The Belgian and Royal Netherlands Navy can be proud of this innovative and (r)evolutionary mine countermeasures replacement program. The ambition of this program is to become the world reference in this field».

His Dutch counterpart, Captain (E) Sander van Luik, added: «This project is a fine example for making European defence more efficient. By drawing a common set of requirements as a starting point, Belgium and the Netherlands are able to quickly put to sea an innovative concept. Agreeing on the principals first, avoids haggling over every single design detail. This also allows us to be more flexible and adaptive. Thus, our binational team has been able to work more effective, relying on both nations’ combined expertise, working with Belgium Naval & Robotics towards a new capacity that can meet the operational challenges of the decades ahead».

These specialised mine warfare vessels are the first to have the capability to embark and launch or fly a combination of surface drones (themselves 12-metre/39.4-foot, 20-tonne vessels), underwater drones and aerial drones. The mine countermeasures vessels will use a fully robotic system for detection, classification and neutralisation of mines. They can withstand underwater explosions and have very low acoustic, electrical and magnetic signatures, in line with the missions to be carried out.

These mine countermeasure vessels have the following characteristics:

  • Length: 82.6 m/271 feet
  • Width: 17 m/55.77 feet
  • Displacement: 2800 t
  • Maximum speed: 15.3 knots/17.6 mph/28.3 km/h
  • Range: >3,500 nautical miles/4,028 miles/6,482 km
  • Crew: 63 people
  • Drone capabilities: ECA Group’s UMISOFT System, 2 unmanned surface vehicles (ECA Group’s Inspector 125), 3 autonomous underwater vehicles (A-18 equipped with ECA Group’s UMISAS 120 sonar), 2 towed sonars (T-18 equipped with ECA Group’s UMISAS 240 sonar), 2 Mine Identification & Destruction Systems (MIDS) systems (ECA Group’s Seascan et K-Ster C), 2 unmanned aerial vessels (UMS Skeldar’s V200), 1 ECA Group influence dredger integrating 5 CTM magnetic modules et 1 PATRIA acoustic module.
  • Embarkation capacity: 2 SOLAS rigid hull inflatable boats of 7 m/23 feet.
  • Handling: 2 side gantries with floating cradle for surface drones and commando boats, a 15t rear crane and a 3t overhead crane.
Navy

Holland arrived at Groton

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On Monday, November 29, 2021, the new Ocean Transport Barge Holland arrived at EB’s Groton Shipyard. The 400-foot-long/122-meter-long barge was purpose-built to support delivery of Columbia class ballistic missile submarines. Electric Boat is the prime contractor on construction of the Columbia class, the nation’s top strategic defense priority.

Ocean Transport Barge Holland
Picture of the Holland at the South Yard Construction Site

The Holland was constructed by Bollinger Shipyards, LLC, of Lockport, Louisiana. The namesake of the new barge is John Holland, the Irish-born immigrant who designed the first submarine purchased by the U.S. Navy. Holland’s design was brought to life by the shipbuilders of Electric Boat and delivered in 1900.

«We are happy to welcome Holland to her new home in the Groton shipyard», said Kevin Graney, President, General Dynamics Electric Boat (GDEB). «Our fellow shipbuilders at Bollinger have delivered a terrific asset, on time and on budget. Holland will play an important role in the construction of the Columbia class of submarines, which will carry nearly 70% of the nation’s nuclear arsenal».

The Columbia class is now being built at Electric Boat’s Quonset Point, RI manufacturing facility. Skilled tradespeople will construct and outfit Columbia modules at Quonset Point which will then be transported by the Holland barge to the company’s final test and assembly facility in Groton. The first Columbia module is expected to arrive in Groton in 2023.

Construction of the Columbia class, which will replace the aging Ohio class, is the nation’s top strategic defense priority. For nearly 15 years, Electric Boat has been working on plans to execute the design and construction of this crucial program. As a consequence, the Columbia class was the most complete design of any previous class of submarine at construction start in October of 2020. The company has hired and trained thousands of new skilled tradespeople, collaborated with its suppliers to prepare for the expanded demand for technical support and invested nearly $2 billion in new facilities to support construction of the Columbia class.

Navy

2nd Barracuda

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At 7.14 a.m. on Friday, November 26, 2021, Naval Group CEO Pierre-Eric Pommellet began the transfer of the second Barracuda-class nuclear submarine – FS Duguay-Trouin (S636).

FS Duguay-Trouin (S636)
The transfer of the FS Duguay-Trouin (S636) submarine to the French fleet is scheduled for the end of next 2022

Mounted on twenty-four trolleys arranged in two parallel rows, the submarine, weighing approximately 4,500 tons, began to move at a speed of just under thirty meters per hour. Thus, the submarine Duguay-Trouin covered 120 meters separating the Laubeuf shipyard from the Cachin launching device. There was no big ceremony, as was the case in July 2019 with the transfer of the first submarine FS Suffren (S635) and the presence of the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, this time. Nevertheless, many employees of the Naval Group and its subcontractors came to watch this ceremony of rolling out the submarine from the Laubeuf shipyard.

«The Duguay-Trouin rolled out less ceremoniously», agrees Jean-Luc France, director of the Naval Group in Cherbourg. «Nevertheless, this is an important event for the Naval Group team and its partners».

The first steel sheet of the Duguay-Trouin submarine was cut back in June 2009. In 2017, the Laubeuf shipyard began work on the integration of about 700 thousand pieces of equipment. The submarine hull was assembled by December 2020. «Together with TechnicAtome, we have just completed extensive testing of a nuclear facility», said Hervé Glandais, program director at Naval Group. The last phase of testing will continue at the Cachin facility.

The FS Duguay-Trouin (S636) attack-class nuclear-powered attack submarine is due to be delivered to the French Navy at the end of 2022.

The Barracuda class boat building program, Hervé Glandais noted, is the main one for the Naval Group. About 10,000 people and 800 enterprises are working on this program. In Cherbourg alone, 2,500 people work daily, including 800 partners and subcontractors.

In addition to FS Suffren (S635) and FS Duguay-Trouin (S636), the fleet will receive 4 Barracuda class nuclear submarines: FS De Grasse (S637), FS Tourville (S638), FS Rubis (S639) and FS Casabianca (S640). By 2026, the fleet will have four Barracuda-class submarines in service (one submarine every two years). The last boat in the series, Casabianca, will be delivered to the fleet in 2029.

Air, Navy

H225M in naval configuration

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Airbus Helicopters has delivered the first H225M in naval combat configuration to the Brazilian Navy. Stationed at the naval base in São Pedro d’Aldeia, the aircraft will boost the Brazilian Navy’s mission capabilities including anti-surface warfare and maritime surveillance.

H225M
First ever naval combat H225M delivered to the Brazilian Navy

Developed by the engineering team at Helibras (the Brazilian subsidiary of Airbus Helicopters), this naval version of the H225M aircraft is the most complex configuration that has ever been produced for this multirole helicopter. The aircraft’s embedded systems include the EWS IDAS-3 (countermeasure system), MBDA Exocet AM39 B2M2 missiles, the APS143 tactical radar and the naval mission system N-TDMS (Naval Tactical Data Management System) developed in partnership with Atech and Airbus Defense and Space, which is responsible for making the command and control of all embedded systems, including the missile system.

«We are very proud of this achievement, which proves the industrial and technological capability of the Airbus Helicopters teams in France and Brazil to deliver one of the most modern solutions in the world to the Brazilian Armed Forces», said Alberto Robles, Head of Latin America at Airbus Helicopters. «Designed to meet the most demanding requirements of the Brazilian Navy, the advanced anti-surface warfare and tactical capabilities open new mission capabilities for the H225M utility helicopter».

The last stage of the firing campaign with the Exocet AM39 B2M2 missiles was successfully carried out last June, representing a major milestone in the programme, which led the way to qualification and delivery.

The naval H225M is part of the contract signed by the Brazilian government in 2008 and which includes 50 H225Ms to be operated by the three armed forces. So far, 39 H225Ms have been delivered to the Brazilian Armed Forces, all of them assembled locally by Helibras.

Air, Fighters, Navy

Britain’s flagship

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HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) has welcomed fighter jets from a third allied nation on to her flight deck after working with the Italian Navy and Air Force.

HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)
Third nation’s F-35B Lightning II lands on HMS Queen Elizabeth’s deck in milestone moment

Britain’s flagship is currently in the Mediterranean following months in the Indo-Pacific region as part of her global deployment.

As she heads west back to the UK, the ship has continued her busy programme of working with allied nations and partners.

The latest series of exercises saw HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) work with Italian F-35B Lightning II stealth jets.

They are the same B variant as the joint Royal Air Force (RAF)/Royal Navy and U.S. Marine Corps stealth fighter currently embarked in the Portsmouth-based UK flagship. Italy is the only other NATO partner aside from the U.S. and UK to operate that variant.

The landings and takings off by the Italians means HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) has now hosted jets from three different countries since leaving home in May, with the Italians the first European NATO partner to land on the UK flagship’s flight deck.

«The fact that U.S., Italian and UK F-35Bs Lightning II are able to fly to and from one another’s decks offers tactical agility and strategic advantage to NATO», said Royal Navy Commodore Steve Moorhouse, Commander of the UK Carrier Strike Group. «Today’s activity is a telling demonstration of the ability of the UK’s flagship to work seamlessly with other nations; Italy is the third nation to land an F-35B Lightning II on to the deck of HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) and the seventh military operating F-35B Lightning II aircraft that the UK’s Carrier Strike Group has exercised with on CSG21!»

Earlier during their deployment, HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) and her jets trained with the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) Carrier Strike Group and her impressive air wing in the Pacific Ocean, which includes the traditional carrier variant, F-35C Lightning II – launched by catapult.

The UK carrier also conducted multi-carrier exercises with the French Carrier FS Charles de Gaulle (R91), the USS Essex (LHD-2), USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76), the Japanese Carrier JS Ise (DDH-182) and the Japanese A variant of the F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter.

HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) and her task group, including Type 45 destroyers HMS Defender and Diamond, Type 23 frigates HMS Kent (F78) and HMS Richmond (F239), Royal Fleet Auxiliary support ships RFA Fort Victoria (A387) and RFA Tidespring (A136).

Navy

Christening of Marinette

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The U.S. Navy christened the future USS Marinette (LCS-25) as the newest Freedom variant Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) during a 10:00 a.m. CST ceremony Saturday, November 20, in Marinette, Wisconsin.

USS Marinette (LCS-25)
Navy christened future Littoral Combat Ship Marinette

The principal speaker was the Honorable Meredith Berger, Performing the Duties of the Under Secretary of the U.S. Navy. Additional speakers included Vice Admiral William Galinis, Commander, Naval Sea Systems Command; Rear Admiral Casey Moton, Program Executive Officer for Unmanned and Small Combatants; and the Honorable Steve Genisot, Mayor of Marinette, Wisconsin; and shipbuilders Steve Allen, Lockheed Martin Vice President of Small Combatants and Ship Systems, and Dario Deste, President and Chief Executive Officer of Fincantieri Marine Group. The ship’s sponsor, the Honorable Jennifer M. Granholm, broke a bottle of sparkling wine across the bow in a time-honored Navy tradition.

«The future USS Marinette (LCS-25) will be the second U.S. Navy ship honoring the important naval heritage and shipbuilding history the city of Marinette is known for», said Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro. «I have no doubt the Sailors of USS Marinette (LCS-25) will carry on the proud legacy from generations past and will stand ready to respond to any mission, wherever, and whenever, there is a need».

LCS is a fast, agile, mission-focused platform designed to operate in near-shore environments, winning against 21st-century coastal threats. The platform is capable of supporting forward presence, maritime security, sea control and deterrence.

The LCS class consists of two variants, the Freedom and the Independence, designed and built by two industry teams. Lockheed Martin leads the Freedom variant team, or odd-numbered hulls, in Marinette, Wisconsin. Austal USA leads the Independence variant team in Mobile, Alabama for USS Jackson (LCS-6) and the subsequent even-numbered hulls.

USS Marinette (LCS-25) is the 13th Freedom-variant LCS and 25th in the LCS class. It is the second ship named in honor of the city of Marinette, Wisconsin. The first Marinette (YTB-791), a Natick-class large fleet tugboat, was launched in 1967 and performed miscellaneous tugging services in the 5th Naval District, headquartered at Norfolk, Virginia.

 

Ship Design Specifications

Hull Advanced semiplaning steel monohull
Length Overall 389 feet/118.6 m
Beam Overall 57 feet/17.5 m
Draft 13.5 feet/4.1 m
Full Load Displacement Approximately 3,200 metric tons
Top Speed Greater than 40 knots/46 mph/74 km/h
Range at top speed 1,000 NM/1,151 miles/1,852 km
Range at cruise speed 4,000 NM/4,603 miles/7,408 km
Watercraft Launch and Recovery Up to Sea State 4
Aircraft Launch and Recovery Up to Sea State 5
Propulsion Combined diesel and gas turbine with steerable water jet propulsion
Power 85 MW/113,600 horsepower
Hangar Space Two MH-60 Romeo Helicopters
One MH-60 Romeo Helicopter and three Vertical Take-off and Land Tactical Unmanned Air Vehicles (VTUAVs)
Core Crew Less than 50
Accommodations for 75 sailors provide higher sailor quality of life than current fleet
Integrated Bridge System Fully digital nautical charts are interfaced to ship sensors to support safe ship operation
Core Self-Defense Suite Includes 3D air search radar
Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) gunfire control system
Rolling-Airframe Missile Launching System
57-mm Main Gun
Mine, Torpedo Detection
Decoy Launching System

 

Freedom-class

Ship Laid down Launched Commissioned Homeport
USS Freedom (LCS-1) 06-02-2005 09-23-2006 11-08-2008 San Diego, California
USS Fort Worth (LCS-3) 07-11-2009 12-07-2010 09-22-2012 San Diego, California
USS Milwaukee (LCS-5) 10-27-2011 12-18-2013 11-21-2015 San Diego, California
USS Detroit (LCS-7) 08-11-2012 10-18-2014 10-22-2016 San Diego, California
USS Little Rock (LCS-9) 06-27-2013 07-18-2015 12-16-2017 San Diego, California
USS Sioux City (LCS-11) 02-19-2014 01-30-2016 11-17-2018 Mayport, Florida
USS Wichita (LCS-13) 02-09-2015 09-17-2016 01-12-2019 Mayport, Florida
USS Billings (LCS-15) 11-02-2015 07-01-2017 08-03-2019 Mayport, Florida
USS Indianapolis (LCS-17) 07-18-2016 04-18-2018 10-26-2019 Mayport, Florida
USS St. Louis (LCS-19) 05-17-2017 12-15-2018 08-08-2020 Mayport, Florida
USS Minneapolis/St. Paul (LCS-21) 02-22-2018 06-15-2019
USS Cooperstown (LCS-23) 08-14-2018 01-19-2020
USS Marinette (LCS-25) 03-27-2019 10-31-2020
USS Nantucket (LCS-27) 10-09-2019 08-07-2021
USS Beloit (LCS-29) 07-22-2020
USS Cleveland (LCS-31) 06-20-2021

 

Navy

Navy Accepts Delivery

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The U.S. Navy accepted delivery of the future USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul (LCS-21) at the Fincantieri Marinette Marine (FMM) shipyard November 18.

USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul (LCS-21)
Navy accepts delivery of future USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul (LCS-21)

The future USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul (LCS-21) is the 11th Freedom-variant LCS designed by the Lockheed Martin-led industry team at Fincantieri Marinette Marine, Marinette, Wisconsin. Delivery marks the official transfer of the ship from the shipbuilder, part of a Lockheed-Martin-led team to the U.S. Navy.

«Today marks a significant shipbuilding milestone in the life of the future USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul, an exceptional ship which will conduct operations around the globe», said LCS program manager Captain Mike Taylor. «I look forward to seeing Minneapolis-Saint Paul join her sister ships with 100 percent of propulsion power available for unrestricted use».

USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul (LCS-21) was accepted after rigorous testing of a combining gear modification that will allow for unrestricted operations, addressing a class-wide flaw that was discovered as the Fleet deployed these ships in greater numbers. USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul (LCS-21) is the first Freedom-variant ship to receive the fix.

The future USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul (LCS-21) is the second naval ship to honor Minnesota’s Twin Cities although each city has been honored twice before. The first U.S. Navy warship named Minneapolis-Saint Paul was a Los Angeles-class submarine launched in 1983 who took part in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul (SSN-708) was the first submarine to carry Tomahawk missiles specifically designed for use in strikes against Iraq during the Gulf War. Having served for over two decades with distinction, the submarine Minneapolis-Saint Paul was decommissioned in 2007.

Several more Freedom variant ships are under construction at Fincantieri Marinette Marine Corp. in Marinette, Wisconsin. Pending successful at-sea testing of its combining gear modification, USS Cooperstown (LCS-23) is planned to deliver in January 2022. Additional ships in various stages of construction include USS Marinette (LCS-25), USS Nantucket (LCS-27), USS Beloit (LCS-29) and USS Cleveland (LCS-31).

The Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) is a fast, agile, mission-focused platform designed to operate in near-shore environments, winning against 21st-century coastal threats. The LCS is capable of supporting forward presence, maritime security, sea control, and deterrence.

 

Ship Design Specifications

Hull Advanced semiplaning steel monohull
Length Overall 389 feet/118.6 m
Beam Overall 57 feet/17.5 m
Draft 13.5 feet/4.1 m
Full Load Displacement Approximately 3,200 metric tons
Top Speed Greater than 40 knots/46 mph/74 km/h
Range at top speed 1,000 NM/1,151 miles/1,852 km
Range at cruise speed 4,000 NM/4,603 miles/7,408 km
Watercraft Launch and Recovery Up to Sea State 4
Aircraft Launch and Recovery Up to Sea State 5
Propulsion Combined diesel and gas turbine with steerable water jet propulsion
Power 85 MW/113,600 horsepower
Hangar Space Two MH-60 Romeo Helicopters
One MH-60 Romeo Helicopter and three Vertical Take-off and Land Tactical Unmanned Air Vehicles (VTUAVs)
Core Crew Less than 50
Accommodations for 75 sailors provide higher sailor quality of life than current fleet
Integrated Bridge System Fully digital nautical charts are interfaced to ship sensors to support safe ship operation
Core Self-Defense Suite Includes 3D air search radar
Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) gunfire control system
Rolling-Airframe Missile Launching System
57-mm Main Gun
Mine, Torpedo Detection
Decoy Launching System

 

Freedom-class

Ship Laid down Launched Commissioned Homeport
USS Freedom (LCS-1) 06-02-2005 09-23-2006 11-08-2008 San Diego, California
USS Fort Worth (LCS-3) 07-11-2009 12-07-2010 09-22-2012 San Diego, California
USS Milwaukee (LCS-5) 10-27-2011 12-18-2013 11-21-2015 San Diego, California
USS Detroit (LCS-7) 08-11-2012 10-18-2014 10-22-2016 San Diego, California
USS Little Rock (LCS-9) 06-27-2013 07-18-2015 12-16-2017 San Diego, California
USS Sioux City (LCS-11) 02-19-2014 01-30-2016 11-17-2018 Mayport, Florida
USS Wichita (LCS-13) 02-09-2015 09-17-2016 01-12-2019 Mayport, Florida
USS Billings (LCS-15) 11-02-2015 07-01-2017 08-03-2019 Mayport, Florida
USS Indianapolis (LCS-17) 07-18-2016 04-18-2018 10-26-2019 Mayport, Florida
USS St. Louis (LCS-19) 05-17-2017 12-15-2018 08-08-2020 Mayport, Florida
USS Minneapolis/St. Paul (LCS-21) 02-22-2018 06-15-2019
USS Cooperstown (LCS-23) 08-14-2018 01-19-2020
USS Marinette (LCS-25) 03-27-2019 10-31-2020
USS Nantucket (LCS-27) 10-09-2019 08-07-2021
USS Beloit (LCS-29) 07-22-2020
USS Cleveland (LCS-31) 06-20-2021

 

Air, Air Force, Navy

Norwegian Poseidon

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The Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency (NDMA) on November 18, 2021 accepted the first of five Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft that will be operated by the Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF).

P-8A Poseidon
Boeing delivers first P-8A Poseidon to Norway

«Norway is responsible for large maritime areas in a strategically important part of the world, and the new P-8A Poseidon will represent a tremendous improvement in our ability to both protect our sovereignty and understand developments in these areas. Today’s delivery of our first P-8A Poseidon is an important milestone in the modernization of Norway’s maritime patrol aircraft capability», said Mette Sørfonden, director general of the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency. «I’m very pleased that the NDMA will soon be able to provide the Norwegian Armed Forces with a whole new generation of aircraft that will play an important role in preserving our national security for many years to come».

Norway’s first P-8A Poseidon aircraft, named Vingtor, was delivered to the NDMA during a ceremony at the Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington. The milestone comes four years after the NDMA entered into an agreement with the U.S. Navy for the P-8A Poseidon, and two years before the new aircraft are scheduled to begin taking over maritime patrol duties in Norway’s high north.

«We’re honored to provide this unmatched, multimission maritime patrol capability to Norway», said Stu Voboril, vice president and program manager, P-8 Poseidon Programs. «Norway joins seven other global customers that have selected or already operate the P-8 Poseidon and benefit greatly from its long-range maritime surveillance and anti-submarine warfare capabilities. We look forward to enhancing our continued and enduring partnership with the U.S. Navy and the Royal Norwegian Air Force, and supporting the future fleet’s sustainment and training needs».

Norway’s four remaining aircraft are all in advanced stages of production and will be delivered to the NDMA in 2022. The five P-8As will replace the RNoAF current fleet of six P-3 Orions and two DA-20 Jet Falcons and will be operated by 333 Squadron at Evenes Air Station.

Norwegian companies Nammo, Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, Andoya Space and Berget currently have agreements with Boeing that are part of a tailored industrial cooperation plan related to Norway’s acquisition of five P-8A Poseidon aircraft. Boeing continues to work with the NDMA and Norwegian industry to expand that plan and support economic growth throughout Norway.

The delivery to Norway also marks the 142nd P-8 Poseidon aircraft delivered to global customers, including the U.S. Navy, the Royal Australian Air Force, the Indian Navy and the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force. First deliveries to New Zealand, Korea and Germany will take place in 2022, 2023 and 2024 respectively.

To date, the global operating P-8 Poseidon fleet has amassed more than 400,000 mishap-free flight hours. The P-8 Poseidon is a long-range anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft capable of broad-area, maritime and littoral operations. In addition, the P-8 Poseidon performs humanitarian and search and rescue missions around the globe.

Navy

Start of Fabrication

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The U.S. Navy and General Dynamics (GD) Bath Iron Works (BIW) marked the start of fabrication for the future USS Quentin Walsh (DDG-132) with a ceremony at BIW’s Structural Fabrication Facility in East Brunswick, Maine, November 16.

USS Quentin Walsh (DDG-132)
Future USS Quentin Walsh (DDG-132) marks start of fabrication

USS Quentin Walsh (DDG-132) will be a DDG-51 Flight III guided missile destroyer centered on the AN/SPY-6(V)1 Air and Missile Defense Radar (AMDR) and will incorporate upgrades to the electrical power and cooling capacity plus additional associated changes to provide greatly enhanced warfighting capability to the fleet. The Flight III baseline begins with DDGs 125-126 and continues with USS Ted Stevens (DDG-128) and follow on ships.

The ship is named for Capt. Quentin R. Walsh, a United States Coast Guard officer who earned the Navy Cross during World War II.

«We are engaged in a long-term competition and the future USS Quentin Walsh will provide the strategic capabilities needed to support the fleet for decades to come», said Captain Seth Miller, DDG 51 program manager, Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships. «Captain Walsh provided selfless service to his country and this warship will help to continue his honorable legacy».

BIW is also in production on the future USS Carl M. Levin (DDG-120), USS John Basilone (DDG-122), USS Harvey C. Barnum Jr. (DDG-124), USS Patrick Gallagher (DDG-127), USS Louis H. Wilson Jr. (DDG-126) and USS William Charette (DDG-130).

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, boats and craft.

 

Guided Missile Destroyers Lineup

 

Flight III

Ship Yard Launched Commissioned Homeport
DDG-125 Jack H. Lucas HIIIS
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 HIIIS

 

Navy

Daegu-class frigate

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According to Navy Recognition, South Korea held a ceremony launching a new frigate ROKS Cheonan (FFG-826) named after a warship torpedoed by North Korea in 2010, the Navy and state arms procurement agency said, Cheonan, took place at the shipyard of Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. in Ulsan.

ROKS Cheonan (FFG-826)
Daegu-class frigate ROKS Cheonan (FFG-826)

The Daegu-class frigate is a class of guided-missile frigates of the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN). The Daegu-class is based on the preceding Incheon-class frigate and has otherwise been referred to as an Incheon-class batch II, or FFG-II.

Eight Daegu-class ships are planned, with the final goal of 20-22 frigates (of all types) in the ROKN. The Daegu-class frigates are to be built by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) and Hyundai Heavy Industries.

The Daegu-class is the first Korean warship to be equipped with a combined diesel-electric or gas (CODLOG) propulsion system. The propulsion system of the ROKN ships has a gas turbine direct drive and four high-speed diesel generators driving two Leonardo DRS permanent magnet electric motors.

The Daegu-class frigate is armed with one 5-inch (127-mm)/L62 caliber Mk-45 Mod 4 naval gun, one 20-mm Phalanx CIWS (Close-In Weapon System), two triple torpedo tubes for K745 Blue Shark torpedo, eight SSM-700K Haeseong Anti-ship Missile and 16-cell K-VLS (Vertical Launching System) able to launch Haegung K-SAAM surface-to-air missile, Haeryong VL-Tactical anti-ship cruise Missiles and K-ASROC Red Shark anti-submarine missile.