Kasım 2017 – My Blog

Is Turkey a potential buyer for HMS Ocean, the Flagship of Royal Navy?

According to rumors on the web;

A written question in UK Parliament was asked about the Turkish Goverment interest to HMS Ocean.

The question is answered by Mr Tobias Ellwood on Nov 13, revealed that “The Ministry of Defence has received an expression of interest from the Government of Turkey about the potential sale of HMS OCEAN soon-to-be-decommissioned “

The helicopter carrier was constructed in the mid-1990s and commissioned in September 1998.

In November 2015, the MoD confirmed that HMS Ocean is to be decommissioned in 2018.

For a final deployment the vessel is now serving as flagship to NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2) in the Mediterranean.

The ship is designed to deliver troops to the centre of the action by helicopter or by landing craft. The ship has six helicopter operating spots on her flight deck with space in the hangar to hold many more. HMS Ocean’s crew of 400 personnel includes Marines who operate four landing craft to take forces ashore. The 21,500 tonne amphibious assault ship has a top speed of 16 knots and a range in excess 8,000 miles.

Turkey is already building a landing helicopter dock which is based on the Spanish Navy’s (LHD) Juan Carlos I and designed by Navantia. The Turkish version of the ship will be named TCG Anadolu and planned to be delivered in 2021.

First steel on the ship, which will be registered as a light aircraft carrier by the Turkish Lloyd, was cut in May 2016, while delivery is scheduled for 2021.

UAE ordered 2 Gowind Class Corvette from Naval Group of France

According to France 24; The United Arab Emirates has closed a deal to buy two French-made Gowind navy corvettes, built for coastal surveillance and anti-submarine warfare, French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday (November 9) in Dubai.

The deal includes an option for two more vessels (for a possible total of four corvettes). The corvettes will be built by Naval Group in cooperation with local shipbuilder Abu Dhabi Shipbuilding (ADSB).

The Gowind design was in competition against Navantia’s Avante 500, Damen 6110, CMN BR71 MkII, Fincantieri Abu Dhabi class and likely the Turkish MILGEM corvette design.

Total length: 102 metres
Width: 16 metres
Displacement: 2,600 tonnes
Max. speed: 25 knots
Crew: 65 persons (helicopter detachment included)
Range: 3,700 nautical miles at 15 knots

Egypt Received Pohang-Class Corvette from South Korea

A former Republic of Korea Navy (ROK Navy) Flight III Pohang-class corvette was transferred to Egypt.

A Pohang-class corvette presented by the government of South Korea to Egypt arrived at the Alexandria, Ras El-Teen naval base on October 26, 2017. Once the Corvette entered Egyptian naval service, it was named ENS Shabab Misr (Youth of Egypt).

The Pohang-class corvette is a class of general purpose corvettes. They have served in a coastal defense role during the late Cold War and post Cold War period. A total of 24 Pohang-class vessels were built by South Korean shipyards Hyundai Heavy Industries, Hanjin Heavy Industries and Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering. They are also known under their commercial name: HDC 1000 / Jupiter II.

Abu Dhabi Class Corvette Sea Trial

The “Abu Dhabi class” is 88 meters long with a 12 metre beam, has a full load displacement of 1650 tons, can reach a speed of 25 knots with a range of more than 3000 nautical miles at 14 knots (thanks to 2 diesel engines of 7000 kW each) and can accommodate a crew of about 70.

The corvette also has a flight deck and hangar for one small-to-medium sized helicopter and its armament includes an Oto Melara SUPER RAPIDO 76/62 mm gun turret and two Oto Melara MARLIN 30 mm gun turret.

Gowind 2500 Corvette Sea Trial

Delivered just 36 months after the order was placed, the corvette ENS ELFATEH will take to the seas on 23 September to sail to its home port in Egypt. This vessel is the first of the four units ordered by the Egyptian Navy.

This vessel, ten units ordered so far, 4 for Egypt and 6 for Malaysia, complements the group’s extensive range of surface ships and submarines.

Indonesian Navy Sigma 10514 Class Frigate Sea Trials

The 105-metre, 2365 tonne PKR frigates are designed to undertake a wide range of missions in and around the waters of Indonesia, an archipelago nation made up of over 18,000 islands. Their primary mission is anti-air, anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare. However, they are also equipped for maritime security, search and rescue, and humanitarian support tasks.

Bollinger Shipyards delivers the 26th Fast Response Cutter to US Coast Guard

Bollinger Shipyards has delivered the USCGC JOSEPH GERCZAK, the 26^th Fast Response Cutter (FRC) to the U.S. Coast Guard. The Coast Guard took delivery on the 9th of November 2017 in Key West, Florida. The vessel’s commissioning is scheduled for March 9, 2018 in Honolulu, HI.

The 154-foot FRC is named after Joseph Gerczak who was killed while defending USS LST-66 from Japanese bombers during an American assault on Borgen Bay in New Britain on Dec. 26, 1943.

The 154 foot patrol craft USCGC JOSEPH GERZACK is the 26^th vessel in the Coast Guard’s Sentinel-class FRC program. The FRC has been described as an operational “game changer,” by senior Coast Guard officials. To build the FRC, Bollinger used a proven, in-service parent craft design based on the Damen Stan Patrol Boat 4708. It has a flank speed of 28 knots, state of the art command, control, communications and computer technology, and a stern launch system for the vessel’s 26 foot cutter boat.

Bollinger Shipyards LLC (www.bollingershipyards.com) is a leading designer and builder of fast military patrol boats, ocean-going double hull barges, offshore oil field support vessels, tug boats, rigs, liftboats, inland waterways push boats, barges, and other steel and aluminum products from its new construction shipyards. Bollinger has 10 shipyards and all are strategically located throughout Louisiana with direct access to the Gulf of Mexico, Mississippi River and the Intracoastal Waterway. Bollinger is the largest vessel repair company in the Gulf of Mexico region.

Indonesian Navy gets the 2nd Sigma 10514 Class Frigate

Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding and PT PAL Indonesia have delivered the second SIGMA 10514 Perusak Kawal Rudal (PKR)-class frigate to the Indonesian Navy (TNI-AL) on Monday, October 30.

The vessel which was jointly constructed by Dutch shipbuilding company Damen and PT PAL under the Perusak Kawal Rudal (PKR) programme, was launched in September 2016 and is expected to be commissioned later this year.

The SIGMA 10514 PKR guided-missile frigate has a speed of 28kt. It can sail up to a range of 5,000nm at a 14kt speed and can endure for 20 days at sea.

The combined diesel or electric (CODOE) propulsion system consists of two 10,000kW maximum continuous rating (MCR) diesel engines, two 1,300kW electric motors

WEAPON SUITE

• Medium calibre gun 76 mm;
• Close in weapons system;
• 2 x small calibre guns;
• 2 x SSM launchers;
• 12 Cell VL SHORADS;
• 2 x torpedo launchers;
• 2 x decoys/chaff;
• ECM

Lockheed Martin has been awarded a contract by US Navy to support the German Navy’s P-3C Orion Mission System Refresh Programme

Lockheed Martin has been awarded a contract valued at roughly $158.5m by the US Navy to support the German Navy’s P-3C Orion Mission System Refresh Programme.

Lockheed is set to support the German Navy in upgrading the mission system processing suites on-board eight P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft until 2022 as part of the second phase of the programme.

Thales has won a contract to support, communication systems installed on-board the British Royal Navy’s Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers.

Thales has won a $131.27m deal to support, maintain and manage the company’s communications systems installed on-board the British Royal Navy’s Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers.

The company will also provide support for communications solutions on-board other platforms as part of the agreement, including systems integrated on-board Type 45 destroyers and Landing Platform Dock.