Category: NAVAL PROJECTS

Pakistan to get 2 More Type 054A Frigates From China

Pakistan has signed a contract for two more Type 054A frigates from China, taking the total number of ships of that type ordered to four, the delivery of which is expected by 2021.

The contract was signed at the Ministry of Defense Production in Rawalpindi, in a ceremony attended by the country’s Deputy Chief of Naval Staff (Operations), Rear Admiral Faisal Rasul Lodhi and other high-ranking officials and dignitaries from both China and Pakistan.

According to news from web and blogs , Pakistan’s Type 054As will also be configured with the same weapons and subsystems as their People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) counterparts. Notable subsystems in the PLAN Type 054A include the Type 366 over the horizon (OTH) radar and Type-382 3D air search radar.

Pakistan Type 054A 03

For more about Type 054A Frigate you can read this article from Naval Technology.

Colombian Navy to get a new hydrographic multipurpose vessel

The Colombian Navy commissioned a new hydrographic multipurpose vessel into service on 14 June.

Originally built as an offshore supply vessel (OSV) by Chinese shipyard Fujian Mawei Shipbuilding, ARC Caribe was procured by Colombia in December 2017 and modified to meet navy requirements. While the ship will primarily perform hydrographic and oceanographic investigation duties, it will also be able to provide support services to Colombia’s offshore oil exploitation platforms and logistics support to the navy fleet.

ARC Caribe 02

ARC Caribe has an overall length of 59.6 m, a beam of 15.2 m, and a displacement of 2,195 tonnes. It can achieve a top speed of 12.5 kt.

For more details please visit Jane’s article.

Swedish Navy Gotland Class submarines relaunched after mid-life upgrades by SAAB

According to official press release from SAAB; Swedish Navy Gotland Class Submarine has been relaunched and is ready to start her sea trials after a comprehensive mid-life upgrade (MLU).

Due to this MLU, the Gotland submarine has capabilities that will be found in the next generation of Swedish submarines, the A26.

Gotland Class 03

The Gotland was designed and built by Kockums in Malmö in the early 1990’s and commissioned in 1996. The mid-life modification consists of upgrades of onboard systems and technology, sustaining the submarine’s operability, and ensuring service to Sweden beyond 2025.

This updated version of the Gotland will pave the way for the most modern AIP submarine under production today: the A26 for the Royal Swedish Navy. More than 20 systems on-board the new Gotland-class will be implemented in the A26. The MLU of Gotland therefore contributes to the test and qualification of some of the innovative solutions to be implemented in the future Swedish A26 submarine class.

The relaunch ceremony of the Gotland took place in Karlskrona on June 20.

Indonesian Navy received two more patrol boats

Indonesian Navy has received 2 more patrol boats with a ceremony held at Indonesian shipbuilder PT Palindo Marine in 23th of April.

The boats joined seven other vessels that has been taken into service by the Indonesian Navy in 2017.

Indonesian Patrol Boat 28m - 01

Indonesia has a coastline of 54,716 km and maritime claims include exclusive economic zone of 200 nm and 12 nm of territorial sea when measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines. For an archipelagic nation like Indonesia, large numbers of patrol craft are essential for ensuring maritime security in inshore and offshore waters.

To achieve this goal, there are a number of patrol boat programmes underway for 28m, 40m and 60m platforms being conducted by Indonesian Navy.

 

South Korea to launch 2nd Dokdo-class amphibious ship

South Korea has launched 2nd Dokdo-class amphibious ship just one year after the first one commissioned.

Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) stated that the ship is expected to be commissioned in 2020, following tests and evaluations.

The vessel is named as Marado, after an offshore island, a 0.12 square mile formation off the south coast of the Republic of Korea (ROK)

DOKDO 02

The vessel has a length of 199 meters and a width of 31 meters. Displacing 18,000 tons at full load, Marado can make 23 knots and carry 10 helicopters, as well as 720 marines and associated ground combat vehicles.

Russian Navy to upgrade Kuznetsov

According to some Russian news sources a contract has been signed for a modernisation of the Russian Navy’s sole aircraft carrier.

The modernization will focus on the aircraft carrier’s flight deck, including replacement of the deck covering, tailhooks, aircraft arresting gear and other elements of the take-off system.

Admiral_Kuznetsov 02

A contract between the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) and state-owned United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) for the modernization and overhaul of the Admiral Kuznetsov has finally been signed last month, following a long delay due to contractual disputes between the two sides.

Russia’s deputy defence minister for procurement, Yuri Borisov, has stated in April that the entire re-fit would be complete by the end of 2020 and the ship back in service in 2021.

Admiral Kuznetsov, commissioned in 1990, is the sole carrier of the Russian Navy and has deployed intermittently following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

 

China launched 2nd Type 055 guided-missile destroyer

According to news from internet forums; Chinese Navy (PLAN) has launched 2nd Type 055D guided-missile destroyer at the Jiangnan Changxingdao shipyard in Shanghai.

The news about the first ship has been widely serviced in all media channels by Chinese Authorities, but there was no press release or news published for the ceremony of the second one.

Janes 360 and some other channels has shared the news about the launching ceremony.

The Type 055 guided-missile destroyer class is one of the PLAN’s most ambitious shipbuilding programs to date. Measuring about 180 meters long and over 20 meters wide and displacing around 10,000-tons, the Type 055 is among the largest warships launched in East Asia after World War II.

Its principle armament is centred on 112 vertical launch missile silos expected to outload a combination of surface-to-air, surface-to-surface, torpedo-carrying anti-submarine and land-attack cruise missiles.

The ships are likely to be a key component of the PLAN’s carrier escort groups.

China Type 055D 02

Two shipyards – Changxingdao and Dalian – are constructing Type 055 destroyers. Changxingdao has been the lead yard for building destroyers for the PLAN since 2008, when the Jiangnan shipyard relocated from central Shanghai to the island at the mouth of the Yangtze River.

US Navy to christen Future USS Cincinnati (LCS-20)

The US Navy officially christened its newest Independence-variant littoral combat ship (LCS), the future USS Cincinnati (LCS 20) with a ceremony Saturday, May 5, in Mobile, Alabama.

At the mast stepping ceremony prior to the christening, Cincinnati Council Member and US Navy veteran David Mann presented a key to the city and a letter from Mayor John Cranley, along with other items. These items will be welded within the ship.

USS Cincinati ceremony

According to Cincinnati City official web news; Cincinnati has a long and proud tradition of recognition by the Navy including the naming of four other vessels. The first was a stern-wheel casemate gunboat that served during the Civil War and was sunk by Confederate fire on two separate occasions. Raised both times and returned to service, she was decommissioned following the war. The second Cincinnati was a cruiser commissioned in 1894. She served extensively in the Caribbean before, during, and after the Spanish-American War before being decommissioned in 1919. The third ship to bear the name was a light cruiser commissioned in 1924 that served around the world and earned a battle star for World War II service that included convoy escort and blockade duty. She was decommissioned in 1945 after the war ended. The fourth Cincinnati was a Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine commissioned in 1978. The boat served for 17 years before being decommissioned in 1995.

LCS

LCS is a modular, reconfigurable ship, designed to meet validated fleet requirements for surface warfare (SUW), anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and mine countermeasures (MCM) missions in the littoral region. An interchangeable mission package is embarked on each LCS and provides the primary mission systems in one of these warfare areas. Using an open architecture design, modular weapons, sensor systems and a variety of manned and unmanned vehicles to gain, sustain and exploit littoral maritime supremacy, LCS provides U.S. joint force access to critical areas in multiple theaters.

Independence class 01

The LCS class consists of two variants, the Freedom variant and the Independence variant, designed and built by two industry teams. The Freedom variant team is led by Lockheed Martin (for the odd-numbered hulls). The Independence variant team is led by Austal USA (for LCS 6 and the subsequent even-numbered hulls).

General Characteristics, Independence variant :
Builder: General Dynamics (LCS 2 and LCS 4), Austal USA (LCS 6 and follow)
Length: 421.5 feet (128.5 meters)
Height: 126.3 feet (38.5 meters)
Beam: 103.7 feet (31.6 meters)
Displacement: approximately 3,200 MT full load
Draft: 15.1 feet (4.6 meters)

Pakistan Navy OPV-I keel laid down in Damen Shipyard Galati in Romania

Keel Laying Ceremony of Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV-I) being built for Pakistan Navy was held in 24 April at DAMEN Shipyard Galati, Romania.

The event has been revealed on the official monthly magazine of Pakistan Navy.

Dutch shipbuilder Damen Shipyards has begun work on the first of two 1,900 tonne multipurpose offshore patrol vessels (OPV) for the Pakistan Navy.

Pakistan and Damen signed a contract for the construction of two OPVs in June 2017. First OPV is being built at Damen’s Galati shipyard in Romania. The second will be constructed in Pakistan at Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works (KSEW) with material support from Damen.

Damen-OPV-1800-02

In terms of specifications, the OPVs have a hull-length of 90 m, maximum speed of 22 knots and full-load displacement of 1,900 tons. Based on the specifications, Pakistan’s OPV 1900 is a variant of the Damen OPV 1800. The OPVs have been described by the Pakistan Navy as “state-of-the-art vessels” especially suited for anti-surface, anti-air, and maritime security operations.

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Sources:

https://quwa.org/

https://janes.com/

https://paknavy.gov.pk/