Being in Iraq and Afghanistan is expensive….

All in the narrow confines of the Mediterranean Sea, all easily within range of land-based aircraft. Some are within sight of the mainland, and there’s a plan to build a bridge connecting Sicily to Calabria. Not exactly “in the middle of the ocean”, which doesn’t just mean surrounded by seawater, but remote, far from large land masses.

Excuse me but isn’t the whole of Italy located smack in the middle of the narrow confines of the Mediterranean? So wouldn’t any Italian island be? Pantelleria is 2/3 of the way from Sicily to Tunisia, about the same distance from Sicily as Malta is. Any spot in the med is pretty much in range of landbased aviation, so what was youyr islan remark about to begin with? What sort of Island were you referring to then? An island in the Atlantic, like Ascension island? What , if anything, does that have to do with the Cavour?

Long-range missile set for launch test in Tel Aviv

Huma Siddiqui
Posted online: Friday , June 13, 2008 at 2225 hrs IST

New Delhi, Jun 12 The long-range surface to air missile (LRSAM), which is jointly developed by Defence Research and Development Laboratory, Hyderabad with second biggest weapons supplier Israel, is ready to go for launch test to Tel Aviv.

The $350-million covered a joint Indian-Israeli development agreement in 2006 under the UPA government, to create a new medium shipborne air defense missile, based on the Barak system in service with both navies.

According to sources, under the contract Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and its Israeli partners have agreed to transfer all relevant technologies and manufacturing capabilities to India, and to start delivering in 65 months’ time.

The systems’ critical design review is complete, the 2-pulse rocket motor has been successfully tested statically and has been delivered to Israel for launch test. Sources said the test is scheduled to take place in June-end and early next month, and this will be followed by control and navigation test later this year.

While the initial funding is about $350 million, of which IAI will finance 50%, additional funding will be infused by both parties as needed. Israel also has projected some requirements for long-range Barak air defense systems, and it could source missiles and other systems from India, he said.

The agreement paves the way to meet the immediate requirements of the Indian Navy, the scientist said. Under this agreement, the Defence Research and Development Laboratory and IAI will develop six long-range Barak systems for India’s stealth warships. The Navy is procuring three such warships from Russia, and the remaining will be built by the state-owned Mazagon Docks.

A senior defence ministry official said there will be a transformation in the requirements of air defense systems for the three Indian military services. Based on these projections and the high cost of air defense systems, the ministry has approved the initiatives under which, state-owned agencies can forge joint co-development and co-production ventures with foreign Companies.

http://www.financialexpress.com/news/Long-range-missile-set-for-launch-test-in-Tel-Aviv/321994/

(for example the 76mm gun is not the definitive, will be replaced still, so it was not even painted in “PN grey”, it is still on Dutch Navy grey)

Oooh, are they going to stuff a French 100mm gun in there? That’ll be different, it will look funky on these ships. But, if they replace the main gun – presumably for logistical reasons – why keep the goalkeeper?

The (Still ) HrMs Van Nes leaves the drydock in Den Helder already in Portuguese-Grey and with PN Pennant

Two remarks:
1- No flight deck modification like the M’s going to Belgium (for larger NH90)
2- Apparently no radars on the Goalkeeper and main mast > not ready to go to Portugal (?) or getting something different?

Add Poland and Malaysia for “light frigates” of the current generation (Meko A100s). Which is of course a rather contested market section too that e.g. DCN with the Gowinds has been a bit less successful in, and Navantia’s AFCON has yet to make a sale.

Except that Poland has Meko A100 and Malaysia the Meko 100, which is a beefed up OPV.

“Friedman’s US Naval Weapons says ROF for the Mk 12 was similar to the Mk 7, which is credited with an time of 57 seconds to fire the first salvo from ready storage and with 46 seconds between salvos in continuous firing (flight time would be the actual limiting factor in long-range engagements, since time to maximum range was three or four minutes). The same book has a nice diagram of the MK 12, but I have no scanner.”
http://warships1discussionboards.yuku.com/forum/getrefs/id/81687/type/0

“Norman Friedman: “US Naval Weapons”, Conway Maritime Press, 1983″
http://www.designation-systems.net/dusrm/m-8.html

afaik the aspide launcher is reloaded from a magazin which is directly under the long range radar and the aft fire control radar. there is a large hatch which is lowered towards the launcher to close the distance to the launcher. the magazin with 16 missiles is than driven towards the launcher. afaik the hole process fully automated.

You may be right, looking at that earlier shot of Meko 360 from the rear, there is a door in the ‘box’ on which the rear STIR sits. There is a variant though which load from a lower deck. It’s the installation as on the carrier Guiseppe Garibaldi and Durand de la Penne DDG. Meko 200P and Meko 200T just have a launcher, no reloads, no reloading system.