“F**k Spudman”

Navy gets shipyard to build new subs
Posted: Friday , Dec 25, 2009 at 0259 hrs New Delhi:

Days after the Indian Navy conveyed its concerns regarding a depleting submarine to the Defence Acquisition Council, Defence Ministry’s highest decision making body on procurements, a key shipyard has been transferred to the ministry for the construction of conventional and nuclear submarines. The Indian submarine fleet is expected to halve by 2012 as the Navy phases out older generation boats even as shopping for new submarines is hampered by the “extreme shortage” of shipyards.

The Navy currently has 16 Russian and German origin submarines as against the sanctioned fleet strength of 24. Half of these will reach the end of their service life by 2012. In fact, the Navy still operates two Foxtrot submarines that were inducted in 1970’s and have far surpassed their service lives. The mainstay of Navy’s submarine fleet are the 10 Kilo Class boats, which are being slowly upgraded in Russia.

The Navy desperately needs new submarines but only six Scorpene submarines, the first of which will not enter service before 2012, are on order. A separate order for six more Scorpene boats, which will arrive after 2017, had been temporarily put off due to shortage of shipyards.

The Navy, sources said, had expressed its inability to find a shipyard for construction of a second line of submarines as all shipyards it has are fully booked. Scorpene submarines are being built at Mazgaon Docks Limited in Mumbai. With the Cabinet clearance given to the transfer of Vishakhapatnam’s Hindustan Shipyard to Defence Ministry, the Navy’s plans for building new submarines will now resume.

… contd.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Navy-gets-shipyard-to-build-new-subs/559027

Egypt – Fast Missile Craft

(Source: US Defense Security Cooperation Agency; issued Dec. 18, 2009)

WASHINGTON — The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress Dec. 17 of a possible Foreign Military Sale to Egypt of the Fast Missile Craft (FMC) program and associated parts, equipment, training and logistical support for a complete package worth approximately $240 million.

The Government of Egypt has requested a possible sale for the Fast Missile Craft (FMC) program which was previously reported under Congressional notifications 04-05 and 0C-08. This notification is to document the Government of Egypt’s decision to expand the program from three (3) FMCs to four (4) FMCs including the following; one (1) additional OTO-Malera 76mm/62 caliber Super Rapid Fire Dual Purpose guns, (1) additional MK 31 Mod 3 Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) Guided Missile Weapon System, installation of Hull, Mechanical, and Electrical equipment, communications, operations equipment, spare and repair parts, support equipment, personnel training and training equipment, publications and technical documents, and U.S. Government and contractor technical and logistics support services, and other related elements of logistics support.

The estimated cost is $240 million.

The sale of Fast Missile Craft to Egypt was originally notified on 7 August 2004, in Transmittal 04-05 for three FMCs at a value of $565M. On 7 September 2008, the Administration notified an inflationary cost increase to that program in Transmittal OC-08, for an additional $485M. This notification of $240M brings the total notified value of the FMC program to $1.290B.

This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a friendly country which has been and continues to be an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East. This sale is consistent with these U.S. objectives and with the 1950 Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security.

The Egyptian Navy does not currently have a modern, high speed, ship capable of providing deep and shallow water defensive protection for the approaches to the Suez Canal. Egypt intends to purchase these ships to enhance its overall ability to defend its coastal areas and the approaches to the Suez Canal and will have no difficulty absorbing these crafts into its armed forces.

The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region.

The prime contractor will be Vision Technology Halter-Marine of Gulfport Mississippi.

There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale.

Implementation of this proposed sale will not require the assignment of additional U.S. Government or contractor representatives to Egypt.

There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale.

This notice of a potential sale is required by law and does not mean the sale has been concluded. (ends)

Egypt – Harpoon Block II Anti-Ship Cruise Missiles

(Source: US Defense Security Cooperation Agency; issued Dec. 18, 2009)

WASHINGTON — The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress Dec. 17 of a possible Foreign Military Sale to Egypt of 20 RGM-84L/3 HARPOON Block II Anti-Ship Cruise Missiles and associated parts, equipment, training and logistical support for a complete package worth approximately $145 million.

The Government of Egypt has requested a possible sale of 20 RGM-84L/3 HARPOON Block II Anti-Ship Cruise Missiles, 4 AN/SWG-1A HARPOON Shipboard Command Launch Control Systems including all consoles, software, and shipboard canister launcher units (4 missile battery), spare and repair parts; supply/technical support; support equipment; personnel training and training equipment; technical data and publications; U.S. Government and contractor engineering and logistics support services; and other related elements of logistics support.

The estimated cost is $145 million.

This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a friendly country which has been and continues to be an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East.

Egypt intends to use the HARPOON missiles and launch systems on upgraded S-148 Tiger Class Patrol Boats which will assist in modernizing its fleet and consolidate the configuration of the surface-to-surface missiles within its inventory. Egypt will have no difficulty absorbing these missiles into its armed forces.

The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region.

The principal contractor will be The Boeing Company in St. Louis, MO. There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale.

Implementation of this proposed sale will not require the assignment of any additional U.S. government or contractor representatives to Egypt; however, U.S. government and contractor representatives will be required to travel to Egypt annually for a period of one to two weeks to participate in program and technical reviews.

There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale.

This notice of a potential sale is required by law and does not mean the sale has been concluded.

-ends-

An Important Varyag Update
December 17, 2009: For seven years now, China has been tinkering with a half finished Russian aircraft carrier. Obviously, progress has been slow. But there has been steady progress. The latest development is the construction of a radar mast on the carrier. Officially, the Chinese say nothing. But the dockyard workers keep at it.

Earlier this year, China moved its aircraft carrier, the Shi Lang, into dry dock, apparently to install engines and other heavy equipment. A year ago, this ex-Russian aircraft carrier, Varyag, was renamed the Shi Lang (after the Chinese general who took possession of Taiwan in 1681, the first time China ever paid any attention to the island) and given the pennant number 83.

The Chinese have been refurbishing the Varyag, one of the Kuznetsov class that Russia began building in the 1980s, for a long time, with no announcements of what they are up to, or what to expect. However, it appears that the ship could be ready for sea trials in less than a year. Maybe. No one is sure exactly what plans the Chinese have for the Shi Lang, although work has been going on for years. Currently, it’s widely believed that the carrier will eventually be used to train the first generation of Chinese carrier aviators and sailors. Or maybe not. No one who really knows anything about the plans for the Shi Lang, is speaking up. All is observation (from a distance, but good pix are numerous) and speculation.

The Varyag has been in a Chinese shipyard at Dailan since 2002. While the ship is under guard, it can be seen from a nearby highway. From that vantage point, local military and naval buffs have noted the work being done on the ship. Few visible signs of this work are visible; like a new paint job (in the gray shade used by the Chinese navy) and ongoing work on the superstructure (particularly the tall island on the flight deck.) Many workers can be seen on the ship, and material is seen going into (new stuff) and out of (old stuff) the ship. Shipyard workers report ever tighter security on the carriers, and stern instructions to workers to not report details of what is happening on the carriers.

Originally the Kuznetsovs were to be 90,000 ton, nuclear powered ships, similar to American carriers (complete with steam catapults). Instead, because of the high cost, and the complexity of modern (American style) carriers, the Russians were forced to scale back their plans, and ended up with the 65,000 ton (full load ) ships that lacked steam catapults, and used a ski jump type flight deck instead. Nuclear power was dropped, but the Kuznetsov class was still a formidable design. The thousand foot long carrier normally carries a dozen navalized Su-27s (called Su-33s), 14 Ka-27PL anti-submarine helicopters, two electronic warfare helicopters and two search and rescue helicopters. But the ship can carry up to 36 Su-33s and sixteen helicopters. The ship carries 2,500 tons of aviation fuel, allowing it to generate 500-1,000 aircraft and helicopter sorties. Crew size is 2,500 (or 3,000 with a full aircraft load.) Only two ships of this class exist; the original Kuznetsov, which is in Russian service, and the Varyag.

The Chinese have been in touch with Russian naval construction firms, and may have purchased plans and technology for equipment installed in the Kuznetsov. Some Chinese leaders have quipped about having a carrier by 2010 (this would have to be a refurbished Varyag). Even that would be an ambitious schedule, and the Chinese have been burned before when they tried to build new military technology in a hurry.

Late last year, China announced that its first class of carrier aviators had begun training at the Dalian Naval Academy. The naval officers will undergo a four year course of instruction to turn them into fighter pilots capable of operating off a carrier. China already has an airfield, in the shape of a carrier deck, built at an inland facility. The Russians have warned China that it may take them a decade or more to develop the knowledge and skills needed to efficiently run an aircraft carrier. The Chinese are game, and are slogging forward.

http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htnavai/articles/20091217.aspx

Ceremony to launch frigate Teg (Saber) in Kaliningrad

Description:
The ceremony to launch the frigate Teg (Saber), built at Kaliningrad’s Shipyard Yantar for the Indian Navy.
Location:
Russia, Kaliningrad
Date of event:
27.11.2009

gallery:
http://visualrian.com/images?text=Ceremony+to+launch+frigate+Teg+%28Saber%29+in+Kaliningrad+&section=photo

Gorshkov’s final price decided: Russian envoy
December 14th, 2009 – 6:50 pm ICT by IANS

Manmohan Singh New Delhi, Dec 14 (IANS) Days after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Moscow, Russian ambassador to India Alexander Kadakin Monday said the final price for the refurbishment of aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov has been finalised.
“Talks were successful. Talks have concluded,” the Russian envoy said when asked about the final price at which Russia has agreed to sell Admiral Gorshkov to India.

The envoy, however, declined to disclose the final price of the aircraft carrier that has been the subject of protracted negotiations between the two sides.

“Please don’t sensationalise Gorshkov’s pricing. These are routine price negotiations,” said Kadakin, an old India hand whose earlier tenure as Russia’s ambassador to India (1999-2004) saw the forging of strategic partnership between the two countries.

The Gorshkov issue came up during the summit level talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in Moscow last week.

After the talks, Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao had said the negotiations over price and other technical issues relating to the re-fitted aircraft carrier were brought “to a successful conclusion”.

Rao, too, did not disclose the final price agreed to by both sides.

Kadakin admitted that there were “mistakes” by both sides in negotiating the price, but assured that these issues have now been sorted out.

The carrier would be supplied to India in a very good shape with cutting-edge technology, Kadakin said.

Kadakin said India-Russia defence ties remained as strong as ever and Moscow was not worried about New Delhi diversifying its purchase of military hardware from other countries.

He admitted that supplying spares and maintenance of Russian weaponry sold to India remained an issue, but expressed confidence that these would be sorted out soon.

Moscow had reportedly asked for $2.9 billion for the aircraft carrier, nearly thrice the price that was originally agreed between the two sides in 2004.

But New Delhi insisted on scaling back the price to $2.1 billion.

Delays in re-fitting the aircraft carrier and huge cost overruns had turned out to be an irritant over the otherwise time-tested relationship between the two countries.

Read more: http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/uncategorized/gorshkovs-final-price-decided-russian-envoy_100289175.html#ixzz0ZhGJuLIz

from:
http://beta.thehindu.com/news/national/article60980.ece

some remarks:

India and Russia have practically sealed the framework agreement on an omnibus nuclear energy agreement and bridged differences on the price to refurbish aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya (formerly Admiral Gorshkov) that will project the country’s naval power in the Indian Ocean for at least two decades, said highly placed government sources.

Asked about the “festering wound that is Gorshkov,” the sources said it had been “healed.” Maintaining that both sides had “more or less” reached an agreement on the price that had been the bone of contention for nearly five years, they said India appreciated the quality work done on the gutted aircraft carrier, which was given free of cost as a gesture of friendship.

However, due to a hasty visit by the first negotiating team during the closing days of the Bharatiya Janata Party government at the Centre and an equal disregard shown to detailing by the Russian side, it was found that the refurbishment cost had been grossly underestimated. Since then, both sides have had four rounds of high-level negotiations to reach a mutually agreeable, revised figure. The first batch of four MiG-29 fighters meant for the carrier have reached the country and the aircraft carrier, which sources say is the “best value of money,” could arrive at a naval dockyard by 2014.

Old Warships Never Die, They Just Fade Away

December 4, 2009: The Russian public is becoming aware of the fact that they won’t have much of a navy in 5-10 years. The problem is that, in that period, most of the Cold War era warships that now comprise the fleet, will have to be retired. These ships are falling apart, as there was not any money, since the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, for repairs and upgrades. The Russian parliament is calling for more money, to build enough surface ships to maintain a respectable fleet. That is proving difficult. Then there’s the problem that most of Russians warship building capability has disappeared since 1991. To that end. the government is negotiating with France to buy the right to buy a Mistral amphibious assault ship/helicopter carrier, and the right to built three more in Russian shipyards. During that process, Russian shipbuilders will learn how it’s done in the West.

For the last seventeen years, most of the Russian construction effort went into finishing a few subs, and building some surface ships for export. Currently building are three SSBNs (the new Borei class, one of which recently entered service), one new SSN (attack sub, that has been building for 15 years now and was recently finished), and one new Amur conventional sub, with two more building. There is a new class of 4,500 ton frigates (the Gorshkov class), but only one is under construction and won’t be finished for another two years. The Gorshkov’s have a 130mm gun, plus anti-ship and anti-aircraft missiles. The navy wants at least a dozen of these 4,500 ton ships, but the money has not been provided yet.

There is one Stereguschyy class corvette in service, with three more building. These are small ships (2,100 tons displacement), costing about $125 million each. These “Project 20380” ships have impressive armament (two 30mm anti-missile cannon, one 100mm cannon, eight anti-ship missiles, six anti-submarine missiles, two eight cell anti-missile missile launchers). There is a helicopter platform, but the ship is not designed to carry one regularly. Crew size, of one hundred officers and sailors, is achieved by a large degree of automation. The ship also carries air search and navigation radars. It can cruise 6,500 kilometers on one load of fuel. Normally, the ship would stay out 7-10 days at a time, unless it received replenishment at sea. Like the American LCS, the Russian ship is meant for coastal operations. The navy wants at least fifty of them. There is also an amphibious ship under construction, and lots of talk about aircraft carriers. But until money is allocated, and construction starts, it’s all just talk.

Meanwhile, the fleet is a collection of aging Cold War ships. This includes about a dozen SSBNs, two dozen SSNs (nuclear attack subs) and about fifty diesel-electric boats. There’s one aircraft carrier, five cruisers, 17 destroyers, eleven frigates and about fifty corvettes. There are about twenty amphibious ships still in service. All these Cold War era ships suffered from years of neglect during the 1990s, and most are not in the best of shape. In ten years, all of them will be gone. The new fleet, even if construction picks up, will be much smaller. The Russian fleet will go from 170 ships and subs now, to less than a third of that. This is not popular with most Russians, but the money, capability and will is not there to do much more.

http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htsurf/articles/20091204.aspx