Germany named its only “people” class 20 years after their death after three people who died during WW2 (Lütjens, Mölders, Rommel).

Due to the … controversy of the name choice, every single German ship since then is named geographically. States, cities, towns for ships and larger boats, rivers and mountain ranges for supply ships, animals for smaller boats. And even that still incites people, considering Germans tend to think “regional”. Along the lines of “every federal state has to have one or two ships”. Iirc there’s only state without a ship ever named after it or a feature in it (Saarland).

This is not right, what´s about this frigates under german flag (Hunt- und Black-Swan-Class):

F 212 Gneisenau (ex-HMS Oakley L98/F168) 1958 – 1966
F 213 Scharnhorst (ex-HMS Mermaid U30/F30) 1959 – 1968
F 214 Hipper (ex-HMS Actaeon U07/F07) 1959 – 1964
F 215 Graf Spee (ex-HMS Flamingo U03/F03) 1959 – 1964
F 216 Scheer (ex-HMS Hart U58/F58) 1959 – 1967
F 217 Raule (ex-HMS Albrighton L12/F112) 1959 – 1967
F 218 Brommy(ex-HMS Eggesford L15/F15) 1959 – 1965

New Specifications for the German Navy´s Frigates Typ 125 (in german)

http://www.strategie-technik.de/09-08/mar.pdf

First Assembly of Euro Hawk Unmanned Aircraft for Germany

Northrop Grumman Corporation has finished assembling the first Euro Hawk unmanned aircraft system (UAS) for the German Ministry of Defence (MoD). With a wing span larger than a commercial airliner and endurance projected at up to 30 hours, the Euro Hawk will serve as the German Air Force’s and Navy´s high-altitude, long-endurance signals intelligence (SIGINT) system.

The Euro Hawk is a derivative of the Block 20 Global Hawk, and will be equipped with a new SIGINT mission system developed by EADS Defence & Security (DS). The SIGINT system provides standoff capability to detect electronic intelligence radar and communications intelligence emitters. EADS DS will also provide the ground stations that will receive and analyze the data from Euro Hawk as part of an integrated system solution.

“This on-time assembly of the Euro Hawk demonstrator reinforces our commitment to providing ground-breaking technology to our customers and solidifies our transatlantic cooperation with Germany and EADS DS,” said Jim Kohn, Northrop Grumman Euro Hawk program director. “We’re also on track for the Euro Hawk unveiling later this year at our Palmdale, Calif. manufacturing facility after additional checkout and systems testing, followed by first flight and delivery in 2010 in Germany.”

Following successful testing and introduction in German operational service, Northrop Grumman anticipates subsequent systems will be delivered between 2016 and 2017. The Euro Hawk will replace the naval fleet of Breguet Atlantic aircraft, which have been in service since 1972.

“We’re eager to receive the Euro Hawk and can’t wait to have this unmatched capability flying high above European skies at more than 60,000 feet and improving our troops’ safety during military deployments,” said Heiko Weiss, Euro Hawk program manager of the German Federal Office for Defence Technology and Procurement. “Developed to meet Germany’s need for airborne wide-area surveillance and reconnaissance, this system will surely transform the region’s situational awareness on land, air, and sea.”

“This collaborative effort between Northrop Grumman and EADS DS on this first Euro Hawk is a great success and an excellent example of our transatlantic partnership,” said Heinz-Juergen Rommel, chief executive officer of the EuroHawk GmbH. “We are excited to welcome this magnificent UAS here in Germany.”

On Jan. 31, 2007, the German MoD awarded a $559 million contract to EuroHawk GmbH, a 50-50 joint venture company formed by Northrop Grumman and EADS, for the development, test and support of the Euro Hawk unmanned SIGINT surveillance and reconnaissance system. Under the contract, EuroHawk GmbH will also provide aircraft modifications, mission control and launch and recovery ground segments, flight test and logistics support.

EuroHawk GmbH is the national prime contractor for the German MoD through the entire lifecycle of the Euro Hawk system. The limited liability company is based in Immenstaad, Germany.

New dutch NH-90 Helicopter Still Too Heavy

State Secretary of Defence Jack de Vries on Wednesday had “bad news” for the House of Commons, he said. The NH-90 helicopter ordered by the Ministry of Defence is still heavier than planned.

NH Industries had announced to measures to reduce the helicopter’s weight, but these have not had the desired result. The weight of the aircraft has been a problem for years. This is important because the additional weight makes them too heavy to land on the Dutch navy frigates for which they are intended.
The Netherlands decided in 1991 to participate in the NH-90 program, and ordered twenty [of the NFH-90 naval variant] which should have replaced the current Lynx ship-borne helicopters beginning in 2007.
However, because of the recurring weight issue, that date has been moved back several times. The latest date for their initial delivery has now been pushed back to 2011, de Vries said.
It is not possible to rule out further delays, nor to say what extra costs will arise from the delays, he added.

defense-aerospace.com

German Type 214 ????

HDW: Endlich Lösung im U-Bootstreit?

Für das seit zwei Jahren bei HDW festliegende griechische U-Boot „Papanikolis“ könnte es eine Zukunft unter der deutschen Dienstflagge geben. Wie das britische Nachrichtenmagazin Jane’s berichtet, gibt es Überlegungen, das Boot in den Dienst der Deutschen Marine zu übernehmen. Wie berichtet, hatte Griechenland das Boot nicht abgenommen. Inzwischen summieren sich die Außenstände bei HDW auf 600 Millionen Euro. Die Werft HDW teilte mit, dass man an einer Lösung des Problems arbeite und dabei auch verschiedene Varianten in die Überlegungen einbeziehe. Zu Details der Lösungsmöglichkeiten mochte die Werft gestern noch keine Stellung nehmen. Die „Papanikolis“ könnte als U-Boot „U 37“ in die Flotte eingegliedertwerden.

Google Translation:

HDW: Finally a solution to the U-Boat Controversy?

For the past two years with HDW finds lying Greek submarine “Papanikolis” it could be a future service under the German flag type. As the British magazine Jane’s reported that there are considerations that the boat in the service of the German navy to take over. Reportedly, the boat Greece had not abated. Meanwhile, the total outstanding balance in HDW to 600 million euros. The shipbuilder HDW announced that a working solution of the problem and also different variations in the considerations. For details of the possible solutions I would love the yard yesterday, still no comment. The “Papanikolis” could serve as a U-boat “U 37” in the fleet.

Baltic Fleet helicopter crashes on deck of ship undergoing at-seatesting

A Kamov Ka-27 helicopter crashed while landing on the deck of a new warship, the Yaroslav Mudry, the Baltic Fleet’s Military Investigation Department said in a press release.
“The blades of a Ka-27 helicopter of a Baltic Fleet unit, based in the Kaliningrad region, struck against the Yaroslav Mudry’s superstructure as the helicopter was landing at about noon on Monday.
The Ka-27 fell onto the deck and then slid down into the water and sank,” the press release says.
“The ship’s services rescued the crew and the passengers – five people in all. The Yaroslav Mudry was undergoing at-sea testing, supervised by the Baltic shipyard Yantar, the manufacturer,” it says. “Discussing the damage done to the new ship would be premature,” the Yantar management told Interfax. “The shipyard director is in Baltiisk, where the ship will arrive to be examined by experts. But tentatively, the damage was not serious, because the helicopter had not fallen flat on the deck and did not catch fire. But some structures could have been smashed and the landing site damaged. Experts will analyze details,” he said.
The helicopter crashed around 10 kilometers from the coast, Interfax earlier reported.

MH90 vs. CH148: German Navy Replacing Sea Lynx and Sea King helicopter

The German Navy will soon reach a product decision regarding the new Maritime Helicopter (MH) programme, a Navy official told defpro.com. The new copters are urgently needed to replace the aging Sea Lynx and, even more so, the Sea King helicopter types which are in service since 1975 with the Naval Air Squadron 5 at Kiel-Holtenau.

The German Navy’s Sea King Mk 41 primarily serves for emergency air sea rescue and patrol and was formerly also equipped with four external Sea Skua missiles for combat missions. This capability was then transferred to the Sea Lynx Mk 88A, whose usual roles include Anti-Submarine (ASW) and Anti-Surface Warfare (AUSW) as well as troop and cargo transport.

Unifying the different roles of the Sea Lynx and the Sea King has been carried over into the requirements for the new helicopter.

The German Federal Office of Defence Technology and Procurement (Bundesamt fur Wehrtechnik and Beschaffung, BWB) issued an RFI (request for information) on November 11, 2008 to the industry for a cost estimate for 30 naval helicopters with delivery starting in 2015. The RFI also includes the request for a corresponding training and maintenance concept. According to the BWB, a contract may be signed in 2011.

Based upon the Navy’s requirement, 30 new copters are needed which should be able to perform ASW and ASuW missions as well as Search and Rescue (SAR) and Special Ops Support operations, mainly from naval ships such as the F125 frigates, which are expected to enter service in 2015. The aircraft will be equipped for day and night operations and should be able to cope with adverse weather and severe ship motion conditions.

NHIndustries (NHI), a joint company of Eurocopter, AgustaWestland and Stork Fokker responded on February 27 to the RFI saying the estimated cost for 30 such helicopters would be €1.8 billion with deliveries from 2015-2020. According to NHI, the maritime derivative of the NH90 medium sized, twin-engine, multi-role military chopper, the MH90, will fulfill all requirements of the German Navy.

Dr. Clive Schley, Vice President & NAHEMA Programme Coordination Manager, Eurocopter Deutschland GmbH told defpro that the MH90 would be a perfect solution for the German Navy since the similar NH90 is in service with the national Air Force as well as Army. “With this fleet homogeneity, synergies in maintenance and during foreign deployments will lead to cost savings,” he said.

Technical problems which the MH programme has faced in the past, such as with the landing gear, radar and navigation systems, have mostly been solved, Schley said.

However, these problems have resulted in a delay of the entire programme which has lead to a reopening of the competition by the German Navy. A Navy official who declined to be identified stated that the Sikorsky’s CH148 – a variant of the four-bladed, twin-engine, medium lift H-92 Superhawk, would be a logical alternative. According to defence analysts, the Sikorsky aircraft should be cheaper than the NHI model and 30 CH-148s may cost around €1.3 billion. The German MoD has invested €250 million in the MH90 research and development (R&D) so far. If they would decide to change their original choice they had to pay an additional €250 million to the NHI partners as compensation, which would nearly equalize the costs.

The CH-148 Cyclone is manufactured for the Canadian Forces’ (CF) Maritime Helicopter Project and will also have the needed capabilities including anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, search and rescue, as well as troop and cargo transport. Beyond that, it will be fully equipped for ship-based operations including automatic blade and tail fold systems and a deck to aircraft recovery assist system. The Canadian programme, however, is suffering from massive delays that do not seem to contribute to the aircraft’s credibility.

Both aircraft are equipped with advanced all-electric fly-by-wire (FBW) flight control system, whereas the MH90 system is already qualified and the CH-148 has just started flight tests.

One of the main differences between the two copters is the size: The MH90 is 16.13 meters long and has a transport capability of 2500 kg. The Cyclone is longer, at 20.9 meters, and has a transport capability of 7200 kg, thus more internal space is available for the installation of mission equipment.

According to the German Navy, the new helicopter should be able to perform the above mentioned mission simultaneously, meaning it should always be equipped with all equipment including dipping sonar and torpedoes. While the MH90 in the currently planned configuration will not be able to fulfil this requirement, the size could result in the largest advantage of the US -built helicopter, however, its size could also be its major problem: The chopper seems to be too large for most of the hangars within the vessels where it is to be deployed. It is not foreseen that the MH90 will be accommodated in the hangars of the F122 and F123 frigates. These vessels will depend on the Lynx until they reach the end of their service life around 2020. The F124 will need a minor modification on its hangar to handle the MH90, while the F125 hangars were designed with the MH90 in mind.

The Cyclone, however, will certainly be too large for these frigates and could only operate from the Combat Support Vessels.
529 NH90 has been ordered by 14 nations so far, including 111 in the naval version. 25 helicopters have been delivered to its customer since 2007, while 100 are in production. Future NFH operators include Australia, Belgium, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain and Sweden (as SAR version).

india-defence.com