At the MADEX currently exhibiting the new Kongsberg ST2400 VDS being fitted to the two remaining 20 plus year old Göteborg class ~400 ton corvettes which struck me as how much more fire power and better equipped than the specified by the T31e RFI. Long range heavy anti-ship missiles, HMS, VDS, TAS, ...

Oct 16 the USN Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) issued guidance on the November 2017 solicitation for the conceptual design development activities to address technical solutions for the new 20 ship class Guided Missile Frigate (FFG(X). USN have now severely curtailed the competition as to be eligi...

F-35B fuselage weapons bay and fuel tanks size/volume constrained compared to F-35A & C versions by addition of lift fan, shaft, control ducts and intakes required for VTOL. The F-35B weapons bay will also shorten missile life of missiles carried compared to F-35A & C, eg Meteor, due to the ...

Bloomberg reported yesterday on leaked GAO report on the F-35. “significantly longer repair times” than planned because maintenance facilities are six years behind schedule. Time to repair averaging 172 days / 24.5 weeks, twice the current target. The shortages are “degrading readiness” because the ...

In the news recently was the RRS Sir David Attenborough/Boaty McBoatface which had its RR Norwegian Bergen B33:45 engines/gensets installed at Cammell Laird end of September. What is of interest is the RR Norwegian designed ship had to meet the DNV Silent R class rules applicable to naval vessel to ...

UK paying £190 million each for F-35Bs including support and infrastructure. "Harriett Baldwin, a defence minister, told a committee of MPs that a programme to deliver the first 48 F-35B Lightning II warplanes, including support and infrastructure, would be £9.1 billion by 2026" https://ww...

Understand Spear Cap 3 may be incorperated in Block 4.3 or 4.4 upgrades to F-35, depends on priority UK obtains which will be based on actual UK order numbers as UK Tier 1 status ends with end of SDD in 2019. Block 4 RDT&E estimated at $3.9b through to 2022. In June DOD FY2018 request was for $5...

with the result that 108+ earlier USAF F-35A a/c manufactured under Engineering and Manufacturing Development Phase, Milestone B, will never become operational as just too expensive to update. 108 aircraft are not just A but also B and some C. POGO, October 12, states that 108 a/c are purely USAF F...

USN FY2018 justification book budget per DDG-51, understanding of MK45 gun system and costs. MK45 Mod 4 5"/62 $19.6M MK160 GFCS $3.4M Electro Optical Sys $3.2M Total $26.2M ~£20M Would need MK 34 Gun Weapon System (GWS), part of the DDG-51 Aegis combat weapon system, arbitrary guess £25M so 10...

The Japanese Imperial Navy - Wikipedia list of active ships. 17 attack subs ~ 4k t, 4 helicopter "destroyers" 19 & 27K t 3 landing ships 14K t 36 destroyers 4 to 10K t 6 destroyer escorts 2.6K t 25 mine countermeasures 2@ 5.5K t, 23 @ .6K t 5 oilers & to 25k t 1 ice breaker 20 k t ...

It seems the MoD has changed its confidence rating on the F-35 programme form Amber to Red due to worries that deliveries of the simulators, certain weapons and necessary software will not meet the currently planned timeline leading to delays in deliveries of the initial order. NAO update - Deliver...

NAO update

" The first Type 26 is expected to enter service in 2027."

http://data.parliament.uk/writteneviden ... 70949.html

USN FY2018 justification book budget per DDG-51, understanding of MK45 gun system and costs. MK45 Mod 4 5"/62 $19.6M MK160 GFCS $3.4M Electro Optical Sys $3.2M Total $26.2M ~£20M Would need MK 34 Gun Weapon System (GWS), part of the DDG-51 Aegis combat weapon system, arbitrary guess £25M so 10%...

USN budgeting $14.4B for ten of their proposed new AAW FFG(X) re thier FY2018 Justification Book, first ship to be funded in FY2020. High cost in relation to a Burke, may be reflects use of the specified Raytheon EASR S-band three panel array, but still seems high. EASR is a smaller version of the B...

The carriers have only 3 Phalanx CIWS, I know as positioned they provide near 360 coverage. However each becomes a Single Point of Failure. Why was another one not fitted or even FFBNW? Of course this is still better than the T23 which have none, although I thought there was a possibility of adding...

The F-35 contract was first placed with Lockheed Martin in 2001 and is yet to pass developmental testing and operational assessment to achieve authorisation for Production and Deployment, DOD Milestone C, though F-35 has turned into such a massive make work program its just politically too big to ca...

benchmark both the Arrowhead 120 and Venator 110 designs against the RN requirements during the forthcoming Value Management phase. A single design will then be downselected by them prior to the start of the competitive design phase. Makes sense as one is a design shop and the other one has its str...

The Type 31e design concepts are taken from Sir Peter Parker's report including " Design for shorter life of 15 years - avoid costly refit - prepare to sell for export (earlier if necessary to support particular export sales) " Parker's thinking to bring about a renaissance in shipbuilding...

Understood now that the new shipbuilding best practice is fitting out of blocks with pre-built modules as built, 80-90+% complete as so much easier to access and saves many man-hours. Only the final connections left on final assembly. Remember it said with PoW that they have further improved on the ...

Always wondered about the Tomahawk against a first rate power/high tech power (eg Israel), in effect its a modern day V1 and understand 80% plus were destroyed with kit now 70+ years old.

It appears substantial proportion of Type 26 kit is imported eg main diesel generators, shafts, propellers, majority of steel, main gun, VLS cells, even MT 30 enclosure, sewage treatment, oily water separators, anchor handling & mooring, davits, sound vibration measurement, main hanger door and ...

Ingalls says the frigate version (not the coastguard cutter) is 70% Naval standards. It is worthwhile to check the date, before quoting (BTW, it is 2012): "PF 4921, features a more extensive set of changes – primarily in its combat systems. Around 70 percent of the ship design is to Naval Vess...

@ ~UNiOnJaCk~ Thanks - Missed the date

Assumed RAF order for nine Boeing P-8 Poseidon was a done deal but DefenseNews reporting from DSEI today article saying "Industry: Let's Compete for UK Maritime Patrol", but it appears not, suggestion that looking for UK content, P-8 100% US. https://www.defensenews.com/digital-show-dailie...

Thanks NickC, but how do the bidders designate a value for the prior owned RN kit? The MoD or RN must presumably provide a list of donor kit available (current and soon to be available as ships retire) and an assigned value to it? If Si, how do they assign a valid to the kit? Value at purchase, val...