Australian Defence Force

[Halidon]

Hat Tip to Xav, here's video of HMAS Melbourne conducting a live fire exercise with ESSM:

[GibMariner]

Anzac performs royally in UK

After a short mid-deployment break at the historic naval port of Portsmouth in the United Kingdom, HMAS Anzac recently put to sea to participate in training with the Royal Navy’s Flag Officer Sea Training team.

The Australian Navy’s Sea Training Group mirrors their Royal navy counterparts' approach to working up, fine-tuning and assessing a warship’s capabilities across a broad spectrum of tasks a ship might be expected to carry out at sea.

One of the major differences between the two is that of scale – the Royal Navy team can simultaneously work with six or more warships, and can draw upon a wider range of military assets to test a warship’s skills in surface, underwater and air defence scenarios.

Lieutenant Commander Adam Pearce, an Australian Navy officer posted to the Royal Navy team as a Staff Warfare Officer - Navigation, welcomed the opportunity to work with an Australian warship.

“We regularly see ships from around Europe here to enhance their capabilities, and of course are constantly working with ships from the Royal Navy and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, but it has been six years since a Royal Australian Navy ship has participated.

More here: http://news.navy.gov.au/en/Jun2015/Flee ... ZD8Sxuqqko

[seaspear]

MRH90 helicopters have reportedly had difficulties operating off the Canberra class vessels in high winds

[R686]

MRH90 helicopters have reportedly had difficulties operating off the Canberra class vessels in high winds

got a source and how high a wind are we talking about?

[seaspear]

The article was from the ABC "The World Today" by Brendan Trembath the defence department in an email to the ABC has confirmed that certain environmental conditions affected the starting and stopping of the rotors ,there was not much detail about how this effects operations or what technique's would be used to counter this problem .

[R686]

The article was from the ABC "The World Today" by Brendan Trembath the defence department in an email to the ABC has confirmed that certain environmental conditions affected the starting and stopping of the rotors ,there was not much detail about how this effects operations or what technique's would be used to counter this problem .

cheers thanks mate

hopefully it wont be a show stopper

[ArmChairCivvy]

There is also the naval version of that helo, so the problem must have been thought through in their design ( and hopefully can be ported over w/o excessive cost).

[seaspear]

The article seemed to imply that the helicopter would have difficulties in high winds unlike the naval helicopters and that the army would have preferred Blackhawks that operate off of the Wasp class without issues but the mrh90 was purchased with local industry involvement.

[R686]

RAAF set for 2 more MRTT for delivery around 2018. our strategic lift has increased for the better over the last 10 years or so.

http://www.minister.defence.gov.au/2015 ... -the-raaf/

[R686]

also forgot to say our first C27J arrived a couple of days ago as well,


http://news.defence.gov.au/2015/06/30/m ... australia/

[The Armchair Soldier]

PM's Floating Fighter Jet Plan Quietly Sunk by Defence

Prime Minister Tony Abbott's proposal to put F-35 fighter jets on the Navy's two 27,000-tonne troop transport assault ships has been quietly dropped ahead of the government's defence white paper after it was found the ships would require extensive reworking and the project was too costly.

[...]

But defence officials conceded to a Senate estimates committee late last year that the jump-jet proposal would involve extensive modifications to the ships, including new radar systems, instrument landing systems, heat-resistant decking, restructuring of fuel storage and fuel lines, and storage hangars.

Defence sources have told The Australian Financial Review that the proposal was "still in the white paper mix" up until some weeks ago.

But one source close to the white paper was emphatic on Tuesday that "it will now not make the cut".

Read More: http://www.afr.com/news/politics/pms-fl ... 707-gi6qxj

[GibMariner]

The plan to operate the F-35B from the Canberra-class LHDs was never very solid, but still a shame.

The Royal Australian Air Force also has more confirmed F35 orders than we do for both the RAF and Royal Navy combined.

[SKB]

So why do they have ramps? Can they be cut off?

[GibMariner]

So why do they have ramps? Can they be cut off?

I believe it was more expensive to redesign the Spanish Juan Carlos I LHD that the Canberra-class is based on to remove the ramps. Keeping them might also allow them to cross-deck other nations' STOVL aircraft or keep options open to purchase F-35B at a later date?

If the Canberras can't operate F-35B without significant modification and costs, it's also unlikely that Spain will replace its AV-8B Harriers with F-35Bs any time soon.

[R686]

So why do they have ramps? Can they be cut off?

Because it was a cost saving measure, the ramp is actually part of the structural engineering design of the ship, and besides it may come in handy for UAV in the future.

[R686]

If the Canberras can't operate F-35B without significant modification and costs, it's also unlikely that Spain will replace its AV-8B Harriers with F-35Bs any time soon.

Juan Carlos was designed from the beginning for Harrier/F35B operations, from what I have been told there are small alteration in the hull in regards to EO storage and bunkerage, the superstructure has also been redesigned to suit a more command and control joint forces orientation as well as well as advanced radars for fast jet operations.

The Spanish have drawing for a pure aircraft carrier modelled on the JC1 which is basically the same ship minus the lower well dock.

I don't think Spain will order any aircraft in the short term because they are broke at the moment.

I should also point out the sole reason that JC1 was fast jet compliant was/is its their alternate aircraft carrier whilst the SPS Principe de Asturias (R11) was laid up for refit or whatever.

[Mercator]

Big day out in Darwin:

[xav]

DCNS Unveils the Shortfin Barracuda Block 1A for Australia's Future Submarine Tender

DCNS will propose the world’s most advanced conventionally powered submarine – named the Shortfin Barracuda Block 1A – as its pre-concept design for Australia’s future submarine Competitive Evaluation Process (CEP). The submarine takes its name from the Shortfin Barracuda, an indigenous species of the Barracuda found in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.
...
“While exact details remain confidential, DCNS can confirm the Shortfin Barracuda is over 90 metres in length and displaces more than 4,000 tons when dived,” said Sean Costello, CEO DCNS Australia.

“If selected the Shortfin Barracuda will remain in service until the 2060s and the Block 1A platform will be updated and upgraded with new technology developed in France and Australia,” Mr Costello said.

“The technical evolution of the submarine will be enabled by a strategic level Government to Government agreement between France and Australia.”

http://www.navyrecognition.com/index.ph ... ew&id=2902

[seaspear]

Will there be a proposed new version of the Soryu ,that's the billion dollar question

[Halidon]

There already is a enhanced Sōryū in the works for the JMSDF, the question is whether that's what they're offering to the RAN and how much Australian industry participation they are proposing.

[seaspear]

If the advanced Soryu does not have any improvement in range they might not be interested anyway

[The Armchair Soldier]

Germany, France, UK May Bid for Frigate Contract for Australia

A fierce international competition to build a $20 billion frigate fleet is expected after the Abbott government dumped a tainted "low risk" option ahead of the release of next month's defence white paper..

[...]

The UK is the latest country to show interest in supplying the Royal Australian Navy with a purpose-built frigate even before the project details have been released.

The first of the 6400-tonne Type 26 frigates which is being developed for the Royal Navy is to be delivered from 2022 – a timeframe which suits the Royal Australian Navy with the current Anzac fleet expected to be phased out by the mid 2020s.

The BAE Systems warship has been designed with international export orders in mind.

German-based TKMS may offer its Meko 600 escort frigate or larger F125 for the project.

[...]

French bidder DCNS may also put up its 6500-tonne FREMM European multi-role frigate.

Read More: http://www.afr.com/news/politics/german ... 723-gihz2e

[The Armchair Soldier]

Australia to Accelerate Naval Buildup

CANBERRA, Australia—Australia will accelerate construction of a fleet of warships as part of an ambitious buildup meant to more closely integrate its military with the U.S. and respond to instability in Asia.

Read More: http://www.wsj.com/articles/australia-t ... 1438670512 (paywalled)

Does anyone have a subscription to the Wall Street Journal and would be willing to share more details?

[xav]

^ Here is a free access article

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-08-04/n ... ia/6671230

[The Armchair Soldier]

^ Here is a free access article

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-08-04/n ... ia/6671230

Many thanks, xav.