Welcome to MSW’s Scuttlebutt! Here’s the news for the day.



Creating Water From Foil

MSW crew-mate Dade Bell (Karybdis) shares with us his method of making water with aluminum foil.
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HMS Belfast

Today’s website is the HMS Belfast. This webpage chronicles the history of World War II veteran. Enjoy.
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This Day in U.S. Naval History

1780 - A British army, with support from a powerful naval squadron, invades Charleston, S.C., in the American Revolution.
1862 - The Secretary of the Navy directs the formation of an organization to evaluate new inventions and technical development - eventually leading to the creation of the National Academy of Science.
1971 - The United States and the Soviet Union sign a treaty prohibiting the deployment of nuclear weapons on the ocean floor.
1991 - At the height of the Gulf War, the USS America (CV 66) Carrier Battle Group transits the Strait of Hormuz en route to their deployment in the Persian Gulf.


Amphibious Landing Exercise off Gujarat Coast
Source: Press Information Bureau India

The Indian Army, Navy and the Air Force today jointly conducted the largest ever Amphibious Exercise codenamed "EXERCISE TROPEX-2009" at Madhavpur beach, Gujarat. The amphibious landing, the most complex of all military manoeuvres involving coordination and synergy from conceptualization to planning and final execution, was ably demonstrated on the shores of Madhavpur. The element of Coast Guard was also a part of this short, swift and intense conflict.

The pre-assault operations of planning, mobilization and embarkation having been achieved at Karwar, the Amphibious Task Force sailed from Karwar on February 05, 2009 and landed on the shores of Madhavpur today using the newly inducted Landing Platform Dock (LPD) INS Jalashwa, several Landing Ship Tank Large (LST (L)), fleet ships with their integral helicopters, shore-based aircraft and submarines from the Indian Navy and Hovercraft of the Coast Guard. This is the first time the Joint Doctrine on Amphibious Warfare of the Indian Armed Forces which was formulated last year was put into practice with its full scope. As a precursor to the present operation, a tri-service landing operation, 'TRIVENI' was conducted at Lakshadweep Islands in early January this year.

Air support is critical to any amphibious operations since mortars and artilliary are not available abinitio on landing. HQ Southern Western Air Command deployed its Jaguars which carry a large array of weapons, flying at 200 feet pulled up and carried out rocket attacks with pin-point accuracy on simulated enemy targets. MiG 29 aircraft with its state of the art radar and ultra modern missiles carried out Combat Air Patrol over Madhopur to out-manoeuvre incoming enemy aircraft.

Tanks, armoured personnel carriers and infantry troops of 91 Infantry Brigade of the Sudarshan Chakra Corps were carried in both stand-off and hard beaching modes. Use of deployment of troops exploiting third dimension, i.e. airborne and heliborne formed an integral part of the exercise. AN-32 aircraft paradropped paratroopers from the skies followed by slithering operations by MI-8 helicopters to deploy troops at the assault area.

Troops in waves emerged from the sea and carried out effective assaults on the beach of Madhavpur. The defensive layout depicting the enemy were from the Golden Katar Division of the Indian Army.

The exercise exhibited high level of coordination and synergy between the Armed Forces to carry out such swift and intense conflict during military operations. It also provided tremendous training value through the testing of human and material endurance, execution of organizational and logistics plans and finally delivering the punch in a mock battle.

The exercise was witnessed by Air Marshal KD Singh, AOC in C, South Western Air Command, Vice Admiral JS Bedi, FOC in C, Western Naval Command and Lieutenant General Pradeep Khanna, GOC in C, Southern Command and other senior military officers from the three services.


Thales to Modernize Netherlands' M-Frigates Radar Suite
Source: Thales

The Netherlands' Defence Materiel Organization and Thales Nederland signed a contract for the delivery of SEASTAR and GATEKEEPER sensors that are to be installed on the two M-class frigates.

The modernization will take place in 2011 and 2012 in the scope of the M-frigates' upkeep program. Simultaneously, a contract was signed for the delivery of a GATEKEEPER system that will be installed on the LPD Johan de Witt.

The M-Class frigates were introduced in the nineties and were intended for air defence and submarine warfare in the Atlantic. However, these ships are deployed mainly in littoral waters to counter frontier-running, pollution, drugs trafficking and piracy. The SEASTAR and GATEKEEPER sensors provide the vessels with the capability to detect the small targets encountered in such situations. The two new sensors will be matched with the tried-and-true SMART-S surveillance radar and the STIR weapon control radar that are on board of the M-frigates.

This contract includes an option for the same modernization of the two M-Frigates that have been purchased by the Belgian Navy in 2005. The Joint Support Ship that will be built for the RNLN is expected to be equipped with an Integrated Mast, similar to the Mast on the OPVs that also includes SEASTAR and GATEKEEPER.

This contract marks another step in the long-standing and very successful cooperation between the Royal Netherlands Navy and Thales Nederland and proves that Thales's systems can be integrated in existing platform configurations.


BACKGROUND NOTES:
-- SEASTAR is a non-rotating active phased array radar for naval surface surveillance. The system automatically detects and tracks asymmetric threats and very small objects such as swimmers, periscopes in all weather conditions. SEASTAR can also be used for helicopter guidance. SEASTAR has been contracted for two ship classes at present.

-- GATEKEEPER is a 360° panoramic electro-optical surveillance and alerter system based on IR/TV technology. Designed to counter emerging asymmetric threats down to small boats and swimmers, GATEKEEPER increases short-range situational awareness in littoral environments. GATEKEEPER has been contracted for two ship classes at present.

-- Thales is a leading international electronics and systems group, addressing defence, aerospace and security markets worldwide. Thales's leading-edge technology is supported by 22,000 R&D engineers who offer a capability unmatched in Europe to develop and deploy field-proven mission-critical information systems. Thales employs 68,000 people in 50 countries with 2007 revenues of EUR 12.3 billion.

Thales Nederland, established in 1922, is one of the leading companies in integrated naval systems for surveillance, weapon control, combat management and system integration world-wide.




RAF and Navy Aircraft Benefit From Support Contracts
Source: U.K. Ministry of Defence

RAF and Royal Navy support to the front line is being strengthened with the signing of two contracts to sustain a range of combat, support and training aircraft.

The first contract, worth more than £100m, has been awarded to BAE Systems to support electronic warning and defensive protection equipment fitted to RAF Tornado and Royal Navy and RAF Harrier aircraft.

Work will be carried out at Sealand in North Wales, Edinburgh, Luton, RAF Cottesmore in Rutland and RAF Marham in Norfolk, and will help to secure jobs at those locations. It is expected to result in savings of about £20m by bringing together a variety of support services under existing major aircraft support contracts.

The second contract, worth £15m, will see Babcock Defence Services supply wheels, tyres and brake assemblies used on the VC10, Harrier, Nimrod and Hawk aircraft from a new facility at their site near Newark, Nottinghamshire. The contract has been awarded following a competition by Prime Contractor BAE Systems and is expected to achieve £1m of savings up to 2018.

Minister for Defence Equipment and Support Quentin Davies said:
"Partnering support contracts with industry are reaping benefits for the front line by making more aircraft available in a shorter timeframe and at lower cost. This is good news for the front line and good news for British industry."

The projects have been signed under the Commodity Availability Procurement Strategy (CAPS).

Group Captain Chris Daykin, Defence Equipment and Support CAPS Director, said:
"CAPS will make the most of existing aircraft availability contracts by simplifying the process, achieving better value for money and assuring operational output.

"We now have a proportion of the potential scope for CAPS on contract and these two milestone contracts should act as a significant springboard in helping to deliver future benefits under the programme."

Under CAPS, the MOD is working with industry to replace a mix of in-house and contracted services by bringing more aspects of support under existing contracts, primarily with BAE Systems and Agusta Westland. Both of today's CAPS contracts amend and broaden out existing contracts for the support of RAF aircraft, improving aircraft availability and achieving better value for money.

Ultimately the introduction of CAPS contracts could extend to cover some 73,000 items of equipment.


Photo of the Day



Carrier aircraft being spotted and warmed up on the USS Enterprise

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