Welcome to MSW’s Scuttlebutt! Here’s the news for the day.
Feature - HMS Illustrious, 1943
Join MSW Associate Editor Jim Adams (goldenpony) for the story of a often forgotten battle in an often forgotten war, the Battle of Chemulpo during the Russo-Japanese War.
In conjunction with the feature we also begin a series of reviews based on the Russian side of the battle by D.T. (DrWho_2).
Feature
Double Order from India and U.A.E. for Fincantieri
Source: Fincantieri
TRIESTE, Italy --- Fincantieri has gained new important orders from foreign navies: a corvette for the United Arab Emirates Navy of and a fleet tanker for the Indian Navy. The vessels, worth 250 million Euros, will be built at Fincantieri’s Italian shipyards.
The “Abu Dhabi class” design of the corvette for the U.A.E., due for delivery early 2011, has been developed from the “Cigala Fulgosi”, on the basis of which four “Comandanti” class vessels were built for the Italian Navy.
In addition to an option for a second sister ship, the contract also comprises provision to the U.A.E. Navy of logistical support and training for crew. What makes the order even more important for Italian industry is that the ship’s combat system will be supplied by Selex Sistemi Integrati, a company in the Finmeccanica group.
The Indian Navy, on the other hand, has exercised its option for a second fleet tanker which was included in the contract signed in 2008, with delivery in the last half of 2011, a sister ship to the first fleet tanker currently under construction and due for delivery in 2010.
Fincantieri has been following the Indian market closely. Following delivery in 2007 of the Sagar Nidhi, an oceanographic vessel for the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) of Madras, the company has continued its co-operation – drawing on the strength of its experience building the Cavour, the flagship of the Italian Navy – with the shipyard of Cochin for the design of the engine, technology transfer and the provision of complementary services for the construction of the Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC) currently under construction. Fincantieri has completed the functional and detailed design of the propulsion system and assistance at the Indian shipyard is soon due to start up.
Commenting on the announcement of the orders, Giuseppe Bono, Chief Executive Officer of Fincantieri said: “We are beginning to reap what we have sown. These important orders constitute for our Group a significant signal of recovery in the naval export market, especially in view of the current crisis. They come on the heels of the recent awarding of the first orders in the Littoral Combat Ship program which involves our shipyards in the USA, and confirm that the company was right to take the strategic decision to be present in all sectors, from civilian to military.”
Since January this year Fincantieri has gained orders in the naval sector for a total value of over 500 million Euros.
TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS
-- The corvette for the U.A.E. will be 88 metres long, 12m broad and have a displacement at full load of 1,650 tonnes. The ship will be able to reach a speed of 25 knots with an endurance of over 3,000 nautical miles at 14 knots, thanks to 2 diesel engines of 7,000 kW. Accommodation will be available for a crew of approximately 70.
This cutting edge ship will mainly carry out patrolling and surveillance activities and may be employed in anti-submarine, anti-aircraft and surface activities. She will be able to exchange tactical data in real time with other naval vessels, helicopters and bases on shore and will be able to provide support and shelter for helicopters of the Emirate Navy. In addition to highly flexible operational capabilities, the vessel will also feature high standards of safety and living conditions for the comfort for the crew.
-- The Indian fleet tanker on the other hand will be 175 metres long, 25 m broad, for a height of 19 metres and have a displacement at full load of 27,500 tonnes. Powered by two diesel engines of 10,000 kW the ship will be able to reach a maximum speed of 20 knots.
As for the first fleet tanker, the propulsion system will be made up of a shaft with an adjustable pitch propeller and the vessel will have a flight deck for medium-heavy helicopters (up to 10 tons). Thanks to her double hatches, it will be possible to carry out refueling of four ships at the same time. She will be able to accommodate approximately 250 people, including crew and supplementary personnel.
Last but not least she will feature a double hull, which can guarantee greater protection of the fuel tanks against the risk of pollution in case of collision or damage, in accordance with the new Marpol environmental protection regulations of the International Maritime Organization.
Missile Defence Project on Track
Source: Australian Department of Defence
The Minister for Defence, Senator John Faulkner, and Minister for Defence Personnel, Materiel and Science, Greg Combet, today formally announced the Government’s commitment to ensuring that the Anzac-class frigates are able to operate effectively for the remainder of their operational lives.
As indicated in the recently released Defence White Paper, the Government has agreed to put all of the Anzac ships through the anti-ship missile defence (ASMD) program, subject to the successful outcome of sea trials on the first ship.
The ASMD program involves a comprehensive upgrade of the Anzac frigates, including the addition of innovative phased array radar technology designed and built by an Australian company, CEA Technologies.
The Government is committed to completing the development and trials of this highly innovative Australian designed technology at a cost of A$158 million.
This is the first lightweight application of such technology and, if successful, will deliver an enhanced search and track and target illumination capability in the maritime environment.
“The ASMD program will ensure the Royal Australian Navy’s Anzac frigates have a far greater level of self-defence against modern anti-ship missiles. It will also improve the ability of the frigates to provide close-in protection to an amphibious maritime task group and support the Navy’s future air warfare destroyer capability,” Senator Faulkner said.
In a very encouraging outcome for the development of this high-technology system, the prototype radar has performed beyond expectations throughout the testing and evaluation process.
“Over the last 12 months, the practical demonstration of this phased array radar technology has provided the Government with confidence that the new acquisition strategy will maximise the integrity and maturity of the system before beginning the first ship installation in 2010,” Mr Combet said.
“This challenging project has experienced delays, so it is pleasing to see this level of technical maturity and managed risk being achieved. However, full integration of the radar into the Anzac frigates is yet to be completed, and the Government will continue to closely monitor the progress of this project.”
The first Anzac ship to undergo the upgrade is HMAS Perth which is scheduled to complete sea trails in July 2011.
Fuels Team Plans Super Hornet Biofuels Flight Test
Source: U.S Navy
PATUXENT RIVER, Md. --- The Naval Air Systems Command fuels team is gearing up for biofuels flight tests in an F/A-18 Super Hornet at Patuxent River, Md., by next spring or summer, according to NAVAIR's fuel expert.
Rick Kamin, Navy fuels lead, explained that before "biofueling" the plane, the team will first conduct laboratory and rig tests at Pax River, followed by static engine tests with the Super Hornet's F414 engine on a test stand at the Lynn, Mass., facility of manufacturer General Electric. The static tests will take place "probably in the December-January time frame," Kamin said.
The NAVAIR fuels team is also getting ready to kick off a similar effort to test and certify biofuels for use on ships.
The upcoming tests are part of a larger effort to test and certify promising biofuels in support of the Navy's energy strategy to enhance energy security and environmental stewardship, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
"Our major goal is a drop-in replacement" for the Navy's petroleum-based fuels, Kamin said. "The field won't know the difference."
Fuels derived from plants are considered carbon neutral. Burning them doesn't increase the net amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere because the carbon they contain was originally absorbed from the air as the plants grew.
NAVAIR has asked for 40,000 gallons of JP-5 jet fuel from bio-based feedstocks in a request for proposal (RFP) issued by the Defense Energy Support Center. Initial laboratory analyses and rig testing will consume 1,500 gallons; the static engine tests, 16,500 gallons; and the flight tests, 22,000 gallons. The feedstocks targeted are not used for food.
Kamin said fuels received from the JP-5 RFP may include those made from oils produced by plants such as camelina, jatropha and algae.
"We won't know for sure what we're going to get until the procurement process is completed," he said. The contract signing is expected to take place this month.
Camelina, also known as gold-of-pleasure or false flax, is in the same family as rapeseed, the source of canola oil. Often considered a weed, camelina is cultivated today for the high quality oil its seeds produce, both for human consumption and conversion to biodiesel.
Jatropha is a tough woody plant that can grow in arid conditions unsuitable for most food crops. Its seeds produce oil that's unfit for human consumption but can be converted to fuel.
Algae can be grown in vats or ponds under controlled conditions that maximize output and harvesting efficiency. Algae's oil is produced within individual cells.
Oils harvested from the plants are refined into fuel with conventional petroleum refinery processes.
Two commercial biofuels that will not be tested are ethanol, now blended with gasoline, and biodiesel. Ethanol is unsafe for shipboard use because it ignites too easily, and its lower energy content would significantly reduce aircraft range.
The biodiesel sold commercially today consists of oxygen-containing compounds called esters. Although they burn well, esters absorb water too readily to be suitable for the Navy's maritime environment.
For the upcoming static and flight tests, the biofuels will be mixed in a 50-50 blend with conventional petroleum-derived jet fuel to provide the necessary specification properties. Biofuels are not as dense as conventional jet fuel, have less lubricating ability and contain no aromatic compounds, a group of chemical compounds able to penetrate the rubberlike materials that make up gaskets and seals.
"Aromatics are critical for seal swelling," Kamin noted. "The easiest way to get these properties back in is with a blend with petroleum-based fuels."
Kamin emphasized that the Navy will not be producing any biofuels itself. Fuel for all military services is purchased by the Defense Energy Support Center.
"We're responsible for fuel specification requirements. Our main responsibility is to test and certify the alternative fuels for inclusion in our specifications," he said.
The fuels team will initially apply three categories of standard tests to the fuels received in response to the RFP: analytical chemistry – using instruments such as a mass spectrometer to determine chemical composition and structure, "wet chemistry" – determining the fuels' response in specific chemical reactions and rig test properties such as water separability, to determine how the fuels will react in aircraft and in conditions typical of Navy operating conditions, which include long-term storage.
"Storage stability is a unique military and Navy requirement not required in the commercial world," Kamin noted.
"We're trying to certify by families, to come up with a spec for an approved class of feedstocks, such as oil shale, petroleum, hydrotreated renewable or coal," he said. The specifications of each family will be determined initially through the full battery of chemical analysis, physical properties, static engine tests and flight tests.
The Navy plans to have test and certification completed on the most promising alternative fuel candidates no later than 2013, Kamin said. As each candidate is approved for use, it will be added to the Navy's JP-5 (aircraft) and F-76 (ship propulsion fuel) specifications. Once in the specification, the Defense Energy Support Center can buy the fuel to meet Navy requirements from the lowest-cost provider. Actual usage in the fleet will depend on industry production capability.
USS Albacore Submarine
Today’s website is USS Albacore Submarine. Designed, built and maintained by the skilled engineers and craftsmen of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Albacore served as a sea-going test platform from 1953 to 1972. Albacore's teardrop-shaped hull was the prototype for the Navy's nuclear powered submarine force and was the first boat built specifically to operate underwater. Enjoy.
Website
This Day in U.S. Naval History
1812 - USS Constitution captures HMS Guerriere.
1818 - Captain James Biddle takes possession of Oregon Territory for the United States.
1967 - Operation Coronado IV begins in Mekong Delta.
1981 - Two VF-41 aircraft from USS Nimitz (CVN 68) shoot down two Libyan aircraft which fired on them over international waters.
Photo of the Day
USS Albacore (AGSS-569), launching 1953.
Gator
