14th May 2024 at 2:50pm
Defence Secretary says six Multi Role Support Ships are to be built for Royal Marines operations, new US weapons arrive on Ukraine’s frontline and King Charles hands role over to Prince William – all this and more on The Download.
14th May 2024 at 3:17pm
The Royal Navy and its South Korean counterpart have been carrying out patrols around the Korean Peninsula in a first-of-its-kind joint operation.
The operation follows the signing of the Downing Street Accord by the UK and Republic of Korea in November 2023 during the state visit by President Yoon Suk-Yeoul.
HMS Spey patrolled alongside the South Korean military as one of two British Offshore Patrol Vessels deployed in the Indo-Pacific as part of the UK’s permanent maritime presence in the region.
“As well as cooperating on this important mission, I was thrilled that, alongside the Republic of Korea Armed Forces, we were able to develop greater interoperability and people-to-people links,” said Lieutenant Commander Kris White, the Executive Officer of HMS Spey.
“From the Korean War to today’s defence and security challenges, it was clear how like-minded we are, especially on the importance of maritime security and the free flow of trade.”
The Downing Street Accord is committed to bringing the UK and South Korea closer together, and enforces UN Security Council resolutions intended to curb North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme.
Sea patrols aim to stop smugglers from helping North Korea develop nuclear weapons by enforcing international sanctions.
Apart from defence and security, the UK is on a mission to foster closer ties with South Korea in a wide range of fields, including trade and business, clean energy and climate.
The accord is in line with similar agreements with Singapore and Japan, as the UK seeks to consolidate its influence in the Indo-Pacific.
HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark will not be scrapped or mothballed before their planned out-of-service dates of 2033-2034
14th May 2024 at 11:22am
Up to six new amphibious warships for the Royal Marines are to be built in the UK, drawing on the lessons learned from the Ukraine war and the Houthi attacks on vessels in the Red Sea.
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said the first three vessels would definitely be built for Royal Marines, with the other three planned to be constructed.
The vessels are known as Multi Role Support Ships (MRSS) – specialist warships that are designed to rapidly deliver the Commando Force onto coastlines around the world to conduct special operations.
Speaking at the annual Sea Power Conference in central London, the Defence Secretary also announced that existing amphibious warfare ships HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark will not be scrapped or mothballed before their planned out-of-service dates of 2033-2034.
He told Forces News he was “very confident about… crossover times”.
“Not least because we’re going to keep the existing ships in place for our Royal Marines in the meantime,” he said.
“But the good thing about the multi-role design, just as with the Type-26… is they’re designed to be somewhat more modular in design, enabling them to be used in many different use cases.”
Additionally, the First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Ben Key, said if the UK can “move quickly and confidently into contested waters” and is “prepared to do so”, that will become part of the “deterrence messaging” to potential enemies.
“That requires all the unique skill sets that we find in the Royal Marines Commandos today and building into the future as part of their transformation,” he said.
“But it also requires a means of getting them to work and, when they’re finished doing their work, picking them up and taking them on to the next jobs.”
According to Mr Shapps, the three confirmed MRSS vessels are among 28 warships and submarines that are either planned or currently being built.
He said: “This is a new golden age for British shipbuilding.
“The new vessels for the Royal Marines will help our brave commandos fight the conflicts of the future.
“This is all possible because this government has committed to spending 2.5% of GDP on defence by the end of the decade, as part of our plans to deliver a more secure future for you and your family.”
Russia’s Black Sea fleet has proved vulnerable to attacks from Ukrainian missiles and drones.
And in the Red Sea, Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen have used weapons to target merchant vessels and international warships protecting the vital trade routes.
In response, the MRSS vessels are designed to carry a broad range of unmanned drones along with vehicles, aircraft and insertion craft.
They will also be able to act as primary casualty receiving ships, providing urgent medical care.
Under the plans, Type 26 and Type 31 frigates will be built in Scotland, Astute and Dreadnought submarines in Barrow-in-Furness, and Fleet Solid Support ships in Belfast and Devon.
In line with the National Shipbuilding Strategy, there will be up to six MRSS built overall, which will replace current capabilities in the early 2030s.
This includes the two Landing Platform Docks, three Landing Ship Dock (Auxiliaries) and the Aviation Support Ship RFA Argus.
May 10, 2024, by Fatima Bahtić
General Dynamics NASSCO has held a naming ceremony for USNS Robert E. Simanek (ESB 7), the fifth ship for the U.S. Navy’s Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB) program.
As informed, the ceremony took place on May 4, 2024. The ship is named for Private First Class Robert Ernest Simanek, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for shielding fellow Marines from a grenade at the Battle of Bunker Hill during the Korean War. The Medal of Honor was presented to him by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in a White House ceremony in 1953.
The ESB ship class is a highly flexible platform designed to support multiple maritime-based missions. ESB ships are mobile sea-based assets and are a part of the critical access infrastructure that supports the deployment of forces, equipment, supplies, and warfighting capability.
These 238-meter ships are configured with a 52,000 square-foot flight deck to support MH-53, MH-60, MV-22 tilt-rotor, and H1 aircraft operations.
The USNS Hector A. Cafferata Jr. (ESB 8), the sixth ship in the ESB program, is scheduled to be christened in 2025.
The first four ships in the ESB program – USS Lewis B. Puller (ESB 3), USS Hershel “Woody” Williams (ESB 4), USS Miguel Keith (ESB 5), and USS John L. Canley (ESB 6) – have been delivered to the U.S. Navy.
USS Oklahoma wearing experimental camouflage, circa 1917
Commissioned in 1916, the ship served in World War I as a part of Battleship Division Six, protecting Allied convoys on their way across the Atlantic. After the war, she served in both the United States Battle Fleet and Scouting Fleet. Oklahoma was modernized between 1927 and 1929. In 1936, she rescued American citizens and refugees from the Spanish Civil War. On returning to the West Coast in August of the same year, Oklahoma spent the rest of her service in the Pacific.
On 7 December 1941, during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, several torpedoes from torpedo bombers hit the Oklahoma‘s hull and the ship capsized. A total of 429 crew died; survivors jumped off the ship 50 feet (15 m) into burning oil on water or crawled across mooring lines that connected Oklahoma and Maryland. Some sailors inside escaped when rescuers drilled holes and opened hatches to rescue them. The ship was salvaged in 1943. Unlike most of the other battleships that were recovered following Pearl Harbor, Oklahoma was too damaged to return to duty. Her wreck was eventually stripped of her remaining armament and superstructure before being sold for scrap in 1946. The hulk sank in a storm while being towed from Oahu, Hawaii, to a breakers yard in San Francisco Bay in 1947
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Oklahoma_(BB-37)
Alex Luck 10 May 2024
The German Navy this week has finished the first rotation of a warship to the Red Sea. FGS Hessen, an anti air-warfare frigate of the Sachsen-class, arrived in her homeport of Wilhelmshaven on Sunday, May 5th. The ship conducted maritime escort operations in the Red Sea from the end of February until end of April. The deployment ran under EUNAVFOR Aspides, which Germany had signed up to in February this year.
The EU-organised operation is one of two major naval deployments by Western navies in response to missile- and drone attacks against international shipping in the Red Sea by the Houthi militia based in Yemen. The United States have organised their own, more robust military response dubbed Prosperity Guardian, also with participation of several European partners including the UK, Denmark and the Netherlands.
Successes and some setbacks for Hessen
During her two months in the Red Sea FGS Hessen has conducted combat operations at least three times. These included the destruction of several Houthi-drones, both air- and seaborne. They also featured a case of abortive friendly fire and technical issues, as reported by Naval News before.
Overall Hessen‘s experience illustrated some growing pains in operational deployments against a robust military threat encountered also by other European navies. Examples include eerily similar operational difficulties encountered by the Danish Navy, and a pre-deployment missile launch failure by the Belgian Navy.
Nevertheless Hessen, which was pressed into this deployment on the tail-end of a busy previous period of scheduled exercises abroad, also marked several firsts for a German warship in combat operations seven decades after the end of WW2. This tally included the destruction of Houthi-USV by one of her embarked Sea Lynx-helicopters on March 21, when the drone approached commercial ships protected by Hessen.
The ship also conducted a replenishment of her missile stocks in Djibouti in early April. Interestingly Hessen at the time did not restock the spent RAM-missiles launched in the encounter described above. The frigate visibly still featured two missing rounds in the forward launcher on her return to Wilhelmshaven. The German Navy has not disclosed any issues with the replenishment in Djibouti. It is worth noting in this context that RAM comes in several “Block”-variants. German Frigates so far only use the Block 1-standard. The newer Block 2A-version is in use on K130-corvettes and the Block 2B-standard is currently in procurement.
Germany will not immediately send another warship to EUNAVFOR Aspides. Instead the service will use Hessen‘s experience to apply lessons learned for a follow-up currently scheduled around August. The resulting gap in addition to other European partners withdrawing forces or delaying follow-ups is currently causing some headaches for the Aspides-force commander over a lack of combatants available to the mission. By late summer Hessen‘s sistership FGS Hamburg will deploy to the Red Sea once again.
Commencing “Indo-Pacific Deployment 2024”
Meanwhile Berlin has kicked off the long-planned “Indo-Pacific Deployment 2024” (IPD 24) on May 7. The effort includes F125-frigate Baden-Wuerttemberg and combat support ship Frankfurt am Main. The two ships left separately from Rota/Spain and Wilhelmshaven respectively. After joining up in the Atlantic Ocean, the formation, carrying a crew of 380 sailors, will first head to Halifax and New York.
After exercises with the US and Canadian navies, both ships will pass through the Panama Canal in June. At home political debates on the deployment meanwhile focus on whether the formation will sail through the Taiwan Strait. Officials in Berlin have not yet disclosed any related information. The Foreign Office reportedly objects to the idea, whereas the Ministry of Defence is in favor of it.
The Indo-Pacific Deployment will last until at least November. IPD 24 represents the most complex global cruise for a German Navy detachment in many decades. Therefore details are likely contingent on how closely the existing schedule can be met.
A U.S. Navy ship participating in a military exercise in the Gulf of Guinea ran aground this week as it was leaving a port in West Africa. The expeditionary sea base USS Hershel “Woody” Williams got stuck around 1 p.m. Thursday, shortly after leaving Libreville, Gabon, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa said Friday in a statement. The ship broke free at about 5 p.m. Thursday at high tide, said Lt. Cmdr. Jason Tross, a spokesman for NAVEUR-AF. There were no injuries or major damage, Tross said. The Navy did not say how far the ship had transited after leaving the port before running aground or if it was accompanied by a tugboat at the time. It also wasn’t stated whether a pilot, often required to help a ship navigate ports, was on board. A pilot was aboard Woody Williams when it came into the port Sunday. Two tugboats helped the ship, which is slightly shorter than an aircraft carrier in length, through the port and into a berthing. The Navy said it wouldn’t release further details due to an ongoing investigation. The ship uses a hybrid crew of about 50 civilian mariners responsible for navigation and maintenance. About three civilians, including a navigator and lookout, typically man the bridge. The ship mostly relies on an automated system for navigation, which can be disengaged if needed. A complement of about 100 Navy sailors man flight and other operations. Woody Williams was in Libreville for the kickoff of the multinational Obangame Express exercise. It wasn’t clear if the grounding would impact the ship’s participation. It was scheduled to participate in testing of a surface drone, among other activities. Woody Williams is the only Navy ship assigned to U.S. Africa Command. Its homeport is at Souda Bay on the Greek island of Crete. ALISON BATH Alison Bath reports on the U.S. Navy, including U.S. 6th Fleet, in Europe and Africa. She has reported for a variety of publications in Montana, Nevada and Louisiana, and served as editor of newspapers in Louisiana, Oregon and Washington.
Read more at: https://www.stripes.com/theaters/africa/2024-05-10/navy-woody-williams-grounded-africa-13817257.html?utm_source=Stars+and+Stripes+Emails&utm_campaign=Daily+Headlines&utm_medium=email
Source – Stars and Stripes
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By Liu Xuanzun and Guo YuandanPublished: May 08, 2024 02:46 PM Updated: May 08, 2024 08:52 PM
China’s third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, on Wednesday returned to port after successfully wrapping up its eight-day maiden voyage, marking a concrete step toward the commissioning of the world-class electromagnetic catapult-equipped strategic platform, which will greatly empower the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy to better safeguard peace and stability when faced with maritime and aerial security threats, experts said.
The aircraft carrier Fujian on Wednesday successfully completed its maiden test voyage which lasted for eight days and returned to a pier at Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai, the PLA Navy said in an announcement on the day.
During the sea trial, the Fujian completed a series of tests on its subsystems and equipment, including the propulsion and electrical systems, the PLA Navy said, stating that the voyage reached expected results.
The Fujian will continue to carry out follow-up test procedures according to preset plans, the PLA Navy said.
Fu Qianshao, a Chinese military aviation expert, told the Global Times that the first sea trial primarily tested the carrier’s capability in sailing at sea and its maneuverability.
Citing official photos and videos, observers said that the Fujian displayed its powerful propulsion and outstanding mobility by sailing at a high speed and making a sharp turn.
Another vessel could be seen in the distance when the Fujian was photographed dropping its anchor, and analysts said they might have tested the communications systems.
Fu said that the Fujian will need to test radar systems, communications systems, close-in weapons systems and landing systems in future voyage tests.
No aircraft or trails of aircraft landings could be seen on the Fujian‘s flight deck, which is normal because tests on aircraft takeoff and landing usually take place in the later stages of aircraft carrier sea trials, analysts said.
The successful maiden voyage of the Fujian came after it set sail on May 1 from Jiangnan Shipyard, where it was launched on June 17, 2022 and completed mooring tests and equipment calibrations.
Unlike its predecessors, the 60,000 ton-class Liaoning and Shandong that use ski jump ramps to assist aircraft takeoffs, the 80,000 ton-class Fujian is for the first time equipped with three electromagnetic catapults to launch aircraft.
The larger displacement allows the Fujian to carry more aircraft, and the electromagnetic catapults enable the carrier to launch aircraft more efficiently, including launching heavier aircraft, launching more types of aircraft, launching fully loaded aircraft and launching aircraft faster, experts said.
The new designs as well as the intensive use of advanced technologies, particularly the electromagnetic catapults and arresting devices, led to a relatively long mooring test period of nearly two years, and the same reasons could also cause a relatively long sea trial period, another Chinese military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Wednesday.
The successful maiden voyage has laid a solid foundation for future test voyages, and marks a concrete step toward its commissioning into the PLA Navy, the expert said. “But the PLA Navy follows scientific methods and focuses on combat capability, so it will not hurry in putting the carrier into service unless it is fully ready.”
An aerial drone photo shows China’s third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, during its maiden sea trials.The Fujian returned to Shanghai Jiangnan Shipyard on May 8, 2024 after completing its maiden sea trials. Photo: Xinhua
Strategic significance
At a time when China is facing challenging maritime and aerial security environments, and when the global security environment as a whole is deteriorating, the aircraft carrier Fujian is expected to play important roles in safeguarding national sovereignty, security, and development interests, and it will contribute to peace and stability in the region, observers said.
The Fujian‘s combat capability is significantly increased compared with the Liaoning and the Shandong, and it is considered the world’s most advanced conventionally powered aircraft carrier, experts told the Global Times.
Thanks to the electromagnetic catapults, the Fujian is expected to host not only improved versions of the J-15 fighter jet, but also new aircraft, including the next generation stealth fighter jet J-35, the fixed wing early warning aircraft the KJ-600 and the JL-10 advanced trainer jet, according to media reports and analyses by observers.
These new aircraft, particularly the J-35 and the KJ-600, will enable the Fujian and its air wings to engage in the most high-end modern warfare, fully capable of rivaling their foreign counterparts, experts said.
Another important aspect is that with the Fujian, the PLA Navy will have three operational aircraft carriers, allowing it to have at least one always in active deployment, with the other two in training or under maintenance, experts said.
As strategic platforms, aircraft carriers will serve as a deterrence and safeguard peace and stability, observers said.
A fourth Chinese aircraft carrier will be unveiled soon and answer the question as to whether it will be nuclear-powered, the PLA Navy’s political commissar Yuan Huazhi said on the sidelines of this year’s two sessions in Beijing in answer to a media question.
Yuan refused to draw comparisons between Chinese and US aircraft carriers, stressing that China’s aircraft carrier program is not aimed at competing with the US, but at safeguarding national sovereignty, territorial integrity and rights.
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