News Story: SKorean Navy conducts exercise with Aegis destroyer

King Sejong the Great
class Destroyer - Wiki Info

SEOUL (BNS): The South Korean Navy Tuesday conducted a maneuvering exercise in the Yellow Sea with the South's first Aegis destroyer 'Sejong.'

The one-day exercise was aimed at developing interoperability among units from all branches of the South Korean Navy and to prepare against possible North Korean maritime infiltration, a Yonhap report quoting a Navy official said.

Read the full story at Brahmand

News Story: Chinese aircraft carrier begins second leg of sea trials

File Photo

BEIJING (BNS): Over three months after it completed its maiden sea trial, China's Soviet-era aircraft carrier started the second phase of sea trials on Tuesday, the official media reported.

The warship -- China's sole aircraft carrier -- set sail for its second leg of sea trials "for relevant scientific research and experiments," the Xinuha news agency reported quoting a Chinese Defence Ministry statement.

Read the full story at Brahmand

AUS: Pakistan – Australia 1.5 Track Security Dialogue

The Chief of the Defence Force, General David Hurley, has co-chaired the second round of the Pakistan – Australia 1.5 Track Security Dialogue with Pakistan’s Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, General Khalid Shameem Wynne, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

Last week’s Dialogue involved key security decision makers from a range of agencies, and selected think tank representatives, from Australia and Pakistan.

General Hurley said the Dialogue was an important mechanism for senior security decision-makers and strategists from Australia and Pakistan to share their perspectives on areas of critical importance to both countries.

“Australia is aware of the significant challenges posed by violent extremism in the border regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan, as well as the considerable price Pakistan has paid, and continues to pay,” General Hurley said.

Delegates discussed the security challenges facing Pakistan, and how Australia could assist Pakistan to address the threat posed by violent extremism. Discussion also focused on broader regional security with a particular emphasis on Afghanistan.

“Australia will continue to support Pakistan’s efforts to confront the challenges posed by extremism. Only concerted international cooperation and engagement will reduce the space in which such terrorists hide,” General Hurley said.

During the visit, General Hurley also met separately with Chief of Army Staff, General Kayani, Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman, and Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Muhammad Asif Sandila, to discuss Australia’s defence engagement with Pakistan.

General Hurley also had discussions on broader domestic and regional security matters with the Minister for Defence, Chaudry Ahmed Muhktar.

General Hurley thanked General Wynne for the hospitality shown to the Australian delegation throughout the visit.

“The Dialogue and meetings with senior Government figures and Pakistan military chiefs reflect both countries’ sincere desire to learn from each other’s experience and engage in a frank exchange of ideas on security matters,” General Hurley said.

Subsequent to the Dialogue, General Hurley offered his condolences to the Pakistan military and the families of the soldiers who were killed and wounded in the cross border incident on 26th November.

AUS DoD

News Story: Navy gets ready to add more muscle

NEW DELHI: India is all set to formally launch the hunt for over 75 heavy-duty "stealthy'' naval helicopters with potent anti-submarine and anti-warship warfare capabilities, as also customized for amphibious assaults and commando operations against conventional, terror, piracy and other threats.

The Defence Acquisitions Council, chaired by defence minister A K Antony, on Friday discussed the mega naval multi-role helicopter (NMRH) project, which is likely to cost well over $2 billion.

Read the full story at The Times of India

News Story: Australia offers strong training opportunities, vibrant off-duty options for visiting Marines

By Seth Robson

YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — U.S. Marines should feel right at home in northern Australia when they start regular training there in the near future.

President Barrack Obama visited the Northern Territory state capital and announced Nov. 17 plans to deploy 2,500 Marines to the city in coming years.

Darwin’s Lord Mayor Graeme Sawyer told Stars and Stripes last week that the Marines should fit in well in a town that’s already home to about 7,000 Australian military personnel and about 120,000 civilians.

Read the full story at Stars and Strips

News Story: ASEAN, China to start talks on conduct in South China Sea

THE ASSOCIATION of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China will start talks as early as January preparatory to drafting a binding document governing activities in the South China Sea, an official said yesterday.

“A meeting between ASEAN and China will be held by January to identify the main elements in crafting the Code of Conduct (COC),” Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Erlinda F. Basilio said in a hearing of the Senate foreign relations committee.

 

“The meeting is scheduled by the first week or second week of January,” she added.

 

Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario earlier said that ASEAN members have agreed to draft a more binding document to guide activities in the contested area that will be presented to senior ministers in July 2012.

Read the full story at BusinessWorldOnline

USA: Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group Arrives in 7th Fleet

Makin Island ARG consisting of USS
Pearl Harbor (LSD 52), USS Makin
Island (LHD 8) & USS New Orleans
(LPD 18) transit together off the southern
coast of California. (U.S. Navy photo
by Chief Mass Communication
Specialist John Lill/Released)

From Amphibious Squadron 5 Public Affairs

PACIFIC OCEAN - The Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) entered the second phase of its scheduled deployment Nov. 27, when the group crossed the international date line and entered the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility (AOR).

The Makin Island ARG is comprised of the amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD 8), which serves as the command ship for Amphibious Squadron (PHIBRON) 5 and the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), as well as the amphibious transport dock ship USS New Orleans (LPD 18) and amphibious dock landing ship USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52).

"A key component of the U.S. maritime strategy is building regional partnerships to ensure security, stability and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region," said Capt. Humberto L. Quintanilla, PHIBRON-5 commander.

Quintanilla said the months of training conducted by the different components of the Makin Island ARG, as well as the ARG-MEU certification exercises, have forged a well-trained three-ship amphibious ready group for a variety of littoral operations.

"The Makin Island ARG is a highly capable group of Sailors and Marines poised to execute various types of combat or disaster relief missions in various regions of the globe," said Quintanilla. "From providing humanitarian assistance during a natural disaster, to ensuring the free flow of commerce, the Makin Island ARG is proof of America's commitment to peace and stability wherever we are needed."

This is the maiden deployment for Makin Island, the Navy's newest amphibious assault ship and the only U.S. Navy ship with a hybrid electric propulsion system.

By using this unique propulsion system, the Navy expects to see fuel savings of more than $250 million during the ship's lifecycle, proving the Navy's commitment to energy awareness and conservation.

The 7th Fleet AOR includes more than 52 million square miles of the Pacific and Indian oceans, stretching from the international date line to the east coast of Africa, and from the Kuril Islands in the north to the Antarctic in the south.

More than half of the world's population lives within the 7th Fleet AOR. In addition, more than 80 percent of that population lives within 500 miles of the oceans, which means this is an inherently maritime region.

US Pacific Fleet

India: Indigenous Building of Ships

For indigenously building ships and other naval crafts, in accordance with the Defence Procurement Procedure, 2011, Chapter-Ill, Procedure for Defence Shipbuilding - Defence shipyards are awarded some contracts on nomination basis while other contracts are awarded on competitive basis. Defence shipyards are participating with private yards in an open competition. In some of the cases they have lost out to private shipyards.

Defence Shipyards quoted for Naval Offshore Patrol Vessels, Barges, Hovercraft, Fast Patrol Vessels, Interceptor Boats, Cadet Training Ships and Fast interceptor crafts but lost to private yards.The Defence shipyards have indicated that major reasons of losing out are:

(i) Higher wage rates for the labour and thereby increase in overheads;

(ii) Longer time taken to procure the materials byobserving the laid down procedures thus pushing up their prices.

To enhance the competitive edge in future, following measures are being undertaken:-

(i) Modernisation of DPSUs including Defence shipyards with latest state-of-the-art facilities and introducing modernintegrated construction methodology,

(ii) Strengthening of design and production facilities,

(iii) Induction of manpower both at the skilled worker level and at management level.

This information was given by Minister of State for Defence Shri MM PallamRaju in written reply to Shri Partap Singh Bajwain Lok Sabha today.

Indian Press Information Bureau

India: Vulnerability of Submarines

The DRDO proposes to develop a technology to reduce vulnerability of the Submarines available with the Indian Navy.

Naval Material Research Laboratory (NMRL), Ambernath, under Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is progressing a technology demonstration project "Development of Land-based Prototype for Air Independent Propulsion (AIP)" for submarine propulsion. Vulnerability of a submarine can be reduced by increasing its underwater endurance (dived conditions). Normally diesel electric generators are used to charge the batteries that provide propulsion power when the submarine is in dived conditions. To run the generators the submarine has to surface for taking in air and throwing out the exhaust. Using AIP system, submarine can charge the batteries without surfacing.

The full scale operations of such System is likely to be demonstrated by 2015.

This information was given by Defence Minister Shri AK Antony in written reply to Shri Dhruva Narayana in Lok Sabha today.

Indian Press Information Bureau

Saab to upgrade all ANZAC class ships combat systems

HMAS Perth

The Australian Government has approved an upgrade of all ANZAC class frigates to the full anti-ship missile defence standard. Saab will work with the Defence Materiel Organisation and BAE Systems for systems integration of a further seven naval combat systems.

The Royal Australian Navy will receive the highly successful upgrade of the ANZAC class frigate comprising an enhanced 9LV combat management system, phased array radar and missile director, infrared sensors and an advanced navigation radar system.

Saab, teamed with BAE Systems and CEA Technologies, created the latest variant of the 9LV combat management system (CMS) for HMAS PERTH earlier this year. The upgrade entailed an extensively redesigned operations room to give the ship unprecedented situational awareness and weapon systems coordination. The highly modernised ship has been engaged in radar, missile and combat system trials for much of 2011 which have validated the entire combat system.

Australian Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Ray Griggs said, “The tests proved that the new system can defend the ship from modern cruise missile attack.”

The operations room has been reorganised to enhance the capability of the ship’s command team. Newly-designed consoles come with 30 inch wide screen displays and 42 inch large screen displays show operational command information across the room. The CMS integrates the entire combat system through a dual redundant Gigabit optical fibre LAN.

Chairman of Saab Technologies Australia, Gunilla Fransson said, “The modernisation of the entire ANZAC class is testimony to the future-proof 9LV combat management system and Saab’s combat system engineering capability in Australia.

”This fully integrated combat system is now one of the most modern CMS in the world. It gives the ANZAC ships a fully flexible capability to utilise all its weapons, sensors and countermeasures simultaneously.”

SAAB