Marines want to go back to traditional amphibs

By Philip Ewing - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Mar 20, 2010 8:55:39 EDT

More than two years before the amphibious assault ship America enters the fleet, Marine officials have already drawn up early plans for a version of the ship that includes a major component America is missing — a well deck.

The “LHA 8 concept,” as it was called in a presentation Monday by Marine Corps Combat Development Command, would combine new aviation features the Marines want in the America class with a traditional big-deck capacity for landing craft and green gear.

[...]

Südkoreanisches Kriegsschiff gesunken

Ein südkoreanisches Kriegsschiff mit 104 Mann an Bord ist am Abend nahe der Grenze zu Nordkorea gesunken.

Wie die südkoreanische Nachrichtenagentur Yonhap unter Berufung auf die Marine berichtete, konnten 58 Besatzungsmitglieder der "Cheonan" gerettet werden. Es werde befürchtet, dass der Rest der Mannschaft ums Leben gekommen sei.

Moscow set to upgrade Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier

17:4506/04/2010

The Fleet Admiral of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov, currently the only aircraft carrier serving as the flagship of the Russian Navy, will be upgraded, the media reported, quoting Navy sources. The aircraft carrier, due to enter a dry dock in 2012, will be re-launched in 2017.
...
Although it is hard to assess the revamped carrier's specifications, her future appearance can be predicted on the basis of available reports.
First of all, the defective propulsion unit comprising steam turbines and turbo-pressurized boilers will be replaced either with a gas-turbine or nuclear propulsion unit.
The ship's 3M45 P-700 Granit (SS-N-19 Shipwreck) anti-ship cruise-missile launchers will be dismantled, and her internal layout changed. Consequently, the hangar area will be expanded to 4,500-5,000 sq. m. for storing additional fixed-wing aircraft.

The Admiral Kuznetsov's air defenses will be strengthened by replacing 3K95 Kinzhal (SA-N-9 Gauntlet) missiles with a multi-role naval system featuring 80-120 new-generation and medium-range surface-to-air missiles (SAMs).

Moreover, 4-6 Pantsir-S1 (SA-22 Greyhound) combined short to medium-range SAM and anti-aircraft artillery weapons systems will be installed.

The new weapons systems will feature state-of-the-art radio-electronic equipment, probably including the standard Sigma combat information and control system, due to be installed on all new generation Russian warships. The system facilitates unprecedentedly effective cooperation between task force elements.

The carrier will also receive aircraft catapults, a logical option. Considering the fact that her ski-jump will remain intact, one or two catapults can be located on the angled flight deck.

A similar engineering solution was envisioned for the incomplete Ulyanovsk super-carrier, whose keel was laid down in 1988, but the project was cancelled when it was 40% complete along with a sister ship in 1991 after the end of the Cold War. ...

CUXHAVEN.Erwartet werden am morgigen Freitag der atomgetriebene Flugzeugträger "Charles de Gaulle" (261 m) sowie die beiden Zerstörer "Forbin" (153 m) und "Cassard" (140 m) . Der Flugzeugträger wird am Steubenhöft festmachen.

(wohl wegen -industriellen?- Problemen mit der Wartung der Turbinen).

Taiwan Displays Plans For Missile-Carrying Corvette
agence france-presse
Published: 12 Apr 2010 07:03
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TAIPEI, Taiwan - Taiwan has unveiled the first images of a high-tech missile corvette specifically designed to counter the threat of China acquiring an aircraft carrier, officials and media said April 12.

A computerized graphic of the 1,000-ton "carrier killer," which has so far been kept secret from the public, has gone on display at Taipei's military museum, run by the defense ministry.
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The vessel will be capable of cruising at speeds of up to 34 miles (55 kilometers) per hour and boast technologies helping it to evade radar detection, the Taipei-based Apple Daily reported, citing military officials. ...

"Der bestimmende Kurs wird der Sparkurs werden. Und der hat seine ganz eigene Gesetzmäßigkeit."

Ich denke das ist als Antwort auf die amerikanischen Raketenschirmpläne zu verstehen.

From Chief of Naval Personnel Public Affairs

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The chief of naval operations has approved the Information Dominance Corps Warfare insignia Feb. 19 for wear by officers and enlisted who complete a rigorous personal qualification program. The qualification requirements will be outlined in a forthcoming Navy instruction.

The warfare insignia was created to provide a common linkage among the IDC communities and institute a rigorous qualification program to identify the Navy's highly qualified and diversified information dominance professionals.

"The Information Dominance Corps will create a cadre of information specialists, who come with individual community identities and unite to be managed as a corps, developed as a corps, and to fight as a corps," said Vice Adm. Jack Dorsett, deputy chief of Naval Operations for Information Dominance. "This warfare pin represents a command identity for the Information Dominance Corps."

The Information Dominance Corps will consist of more than 44,000 active and Reserve Navy officers, enlisted and civilian professionals who possess extensive skills in information-intensive fields to develop and deliver dominant information capabilities in support of U.S. Navy, Joint and national warfighting requirements. Theses fields include information professional officers, information warfare officers, naval intelligence officers, meteorological and oceanography officers, space cadre officers, aerographer's mates, cryptologic technicians, intelligence specialist, information systems technicians and civilian personnel."

The new officer insignia is a two and three-quarter inches by one and one-eighth inches, gold matte metal pin showing a background of ocean waves, a crossed naval officer's sword and lightning bolt with a fouled anchor and globe and will also be available in a miniature size.

The enlisted insignia is a two and three-quarter inches by one and one-eighth inches, silver oxidized metal pin showing a background of ocean waves, a crossed naval enlisted cutlass and lightning bolt with a fouled anchor and globe and will also be available in a miniature size.

The insignias will be available for purchase at Navy Exchange Uniform Centers and Navy Exchange Uniform Support Center by August 2010. Graphics of the insignias are available on the Navy Uniform Matters Web site http://www.npc.navy.mil/commandsupport/usnavyuniforms/

Additional information is provided in NAVADMIN 058/10.

For more news from Chief of Naval Personnel, visit www.navy.mil/local/cnp/.

Gates: Sea Services Must Question Embedded Thinking


(Source: U.S Department of Defense; issued May 3, 2010)


The Pentagon’s Robert Gates may have opened a Pandora’s box by questioning whether the US still needs as large a Navy and as capable a Marine Corps. (US Navy photo)
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. --- The Navy and Marine Corps are going to have to question some embedded thinking, such as whether the Navy needs 11 carrier battle groups or whether the Marines ever will launch another amphibious landing, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today.
...
“In other words, I do not foresee any significant top-line increases in the shipbuilding budget beyond current assumptions. At the end of the day, we have to ask whether the nation can really afford a Navy that relies on $3 [billion] to $6 billion destroyers, $7 billion submarines, and $11 billion carriers.”
...

Unveiling of the Multi-mission Frigate Aquitaine

(Source: French Ministry of Defence; issued May 4, 2010)


Aquitaine, the first of 21 FREMM multi-mission frigates on order for the French and Italian navies, was publicly unveiled May 4 in Lorient. (French MoD photo)
LORIENT --- French President Nicolas Sarkozy today attended the "unveiling" of the frigate Aquitaine, the first of eleven new FREMM multi-mission frigates on order for the French Navy, at the DCNS shipyard here.

He was accompanied by Defense Minister Hervé Morin, Industry Minister Christian Estrosi, the Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Edouard Guillaud, the Delegate General for Armaments, Laurent Collet-Billon, and the Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Pierre-Francois Forissier. ...

2. Die Marine scheint sich nun endgültig gegen das JSS und für U-Boote entschieden zu haben, wie hier diskutiert.