MARITIME NEWS – 30 SEPTEMBER 2016 Royal warship visits Durban

The Type 23 HMS Portland arrived in Durban on Wednesday 28 Sep and berthed at the Naval Station on Salisbury Island. She hosted a special reception on 29 Sep for local dignitaries and invited guests. A Capability Demonstration has also been planned, to showcase the skills and efficiency of the servicemen. Organisers of the gala event say it's significant, as it's the first time in a long while that a major Royal Navy of its kind has sailed to the east coast. The ship is currently three-months into a nine-month deployment around the world - having set sail from Plymouth in the UK, in June. Source : East Coast Radio She will be transiting West to the South Atlantic again so Cape readers can also expect a visit by her. It is two and a half years since she was last here under Cdr Sarah West at the time. It has also been more than a year since we last had a frigate/ as the South Atlantic patrol ship! Unmanned air and sea vehicles coordinate together

Lockheed Martin has successfully launched a small unmanned aerial vehicle on command from its MK2 Marlin autonomous underwater vehicle. The launch was part of a cross-domain command-and- control event hosted by the U.S. Navy last month and also involved a Submaran, an unmanned surface vehicle developed by Ocean Aero, which provided surface reconnaissance and surveillance. "This effort marks a milestone in showing that an unmanned aircraft, surface vessel and undersea vehicle can communicate and complete a mission cooperatively and completely autonomously," said Kevin Schlosser, chief architect, unmanned systems technology, Lockheed Martin. Lockheed said that in the demonstration the Submaran relayed instructions to Marlin from a ground control station via underwater acoustic communications. The Marlin then launched the Vector Hawk UAV using a specially- designed canister from the surface.

All three autonomous vehicles -- the Marlin, Submaran and Vector Hawk -- communicated operational status to the ground control station to maintain situational awareness and provide a means to command and control all assets. "Lockheed Martin has heard loud and clear the U.S. Navy's call to get faster, be more agile, and to be continually creative," said Frank Drennan, director, mission and unmanned systems business development. "We have clearly illustrated that we have the necessary agility and quickness combined with innovative technology to increase the range, reach, and effectiveness of undersea forces." Lockheed Martin's Vector Hawk is designed for canister or hand launch in all-weather, maritime environments to provide a tailored intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capability. It is capable of fully autonomous flight and landing. It weighs just four pounds, has a flight endurance of more than 70 minutes and has a line-of-sight range of as much as 9.3 miles. The Marlin MK2 is a battery-powered, 2,000-pound autonomous underwater vehicle that is 10 feet long and has a 250-pound payload capacity. Its endurance is 18 to 24 hours. Source : Space War I rest my case – man (generic that is – male, female and transgender) is slowly becoming obsolete in modern warfare Iranian Navy arrive in Karachi

Four Iranian Naval ships (the 43rd Fleet/Flotilla) arrived in Karachi for a three day port visit with aim to enhance maritime collaborations between the two . The ships which arrived on Tuesday were Lavan, Konarak, Falakhan and Khanjar . The ships are scheduled to be in Karachi for a 3 day port visit. The ships were welcomed by Pakistan Navy officials and Iranian diplomats. During the visit, the Iranian Navy officers and sailors will have professional discussions and interactions with their Pakistani counterparts on matters of mutual interest. Pakistan Navy has also planned operational training activities, exchange of visits by naval personnel and sports activities for the Iranians. After the stay at Karachi, a Passage Exercise (PASSEX) will be conducted at sea to improve interoperability between the two Navies. The visit is aimed at promoting peace and security in the region and will enhance maritime collaboration between the two countries. Source : The Express Tribune The Lavan is a Hengam class LST delivered in 1984, Konarack is a GP cargo vessel (troop transport) and the other two are Kaman (La Combattante IIa) class missile boats from the seventies. Not much punch. Future of Swedish Industry Dependent Upon Foreign Buyers 's Saab Suffers Setback Selling as Poland Opts Out of Partnership

The Swedish Armed Forces worry that the future of the Swedish submarine industry may be gloomy unless Saab manages to sell its products to other countries, as Sweden needs partners to share the cost. Photo : SAABGROUP.COM Previously, Saab received a major order from the Swedish government to build two new model A26 submarines while upgrading two Gotland-class submarines currently in use, with a total price tag of around 10 billion SEK ($1.2 billion). Both are regarded as technically challenging projects that take several years. Additionally, there is a major risk of ballooning costs. This may ultimately become a burden for Swedish taxpayers. Alternatively, crucial elements within the armed forces may face severe cutbacks. Saab is expected to deliver by 2024, which means that the new submarines will not be put into service until 2025. Meanwhile, it's nearly time to start working on the development of the next major update of the submarines. In order to ease the burden for the tax-payers, the Swedish government pins its hopes on signing partnerships with other countries to share the cost. So far it has not gone so well. Norway, one of the prospective buyers, made it clear in April this year that it no longer considers Swedish submarines a viable option. Instead, Norway opted to buy submarines from fellow NATO countries, which in practice means either Germany or . Saab's board of directors repeatedly tried to play down the importance of the Norwegian refusal. Two weeks ago, Saab CEO Håkan Buskhe told Swedish daily Svenska Dagbladet that he personally never expected Norway to become a buyer. In terms of defense, Swedish-Norwegian relations have suffered a lot of setbacks in recent years. Another stumbling block was Norway's adamant refusal to buy Swedish Gripen fighter jets. Nevertheless, Saab still expects to be flooded with offers. Its hopes are now pinned on Poland and the Netherlands, where Saab previously initiated partnerships with local companies. Sweden is one of few countries to develop its own submarines, and the A26 is marketed as a cheaper, quieter, and harder-to-detect alternative to previous generations. This means that the submarine can be used more effectively for intelligence gathering. Another highlight is a hatch in the bow that can be used to drop off divers, manned and unmanned vehicles or other equipment. Saab seems to be virtually alone in offering this unusual solution, which previously faced reproach from submarine experts. Critics believe that it may become problematic to shut the hatch once it comes into contact with mud, silt and gravel. Nevertheless, Saab's leadership remains optimistic. "I almost cannot imagine how many different things may be accomplished with this feature. Some of our potential customers have shown great interest in it, while others are more on the conservative side. We are the first in the world to do this, and it may become a new standard, the head of Saab's subsidiary Saab Kockums Gunnar Wieslander told Swedish daily Svenska Dagbladet. Saab took over Kockums, previously owned by the German conglomerate ThyssenKrupp, in the summer of 2014, after the Swedish government saw ThyssenKrupp was about to shut down Swedish submarine development to benefit German- made submarines. Saab Kockums has since increased its staff to about 1,000 employees at its Development Center in Malmö and a in . Source : Sputnik News US Navy boasts longest range anti-air warfare intercept in Navy history

Princeton launched the SM-6 missile during the test. Photo : US Navy The U.S. Navy announced that it has successfully completed the longest range anti-air warfare intercept in Navy history which took place at the Point Mugu test range in California, on September 22. The navy, however, did not specify the length of the intercept. During a test of the Naval Integrated Fire Control – Counter Air (NIFC-CA) system, Ticonderoga-class cruiser USS Princeton (CG 59), equipped with the latest Aegis Baseline 9, successfully processed data from a remote airborne sensor to engage and destroy an over-the-horizon threat representative target using Standard Missile-6 (SM-6). The Navy added that this was not the first time that SM-6 has shattered its own distance record. The missile broke the previous long-range intercept record in January of this year onboard USS John Paul Jones at Pacific Missile Range Facility, a milestone it originally set in June of 2014. According to the navy, this NIFC-CA test was the tenth consecutive successful live-fire test to demonstrate an over-the- horizon, engage-on-remote capability. This particular test also successfully validated the NIFC-CA from the sea kill chain concept. NIFC-CA From The Sea is a program of record which uses four pillar programs to act as a kill chain for the surface fleet: Aegis Baseline 9.0, Cooperative Engagement Capability, E2D Hawkeye and SM-6. SM-6 provides U.S. Navy ships with extended-range protection against fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles and anti-ship cruise missiles and ballistic missiles in the terminal phase of flight. The active radar and extended range of the SM-6 allow it to track and destroy over the horizon targets which are out of sight of operators on deck. Aegis Baseline 9 delivers a fully open architecture system on U.S. cruisers and and is the basis for current and future Aegis integrated air and missile defense. Baseline 9 is being fielded on in-service destroyers, new construction destroyers and Aegis Ashore. The Aegis common source library-enabled derivatives are on Freedom- variant littoral combat ships and will be included on the upcoming frigate ship. Source : Naval Today Minister briefed on stranded naval vessel

It’s almost four months since the naval vessel RFNS KIRO ran aground on the Cakauyawa reef near Makeluva Island. Defence Minister – Ratu Inoke Kubuabola says he’s been briefed on the situation and has requested more information. “I’ve just been there one week, so I’m still trying to get across the ministry, probably in the next two days, the next days I can comment.” The RFNS KIRO is one of three Navy vessels responsible for search and rescue at sea. The was also used to monitor the Exclusive Economic Zone and run surveillance on illegal fishing Source: FBC A bit late to do much other than remove the wreck! receives fifth FREMM frigate Alpino

FREMM Alpino . Photo courtesy of Fincantieri The Italian Navy has commissioned its fifth FREMM frigate Alpino during a ceremony held at Fincantieri’s Muggiano, La Spezia shipyard on September 30. FREMM are built within the international Italian-French program, coordinated by OCCAR (the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation). Orizzonte Sistemi Navali, a joint venture between Fincantieri (51%) and Finmeccanica (49%), is the prime contractor for in the FREMM program. The Italian Navy has already ordered all 10 frigates it intends to build to replace the Lupo- and Maestrale-class frigates built by Fincantieri in the 1970s. The vessels Carlo Bergamini and Virginio Fasan were delivered in 2013, the Carlo Margottini in 2014 and the Carabiniere in 2015. With the option exercised April 2015 for the construction of the ninth and tenth vessel, whose delivery is scheduled after 2020, the Italian program has been fully implemented. Alpino is the fourth ship built with the ASW – anti submarine warfare configuration. Italy will eventually operate six general purpose variants and four anti-submarine variants. France, which is also acquiring FREMM frigates, will have six anti-submarine variants, and two air-defense variants. Apart from Italy and France, and bought one ship each. FREMM Mohammed VI was delivered to in 2014 while the Egyptian Navy had their own FREMM, Tahya Misr , delivered in 2015. With a length of 144 meters and a displacement of 6,700 tonnes, the frigates reach a maximum speed of 27 knots and to provide accommodation for 200 people (crew and staff). Source : Naval Today The score is 5 – 3 to Italy as France put foreign sales first. USN to Remove All Historic Job Titles after Study on Gender Neutrality The Navy announced Thursday that it’s removing all historic job titles and replacing them with occupational specialty codes, as opposed to direct titles, effectively removing the word “man” from job titles in a roundabout way. According to Navy Times, what this decision means in practice is that “Fire Controlman 1st Class Joe Sailor…would be Petty Officer 1st Class Joe Sailor.” “We’re going to immediately do away with rating titles and address each other by just our rank as the other services do,” Chief of Naval Personnel Vice Adm. Robert Burke told Navy Times. “We recognize that’s going to be a large cultural change, it’s not going to happen overnight, but the direction is to start exercising that now.” The shift gets rid of pesky job title names like “yeoman,” which the Navy bureaucracy had no idea how to make gender-neutral, thereby fulfilling a request from Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus to make positions more female- friendly to facilitate integration. Source : The Daily Caller This is getting scary! You would think Mr Maybus had more important problems. On the other hand he is facing a new President who will have even stronger ideas on the Navy. I am not suggesting who but it will be a new broom! READER COMMENT 1. Some of us have for several years been trying to persuade the Air Force to first buy a relatively simple and relatively affordable light surveillance type much like this one, or a King Air or the maritime version of the C-212 etc. that would meet the immediate requirement without the massive cost of a full-blown MPA. In fact we have argued that the SAAF should first wet lease some aircraft complete with both flight and mission crews to relearn the art of maritime surveillance and patrol and to become familiar with what modern optronics and radars can do for them. No criticism of the abilities of the people of 35 Sqn, but flying a 1943 Dakota with weather radar and binoculars is not a good experience base from which to draft a requirement. But in its wisdom the SAAF dropped the MSA project and decided to go for the full Monty MPA. Assuming, of course, that they are not just hoping that the delay in switching horses, followed by the sticker shock when the quotes come in, will enable them to put the whole thing off once again. After all they have successfully dodged acquiring a new maritime aircraft since 1984, so why give up now? 2. Two items caught me eye in today's Marnews. The one was unavoidable but more of that later. I see that Lockheed Martin apparently (unless it's some journos doing) now employs architects to design their unmanned vehicles of one type or another. Does that mean the blokes who build them will soon be called bricklayers? What happened to engineers? And now to the USN's newly-announced transgender policy. Without wishing to be indelicate one does have to wonder whether some terminology within the lexicon of Jackspeak will disappear forthwith .Any reference to a well- known street in Singapore famous for its, shall we say, cross dressing, may have to be amended. 4. The Indian Submarine saga is a confirmation of the incisiveness of the Indian authorities and the havoc it creates in procurement and final results on force/fighting capability. It is as if there is a craving to find a reason to stop a procurement. I have no proof, but I do have a suspicion that it may have to do about getting more or new players in on the deal. It seems as if this happens often directly after a change in government. TAILPIECE RN submariners return from mission – then smash bar in boozy rampage The Ministry of Defence is carrying out an investigations into allegations of criminal damage Sailors returned from a secret three-month patrol on a nuclear submarine – then smashed up a cinema and the wardroom bar on a boozy rampage. The Royal Navy officers are now being hunted by military police and parts of the base at Faslane have been sealed off as a crime scene. And like Sean Connery in Cold War submarine thriller, The Hunt for Red October, the officers of HMS Victorious are being ordered to give themselves up. The sub, which carries the Trident ballistic missile, returned to the base near Helensburgh last Friday, the Daily Record reports. Top brass are said to have "hit the roof" over the incident. Sources said the men were boozing in the wardroom bar, reserved for officers, from 5pm. The binge continued after a civilian who manned the bar left, leaving an honesty bar – which triggered mayhem. The orgy of destruction on the fourth floor of the HMS Nelson involved: ● A projector ripped from a ceiling at the base’s cinema. ● The cinema screen hauled down and ripped. ● Photographs of naval scenes pulled off walls and smashed. ● An heirloom diving helmet dented and its glass visor smashed after it was thrown around the bar ● Officers sick on the carpet. ● A young found asleep under a piano in the morning. After the extent of the damage was discovered, a report was sent to Faslane senior commander Commodore Mark Gayfer. By Monday, the fourth floor of the complex was taped off as a crime scene by MoD police, who dusted vandalised items for fingerprints. It is thought top brass have ordered those responsible to give themselves up. The complex was closed of as a crime scene after the bar as smashed up A source at the base said: “The place was a wreck. It was like a bunch of football hooligans had been scrapping in a bar. "It looks like things got out of hand and they just went around smashing anything they could get their hands on for the sake of it. “When a member of civilian staff went in the next morning one of the young officers was lying asleep under a piano in the bar. "He was oblivious to the trouble he was in and went up to his quarters to sleep it off.” The source said drunken high jinks would have been more likely to have been down to junior ratings than officers. He added: “It’s extraordinary you would get this kind of behaviour from officers. They are meant to be leading a good example but this is a total disgrace. “If any of the ratings were caught behaving like this they would be up on charges, so the officers shouldn’t be treated any different.” A source said those responsible are being asked to hand themselves in The source said the severity of the incident became obvious to Faslane staff after a note was put on the wardroom lift, stating that the fourth floor was a no-go zone. He said: “There was a feeling that the matter was going to get brushed under the carpet but somebody high up obviously hit the roof and took a different view. “The talk now is they’re looking for resignations. "If anyone gets the bullet, it could be catastrophic for them as it would hit their pension and their prospects.” The routes of patrols of HMS Victorious and other nuclear subs are closely guarded secrets and the sailors are given details on a need-to-know basis. Argyll and Bute MP Brendan O’Hara said he was astonished to hear officers at Faslane had been accused of such loutish behaviour. O’Hara added: “The Navy has a zero tolerance approach to this kind of behaviour so I am sure that a full investigation will be set up to establish what happened.” The Royal Navy refused to discuss details of the vandalism but a spokesman said: “I can confirm that Royal Navy Police are investigating an allegation of criminal damage within a service establishment.”As this is an ongoing investigation it would be inappropriate to comment further.” Source : The Daily Record We used to call it high jinx and the next morning the perpetrators would report to the Mess President early and fork out to repair the damage (like fans that fell off the ceiling whilst providing roundabout rides) and spend twice weeks aboard. In a service already holding vessels alongside for personnel reasons, asking for resignations is plain stupid! ‘Social’ media has ruined the spirit of youth. AGS