Australian Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

Published on 18 July 2016

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HMAS Canberra has successfully landed a United States Marine Corps (USMC) MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft on its flight deck for the very first time.

The trial was conducted as part of the Sea Phase for Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2016 off the north east coast of Hawaii.

Commander Air, HMAS Canberra, Commander Adrian Capner said the trial was the culmination of twelve months work.

“The achievement has been very rewarding,” he said.

“It demonstrates that we are capable of interacting with our coalition partners, in particular the United States.

“It also shows that we can adapt and remain agile to operate a whole range of international aircraft, not just
aircraft in the Australian fleet.”

Manufactured by Bell Boeing, the MV-22 Osprey has a wingspan of 14 metres and a length of 17.5 metres.

The aircraft has a cruising speed of 446 kilometres at sea level; a range of more than 1,600 kilometres, and the capacity to carry up to 32 troops or 9,000 kilograms of internal cargo.

To arrive at HMAS Canberra, the Osprey flew several hundred kilometres from the US Navy Landing Helicopter Amphibious, USS America on station off the east coast of Oahu.

USMC Osprey pilot and USS America Detachment Commander, Major Brandon Woods was prepositioned in Canberra’s Flight Command (FLYCO) for the aircraft arrival.

“Generally speaking, what we’re looking to achieve is interoperability with the Australians,” he said.

“In the future, when the United States and Australian navies are operating together, we can fluidly land on our respective ships and conduct missions, whatever that tasking may be.

“After today’s success, we are well on our way to doing this organically.

Leading Seaman Aviation Support Michael Wenzell said the Osprey’s size was impressive.

“Directing such a large aircraft to land and take off was daunting at first,” he said.

“Once we got it on board and sized it up, it was excellent.

“We treated it just like any other aircraft.”

The MV-22 Osprey deck trial is part a series of high end war fighting exercises taking place during the Sea Phase of Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 16.

RIMPAC is the world's largest international maritime exercise, providing a unique training opportunity that helps participants foster and sustain cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world's oceans.

The exercise is the first major international engagement for the Royal Australian Navy’s Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD), MH-60R Seahawk and MRH-90 helicopters.

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Australia's final three FFGs retirements: Darwin Dec 2017, Melbourne Aug 2018 & Newcastle Jan 2019.

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But the Chinese are not playing chess, they're playing Go. The vast majority of China's land borders have been settled, while Beijing rapidly lays stones in the SCS. Given the asymmetric objectives between China (gaining territory) and the U.S. (preserving the existing order), 'flexible response' approaches will not be effective.

So how should the US respond to China's advances in the South China Sea, preferably without hegemonic war?

The U.S. must adjust its strategy and build its own islands in the South China Sea. This has multiple advantages over alternative courses of action, and is the only option likely to be effective long-term. Indeed, it is probably the only response that China will understand.

In the wake of the PCA ruling, now is the perfect time. Washington should undertake land reclamation on behalf of the Philippines, and do so under the auspices that the matter has been settled under international law.

No doubt many will advocate other approaches being exhausted first but, just as with Go, by the time the danger becomes obvious it may well be too late. At which time, America will be praying that its weak 7♠ , 2♥ holding somehow manages to win.

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Jura said:

now sure about the thread here, anyway HMAS Canberra achieves first with United States Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey

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Lockheed Martin has delivered the 24th, and final, MH-60R Seahawk to the US Navy in support of the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).

Australia chose the MH-60R as the first international customer for the type in June 2011 to fulfill the Australian Defence Force’s requirement for a fleet of 24 new-generation, multi-role naval combat aircraft. In addition to the MH-60R helicopter’s primary mission areas of anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, it also has the capability for secondary missions including search and rescue, vertical replenishment, naval surface fire support, logistics support, personnel transport, medical evacuation, and VHF/UHF/link communication relay. The new MH-60R helicopters are currently replacing the RAN’s existing fleet of S-70B-2 helicopters.

The RAN took in-country delivery of its first mission-ready aircraft in 2014, and 725 Squadron was commissioned in Nowra, New South Wales in June 2015.

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It's the military commander's version of a grand chessboard, combined with a supercharged video game and potentially deadly consequences.

Imagine an attack drone hovering silently overhead and trained on a target, warships on the water, submarines beneath, jet fighters screeching overhead and heavy artillery on land - all watched from far above by a satellite orbiting in space, and each one beaming back live video and sensor readings to a command centre.

A F-35 stealth fighter, designed by US military industry giant Lockheed Martin. Photo: Supplied
And on this modern battlefield, the commander must decide who is ready and in the best position to strike.

Designing sophisticated computer software to help direct attacks will be one of the goals of a new high-tech laboratory to be opened later this year in Melbourne.

Defence industry giant Lockheed Martin will spend $13 million on the science research centre, which the company describes as a first outside the United States.

"These days, it's just data, data, data. It is the ability in a conflict situation to analyse that data and then make the correct decision," said Raydon Gates, chief executive of Lockheed Martin in Australia.


But the research will go beyond computers, examining advances in robotics, "machine learning" and hypersonic flight.

Australia has committed to a multibillion dollar purchase of 72 F-35 stealth fighter aircraft designed by Lockheed Martin, despite

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in the project.

The US, Denmark, Japan and Israel are among other countries in the F-35 project, but

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after a change of government.

But Mr Gates said the F-35 was now "going extremely well", and that the decision to base the new research centre in Melbourne reflected a 55-year relationship between the company and Australia, with the aim of connecting to local scientific talent.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews met with company representatives in his offices on Monday and told Fairfax Media he hoped investment would led to further partnerships.

The centre will be based in the Melbourne CBD, close to RMIT University and the University of Melbourne, and involve local doctoral research students as well as up to 20 scientists.

Lockheed Martin's US-based chief technology officer Keoki Jackson said the new centre would focus on long-term high-tech research - trying to anticipate needs up to 30 years in the future, and beyond the company's traditional focus on aircraft and aerospace engineering.

He said the lab will have access to sensitive technology from facilities in the US and was a "logical extension" of the US alliance relationship.

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The Australian Defense ministry announced that two European companies – British BAE Systems and German Rheinmetall, as the bidders shortlisted as potential suppliers of armored combat vehicles for the Australian Army’s Mounted Combat Reconnaissance Capability, also known as ‘Land 400 Phase 2’ program, to become the successor of the 8×8 ASLAV currently in service. The Australian Minister for Defence Industry, Christopher Pyne, announced.

The two AFV shortlisted are the Boxer and AMV-35, both are 8×8 wheeled vehicles, offering better protection and mobility over the current ASLAV, and equipped with a manned turret mounting an automatic gun. The Australian requirement is for 225 vehicles in seven variants.

The acquisition is part of the larger Land 400 program designed to replace Australia’s entire fighting vehicle fleet. The selection comes at the completion of the review of opportunities to improve Australian industry involvement in , LAND 400 Phase 2. In addition to industrial participation, all options will be required to include through-life support in Australia.

AMV-35

Boxer

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