Australian Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

SamuraiBlue said:

I don't think it had changed. It states within the page that the lead ship will would be commissioned in FY2018. Taking into account that the Akizuki-class only took three years from laying down steel to commissioning I believe JMSDF(Mitsubishi Heavy) will not start building her till next year.
As for being less expensive, that is because it has less air defense capabilities with only 16 cells being primed to become a sub hunter/killer.

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Aircrew from NUSQN 725 continue to build warfare skills in the MH-60R 'Romeo' helicopter, taking full advantage of their US based operations and deploying to the Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Centre (AUTEC) in order to complete weapon firings and complex warfare training events.

Four Royal Australian Navy crews completed the intensive Helicopter Advanced Readiness Program (HARP) alongside their US Navy counterparts as part of the qualification process, whilst the maintenance teams finalised their training in weapons loading prior to deploying to AUTEC.

Speaking about the deployment, Commanding Officer of NUSQN 725, Commander David Frost, said the activity is the culmination of a lot of hard work by members of the Defence Material Organisation Phase 8 Project Team and the Royal Australian Navy's Fleet Air Arm.

“Although the main objective is to build warfare skills, it also signals a new era for the Fleet Air Arm, demonstrating the capability of this potent maritime combat helicopter.”

The HARP program covers all areas of MH-60R tactical flying, including advanced ground school training addressing aircraft employment, sensor utilisation, crew served weapons, surface and subsurface weapon employment and applied tactics.

It also includes intensive simulator events in the areas of Anti Submarine Warfare and Anti Surface Warfare.

Sensor Operator Leading Seaman Tom Clunie found the training invaluable, and a great way to round off his Operational Flying Training at HSM 40.

“The HARP training program has rapidly expanded my knowledge and capability within the MH-60R,” Leading Seaman Clunie said.

The training was provided by staff of the US Navy Weapons School located at Naval Station Mayport, and was effectively an applied Mission Readiness Evaluation for aviation assets.

HARP training is a pre-requisite for all US Navy crews prior to commencing a deployment, assuring the requisite level of capability in the specialised areas of warfare the MH-60R aircrew will be expected to operate in.

For Lieutenant Joel Bury, the training was an opportunity to expand his Aviation Warfare Officer skills as a Mission Commander, whilst cementing the principals that the initial Operational Flying Training provided.

“HARP ground school and simulator events provided for extremely challenging training scenarios.

“They gave me the ability to exercise the full array of tactics and techniques required to effectively fight the MH-60R,” he said.

NUSQN 725 has deployed two aircraft with support teams alongside detachments from two other US Navy MH-60R Squadrons. The deployed team will fire Hellfire missiles, conduct MK54 torpedo firings and complete combined complex air event training at the AUTEC range on Andros island.

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THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA, SENATOR DAVID JOHNSTON

&

GENERAL FAN CHANGLONG,

VICE CHAIRMAN OF THE CENTRAL MILITARY COMMISSION OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA

At the invitation of the Minister for Defence, Senator David Johnston, General Fan Changlong, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission of the People’s Republic of China, arrived in Australia on 16 July 2014 for a four-day official visit. General Fan met with the Hon. Tony Abbott MP, Prime Minister of Australia; the Hon. Julie Bishop MP, Minister for Foreign Affairs; and held talks with Senator Johnston and senior Defence officials in Canberra on 17 July.

General Fan was accompanied by senior officers from the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), including the Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the PLA, Lieutenant General Wang Ning, the Political Commissar of the PLA Navy, Admiral Liu Xiaojiang, the Commander of the Guangzhou Military Region, General Xu Fenlin, and the Deputy Commander of Guangzhou Military Region and Commander of Guangzhou Regional Air Force, Lieutenant General Xu Anxiang. He was also accompanied by China’s Ambassador to Australia, H.E. Mr Ma Zhaoxu.

General Fan’s visit provided an opportunity for detailed discussions regarding the bilateral defence relationship, as well as strategic matters of mutual interest and concern. In a meeting with Senator Johnston, it was agreed that maintaining peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific and advancing defence relations based on mutual respect between China and Australia were a shared priority. Senator Johnston and General Fan emphasised the importance of cooperation and communication between Australia and China – and with regional partners and institutions – on security matters.

Both sides also highlighted cooperation between China and Australia in the area of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief and in the continuing search for missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370. They noted that the demonstrated capacity for PLA and Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel to work closely together had reinforced the value of continued practical defence engagement between our two nations.

Both sides noted that senior military visits and practical exchanges had facilitated the development of a fruitful defence relationship. All three ADF Service Chiefs had visited China in the first half of 2014, and Senator Johnston was pleased to accept an invitation to visit China later this year. The Chief of the Defence Force, Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin, and the Secretary of Defence, Mr Dennis Richardson, will also visit Beijing in late 2014 to conduct the 17th annual Defence Strategic Dialogue with General Fang Fenghui, Chief of the General Staff, PLA.

Senator Johnston and General Fan also announced that China, Australia and the United States will conduct a joint military exercise, Exercise Kowari, in Australia in October 2014, which demonstrates all three countries’ intent to work together towards enhancing mutual trust and regional stability. Taking into account the vital importance of maritime security in the region, Senator Johnston and General Fan also agreed to discuss further how Australia and China could do more together to promote maritime security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.

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Minister for Defence – Defence Minister David Johnston hails closer Australia-Chinese Defence ties

18 July 2014

Defence Minister David Johnston has hailed the forging of closer defence relations between Australia and China following his meeting with General Fan Changlong, Vice Chairman of the People’s Republic of China Central Military Commission.

During talks with General Fan and other senior Chinese military officials in Canberra yesterday afternoon, Senator Johnston strongly endorsed an agreement to conduct joint military exercises involving China, Australia and the United States.

“Exercise Kowari, in Australia, is a firm demonstration of all three countries’ intent to work together towards enhancing mutual trust and regional stability,” the Defence Minister said.

Exercise Kowari – a land exercise – will be held in October in northern Australia and marks the first trilateral military exercise involving Australian, Chinese and United States personnel.

“The exercise will provide those taking part with an understanding of the basic principles, procedures, techniques and equipment that best support survival in a harsh environment,” Senator Johnston said.

“This exercise marks an important milestone in defence cooperation between Australia, China and the United States.

“General Fan and I also noted the vital importance of regional maritime security and we’ve agreed to discuss further how Australia and China can work closely to promote maritime security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.”

The Australian Defence Minister thanked General Fan for China’s continued efforts in working with countries to combat piracy in the Gulf of Aden and for its help as part of the international coalition searching for the missing flight MH-370.

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Pacific Sentinnel said:

HMAS Darwin has completed a highly successful maritime security deployment to the Middle East and is now heading home to Sydney.

Deployed under tasking to the US-led Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) and Combined Task Force (CTF) 150, the Guided Missile Frigate with a Ship’s Company of 232 personnel seized narcotics with a street value of more than AU$2.1 billion during the five-month deployment, including the largest seizure of heroin (1032kg) in the CMF’s history.

Darwin’s Commanding Officer, Commander Terry Morrison said he is extremely proud of the efforts of his crew.

“This team of highly-trained sailors has performed incredibly well in everything from search and rescue operations, to making significant drug interdictions that will effectively impact funding for extremist and terrorist organisations,” CMDR Morrison said.

“We have followed in the wake of a long succession of Australian and Coalition warships and we now wish the crew of HMAS Toowoomba a very successful deployment.

During the deployment, Darwin helped rescue 13 fishermen, including two children found adrift off the coast of Pakistan on 1 March after their vessel had sunk five days earlier.

The ship also conducted a delicate aero-medical evacuation of a French fisherman who had suffered a heart attack at sea.

Commander Joint Task Force 633, Major General Craig Orme also paid tribute to Darwin’s achievements.

“Darwin leaves after a remarkably successful deployment,” MAJGEN Orme said.

“Commander Morrison and his crew have performed to a very high standard – the Royal Australian Navy and Australia can be proud.

“Our efforts continued the promotion of a secure maritime environment for the benefit of legitimate mariners.”

During her deployment HMAS Darwin steamed over 40,000 nautical miles and conducted 23 flag verification boardings, 13 Replenishments at Sea and visited five ports along the east coast of Africa and the Middle East.

Darwin deployed on Operation SLIPPER in January and was reassigned to Operation MANITOU which commenced on 1 July 2014.

Operation MANITOU is the Australian Government’s contribution to the international effort to promote maritime security, stability and prosperity in the Middle East region.

Darwin is the 57th Australian warship to deploy to the Middle East since the first Gulf War in 1990.

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HMS Astute said:

apologies if this has been posted before.

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Business Spectator said:

By: Cameron Stewart - The Australian |
30 Jul, 7:44 AM
Politics |
National Affairs

The Abbott government wants to sack its own naval shipbuilder and install British defence giant BAE Industries to rescue the *nation’s largest defence project, the $8.5 billion construction of three air warfare destroyers.

The proposal would revolutionise Australia’s defence industry and potentially halve the responsibilities of the current AWD shipbuilder — the government-owned ASC — by limiting it to maintaining the Collins-class submarines rather than building new warships.

It would entrench the British multinational as the pre-eminent naval shipbuilder in Australia and save more than 1000 jobs at BAE’s Williamstown shipyard in Melbourne. The jobs will be lost next year unless the yard receives more work.

The proposal — which is still being negotiated with BAE — is seen by Canberra as the last chance for the nation’s troubled $2 billion naval shipbuilding industry that employs 6000 people but has consistently struggled to deliver warships and submarines on time and on budget.

The Australian understands that these dramatic recommendations are among the confidential findings of the yet-to-be-released review into the AWD project by former US Navy secretary Don Winter and Aus*tralian shipbuilder John White.

The AWD project will produce the country’s largest and most capable warships, with US-*designed missile defence systems. They are designed to provide anti-missile defence for large convoys of troops.

The government has released only scant details of the review, claiming it to be commercially sensitive, but said last month it planned to implement its findings.

The Adelaide-based ASC, which constructed the Collins-class submarines, is the prime shipbuilder in the construction of the three AWDs, a project that, as first revealed by The Australian in 2010, has been plagued with problems causing delays of two years and cost overruns of more than $300 million.

The Winter review was critical of almost all of those involved in the project, including the ASC, the Spanish designer Navantia, the subcontractors and the Defence Materiel Organisation.

But the review is understood to have been especially critical of the 100 per cent government-owned ASC, which has never previously built a surface ship and which the review said had failed to exercise due diligence over many aspects of the project.

ASC chief executive Steve Ludlam resigned this month in the wake of the report.

The document is understood to recommend that BAE, Britain’s pre-eminent naval shipbuilder, be brought in to act as the lead shipbuilder to complete the project, which is not due for completion until at least March 2019, two years later than first scheduled.

However, there are understood to be substantial legal, contractual and commercial issues which still need to be worked through and BAE has not yet confirmed it wants the job, given the troubled history of the AWD project.

Defence Minister David Johnston told a defence industry conference in Adelaide yesterday that cabinet had approved a recovery plan for the AWD program, although he did not provide details.

“This recovery plan is frankly the test case for industry.

“At the moment the increases above the target estimate (for the AWD project is) over $300m and rising. This is taxpayers’ money, it’s not free … people are supportive of Defence, but they want the money to be spent wisely,” he said.

“My first priority is getting the AWD program back on track.”

The success of the AWD project will have a key bearing on whether the government chooses to build a new generation of submarines in Australia or buy them ready-made from overseas. The government is keeping open the option of buying cheaper, less capable submarines off-the-shelf rather than the more expensive and risk-prone option of building up to 12 larger and more capable submarines in Adelaide.

If BAE were to assume the role of prime shipbuilder of the AWDs, it would almost certainly subcontract or employ ASC’s current AWD workforce in Adelaide.

The move would also allow the British giant to allocate more work to its Williamstown shipyard.

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It would entrench the British multinational as the pre-eminent naval shipbuilder in Australia and save more than 1000 jobs at BAE’s Williamstown shipyard in Melbourne. The jobs will be lost next year unless the yard receives more work.

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HMS Astute said:

Aussies were talking about joining the "Global Combat Ship" program, but the decision will not be made until 2018.

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