UK Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

Jura said:

for those who remember Feb 6, 2016

Type 45 Destroyers:Written question - 67575

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Q
Asked by

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(Portsmouth South)
Asked on: 13 March 2017
"To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to award contracts for the Power Improvement Project for the Type 45 destroyer class."

A
Answered by:

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Answered on: 16 March 2017
"On current plans, we anticipate that the Ministry of Defence will be able to award the contract for the Power Improvement Project for the Type 45 Destroyer class in early 2018."

(related, dated May 2016 though:
Project Napier sees twin-track plan adopted to resolve Type 45 problems

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vaporware?

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An industry team led by BAE Systems has secured a £160 million (U.S. $224 million) deal with the British Ministry of Defence to help fix

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that have blighted the reliability of the Royal Navy’s Type 45 destroyer fleet.

BAE, along with partners BMT Defence Services and Cammell Laird, are to undertake what the MoD calls the power improvement project, or PIP, which principally will see the anti-air warships’ two existing diesel generators replaced with three larger units.

The warships have suffered a number of embarrassing breakdowns at sea due to problems with the propulsion system during operations in high temperatures, undermining confidence in the reliability of the six destroyers.

The worst of the problems saw ships losing all electrical power and propulsion while at sea.

“Our aim is to rapidly restore command confidence in the power and propulsion system of the Type 45 fleet, demonstrate value for money, and safeguard vital skills for future generations of warship support,” said David Mitchard, managing director at BAE Systems’ Maritime Services.

In announcing the deal Wednesday, the MoD said in a statement: “The first of class conversion is expected to complete in 2021, with follow on ships completed during the early 2020s. The program is dependent on the availability of ships to undertake the conversion, balanced against the Royal Navy’s standing and future operational commitments.”

BAE is the prime contractor. BMT Defence Services will be responsible for the design, and Cammell Laird will undertake the conversion work at it’s Birkenhead shipyard in northwest England.

Cammell Laird has also teamed with BAE in a bid to design and build the new class of Type 31e general purpose frigates proposed for the Royal Navy.

The PIP is part of a two-pronged MoD program, called Project Napier, to resolve a problem triggered mainly by an intercooler issue with the two Rolls-Royce gas turbine engines, which are also used to power the destroyer.

Project Napier is expected to cost the MoD about £250 million.

The initial effort has seen Rolls-Royce involved in an equipment-improvement plan for the gas turbines, with the second phase being the longer-term effort to replace the existing diesels with more powerful generators.

The campaign group, Save the Royal Navy, described the problem succinctly in 2016:

"The turbines are of a sound design but have an intercooler-recuperator that recovers heat from the exhaust and recycles it into the engine, making it more fuel-efficient and reducing the ship’s thermal signature. Unfortunately the intercooler unit has a major design flaw and causes the gas turbines to fail occasionally. When this happens, the electrical load on the diesel generators can become too great and they ‘trip out,’ leaving the ship with no source of power or propulsion."

The Type 45s use an integrated electric propulsion system with two WR-21 gas turbines and two Wartsila diesel generators providing power to the ship.

The otherwise highly successful Type 45s launched in 2006, employing what was then a pioneering integrated full-electric propulsion system, which uses gas turbines and diesels to power electric motors, which turn the propellers and provide power to the ship.

Rolls-Royce told reporters last year that it had come up with a fix for the recuperator problem.

Company executives said the modified engine had already been tested onboard a Type 45 in the waters around the U.K. and they planned to conduct sea trials of the revised system on an international deployment.

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Jura said:

for those who remember Feb 6, 2016

Type 45 Destroyers:Written question - 67575

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Q
Asked by

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(Portsmouth South)
Asked on: 13 March 2017
"To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to award contracts for the Power Improvement Project for the Type 45 destroyer class."

A
Answered by:

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Answered on: 16 March 2017
"On current plans, we anticipate that the Ministry of Defence will be able to award the contract for the Power Improvement Project for the Type 45 Destroyer class in early 2018."

(related, dated May 2016 though:
Project Napier sees twin-track plan adopted to resolve Type 45 problems

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vaporware?

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In a modest ceremony held on board HMS Diamond in Portsmouth today, BAE Systems, BMT Defence Services and Cammell Laird signed a contract with the MoD to deliver the Type 45 Power Improvement Project (PIP). Significant propulsion problems have hampered the operation of the six destroyers since their construction and it is encouraging that a permanent cure has now been agreed upon.

The RN has paid a high price for pioneering Integrated Electric Propulsion (IEP) in a major warship. The principles are sound but the selection by government, against the advice of the builder BAE Systems, of an unproven Gas Turbine design has left a painful legacy. Problems with the intercooler-recuperator fitted to the Type 45’s WR-21 gas turbine engines have caused complete propulsion failures. (We covered the complex story of these issues in detail in one of

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back in 2016.)

Some media coverage has given the impression that all the Type 45s have been permanently stuck in port for years, but this is far from the truth. Sailing with some workarounds and operating restrictions, developed under the Equipment Improvement Plan (EIP), has allowed them to successfully deploy, including to the warm waters of the Arabian Gulf.

It would be too difficult to replace the Gas Turbines so instead, the PIP plan is that the two existing diesel-generator sets will be replaced by 3 more powerful sets. The Type 45 will then change its standard operating procedure to cruise on its diesels and only use the GTs for higher speeds.

£280M of funding for the PIP was set aside in the 2015 SDSR. The competition for the contract was split into two parts, comprising procurement, design and integration of the solution, and the physical installation and replacement of equipment onboard the Type 45 vessels. The alliance of BAES, BMT and CL won both parts of the contract, with work set to begin immediately.

The cutting open of the hulls to remove the old generator sets and inserting the new plant will be done at Cammell Laird’s shipyard in Birkenhead sustaining more than 100 jobs. CL have large dry docks and years of ship repair and conversion experience appropriate to this kind of work. BAE Systems already has the maintenance contract for the Type 45s in Portsmouth and has the technical experience needed to and support them re-entering the fleet after the conversion.

At this time there is no definite indication which ship will be first to be taken in hand for the PIP in 2019. HMS Daring is currently laid up as a “harbour training ship” in Portsmouth and is a likely candidate. HMS Dauntless has already begun a major refit, HMS Defender has just completed refit and the other 3 ships are active. The first conversion should be completed in 2021, 12 years after the first Type 45, HMS Daring was commissioned in 2009.

As the original shipbuilder, BAE Systems was always in pole position to win this contract. The announcement will be a blow to Babcock who had bid, needing continuity of work for Rosyth and Devonport. It is interesting to note a deepening alliance between Camell Laird and BAE Systems who are also

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.

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Jura said:

Mar 20, 2017
now UK hires team to stop destroyers from breaking down at sea

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Jura said:

Mar 20, 2017and according to the blogger Final cure for Type 45 destroyer propulsion problems announced

March 21, 2018

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The UK defense ministry has awarded a £160 million (approx. $226.5m) contract to a BAE Systems-led team to resolve the power and propulsion system issues experienced by Royal Navy’s Type 45 destroyers.

The Power Improvement Project (PIP) will improve the resilience of the Type 45 class by installing additional power generation sources in each ship, the announcement read.

Delivered as a major conversion project, the PIP will replace the two existing generators with three larger units capable of delivering the ships propulsion.

PIP is expected to resolve the problems caused by gas turbines which, once they stopped providing enough power to the engines, caused the ship’s generators to fallout leaving the ships drifting in the waters with no power at all. The problems were particularly prominent in warmer waters as intercooler units on the gas turbines underwent design changes which, subsequently, were not fully tested. The systems worked well in North Sea waters but did not perform well in warmer waters of the Persian Gulf.

Under the PIP contract, BAE Systems, in collaboration with BMT Defence services and Cammell Laird, will carry out physical conversion work at Cammell Laird’s ship yard in Birkenhead, Merseyside.

The PIP contract covers the design and integration of the technical solution, supply of equipment and physical installation into all six Type 45 destroyers.

The contract forms part of Project Napier which was established in 2014 and builds on the work carried out in the first strand of the project, known as the Equipment Improvement Plan which addresses the reliability of existing equipment.

“The PIP will ensure the fleet of highly sophisticated Type 45s can continue to be deployed successfully on operations around the globe, protecting the UK’s interests worldwide,” director Ships Support at the MOD’s Defence Equipment and Support organisation, Neal Lawson said.

The first of class conversion is expected to complete in 2021, with follow on ships completed during the early 2020s. The program is dependent on the availability of ships to undertake the conversion, depending on the Royal Navy’s standing and future operational commitments.

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The Ministry of Defence has appointed an alliance team led by BAE Systems to deliver its Type 45 Power Improvement Project (PIP) and resolve power generation issues faced by the anti-air destroyers.

According to a press release we received from BAE Systems (the prime contractor for the vessels), the defence giant have joined with Cammell Laird and naval design and technical support expert BMT to win the contract, and yesterday signed a charter on board HMS Diamond along with representatives from the Royal Navy and MoD.

Controversy erupted in 2016 when it was revealed that due to issues with the Northrop Grumman intercooler on the WR-21 gas turbines in the warm climate of the Persian Gulf, the vessels were not operating as originally envisioned. As a solution, this multimillion-pound refit adding additional power generation capacity is planned.

Despite media exaggeration however, the class have actually managed to sail routinely in recent times due to a series of workarounds and temporary rectifications, even able to deploy to the Gulf and other warmer locations. This permanent fix is expected to remove the issue altogether.

The project will improve “resilience” in the Royal Navy’s Type 45 Destroyer power and propulsion system by replacing the existing two diesel generators, fitting an additional diesel generator and modifying the high voltage system on each ship. The alliance has drawn on each member’s expertise across the defence and commercial sectors, and draws on proven power and propulsion capability and over 30 years of unique Type 45 design, build and support experience.

David Mitchard, Managing Director, BAE Systems Maritime Services, said:
“We are immensely proud to support the Royal Navy’s Type 45 fleet whether at home or on deployment around the world. By combining the collective knowledge, experience and skills of BAE Systems, Cammell Laird and BMT we are demonstrating our commitment to present a robust technical solution with an innovative commercial alliance. Our aim is to rapidly restore command confidence in the power and propulsion system of the Type 45 fleet, demonstrate value for money and safeguard vital skills for future generations of warship support.”

Jeremy Berwick, Managing Director, BMT Defence and Security, said:

“We firmly believe in the power of teamwork and this agreement sets the seal on the coming together of three highly complementary partners to form the very best team. We look forward to working with our partners to deliver a fresh, lean and rapid solution for the Royal Navy.”

Linton Roberts, Managing Director, Cammell Laird, said:

“Cammell Laird is delighted and proud to have been selected to undertake the Type 45 Power Improvement Programme in partnership with BAE Systems and BMT. This highly collaborative approach is very much in line with the Government’s National Shipbuilding Strategy by maximising the effectiveness of the complementary expertise and experience of each partner. The Ministry of Defence has driven a challenging competition for this contract, and we are confident that our Alliance will deliver a very innovative technical solution to the Royal Navy.”

The scope of the PIP competition was split into two lots, comprising major procurement, design and integration of the solution, and the physical installation and replacement of equipment onboard the Type 45 vessels. The BAE Systems-led team competed in and won both lots, with work set to begin immediately.

The installation and replacement of equipment is planned to take place at Cammell Laird’s shipyard in Birkenhead, Merseyside, before a series of harbour and sea trials will enable the ships to return to their home at Portsmouth Naval Base, where they will return to Royal Navy operations supported by BAE Systems.

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MBDA deal may lead to British drone, Apache helo carrying Brimstone missile
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  4 hours ago

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has secured a £400 million (U.S. $568 million) capability sustainment program with the U.K. government, which will extend the service life of the country’s Brimstone air-to-surface missile. The deal could also lead to the

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and drones.

The contract will see the current Brimstone 2 weapon enhanced with software and a number of other updates. In addition,

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an unknown number of new missiles to replenish Britain’s inventory.

The capability sustainment opens up the path for Britain to field the weapon on Boeing Apache attack helicopters operated by the British Army and

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being acquired for the Royal Air Force to replace its Reaper fleet.

“The announcement today [March 27], while focused on Typhoon fast-jet capability, in reality enables [the Ministry of Defence] at a point of their choosing to decide what other platforms they want it on. ... We hope for good progress on both [programs] this year,” said Chris Allam , MBDA’s group engineering director and the managing director of MBDA UK.



MBDA executives declined to provide dates for the upgrade and manufacture of the weapon, but said the work will extend the missile’s service life beyond 2030.

Production work in the U.K. could get underway later this year, said one executive.

The contract announcement coincided with the European company’s release of performance figures for 2017, which showed sales, backlog and exports moving in a positive direction, with orders recording a small slip.

Sales rose marginally to €3.1 billion (U.S. $3.8 billion) compared with €3 billion in 2016. The order backlog was up nearly €1 billion to €16.8 billion. Orders for the year declined though to €4.2 billion from €4.7 billion the previous year.

MBDA CEO Antoine Bouvier said it is the company’s ambition to achieve annual sales of €4 billion by 2020.

MBDA is jointly owned by Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo.

The Brimstone 2 entered service with the Royal Air Force in 2016 and is itself an update from an earlier version, with improvements like an insensitive munition-compliant rocket motor and warhead.

Missile-maker MBDA has secured a contract with the U.K. government, which will extend the service life of the country’s Brimstone air-to-surface missile. (Philip Coburn/AFP via Getty Images)
“The new-build Brimstone missiles will incorporate all of the improved functionalities offered by the spiral upgrades of Brimstone that have taken place over recent years in order to meet U.K. operational requirements,” the company said in a March 27 statement. “The effort will also include a significant memory and processing update to the missile in order to enable all of Brimstone’s functionalities and to future-proof the missile.”

MBDA said the software enhancements being incorporated into the weapon will produce a common stockpile of missiles for use on fast jets, attack helicopters and remotely piloted vehicles.

The weapon is only operational on Tornado strike jets for the moment, but British work on the integration of the missile on the Typhoon jet is coming to a close ahead of it entering service on the aircraft by 2019.

The integration of Brimstone on the Royal Air Forces’s Typhoons opens up opportunities with the growing list of customers for the fast jet.

Saudi Arabia is the only export customer to date, and even that hasn’t been officially announced.

Britain is yet to announce its intention to arm new Apache and Protector capabilities with Brimstone, but the decision to push through the missile upgrade is a strong signal of the country’s intention to do so.

Some updates planned for the Brimstone 2 are in part aimed at helicopter and remotely piloted vehicle operations.

Allam said the contract “tells you all you need to know about how the U.K. feels about Brimstone.”

“The contract will refresh the technology in the missile and enable production to continue into 2030,” he told reporters at a briefing.

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Jura said:

noticed in Twitter:

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Yes they are very complex, but why are 4 SSBNs going to cost around 4 x that of 7 Astute class submarines? chart via

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Theresa May has announced an extra £600 million for the

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.

The submarines will carry the Trident deterrent when the current Vanguard class is scrapped, and the Prime Minister said the funds would ensure the work remained on schedule.

Mrs May added that, combined with a £200 million carry forward, the Ministry of Defence would have an extra £800 million in the next financial year.

She made the announcement during PMQs after Tory Edward Argar (Charnwood) asked the Prime Minister to confirm the Government would continue to invest in strong defences.

Mrs May replied: "I can announce today the Chancellor and I have agreed that the Ministry of Defence will have access to £600 million this coming financial year for the MoD's dreadnought submarine programme.

"Today's announcement will ensure that the work to rebuild the UK's new world class nuclear submarines remains on schedule and it's another sign of the deep commitment this Government has to keeping our country safe.

"And along with the £200 million carry forward agreed at the supplementary estimates, this means the MoD will benefit from an extra £800 million in the next financial year and we continue to exceed the Nato 2% target and remain the second biggest defence spender in Nato."

HMS Dreadnought, as well as being the lead boat, will also be the class name for the Royal Navy's four new vessels which are planned to enter service in the 2030s.

Nine Royal Navy ships have borne the name Dreadnought, meaning 'fears nothing', including Britain’s first nuclear-powered submarine which was launched 56 years ago.

Work on the new vessels, which will carry the UK's nuclear deterrent after the retirement of the Vanguard submarine fleet, is already underway in

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.

The boats will be 152.9m (501ft) long, three metres longer than the Vanguard class, and will displace 1,300 more tonnes.

For the crew, there will be separate quarters for female sailors, a dedicated gym compartment, a study area and a lighting system that will imitate night and day - making it easier for the crew to get used to normal life after three months underwater.

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Jura said:

Monday at 9:29 PM
related:
Pound drop not impacting short-term U.K. military spending: official
source is DefenseNews

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... Lovegrove seems to have found the silver lining on this particular cloud, noting “a low pound is good for our exporters. We are the second-largest defense-exporting industry in the world. And if other parts of the U.K. defense establishment can benefit from a low pound briefly, then I hope that they will be able to do so.”

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MBDA has received a long-term contract from the UK Ministry of Defence that will extend the production and sustainment of its improved Brimstone air-to-surface missile into the 2030s.

Announced on 27 March and valued at £400 million ($563 million), the capability sustainment programme deal will provide weapons for the Royal Air Force's Eurofighter Typhoons, and potentially also equip rotorcraft and unmanned air vehicles.

"The new-build Brimstone missiles will incorporate all of the improved functionalities offered by the spiral upgrades that have taken place over recent years in order to meet UK operational requirements," MBDA says. These have included an enhanced dual-mode seeker and improved autopilot, while the future standard will also incorporate "a significant memory and processing update," it adds.

"Brimstone is expected in the future to be carried by the RAF's [General Atomics Aeronautical Systems] Protector RPAS [remotely piloted air system] and the British Army's new [Boeing AH-64E] Apache attack helicopters," MBDA says. While no contracts have yet been signed, MBDA UK managing director Chris Allam says: "We can do it quickly, and I would look for good progress on both of those during this year."

MBDA also believes Brimstone could be an option for arming France's General Atomics Reaper and future Euro MALE UAVs, and Airbus Helicopters Tiger attack rotorcraft. "I am confident that we will convince the French customer," says MBDA chief executive Antoine Bouvier.

But the company has revised its ambitions of selling Brimstone into the US market via its local subsidiary MBDA Inc.

Speaking during an annual results briefing in London on 27 March, Bouvier said that while the company had perceived Brimstone to be an ideal "gap-filler" for the US military, "for a number of reasons our solutions have proved to be wrong".

"We have reassessed our objectives and ambitions in the US, at a time when the US competition in Europe and in export markets has been even tougher," he says. "We have not in any way given up our objective to be present in the US in one form or another, but now give a higher priority to partnership with US primes."

MBDA reported orders totalling €4.2 billion (£5.1 billion) in 2017, with export deals having accounted for €2.6 billion of this sum. Pointing to a record year-end backlog of €16.8 billion – up €1.1 billion from 12 months earlier, chief financial officer Peter Bols says: "This was our fifth consecutive year where our book-to-bill [ratio] was greater than one."

"This provides us with the confidence to continue investing in capabilities, facilities, technologies and products."

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United Kingdom: British army is rejoining the Boxer 8x8 armored program

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POSTED ON SATURDAY, 31 MARCH 2018 17:21

According a statement from the British Ministry of Defense published on March 31, 2018, the British Army has taken a step towards exploring a deal for a fleet of new armoured vehicles, potentially supporting at least 1,000 British jobs, by announcing it is rejoining the

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vehicle program.

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TerraN_EmpirE said:

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<Read full article At Army reco.
The Boxer fresh off the sucess of the Australian Land 400 seems like it's getting the UK's interest.

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