Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Maybe China should feel nervous....
via The Hindu.
India just recieved an Akula II attack sub from Russia.
India has placed orders for P-8 aircraft.
They're buying aircraft for an aircraft carrier and other Western Fighters...
And now they have a Carrier Task Force operating with them during a training exercise.
Add to all this the Singapore Defense Chief stating that closer ties between Asian countries and the US should be strengthened through the Association of South East Asian Nations (China is not a member) and you have a reason why China might feel surrounded.
I love it!
Hmmm.The 2012 edition of the annual India-U.S. naval exercise, ‘Malabar,' will be held in the Bay of Bengal from April 7.Frontline units from both navies will take part in the 10-day exercise, says an official release.The ‘harbour phase' will begin in Chennai, with both navies taking part in professional seminars. The ‘sea phase,' will encompass a wide spectrum of exercises, ranging from conventional war fight mission to asymmetric warfare. The focus areas will be boarding operations, air defence exercises, helicopter cross-deck operations and co-ordinated anti-submarine warfare.The U.S. Navy will be represented by ships from the Carrier Task Force (CTF) 70 of the US 7 Fleet based at Yokosuka in Japan. The CTF will include aircraft carrier USS Carl Vision, guided missile cruiser USS Bunkerhill, guided missile destroyer USS Halsey and logistics ship UNNS Bridge. Los Angeles-class submarine USS Louisville and a P3C Orion aircraft will also be involved.The Indian Navy will be represented by indigenously built guided missile frigate INS Satpur, guided missile destroyers INS Ranvijay and INS Ranvir, missile corvette INS Kulish and fleet tanker INS Shakti. Maritime patrol aircraft Tu-142M and other rotary wing aircraft will also take part in the exercise.Naval co-operation between the two countries is a long-term relationship. Over the years, the two navies have collaborated in a wide spectrum of activities and exercises to advance the maritime partnership, says the release.
India just recieved an Akula II attack sub from Russia.
India has placed orders for P-8 aircraft.
They're buying aircraft for an aircraft carrier and other Western Fighters...
And now they have a Carrier Task Force operating with them during a training exercise.
Add to all this the Singapore Defense Chief stating that closer ties between Asian countries and the US should be strengthened through the Association of South East Asian Nations (China is not a member) and you have a reason why China might feel surrounded.
I love it!
EMOD Stock and P-Mags...
I'm digging his EMOD stock and P-Mags...I thought chest rigs for your sidearm was a no-no now...and I can't identify his optics. Was this a unit or private purchase?
Interesting News. HMH-461 have been some busy, quiet boys.
via Navy Recognition.
Off the coast of Djibouti, a Sikorsky CH-53 "Sea Stallion" from United States Marine Corps (USMC) Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 461 (HMH-461) conducted several approaches and landings on the Dixmude, French Navy's newest LHD.Thanks Navy Recognition!
Dixmude is the third ship of Mistral Class and is curently used to form and train future French Navy's Officers. The French vessel's flight deck directors dubbed "yellow dogs" were present on the flight deck to assist the Marines crew of the Sea Stallion in his deck landing maneuvers. The CH-53 was able to perform all its TAG (Touch and Go), and obtain the landing qualification on this French type of LHD.
Marines mechanics disembarked from the CH-53 to spend some time on the Dixmude and watch the approach of their aircraft. It was an opportunity for sailors of both nations to exchange a few words, visit parts of the French ship and exchange their unit patches.
Now we know the name of the unit operating those CH-53's at Camp Lemonnier. We also know for a fact that the images of that base have indeed been frozen...indeed the images of the region have been frozen.
But even more telling is the fact that in addition to French Foreign Legion, French Airborne Marines and French Paratroopers (and not counting French Special Ops Forces) w
Interesting indeed.
Marines in or headed to--The Fight.
Seriously jacked up Harrier.
I've seen training jets moved around. Cars in hangars but I wonder what the story is behind this airplane.
If you know then please hook me up. I'm beyond curious.
Mythical Fleet Part 2. Sea Control Ship (Littoral)
The next thing my mythical fleet needs is a mothership/sea control/littoral support ship. My choice? The Mistral class.
Specs from Wikipedia...
General characteristics | |
---|---|
Type: | landing platform helicopter |
Displacement: | 16,500 tonnes (empty) 21,300 tonnes (full load) 32,300 tonnes (with ballasts) |
Length: | 199 m (653 ft) |
Beam: | 32 m (105 ft) |
Draught: | 6.3 m (21 ft) |
Installed power: | 3 Wärtsilä diesels-alternators 16 V32 (6.2 MW) + 1 Wärtsilä Vaasa auxiliary diesel-alternator 18V200 (3 MW) |
Propulsion: | 2 Mermaid azimuth thrusters (2 × 7 MW), 2 5-bladed propellers |
Speed: | 18.8 knots (35 km/h) |
Range: | 10,800 km (5,800 nmi) at 18 knots (33 km/h) 19,800 kilometres (10,700 nmi) at 15 knots (28 km/h) |
Boats and landing craft carried: | 4 CTM (chaland de transport de matériel) alternatively, 2 LCAC (Landing Craft, Air Cushion) |
Capacity: | 59 vehicles (including 13 Leclerc tanks) or a 40-strong Leclerc tank battalion |
Troops: | 900 (short duration) 450 (long durations) 150 (serving as operational headquarters) |
Complement: | 20 officers, 80 petty officers, 60 quarter-masters |
Sensors and processing systems: | DRBN-38A Decca Bridgemaster E250 navigation radar MRR3D-NG air/surface sentry radar 2 optronic fire control systems |
Armament: | 2 x Simbad systems 4 x 12.7 mm M2-HB Browning machine guns |
Aircraft carried: | 16 heavy or 35 light helicopters |
Aviation facilities: | 6 helicopter landing spots |
The vehicle capacity is really over kill, in my vision it'll be used for enhanced aviation and munitions storage. I'd fill this ship with Navy MH-60's armed to the gills and then I'd stuff the back end with Riverines and make this a US Navy Special Ops platform.
SOCOM would get its mothership, Riverines would get its mothership and NAVAIR would get a sea control beast from hell. MH-60's patrolling off the coast of Africa could shut down piracy in a week. In addition you'd have Riverines running patrols and SOCOM conducting raids from its deck.
What ship would be canned in order to bring this true mult-role ship to the fleet?
LCS.
What capability would we lose?
Mine hunting. Every other trick the LCS was expected to perform would be covered by these Landing Platform Helicopter (LPH). Its not much of a stretch either. They displace less than a San Antonio Class LPD so they would be considered relatively small ships. I envision a total of 4 being procured.
Gunfighters at sunset...
NOTE:
Thank You!
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