Israel in Talks to Buy Another Submarine from Germany
Israel has broached the idea of buying a sixth discounted submarine from Germany as part of a military build-up designed to signal strength in the face of Iranian nuclear ambitions, officials said.
Israel has three of the Dolphin-class diesel submarines, with two more on order from Kiel shipyard Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW) and due by 2012. The vessels are widely believed to have been deployed with nuclear cruise missiles. Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who visits Berlin with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, will ask the Merkel government to underwrite another Dolphin sale, aides said.
Dolphins cost some $700 million but those in Israel’s fleet came at a deep discount from Germany, which is devoted to the security of a Jewish state founded in the wake of the Holocaust.”We are in a dialogue about a sixth submarine, but no decision has been made yet. There are tough budgetary issues to deal with,” a senior Barak aide told Reuters. The German Economy Ministry would not say whether a Dolphin sale would be under discussion during Monday’s discussions, and added that the question of state aid was not for it to decide.
A second Israeli source with knowledge of the talks said that Netanyahu, who has described the prospect of an Iranian bomb as a mortal danger, wanted to expand the submarine fleet. The Israelis have hinted at pre-emptive strikes against Iran if diplomacy fails to curb its nuclear project, but many analysts believe the limitations of force would compel the Netanyahu government to adopt a more deterrent posture.”Five submarines are sufficient, but of course we could use more. Our ideal number would be nine — enough to ensure we have the necessary assets at sea to cover all relevant threats and targets,” the Israeli source said. Armed with just 10 torpedo tubes — which can also be used to launch cruise missiles — the Dolphins would be of meagre use for any conventional Israeli assault on Iran.
STRATEGIC DEPTH
Israel does not discuss its own nuclear capabilities. There is further speculation over whether Israeli cruise missiles would be able to reach Iranian facilities from the Mediterranean sea, where the Dolphins routinely patrol from their Haifa dock.”I remain unconvinced — unless the Israelis have managed to replicate Tomahawk, which would be an extraordinary achievement,” said Stephen Saunders, editor of Jane’s Fighting Ships, referring to a U.S.-made, long-range and nuclear-capable cruise missile that Washington has refused to supply to Israel.
A bigger Dolphin fleet could allow Israel the option of basing some in its Red Sea port of Eilat, providing a short-cut to the Gulf. An Israeli submarine crossed the Suez Canal for an exercise off Eilat last July, the first such deployment. Iran denies seeking the bomb but its leaders’ Holocaust denials and vituperation against Israel have stirred war fears. While condemning the rhetoric from Tehran, Germany maintains some $5.7 billion in annual exports to Iran — to many Israelis’ chagrin.
German opposition parties, including the Social Democrats (SPD), have voiced misgivings about weapons exports to crisis areas, but the last two Dolphin sales were approved while the SPD was part of a previous coalition government. There is also domestic support for keeping production going at HDW, a branch of parent company ThyssenKrupp, given the lack of foreign clients for new diesel-powered submarines.
U.K. MOD Awards Contracts for Aircraft Carriers
Contracts worth £333M ($543 million) have been awarded by the Aircraft Carrier Alliance (ACA) to companies across the United Kingdom to help to build the Royal Navy’s new Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers.
U.K. MOD has awarded $543 million contract for building Elizabeth class aircraft carriers
Five sub-contracts have been awarded to suppliers from Glasgow to Portsmouth for equipment to be installed on the ships and services for their assembly, bringing the total value of sub-contracts awarded so far on the programme to almost £1.1bn.
These contracts and sub-contracts represent the vast majority of the equipment orders for the Queen Elizabeth Class Carriers and demonstrate the progress made on the programme to date.
The two future aircraft carriers will form the cornerstone of the UK’s naval capability and will be the largest, most capable and powerful warships ever constructed in the UK. They will be a highly versatile and potent joint defence asset, able to meet the widest range of tasks around the world throughout their expected service life of around 50 years.
China to Take Naval Forces to Another Level
An assessment of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (Navy) – PLA(N) – inadvertently released by the US Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) suggests that over the next 10-15 years China will build a naval force increasingly equipped for maritime security missions and humanitarian relief operations well beyond its traditional operating areas around Taiwan and the South China Sea.
At the same time, ONI assesses that the PLA(N) will continue to modernize its warfighting capabilities to shape a balanced maritime force commensurate with a shift from a strategy of coastal defence to a more forward-leaning naval strategy of offshore defence.
The report, entitled ‘A Modern Navy with Chinese Characteristics’ and dated August 2009, was briefly placed on an open source website by the ONI in November 2009 before being withdrawn from public view. However, in that time a copy of the document was downloaded by the Federation of American Scientists and remains accessible on its website.
According to the ONI, the development of the PLA(N) over the past decade goes well beyond the introduction of new equipment. Its report states: “Recognizing that it takes more than technology to create a capable navy, China has also actively pursued the modernization of its doctrine, organization, and training with the ultimate goal of developing a professional force. While much work remains, trends in recent years indicate the PLA(N) is beginning to ‘operationalize’ its modern force, taking on new and more challenging missions.
Fleet of Underwater Gliders to Explore Oceans
Glider under water. (Credit: IFM-GEOMAR)
The Leibniz Institute of Marine Sciences (IFM-GEOMAR) in Kiel, Germany, recently obtained the biggest fleet of so-called gliders in Europe. These instruments can explore the oceans like sailplanes up to a depth of 1000 metres. In doing so they only consume as much energy as a bike light. In the next years up to ten of these high-tech instruments will take measurements to better understand many processes in the oceans. Currently scientists and technicians prepare the devices for their first mission as a ’swarm’ in the tropical Atlantic.
They may look like mini-torpedoes, yet exclusively serve peaceful purposes. The payload of the two-metre-long yellow diving robots consists of modern electronics, sensors and high-performance batteries. With these devices the marine scientists can collect selective measurements from the ocean interior while staying ashore themselves. Moreover, the gliders not only transmit the data in real time, but they can be reached by the scientists via satellite telephone and programmed with new mission parameters.
As such the new robots represent an important supplement to previous marine sensor platforms.
“Ten year ago we started to explore the ocean systematically with profiling drifters. Today more than 3,000 of these devices constantly provide data from the ocean interior,” explains Professor Torsten Kanzow, oceanographer at IFM-GEOMAR. This highly successful programme has one major disadvantage: the pathways of the drifters cannot be controlled.
“The new gliders have no direct motor, either. But with their small wings they move forward like sailplanes under water,” says Dr. Gerd Krahmann, a colleague of Professor Kanzow. In a zigzag movement, the glider cycles between a maximum depth of 1000 metres and the sea surface.
“By telephone we can ‘talk’ to the glider and upload a new course everytime it comes up,” explains Krahmann. A glider can carry out autonomous missions for weeks or even months. Every glider is equipped with instruments to measure temperature, salinity, oxygen and chlorophyll content as well as the turbidity of the sea water.
The IFM-GEOMAR has been the first institute in Europe to be committed to the new technology. “We tested different devices and we had to learn the hard way, too,” oceanographer Dr. Johannes Karstensen says. “This way we have been able to contribute to the glider development, and now we have gathered knowledge required for successful glider operations,” he adds.
Within the context of a special investment IFM-GEOMAR was able to obtain six new gliders adding to a total of nine altogether, which is the biggest fleet of that kind in Europe.
A very successful mission using a single glider took place between August and October 2009 in the Atlantic Ocean, south of the Cape Verde Islands. The robot carried out measurements along a more than 1000 kilometres long track autonomously, before it was recovered by the German research vessel METEOR.
Now, for the first time the scientists in Kiel prepare a whole fleet of gliders for a concerted mission. After final tests the robots will be released mid-March 2010 at about 60 nautical miles north-east of the Cape Verde Island of Sao Vicente. For two months they will investigate physical and biogeochemical quantities of the Atlantic Ocean around the oceanographic long-term observatory TENATSO.
Goals of the experiment lead jointly by Prof. Torsten Kanzow, Prof. Julie LaRoche (marine biology) and Prof. Arne Körtzinger (marine chemistry) are to get new insights into water circulation and stratification as well as their impact on chemical and biological processes. With the glider swarm the scientists can sample a complete “sea-volume” and not just a single point or a single cross-section in the ocean. The gliders will be remotely controlled from a control centre at the IFM-GEOMAR in Kiel.
“This technology enables us to observe the upper layers of the ocean much more effectively and thus much less expensive than previously,” says Prof. Dr. Martin Visbeck, Deputy Director of the IFM-GEOMAR and Head of the research division Ocean Circulation and Climate Dynamics.
More Missile Frigates For India
A spokesman from Russia’s Yantar Shipyard in Kaliningrad said that the last two of three Krivak III-class (known as the Talwar-class in India) guided missile frigates being built for India will exit drydock by year’s end, RIA Novosti reports.
Three frigates – INS Teg, which exited drydock last November, INS Tarkash and INS Trikand – were commissioned for $1.6 billion U.S. in July 2006, and will add to India’s current complement of three Talwar vessels, INS Talwar, INS Trishul, and INS Tabar. The new frigates feature a reduced cross-section – which imparts a measure of stealth – and will be armed with the BrahMos cruise missile, which was jointly developed by Russia and India, a 100mm gun, a Shtil surface-to-air missile system, and an anti-submarine warfare helicopter.
Melting Tundra Creating Vast River of Waste Into Arctic Ocean
The increase in temperature in the Arctic has already caused the sea-ice there to melt. According to research conducted by the University of Gothenburg, if the Arctic tundra also melts, vast amounts of organic material will be carried by the rivers straight into the Arctic Ocean, resulting in additional emissions of carbon dioxide.
Several Russian rivers enter the Arctic Ocean particularly in the Laptev Sea north of Siberia. One of the main rivers flowing into the Laptev Sea is the Lena, which in terms of its drainage basin and length is one of the ten largest rivers in the world. The river water carries organic carbon from the tundra, and research from the University of Gothenburg shows that this adds a considerable amount of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere when it is degraded in the coastal waters.
The increase in temperature in the Arctic, which has already made an impact in the form of reduced sea-ice cover during the summer, may also cause the permafrost to melt. “Large amounts of organic carbon are currently stored within the permafrost and if this is released and gets carried by the rivers out into the coastal waters, then it will result in an increased release of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere,” says Sofia Hjalmarsson, native of Falkenberg and postgraduate student at the Department of Chemistry.
In her thesis, Sofia Hjalmarsson has studied the carbon system in two different geographical areas: partly in the Baltic Sea, the Kattegat and the Skagerrak, and partly in the coastal waters north of Siberia (the Laptev Sea, the East Siberian Sea and the Chukchi Sea). The two areas have in common the fact that they receive large volumes of river water containing organic carbon and nutrients, mainly nitrogen.
Aluminum Glitters Inside 2nd Littoral Combat Ship Variant
MOBILE, Ala. – Inside and out, the new USS Independence is like few other warships put into service by the U.S. Navy. The severe angles of the unpainted aluminum trimaran give way inside to a spacious interior covered by aluminum-foil-like fire protection cladding.
The relatively few interior working spaces in the pyramidal superstructure are connected by wide passageways and stairwells – not ladders – reflecting the design’s origin as a commercial ferry. Unusually for a naval ship, some stairwells even turn corners, as in a landlocked building.
The vast flight deck that tops the after third of this 417-foot-long ship is almost 90 feet wide and is the biggest ever fitted to a surface combatant. The large hangar features two roller doors, has great interior height and is able to house two H-60 helicopters. On the starboard side of the hangar, a vehicle elevator leads down to the mission bay, the ship’s primary payload area.
The mission bay is one of the key features of the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) concept, which envisions a ship able to move at speeds of more than 45 knots that can take on extra equipment tailored to specific missions such as anti-surface or anti-submarine warfare, all packaged into mission modules. The Independence design, adapted by General Dynamics Bath Iron Works from a high-speed commercial ferry design from the Australian firm Austal, features a hull described variously as a three-hull trimaran or a monohull supported by outriggers. Either way, the configuration has never before been used for a U.S. warship.
The mission bay is about the width of six highway traffic lanes, split into thirds fore-and-aft by steel supports. The space would seem to have no trouble simultaneously housing two of the planned mission modules.
During a January 4 visit to the Independence, shipyard workers from Austal USA swarmed the ship, even though the Navy took delivery December 18 and the commissioning ceremony is to take place on January 16. Rear Adm. James Murdoch, the Navy’s LCS program manager, acknowledged work will continue past the commissioning date, including, for example, work on the stern doors at the rear of the mission bay and on the overhead cradle system that will be used to launch and recover waterborne vehicles.
“Those will be tested in the future, after sailaway from the yard,” Murdoch said.
Although the Independence began initial sea trials in early July and has been underway numerous times – at speeds up to 46 knots – those voyages were crewed by civilian mariners hired by shipbuilder Austal USA. The ship’s two Navy crews – Blue and Gold – are eager to take the ship to sea, said Cmdr. Curt Renshaw, commanding officer of the Blue Crew. But much of the ship’s equipment still needs to be certified for operation, he said, and sailors will then need to be qualified. That means the ship likely won’t get underway manned by a Navy crew until late February or more likely March.
The Navy was keeping a tight lid on visits to the ship but relaxed those rules after the ship’s delivery. A small group of reporters was among the first media to get a good look inside the ship.
The wide bridge area on the O4 level is surrounded on three sides by large windows more akin to a cruise liner than a gray warship. The ship control stations are in the center, up close to the glass: side-by-side seats and consoles for use by the officer of the deck and the readiness control coordinator or junior officer of the deck. The two watchstanders can use either left or right seats according to preference. Each has a multifunction joystick that is also the ship’s helm.
Between the two positions are controls for the two gas turbines and two diesels that each power a steerable water jet. A fifth control operates a drop-down azimuthing bow thruster. Sitting between the two and behind them is a third seat for a tactical awareness coordinator – essentially, Renshaw said, a third set of hands on the bridge who can handle a variety of duties. The commanding officer has his seat in the traditional forward starboard corner location.
The area behind the control positions is filled by Interior Communications Center No. 1 (ICC1), a combat information center-like set of consoles complemented by a similar ICC2 below on the O1 level. Although the ICCs have interchangeable functionality, ICC1 on the bridge will be used primarily for ship-related functions such as self-defense, navigation and the engineering watch, while ICC2 will be dedicated for use by the mission module detachments. A curtain can close off ICC1 from the bridge watch.
The ICCs also function as the ship’s central damage control and machinery control centers, and the ship’s internal computer network allows laptop control from dozens of drops throughout the vessel. With the right access codes, for example, any laptop connected to the network can control the ship, including engineering and navigation functions.
No exterior bridge wings are provided; as a high-speed ship, the Independence is meant to be handled from inside. Toward the rear of each side of the bridge, there is a large roll-down window from which a sailor can stick his head out to peer forward or aft or down to the water. A set of halyards leads to a bar just outside the window, and an aluminum flag bag for signal flags lies just inside. Forward, all anchor- and line-handling arrangements are inside the bow.
The narrow bow forward of the bridge – not meant to be regularly accessed while the ship is underway – features an enclosure for the future Non-Line-of-Sight surface-to-surface missile battery and, ahead of that, an automatic 57mm gun mount. Forward of the gun, the deck drops off precipitously to the prow, which is not visible from the bridge. Video cameras on the bow and around the ship give the watch a topside view.
Two machinery rooms in the central hull each contain a General Electric LM 2500 gas turbine and MTU 8000 diesel. The outer hulls carry little gear and are mostly void space, Renshaw said. Two damage control stations are provided, both on the port side at each end of the mission bay. A small boat deck on the port quarter carries one rigid-hull inflatable boat.
The mess deck and wardroom share a common galley, and individual berths – though not the staterooms – are large and roomy, big enough for a sailor to sit up, stretch his arms and work on a fold-down tray table that can hold a laptop. The big, double-high racks are designed to give way to triple-highs should the need arise to increase berthing space.
On sailaway, the Independence is expected to head to Norfolk, Va., for more tests and trials before eventually going westward to its future homeport of San Diego, Calif.
There are many similarities and dissimilarities between the GD’s Independence design and that of the first LCS, Freedom, from Lockheed Martin. Sometime this spring or summer, the Navy will choose one of the designs as the basis for 51 more LCS ships.
Taiwan To Buy Perry-Class Frigates From USA
Taiwan plans to buy eight second-hand Perry-class frigates from the United States despite improved ties with once-bitter foe China.
The deal with the United States would add to the existing Taiwanese inventory, as it already has eight Perry-class frigates built on the island. The island hopes to arm them with a version of the advanced Aegis Combat System, which uses computers and radar to take out multiple targets, as well as sophisticated missile launch technology, the Taipei-based China Times said.
The defense ministry said in a reaction to the report that aging frigates now serving the navy needed to be phased out, but that it had not yet decided on the type of vessels that would replace them.
“The overall strategy of the armed forces will be taken into consideration as the defense ministry evaluates the plan,” it said in a statement, adding that the budget would be another factor to be weighed.
The United States designed the Perry-class frigates in the 1970s and most remain in service, equipped with various forms of modern technology. The deal would add to Taiwan’s existing inventory, as it already has eight Perry-class frigates built on the island.
The China Times report came less than a week after the U.S. said it had approved the sale of Patriot missile equipment to Taiwan as part of a package passed by Congress more than a year ago.
When unveiled in 2008, the package triggered strong protests from Beijing, which considers Taiwan part of its territory and has vowed to take the island back by force if necessary.
The United States is the leading arms supplier to self-ruled Taiwan, even though it switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979. Ties between Taipei and Beijing have improved markedly since China-friendly Ma Ying-jeou came to power in 2008, promising to boost trade ties and allowing in more Chinese tourists.
The World’s Capture Fisheries
Source: FAO
The world catch amounted to 92million tonnes in 2006.
The greatest volume came from the Pacific Ocean – approximately 50% of the world catch.
The second in rank came the Atlantic Ocean – approximately 20% of the world catch.
Of individual species the Peruvian anchovy was the largest, 7.6 million tonnes or 8.5% of total world catch.
The catch of Alaska pollock, the second in rank, was 2.9 million tonnes.
The biggest fishing nation is China catching over 16% of the world catch.
Iceland ranked number 16 on the world list with about 1.6% of the world catch.
ROV Spending to Exceed $3 Billion Per Year by 2014
Annual oil & gas industry expenditure on work-class ROV (remotely operated underwater vehicle) operations is likely to reach $3.2 billion by 2014 – with African and Asia Pacific expenditure overtaking that of Western Europe in the coming years.
These are amongst the findings in the new edition of “The World ROV Market Report 2010-14,” a market study recently published by energy business analysts Douglas-Westwood. The study reveals that the worldwide ROV business has been impacted by the economic downturn, but to a far lesser extent than many other oil & gas services sectors.
It suggests that growth prospects for the market are considerable, predicting that approximately 550 additional work-class ROV units will be needed between 2010 and 2014 to meet increased demand for operations and counter the effects of attrition on the current fleet.
“The future of the offshore oil & gas industry lies in the deepwater subsea developments and major discoveries such as those recently announced off Brazil, in the Gulf of Mexico and West Africa,” explained Rod Westwood, lead market analyst at Douglas-Westwood. “Work-class ROVs are a key enabling technology for producing from deepwater fields and considerable numbers will be needed to access these major new oil & gas reserves.”
Commenting on the technology, Douglas-Westwood analyst, Paul Newman, said: “ROVs used in the oil and gas sector have been developing for more than 30 years and are now considered a mature technology, especially in terms of vehicle hardware. However, on the software side, current research and development is primarily aimed at increasing the levels of autonomy and ‘intelligence’ needed to reduce pilot workload.”
