U.S. Navy Continues Virginia-Class Sub Investments

As the U.S. Navy continues to tweak its redesigned Block III Virginia-class submarines, the service is pushing ahead with its Block IV Virginia plans, awarding a $17.6 billion contract this month to General Dynamics’ Electric Boat Corp for 10 subs between fiscal 2014 and 2018.“The Block IV award is the largest shipbuilding contract in U.S. Navy history in terms of total dollar value and builds upon the Virginia-class program’s successful Navy and industry relationship,” says Rear Adm. David Johnson, program executive officer for submarines.

Under the deal, Electric Boat will still subcontract part of the work to its submarine-building partner Newport News Shipbuilding, a unit of Huntington Ingalls Industries. The fixed-price incentive, multi-year contract calls for about 24% of the work to be done at Newport News.
The Navy confirmed April 16 that it is postponing the commissioning of the Block III Virginia-class attack submarine SSN-784 North Dakota to an undetermined future date because of “the need for additional design and certification work required on the submarine’s redesigned bow and material issues with vendor-assembled and delivered components.” The North Dakota was christened in November and was scheduled to be commissioned on May 31.

The Virginia-class submarines – considered by most inside and outside the Pentagon to be a model acquisition and shipbuilding program – rank as the third-costliest Pentagon program, with a total acquisition cost of about $84.4 billion, the U.S. Government Accountability Office reported recently.The proposed fiscal 2015 Navy budget includes about $5.9 billion for two more Virginia-class subs and continues to procure two Virginia-class SSNs per year through the five-year-defense plan, resulting in an inventory of 21 Virginia-class subs – of 48 total subs – by 2020.


http://aviationweek.com/defense/us-navy-continues-virginia-class-sub-investments

Carrier Abraham Lincoln marks overhaul milestone

Photo: Huntington Ingalls Industries

Huntington Ingalls Industries announced today that its Newport News Shipbuilding division recently placed a new upper-level structure on top of USS Abraham Lincoln's (CVN 72) island, which is similar to an airport control tower. The aircraft carrier is undergoing its refueling and complex overhaul (RCOH), during which the shipyard refuels the ship's reactors, paints the ship's hull, modernizes systems and performs a complete recapitalization of the entire ship.

The structure, which will contain the ship's primary flight control systems when outfitted and serves as the platform for many of its various radars and antenna systems, is one of the largest structure lifts that will be performed during the RCOH process. At 88 feet long and 32 feet wide, the structure weighs about 68 long tons, which is equal to the weight of nearly a dozen elephants. It was set into place using the 310-ton gantry crane that straddles dry docks 10 and 11.

"An RCOH is an extremely complex engineering and construction project that requires more than 30 months of advance planning and more than three years to accomplish," said Chris Miner, Newport News' vice president of in-service aircraft carrier programs. "This lift represents just one of many significant events we complete to return this ship to the Navy fully equipped and modernized to defend our nation for another 25 years. I applaud the thousands of shipbuilders who are working tirelessly to safely return this great ship to the Navy on schedule and within budget."

USS Abraham Lincoln arrived at Newport News in March 2013 and is on track to redeliver in 2016. RCOH is the mid-life refueling overhaul and maintenance availability of a Nimitz-class carrier that produces a recapitalized carrier capable of supporting current and future warfare doctrine and continuing to operate as the centerpiece of the U.S. Navy fleet and national defense for another 25 years.


http://newsroom.huntingtoningalls.com/News-Releases/Photo-Release-Newport-News-Shipbuilding-Installs-New-Upper-Level-Structure-on-USS-Abraham-Lincoln-3cb.aspx

MQ-8B Fire Scout Conducts Test Operations aboard USS Freedom

An MQ-8B Fire Scout sits on the flight deck of USS Freedom (LCS 1) April 30 off the coast of San Diego, Calif. Sailors from Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 35 are conducting the first combined operations between the unmanned Fire Scout and the manned H-60 helicopter aboard the littoral combat ship over the next few weeks.

LCS Fort Worth Completes Test as Congress Cools on Program

Navy officials told reporters yesterday the third Littoral Combat Ship recently completed a successful operational evaluation of its surface warfare technologies days after Congress slowed down the production rate for the vessel.The USS Fort Worth, the Navy’s third LCS, engaged in scenarios involving swarms of small boats, engagements with its 57mm gun, and search and seizure exercises, said Rear Adm. John Ailes, Program Executive Officer, LCS.

“We destroyed all the targets and the crew’s performance was excellent. It was a great event and we are pleased with all facets of the surface warfare mission package,” Ailes told Military​.com in an interview.
The House Armed Services Committee Seapower and Projection Forces subcommittee has proposed legislation that slows the rate of purchase for the LCS from three to two per year.The subcommittee supports the LCS program and the development of a new small surface combatant, but priorities such as refueling the USS George Washington and ensuring that the Navy can operate an 11-carrier fleet took precedence in the budget, said a congressional staffer close to the subcommittee.

The mark up is the latest in a series of setbacks for the controversial LCS program, which was truncated from 52 ships down to 32 by Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel in January of this year.Formal results and grades from the commander for the operational test that took place at the Navy’s Point Mugu test range in California are expected within 90 days, Ailes added.

The operational evaluation was designed to further develop the LCS’ increment 2 of its surface warfare mission package. The LCS is engineered to accommodate specific mission packages to include surface warfare, mine-countermeasures and anti-submarine warfare.
The LCS has two variants, the Freedom ships built by Lockheed Martin and the Independence ships built by Austal, US.


http://defensetech.org/2014/05/01/lcs-fort-worth-completes-test-as-congress-cools-on-program/

A New Robotic System Turns Regular Navy Helicopters Into Unmanned Drones

The Autonomous Aerial Cargo/Utility System, or AACUS for short, is a set of sensors and software developed by Near Earth Autonomy for remotely piloting military helicopters.The system essentially turns a pre-existing conventional helicopter into an unmanned drone capable of being piloted and maneuvered via tablet. The value here is in safely dispatching supplies to troops in need and in evacuating wounded soldiers without risking the life of a pilot.

AACUS is dependent on a scanning laser rangefinder to detect obstacles and gauge distances. Its Lidar (remote sensing technology) unit scans forward in order to avoid obstacles while in flight, and it can angle directly downward to search for a safe landing area.The animation below shows actual data received by the AACUS sensors. The terrain is algorithmically sectioned off into areas that get a “grade” for landing quality. Red squares are “aborts” to be avoided. The green spots are identified as safe landing spots.


After a brief training session with the tablet software, Marines without flight experience can become functional drone pilots.


http://www.businessinsider.com.au/aacus-unmanned-helicopter-system-2014-4

USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) in Constanta, Romania

http://www.navy.mil/

 Forward-deployed Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) approaches Constanta, Romania, for a scheduled port visit.

Romanian President Traian Băsescu is greeted by Cmdr. Scott Jones, commanding officer of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG 75)

Autonomous drones are US Navy's next weapon

U.S. Navy christens stealthy new destroyer Zumwalt

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Photo :  http://www.navy.mil/

Ingalls Shipbuilding Delivers Amphibious Assault Ship America (LHA 6) to US navy

Huntington Ingalls Industries' Ingalls Shipbuilding division delivered the amphibious assault ship America (LHA 6) to the U.S. Navy today.

More than 900 crew members marched through the shipyard for a delivery ceremony on the ship's flight deck, where they joined Ingalls shipbuilders and personnel from the U.S. Navy's Supervisor of Shipbuilding-Gulf Coast.

"The shipbuilders of Ingalls have worked tirelessly to deliver this awesome, powerful warship to our U.S. Navy customer," said Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Cuccias


Read more:
http://newsroom.huntingtoningalls.com/News-Releases/Photo-Release-Ingalls-Shipbuilding-Delivers-Amphibious-Assault-Ship-America-LHA-6-3c2.aspx

Navy Plans to Test Fire Railgun at Sea in 2016

US navy Photo

The U.S. Navy plans to install and test a prototype electromagnetic railgun aboard a joint high speed vessel in fiscal year 2016, the service announced today.This test will mark the first time an electromagnetic railgun (EM railgun) has been demonstrated at sea, symbolizing a significant advance in naval combat.

EM railgun technology uses an electromagnetic force - known as the Lorenz Force - to rapidly accelerate and launch a projectile between two conductive rails. This guided projectile is launched at such high velocities that it can achieve greater ranges than conventional guns. It maintains enough kinetic energy that it doesn't require any kind of high explosive payload when it reaches its target.High-energy EM railguns are expected to be lethal and effective against multiple threats, including enemy warships, small boats, aircraft, missiles and land-based targets.

"The electromagnetic railgun represents an incredible new offensive capability for the U.S. Navy," said Rear Adm. Bryant Fuller, the Navy's chief engineer. "This capability will allow us to effectively counter a wide-range of threats at a relatively low cost, while keeping our ships and sailors safer by removing the need to carry as many high-explosive weapons."EM railgun technology will complement current kinetic weapons currently onboard surface combatants and offer a few specific advantages. Against specific threats, the cost per engagement is orders of magnitude less expensive than comparable missile engagements. The
projectile itself is being designed to be common with some current powder guns, enabling the conservation of expensive missiles for use against more complex threats.

"Energetic weapons, such as EM railguns, are the future of naval combat," said Rear Adm. Matt Klunder, the chief of naval research. "The U.S. Navy is at the forefront of this game-changing technology."This demonstration is the latest in a series of technical maturation efforts designed to provide an operational railgun to the fleet. Since 2005, the Navy and its partners in industry and academia have been testing railgun technology at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Dahlgren, Va., and the Naval Research Lab where the service has a number of prototype systems.The final operational system will be capable of launching guided, multi-mission projectiles to a range of 110 nautical miles against a wide range of threats. The series of tests are designed to capture lessons for incorporation into a future tactical design and will allow the Navy to best
understand needed ship modifications before fully integrating the technology.The Navy is using JHSV as a vessel of opportunity because of its available cargo and topside space and schedule flexibility. Because JHSVs are non-combatants, there is no plan to permanently install a railgun on any ship of the class. A final decision has not been made on which ship classes will receive a fully operational railgun.

USS America (LHA 6) to be delivered to US Navy

Wikipedia

The Aircraft carrier USS America (CV-66) was scuttled

China's defense minister warns U.S. against Taiwan arms sales

China's defense minister on Tuesday urged the United States to stop a bill that reaffirms commitment to Taiwan and calls for continued arms sales to the island.

"China is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposes the U.S. House of Representatives passage of a Taiwan-related bill," Chang Wanquan told reporters after his talks with U.S. counterpart Chuck Hagel on Tuesday.

Chang's comments came after the U.S. House of Representatives on Monday passed a bill that reaffirms the importance of the Taiwan Relations Act and the House's unwavering commitment to Taiwan, and calls on the Obama administration to sell Perry-class frigates to Taiwan."U.S. arms sales to Taiwan seriously violate the three China-U.S. joint communiques, particularly the principles specified in the August 17 Communique," Chang said.Under this 1982 agreement, the United States agreed to gradually reduce its arms sales to Taiwan.

"We urge the U.S. Congress to stop promoting any Taiwan-related bills and the government to prevent the Congress from reviewing the bill," Chang said, adding this can help avoid undermining China-U.S. relations and cross-Strait peaceful development."China-U.S.competition is not zero-sum," he added, calling on the two countries to avoid the past confrontations between major powers.Chang said China and the United States should take a brand-new view of bilateral relations and seek cooperation and common prosperity.

"The two countries should first avoid conflict or confrontation in the military sector," Chang said, stressing he and Hagel, both as veterans with war experience, have deep knowledge of dangers resulting from wars."As leaders of defense departments, we have the responsibility to do something to avoid conflict or confrontation," said Chang.Hagel arrived in Qingdao in east China's Shandong Province on Monday for his first China visit as U.S. defense chief. He visited China's Liaoning aircraft carrier on Monday afternoon.

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90883/8592288.html

U.S. Navy to test laser weapon aboard ship in Persian Gulf

Photo Wikipedia

http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-navy-laser-weapon-20140407,0,5800600.story#axzz2yHv12McS

Navy continues effort to extend range of helicopter UAVs; asks Northrop Grumman to build five MQ-8C Fire Scouts

Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) designers at Northrop Grumman Corp. will build five long-range unmanned helicopters for operation from destroyers and other surface warships under terms of a $43.8 million U.S. Navy contract announced this past week.

Officials of the Naval Air Systems Command at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Md., are asking the Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems segment in San Diego to build five MQ-8C Fire Scout vertical take-off and landing tactical unmanned aerial vehicles (VTUAV), which are based on the manned Bell 407 helicopter from Bell Helicopter Textron Inc. in Fort Worth, Texas.

The manned version of the Bell 407 seats seven, can carry a useful load of 2,347 pounds, flies as fast as 140 knots, and has a range of 324 nautical miles.

The MQ-8B is limited to operating for only eight to 12 hours per day of ISR coverage at a range of only 100 nautical miles, Navy officials say. To meet the longer-range requirements, Northrop Grumman experts will use the avionics developed for the MQ-8B, as well as the software and ground-control systems, on the longer-range MQ-8C based on the Bell 407.

The MQ-8C will provide the Navy with an increased range of more than 30 percent, twice the endurance, and an increased payload capacity over the existing MQ-8B variant, Northrop Grumman officials say. The unmanned systems architecture developed for the MQ-8B is re-used in the Bell 407.

Read more:
http://www.avionics-intelligence.com/articles/2014/04/longrange-fire-scout.html

USS Coronado commissioned

Ship named for Coronado called "Crown of the Fleet"



USS Coronados in the Navy:

USS Coronado (PF-38), a patrol frigate, served in World War II as a convoy escort.

USS Coronado (AGF-11), an amphibious transport dock redesignated as an auxiliary command ship. Served as flag ship for the U.S. Sixth and Third Fleets.

USS Coronado (LCS-4), the fourth littoral combat ship. Called the “Crown of the Fleet” as a nod to Coronado’s “Crown City” nickname.

Successful Griffin Missile Test Fire in U.S. 5th Fleet

A flotilla of coastal patrol (PC) ships launched four missiles at target sleds last week to test the operational capability of the system. Each missile fired resulted in a successful test of the system and destruction of the target. The U.S. Navy recently completed the installation of the Griffin Missile System (GMS) aboard USS Firebolt (PC 10), USS Sirocco (PC 6), USS Typhoon (PC 5) and USS Whirlwind (PC 11), which represent four of the eight U.S. 5th Fleet PC force.

Guided missiles like the Griffin give a greater punch to the PC's and will be used alongside existing crew-served weapons and the 25mm MK 38 Mod 2 stabilized chain guns. This layered defense provides PC crews with an enhanced capability to defeat small boat threats.

GMS consists of a government-designed launcher and weapons control system, Forward Looking Infra-Red (FLIR) Systems' BRITE Star II sensor/laser designator, and Raytheon's Griffin B (Block II) missile.

Adapted from aviation and special operations platforms, the 43-inch-long, 33-pound missile has proven itself to be lethal against small boat threats.

All ten Bahrain-based PCs will be outfitted with GMS by 2016.

PCs are in Bahrain based on a strong demand signal for increased Maritime Security Operations in this region. The cost effective ships are ideal platforms for conducting regional engagements with our regional partners.

The Navy's Newest Destroyer - USS Zumwalt - Is a Drone

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-04-02/the-navys-newest-destroyer-is-a-drone

In the article the Author Drake Bennet wrote:

The Zumwalt also boasts what Raytheon calls a Total Ship Computing Environment, which allows it to be controlled from any of a couple dozen consoles around the ship. If the captain happens to be on the bow or the stern rather than up on the bridge when there’s an emergency, he can still take control of the ship. “He’s got that capability right where he’s at; he doesn’t have to run 600 feet and up multiple levels to get up to where he has to be,” says Knudson. The captain just signs in to the nearest console and enters a password, as if he’s doing some online banking.

If you read at the bottom of the page, you can see the reader comments:

Reader Matthew Ferrara wrote:

I wonder if the crew can login with their Facebook account?


Reader Blackcap Conure wrote:

The captain just signs in to the nearest console and enters a password, as if he’s doing some online banking. Oh, just like online banking? LOL

So he first gets a "Username or Password incorrect" message, then he has to have his username sent to his email then he has to get the link to reset his password. Then he gets the 'account locked' please call customer support message. Hello, thank you for calling Raytheon, your call is important to us, please listen carefully as our menu options have recently changed. If you know your party's extension you may dial it anytime during this message. Press 1 if...Press 2 if... Press 3 if...Press 6 if this a Zumwalt captain trying to logon on. 20 minutes later he has control of the ship from the console 15' away from where he was originally. Like that online banking?

                              You forgot to mention that when he calls customer support, he’ll have to                                                listen to a 30 second commercial offering Zumwalts for 5 easy payments of 1                              billion before getting connected to someone in Pakistan who sounds like he’s                                        speaking Portuguese.

Courtesy General Dynamics Photo/US Navy

Courtesy General Dynamics Photo/US Navy

Courtesy General Dynamics Photo/US Navy

When the U.S. Navy christens the first of its newest class of destroyers this month, it will launch the first ship with a brain of its own.

Among the high-tech features included on the USS Zumwalt—cannons that fire rocket-propelled, GPS-guided rounds and stealth design that gives the 610-foot ship the radar signature of a small fishing vessel—there’s also a computer intelligence capable of preparing the ship for battle and engaging enemy targets on its own. Think of it as a gigantic floating drone: “Most UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles] are a few million dollars,” says Wade Knudson, who heads the Zumwalt project for Raytheon (RTN), which made most of the ship’s computer systems. “This is a $5 billion UAV.”

Unlike aerial drones, however, the Zumwalt will still have a human crew and it will know how to anticipate their needs. If the ship’s smoke alarms and cameras detect a fire, the ship will turn on the sprinklers and seal off the area. When the fire is out, the ship knows to drain the water so the crew can investigate. All of this automation means the ship will carry a crew of just over 150—half of what would normally be required on a ship of this size. In a pinch, it can be manned by a crew of 40.

US Navy decommissions USS Miami

Pentagon and DARPA plans to seed ocean floor with payloads waiting to be activated

By Joey Cheng:

Sensors, drones and other devices can be a great help to U.S. forces at sea, but not if forces get caught in a situation without them. That’s why the military is planning to plant them in potential trouble spots ahead of time, and have them wait on the ocean floor to be called into action.

The program is called the Upward Falling Payloads (UFP) and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is preparing for Phase 2 and Phase 3, according to a pre-solicitation notice. The distributed systems would be remotely activated when needed and recalled to the surface by “falling upward.”

The project is a part of an effort to develop low-cost, unmanned and distributed systems in response to the limits imposed by costs and complexity in working in forward operating areas.

“The UFP approach averts solutions to deploy technology from legacy platforms or to grow the complexity and reach of unmanned systems,” DARPA said in its announcement. “Instead, the approach centers on pre-deploying deep-ocean nodes years in advance in forward areas which can be commanded from standoff to deliver a wide range of unmanned and distributed systems to the sub-surface, surface and air.”

http://defensesystems.com/articles/2014/03/27/upward-falling-payloads-darpa.aspx

US Navy's most advanced command and control aircraft joins fleet in Norfolk

Digital quarterback of Air warfare

Credit: Jason Walsh

NORFOLK -- The Navy's newest advanced Hawkeye, an early warning command and control platform, officially joins the fleet.

Airborne Early Warning Squadron One Twenty Five, the "Tigertails," is the first squadron to become fully operational with the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye. Built by Northrop Grumman, the company calls the aircraft a "digital quarterback" to conduct sophisticated, concurrent battle management command and control for the Navy.

Missions can include airborne strike, ground force support, rescue operations and managing a reliable communications network capable of supporting drug interdiction operations. The use of its new glass cockpit and tactical fourth operator display provides the five-person crew unparalleled flexibility in successfully accomplishing these diverse missions, the Navy said.