STUART SAILS TO MIDDLE EAST FOR FOURTH MISSION

HMAS Stuart

Royal Australian Navy ship HMAS Stuart sailed for the Middle East Area of Operations today, where she will relieve HMAS Melbourne on Operation Slipper. This is the fourth time that Stuart has been deployed to the Gulf and the Navy’s twenty-fifth rotation since September 2001.

Embarked with a Ship’s Company of approximately 190 men and women, Stuart was farewelled by the Minister for Defence Science and Personnel and the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, the Hon Mr Warren Snowdon MP, the Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Russ Crane AO, CSM, RAN and the Commander Australian Fleet Rear Admiral Steve Gilmore, AM, CSC, RAN and family and friends.

Trials of middle diesel engine have been started at Ukrainian submarine Zaporizhzhia.

Ukrainian sub Zaporizhzhia kicked off powerplant trials

According to Ukrainian defense ministry, a damage control drill was held prior to the trial; divers inspected underwater part of the sub and then trials of main electric motor started. Right diesel was tested on slow, middle, and full speed modes. 

As was reported by e-crimea, it was planned to commission submarine Zaporizhzhia in May 2011. The sub's mooring trials were conducted in December, sea trials are scheduled in May; after that the sub is expected to be commissioned. 

Since Feb 2003 Zaporizhzhia has been under repairs at 13th Ship Repair Plant in Sevastopol. Previously, Ukrainian defense ministry planned to sell the submarine right after her commission. 

Currently, Zaporizhzhia is the only Ukraine's submarine; in May 2009 the sub started post-repair trials. 

Project 641 diesel electric submarine was built in 1970 and joined Soviet Navy in 1971. In accordance with an agreement separating Soviet Black Sea Fleet, in 1997 the sub joined Ukrainian Navy and was renamed into Zaporizhzhia.

China steps up anti-carrier missile tests: US commander

China is stepping up efforts to deploy a "carrier-killer" missile system, the commander of the US Pacific Command has said in an interview with a Japanese newspaper, published Tuesday.

"The anti-ship ballistic missile system in China has undergone extensive testing," Admiral Robert Willard told the Asahi Shimbun in Honolulu, according to a transcript of the interview on its website.

Willard said China appeared to have achieved "initial operational capability" but it would take "several more years" before fully deploying the system.

Baltic states fault France’s warship deal with Russia

 
Vilnius: Lithuania and Latvia on Monday took NATO ally France to task over a warship deal with Russia, with Vilnius warning that Paris was setting a risky precedent. "I think this is a mistake," Lithuania's Defence Minister Rasa Jukneviciene told reporters. "This is a precedent, when a NATO and EU member sells offensive weaponry to a country whose democracy is not at a level that would make us feel calm." Lithuania and fellow Baltic states Latvia and Estonia -- who were ruled by Moscow until 1991 -- have repeatedly criticised France's plans since Paris began negotiating a warship sale with Russia in 2009.

China Working to Counter US Naval Power in the Pacific

China Working to Counter US Naval Power in the Pacific

A Chinese made surface-to-air missile is displayed near a Ferris wheel in Shanghai, China

China's growing military capabilities are raising concerns in the United States and among its neighbors.

The U.S. Department of Defense says China is developing a ballistic missile that can hit aircraft carriers more than 1,500 kilometers away.

That program is in addition to the country's already extensive missile defense system, which includes more than one thousand missiles pointed at Taiwan, which Beijing considers part of its territory.
In addition, the Pentagon says China is working to build its first aircraft carrier, which would put it in a small group of nations able to project power well into international waters.

France Arms export orders worth 8.16 Billion euros

Paris - France booked 2009 arms export orders worth 8.16 billion euros ($11.31 billion), a 22 percent rise over the previous year, showing a climb out of the lows hit in the middle of the last decade, Defense Ministry spokesman Laurent Teisseire said.

In 2008, France reported orders worth 6.58 billion euros; in 2007, 5.5 billion euros.

A second year of improvement in export performance reversed the "very negative slope" hit in the middle of the last decade when foreign sales hit a low of just over 3 billion euros, he said.With the latest figures, France held its rank as the fourth-largest arms exporter with a 7.2 percent share of the world market, and better reflected the country's industrial capacity, Teisseire told a press conference in a joint presentation with the Foreign Ministry of the government's annual report to parliament on weapon exports.

Navy Days spectacle attracts 25,000 visitors

WITH everything from pirates to skydiving soldiers and a teddy bear driving a jeep, the Navy’s flagship public event of the year attracted more than 25,000 visitors.

Navy Days – this year spread over three days in Portsmouth Naval Base – saw people traveling from the West Midlands, Surrey and Bedfordshire to see the Royal Navy and Royal Marines of the past, present and future.

The £1bn warships HMS Dauntless and Daring proved the biggest draws, but despite the substantial size of Britain’s two newest destroyers, they were dwarfed by aviation training and casualty treatment ship RFA Argus.

The latter, fresh from refit, opened up her hospital to give the public a rare glimpse of the military’s state-of-the-art floating medical facilities.
Also on show were frigates Westminster, Cumberland, and Richmond, fishery protection ship HMS Tyne. minehunter HMS Cattistock and landing craft Aachen.

The Royal Marines’ Fleet Protection Group demonstrated how they could take down pirates by rapid roping from a Lynx, a vintage Hawker Sea Hawk jet demonstrated its graceful lines over Portsmouth Harbour, the Black Cats Lynx display demonstrated they could pirouette and dance through the sky, and the Royal Artillery Black Knights parachute display team demonstrated that they could leap into the water… but not walk on it.

The whole event was brought to a close on Sunday evening by the Band of HM Royal MarinesBeating the Retreat through the dockyard to Victory Gate.

“We were lucky with the weather but we were also pleased that the scale and variety of the whole event proved so popular,” said Robert Bruce, managing director of Portsmouth Historic Dockyard which jointly staged the event with the Naval Base.

“We have had many more visitors than is normal, even on a busy summer’s weekend and we are delighted with the result.”

Naval Base Commander Cdre Rob Thompson added: “Navy Days was a huge success. The mainly dry and warm weather played a part but a big draw was seeing the Royal Navy’s ships and personnel at close hand.

“The event proved an exciting opportunity to show the general public the wide role of the Royal Navy and what its men and women are up to across the globe – from taking to the fight to the Taleban in Afghanistan to countering pirates in the Gulf of Aden.”

Indian Naval History

Active                             August 14, 1947 - Present

Country                             India

Commanders

The Indian Navy operates four Commands. Each Command is headed by a Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief in the rank of Vice Admiral.

People's Liberation Army Navy

Active                                             Since September 1950
Country                                         People's Republic of China
Size                 
250,000 personnel
58 Submarines
77 principal surface combatants
84 Amphibious Warfare Ships
387 Coastal Warfare Vessels
31 Mine Warfare Vessels
370-480 Landing craft
150 Auxiliary/Support vessels

Pakistan Naval History

Active                             August 14, 1947 - Present

Country                          Pakistan

Colors                             Blue & White         

Anniversaries                 Navy Day is on September 8