Internationale ontwikkelingen maritiem

[Harald]

US Navy orders Swiftships to stop work on its landing craft program  ( extra info)

The U.S. Navy has ordered the builder of its Landing Craft Utility 1700 program to stop work and moved to terminate the contract, the shipbuilder Swiftships told Defense News, following years of challenges and disagreements on the program.

The yard has laid off nearly 100 workers related to the LCU program since January and is considering actions to dispute the Navy's termination of the contract, hoping to get back into a settlement process.

Louisiana-based small business Swiftships won the LCU competition in March 2018, with the Navy awarding a contract for $18 million for the detail design and the construction of the first craft. The yard also received follow-on contracts, one in 2019 worth $26.7 million for the next two craft, and another in 2020 worth $50.1 million for four more.

These craft haul Marines as well as their ground equipment and weapons from amphibious ships to the shore and back again. They are the slower but heavier-lift connectors, compared to the Ship to Shore Connectors that travel at higher speeds but carry less weight.

Swiftships' contract called for options to build as many as 32 — the total number of craft needed to replace the Navy's Vietnam-era LCU inventory.

In September 2023, the Navy awarded another LCU contract to Alabama-based Austal USA. The contract called for building three craft for $91.5 million — a significantly higher per-unit cost than Swiftships' contract — and options for another nine.

According to interviews with and documentation provided by Swiftships, Naval Sea Systems Command on Nov. 9 raised the possibility of terminating the program.

NAVSEA wrote that the shipyard was not making progress on LCU production and offered to reach a settlement that would include Swiftships turning over parts and material delivered by its vendors. On Jan. 24, NAVSEA issued a stop-work order on the program, according to documentation provided by Swiftships, and on Feb. 20 the command formally notified the yard of its decision to terminate the contract.

In its notification to Swiftships, NAVSEA wrote the first three craft were supposed to be delivered by June, September and December 2023, but are still incomplete. NAVSEA declined to comment to Defense News.

Years of challenges
Swiftships' chief executive, Shehraze Shah, told Defense News there had long been turbulence in the program. Indeed, he said, the Navy and Swiftships had not agreed on a final design two years into the program, and a third-party design agent was brought in to complete the design but continued to make changes. Shah pointed to these issues as reasons the construction could not move forward on time.

Jeff Leleux, the president of the yard, said the Navy and Swiftships took nearly a year to settle a request for equitable adjustment — needed to realign the cost and schedule associated with the contract due to the delays — during which Swiftships and its vendors went months without payment.

After the new timeline was set, said John Messinger, Swiftships' director of proposals and contracts, the yard realized one of the design changes made by the third-party design agent would require the company to rip out the engine-cooling system and reinstall some piping on the craft, for example.

The executives said they are behind schedule, but contend the Navy has not negotiated with them in good faith amid design and supply chain challenges.

The issue caught the attention of lawmakers far earlier. In September 2022, Republican Reps. Clay Higgins of Louisiana and Neal Dunn of Florida wrote a letter to the secretaries of the Navy and the Department of Homeland Security to discuss their concerns about work being taken from smaller yards and given to Austal USA.

"In addition to delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic," the letter read, "SwiftShips notified Congress regarding unnecessary complications with the Navy's handling of the LCU-1700 contract. These complications include four program manager transitions since the signing of the contract, needless stop work orders, delayed payments to SwiftShips and material vendors, and serious design delays. SwiftShips has continuously struggled with the acquisition of materials due to the Navy ceding its contractual obligation to pay material vendors."

The letter stated the Navy notified Congress in April 2022 of its intention to award Austal the LCU work without formally re-competing the program, even though Austal at that time had not yet opened its steel ship production line. The Alabama yard had previously only constructed aluminum ships, but began establishing a steel construction line following a $50 million Defense Production Act grant in 2020.

https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2024/02/23/us-navy-orders-swiftships-to-stop-work-on-its-landing-craft-program/

[Harald]

De Amerikaanse marine annuleert het bouwprogramma voor amfibische aanvalsschepen



De Amerikaanse marine had gepland dat tot 32 schepen zouden worden aangeschaft in het kader van het Landing Craft Utility (LCU) 1700 kleine landingsvaartuigprogramma, ter vervanging van een gelijk aantal schepen van de klasse 1610 die 50 jaar dienst hebben bereikt of overschreden, omdat ze tot de 1610-klasse behoren. Vietnam-tijdperk.

Deze schepen zijn klein, open, met een topsnelheid van 11 knopen, een waterverplaatsing van ongeveer 200 ton leeg en tot 400 geladen, die werden gebruikt om troepen en voertuigen van de grote landingsvaartuigen naar de kust te vervoeren. Hun lading, die werd bediend door een landingshelling aan de voorkant en toegangsdeuren aan de achterkant, was b.v. 2 tanks, of enkele jeeps en vrachtwagens, of maximaal 350 soldaten met hun uitrusting.

Gisteren ging de Amerikaanse marine echter over tot het annuleren van het contract dat zij had met betrekking tot de nieuwe schepen met de Swiftships- scheepswerf in Louisiana , die de overeenkomstige wedstrijd in 2018 had gewonnen. De scheepswerf had al bijna 90 miljoen dollar ontvangen om de nieuwe landing te ontwerpen en om begonnen met de productie van de eerste drie, maar er waren zoveel meningsverschillen met de Amerikaanse marine en zoveel constante veranderingen dat dit leidde tot een kloof tussen de twee partijen.

Vorig jaar werd echter een tweede contract gegund aan de Austal-scheepswerf in Alabama, voor soortgelijke schepen. De Amerikaanse marine zal het programma daar dus waarschijnlijk voortzetten, nadat ze teleurgesteld was door de oorspronkelijke aannemer.

https://navaldefence.gr/us-navy-cancels-lcu-1700-from-swiftships/

[Master Mack]

Ik denk dat het NLD concept de snelheid om beschikbaar te krijgen en multifunctionaliteit ten goede zal komen.

[Parera]

Wat meer info over de Amerikaanse / Australische plannen rondom deze onbemande schepen. Ook voor NL interessant om deze ontwikkelingen te volgen. Het lijkt er op dat de Amerikanen en Australiërs meer kijken naar een speciaal gebouwd schip met VLS cellen i.p.v. de Nederlandse plannen voor een omgebouwd civiele offshore support ship. Persoonlijk kan ik me wel vinden in deze andere concepten. Voor Nederland zou dit betekenen ontwerpen op Stan Patrol of SIGMA basis.





Australia To Bet Big On Heavily Armed, Optionally Crewed Warships
https://www.twz.com/sea/australia-to-bet-big-on-heavily-armed-optionally-crewed-warships



An Austal graphic showing a number of different tiers of uncrewed surface vessels, including a "High Speed Missile Launch Vessel" concept, along with a Hunter class frigate configured to act as a crewed control ship. Austal

[Parera]

#BREAKING: The council of Ministers has approved a 10-year Maritime Security Agreement with #Turkiye, granting Turkiye full authority over Somalia's territorial waters. Under the terms, #Turkey will oversee maritime security operations, receiving 30% of resources from the Blue Water Economic Zone to support rebuilding the Somali navy and combat illegal fishing. This agreement follows recent developments including #Ethiopia's deal with #Somaliland admin for a port and military base in Lughaya, Awdal region of #Somalia. President @HassanSMohamud will address Parliament today on the significance of this agreement.

https://twitter.com/TheDailySomalia/status/1760225392994963877

[Parera]

Ik vind het ook interessant dat de Ausies een aantal noemen voor deze XLUSV's.

Met een oppervlakte vloot van 3 Destroyers, 6 Tier I fregatten & 11 Tier II fregatten is het aantal van 6 XLUSV's naar mijn mening wat mager. Dit betekend per 3,33 oppervlakte schip 1 XLUSV, ik zou juist de aantallen omgedraaid verwachten.

Overigens zie ik die 11 Tier II fregatten nog wel gereduceerd worden tot 8 of 9 stuks vanwege de toch onverwachte hoge kosten. Daarnaast nog 6 OPV's (i.p.v. 12 gepland), 4/5 SSN's i.pv. 12 SSK's.

Naar mijn idee zou de Australische vloot er compleet anders uit moeten zien:
- 6 DDG's
- 6 FFG's Tier I
- 6 FFG's Tier II
- 6 OPV's (potentieel FFG Tier III)
- 6 SSK/SSN

[Harald]

Australia To Bet Big On Heavily Armed, Optionally Crewed Warships  (na de VS, NL nu ook Australie interesse in schepen ala TRIFIC)

Missile-armed optionally crewed ships and new smaller frigates are just part of a transformational plan for the Australian Navy.

Australian authorities want to acquire a new class of six optionally-crewed ships for the country's Navy as part of a cooperative effort with the U.S. Navy. The plan is for these vessels, each of which will have 32 vertical launch system cells, to provide additional distributed magazine depth at a lower cost to bolster the capabilities of the country's larger surface combatants. This is part of a broader plan to transform and roughly double the size of the Royal Australian Navy's major surface combatant fleets by the 2040s which also includes the acquisition of up to 11 new general-purpose frigates.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's government released an unclassified summary of the new overall plan for the Royal Australian Navy's surface fleets, which is the product of an independent analysis that builds out from the 2023 Defense Strategic Review (DSR), yesterday. In addition to the planned acquisition of the six optionally-crewed ships and between seven and 11 general purpose frigates, the review also calls for trimming back the planned fleet of new Hunter class frigates from nine to six ships, a cut to Arafura class Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) procurement from 12 to six ships, and the acquisition of additional small patrol boats.

A major planned upgrade and life extension program for the Royal Australian Navy's existing Anzac class frigates is also now set to be axed, though some of those ships are still going to receive enhanced maritime strike capabilities.

The inclusion of the six optionally-crewed vessels in the new Royal Australian Navy fleet plan is particularly eye-catching as this is a type of ship not in any way in service in the country, or anywhere else in the world currently.

The "six Large Optionally Crewed Surface Vessels (LOSVs) with 32 Vertical Launching System cells" will provide "enhanced lethality through additional multi-domain strike capacity and directly increasing survivability, lethality and endurance," according to the new review. The "Large Optionally Crewed Surface Vessels (LOSVs) should be acquired through formal engagement with the United States Navy program as a fast follower to enable construction of the LOSVs at either the Henderson shipyard in Western Australia or overseas."

The new surface fleet review does not explicitly name the U.S. Navy program the Royal Australian Navy would hope to piggyback on when it comes to its future optionally-crewed vessels. However, the U.S. Navy is in the midst of a program to develop and acquire a class of Large Uncrewed Surface Vessels (LUSV) with similar sounding capabilities, including between 16 and 32 vertical launch system cells.

.../...

https://www.twz.com/sea/australia-to-bet-big-on-heavily-armed-optionally-crewed-warships

[Huzaar1]

Je opmerking snijdt opzich hout, maar ...
Bevoorrader met kraan moet oorlogsschip voorzien van canisters in de VLS-en.
Het hijsmechanisme van de kraan moet dezelfde bewegingen maken als het oorlogsschip ivm golfbewegingen om de canisters te kunnen plaatsen.

Een windmolen beweegt niet, dus maar 1 bewegend voorwerp. Met 2 schepen heb je 2 bewegingen onafhankelijk van elkaar.

Daardoor wordt het juist complexer.
En dan ook nog dat de canisters met raketten precies pas zijn voor de VLS-en, daardoor nog moeilijker.

Geen probleem om dit voor beide scheoen mee te nemen.

[Harald]

Nederland heeft een arm ontworpen voor onderhoud aan windmolens op zee. De arm wordt totaal gestabiliseerd waarmee je dus  bewegingsloos een brug kun maken naar de molen.

Dit concept moet de weg zijn naar reloading op zee en ik denk dat niemand hier aan heeft gedacht.

Je opmerking snijdt opzich hout, maar ...
Bevoorrader met kraan moet oorlogsschip voorzien van canisters in de VLS-en.
Het hijsmechanisme van de kraan moet dezelfde bewegingen maken als het oorlogsschip ivm golfbewegingen om de canisters te kunnen plaatsen.

Een windmolen beweegt niet, dus maar 1 bewegend voorwerp. Met 2 schepen heb je 2 bewegingen onafhankelijk van elkaar.

Daardoor wordt het juist complexer.
En dan ook nog dat de canisters met raketten precies pas zijn voor de VLS-en, daardoor nog moeilijker.

[Parera]

Nederland heeft een arm ontworpen voor onderhoud aan windmolens op zee. De arm wordt totaal gestabiliseerd waarmee je dus  bewegingsloos een brug kun maken naar de molen.

Dit concept moet de weg zijn naar reloading op zee en ik denk dat niemand hier aan heeft gedacht.

Ik neem aan dat jij het hebt over de Ampelmann kranen /bruggen?

https://www.ampelmann.nl/systems

[Huzaar1]

Nederland heeft een arm ontworpen voor onderhoud aan windmolens op zee. De arm wordt totaal gestabiliseerd waarmee je dus  bewegingsloos een brug kun maken naar de molen.

Dit concept moet de weg zijn naar reloading op zee en ik denk dat niemand hier aan heeft gedacht.

[Harald]

Concepten van een jaar oud rondom het systeem

Ik denk ook idd dat "oude" ideeën en technieken nu weer getest en uitgeprobeerd worden, om tot een nieuw/verbeterd concept te komen welke ze willen gaan toepassen voor de bevoorrading, herladen van de VLS-en op zee. 

[Parera]

US Navy Set To Trial VLS Reloading System At Sea

The US Navy is planning a key proof-of-concept test this year to prove a system designed to enable the reloading of vertical launch missile silos at sea.

...

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2024/02/us-navy-set-to-trial-vls-reloading-system-at-sea/

Concepten van een jaar oud rondom het systeem

[Parera]

Australia To Double Fleet Size With Small Warships

The Royal Australian Navy's (RAN) fleet will grow from 11 surface combatants to 26 under plans announced by Minister for Defence, Richard Marles, today in Sydney.

...

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2024/02/australia-to-double-fleet-size-with-small-warships/

Eerst zien, dan geloven.  De Australische marine staat nou niet zo bekend om haar goed lopende materieel projecten. Wat we wel zien nu bij zowel de Britten als Ausies (en ook de Yanks) is dat de er weer een 2e rangs surface combatant in beeld komt. Deze zijn goedkoper, multirole of zelfs general purpose maar ook met (veel) minder bemanning.

Zoiets zie ik wel voor me bij het vOPV traject voor Nederland, een relatief goedkoop fregat voor algemene taken maar die wel mee kunnen in het hoge geweldsspectrum binnen een taakgroep.

[Harald]

US Navy Set To Trial VLS Reloading System At Sea

The US Navy is planning a key proof-of-concept test this year to prove a system designed to enable the reloading of vertical launch missile silos at sea.

Addressing the WEST 2024 conference in San Diego on 15 February, Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) Carlos Del Toro said he had instructed the navy to perform an at-sea demonstration of VLS reloading with the Transferrable Re-Arming Mechanism (TRAM) equipment in mid-2024. TRAM, which has been developed 'in-house' by the Naval Surface Warfare Center Port Hueneme Division to allow the reloading of vertical launcher cells in conditions up to Sea State 5, uses an articulated crane that can lift and rotate a missile canister vertically, then lower it into the launcher cell.

US Navy ships are currently required to return to port to replenish vertical launch silos once missile loadouts are exhausted or diminished. The MK 41 Vertical Launch System (VLS) was originally designed with a so-called strikedown crane to allow for re-arming at sea, but it proved difficult to use in service and was later removed.

Del Toro told the WEST 2024 conference that the navy urgently needed a means to top up weapons magazines while underway – particularly in the Pacific theater. "The capability to rapidly re-arm our missile shooters at sea using our time-proven—and singular—advantage in connected replenishment will revolutionize surface warfare," he said. "Re-arming our missile combatants at sea will make our fleet more lethal—and more present—sending an unmistakable signal to our allies and deterring our adversaries."

SECNAV added that, following discussions with Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Sam Paparo, plans are now being drawn up to get an at-sea re-arm capability to the fleet. "I've directed an at-sea demonstration no later than this summer for reloading our vertical launch systems at sea using the [TRAM] mechanism developed at Port Hueneme," Del Toro said, adding: "As we move deeper into this critical decade, the near-term deterrent effect of fielding TRAM in the fleet cannot be overstated. "You don't have to look any further than the dozens of missile engagements conducted in the Red Sea by our destroyers to realize that a capability like TRAM is long overdue."

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2024/02/us-navy-set-to-trial-vls-reloading-system-at-sea/