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AUGUST 2018 news

Naval Forces, Defense Industry, Navy Technology, Maritime Security


The U.S. Navy awarded a contract to The Boeing Co. Aug. 30 for the MQ-25A Stingray, the first operational carrier-based unmanned refueling aircraft. This fixed-price-incentive-firm-target contract with a ceiling price of $805.3 million provides for the design, development, fabrication, test, delivery, and support of four MQ-25A unmanned air vehicles, including integration into the carrier air wing for an initial operational capability by 2024.

Continuing the focus on ‘Make in India’ in the defence sector, the L&T Shipyard at Kattupalli launched the third offshore patrol vessel (OPV-3) August 28 at the hands of Mrs. Sunita Nautiyal in the august presence of the Chief Guest, Additional Director General KR Nautiyal, PTM, TM, Coast Guard Commander Eastern Seaboard.

State-of-the-art technologies were used in building the Arctic Trefoil complex on the Franz Josef Land, the Zvezda tele-radio company reports. The air bridge to the Franz Josef Land starts in Arkhangelsk. The vastness of the Arctic Ocean has to be negotiated on the way. The Russian military transport aviation pilots, carrying cargo and passengers, have mastered this route.

F-35C Lightning II aircraft from Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 125 are conducting their Operational Test-1 (OT-1) with Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 7 and Carrier Strike Group 12 aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72). OT-1 evaluates the full spectrum of the F-35C’s suitability for operation within a carrier air wing and mission effectiveness to the maximum extent possible.

The People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN or Chinese Navy) commissioned its 28th Type 054A Frigate (Jiangkai II-class) 'Xianning' (咸宁 with hull number 500). The Commissioning ceremony took place on August 28, 2018 at (what seems to be) Yulin Naval Base located in the Yalong Bay (city of Sanya) on Hainan island. The frigate joined the PLAN South Sea Fleet.

The Black Sea Fleet’s Project 11356 guided missiles frigates Admiral Grigorovich (hull number 494) and Admiral Essen (hull number 490) have made a scheduled passage from Sevastopol to the Mediterranean Sea, the Southern Military District press-service reports.

On 22 August, New Zealand's Minister of Defence Ron Mark announced the purchase of the 85-metre Edda Fonn, a 15-year-old offshore support vessel from Norwegian firm Østensjø Rederi AS, as the replacement for decommissioned dive tender HMNZS Manawanui and hydrographic survey ship HMNZS Resolution.

China's first domestically built aircraft carrier embarked on its second sea trial on Monday from its shipyard in Dalian, Liaoning province. Videos and images published by Chinese ship spotters showed that the giant ship, which has yet to be officially named but is widely believed to bear the name 'Shandong', left the port of Dalian Shipbuilding Industry, its builder, assisted by several tugboats.

Following the program of military-technical cooperation with India, Technodinamika holding company (part of Rostec State Corporation) has begun executing installation supervision of marine hydraulic systems on the Indian Navy aircraft carrier Vikramaditya. This project is another step towards the development of military-technical cooperation between India and Russia.

BAE Systems was awarded a $146.3 million contract from the U.S. Navy to modernize the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg (CG 64). The Gettysburg will undergo about 15 months of work at the company’s shipyard in Norfolk, Virginia, the ship’s homeport. The contract includes options that, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value to $151.3 million.

Based on ship spotters images from China, it appears that the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN or Chinese Navy) first Type 055 Destroyer 'Nanchang' (南昌, with hull number 101), sailed out for its first sea trials on 24 August, 2018. The vessel (first of the Renhai-class cruiser, its NATO designation and classification) was built at Jiangnan Changxing Shipbuilding and Heavy Industry Corporation (Jiangnan-Changxing) in Shanghai (a member of China State Shipbuilding Corporation CSSC).

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