The F/A-18 Is The Fighter Jet Of Choice For Militaries Around The World – Business Insider.
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Category Archives: Navy
The Most Spectacular Sights From The USS Wasp As It Sailed To Fleet Week
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The trip from Norfolk to New York City aboard the USS Waspwas something you have to see to believe, so it’s a good thing I took a lot of pictures.
From Sunday night to Wednesday afternoon a small group of visitors were given free reign to wander the ship and talk to the sailors and Marines aboard.
I went from the engine room to the bridge talking to people and seeing what I could find. This set of photos are more or less what I saw from on the flight deck alone.
The flight deck is where the aircraft come and go, and the ground crew choreograph an elaborate ritual of time tested maneuvers.
It was quite a sight, and these photos would not have been possible without some serious help, and mighty patience, from the crew.
I will follow this up with a day in the life of a sailor and a tour of ship life from stem to stern.
My first day aboard the Wasp I did not have the cranial unit with hearing protection or the float vest required to be on the actual flight deck
So while I went deep into the ship, I also spent some time up here where it was pretty quiet
Even then, with a bit of patience, there were things to see
But on my second day I found the gear I needed to get right on the flight deck where the aircraft come and go
The cranial unit is the helmet, goggles, and ear protection — the float vest inflates and sends a distress signal once it gets wet — once I had this stuff on all I had to do was stay out of the way
And wait on the weather to clear so these choppers could lift off and fetch the press from NYC that did not want to ride up from Norfolk
So while we moved through the fog banks I asked to come aboard the choppers
The crew were cool and didn’t mind the flash popping off behind them too much
The floors were coated with a layer of grease that made it difficult to walk
The V-22 Osprey wasn’t going anywhere, but I made my way up and asked to look inside while waiting for clear skies
And after a bit of a struggle getting the hatch open Sgt. Whatley invited me aboard
The Osprey has had its share of problems, but Whatley had been the mechanic on this bird for years and all he said was the transition from vertical to horizontal flight was something he couldn’t even describe
The large cargo door was open at the rear and proved far less slick than the Sea Stallion’s
Next to the Osprey these emergency firefighters huddled down against the wind and damp
The guys next to the attack helicopter were also waiting out the weather like everyone else
And they let me climb in the front
And the back of the chopper — that heads up display shows the most vital readings from the gauges below so the pilot doesn’t have to look down
From there I made my way to the new UH-60S — the newest Black Hawk — this one is only two years old
And has the best mechanic assigned to its upkeep — he took me up top and couldn’t keep from explaining all the things he loved most about its design and performance
And then just like that the weather broke and I scrambled over to watch these guys pull the blocks and chains off the Sea Stallion
Seconds before it took off…The prop wash and the turbine wind from this Sea Stallion were so powerful I had to kneel down and lean in to take this shot and the camera was bouncing up and down in front of me
After the choppers were secure the Harrier ‘Jump Jet’ came screeching in from the distance and hovered over the deck
The blast from this was much stronger than from the Sea Stallion and just after I shot this I stepped behind a crane to get out of the way
The Harrier was loud and spectacular and even the flight crew seemed more engaged than they were with the helicopters
With the sun coming down the whole scene was pretty picturesque
Here is the interior of the Harrier seen the following day
Once the aircraft were secure, the USS Wasp needed to bring on fuel and supplies so this USNS ship met up with us
And just as it did the weather turned again and the decision came down to receive only fuel — 400,000 gallons of it over three hours
But even that proved tricky
Tricky, but not impossible and the Wasp sailors did all they needed to make it happen — enough for another photo essay
And once we were refueled, we disengaged and this destroyer pulled up alongside the tanker in the fog to receive its share of fuel
It was a long day for everyone and when it was over the Marines and Sailors enjoyed a USO show and Men In Black 3 …
Before heading off to their sleeping quarters
The following day it was back on the flight deck and standing at parade rest for hours as the ship slowly crawled in to New York harbor
The Blue Angels flew by
Leaving a quivering silence and contrails in their wake
Moments later the ship sailed past the Statue of Liberty as this Marine stood silently by and watched
As we approached Ground Zero and the Freedom Tower — it became totally silent on deck with cheering and whistles coming from crowds ashore — unforgettable
And then the entire crew snapped a salute as we approached the USS Intrepid
And more cheers rolled in from the shore
And then it was a slow crawl as the ship slipped into port and the troops got ready to hit NYC
We Were Blown Away By What We Saw On One Of America’s Aging Destroyers
 Robert Johnson — Business Insider |
Like so much of America, the Navy’s Arleigh Burke destroyers are at retirement age but still facing another couple decades of hard work and making do.
The responsibility for doubling the life expectancy of these saltwater steel ships from 20 to 40 years, while achieving every mission, falls to many people. But in the end — it falls to the crew.
When I got the call to join the USS Barry for a ride off the Atlantic seaboard last week, I expected to meet a staff burdened by duty and unhappy with how the country is dumping money into new technology, on trouble-ridden ships.
Instead I met a crew of sailors who worked 12-to 16 hour days without complaint.
I’ve never seen a group of people work so hard to make the most of what they had. The Barry seemed to belong to them and come what may, they would not fail her.
I’m an Army veteran, not a sailor, but I’ll be damned if by the time we pulled back into port, I didn’t have a lot more respect for the Navy.
The Navy picked me up at 5:00 a.m. from a Norfolk motel and delivered us to a water taxi bound for the USS Barry by 7:00
After an hour of heaving seas and whipping saltwater spray, the Barry came into sight idling off the Virginia seaboard
It was here that some visiting physicists and I realized how we’d be getting aboard
The climb was not difficult, but it required upper body strength
Once aboard, sleeping assignments were provided — the top right bunk was mine. Dozens of enlisted sailors sleep down here, and the nights were filled with cellphone alarms.
We’d arrived far too late for breakfast in the mess hall. This is the only space on the ship where hats must be removed because during conflict it serves as a medical ward with bodies laid on the tables. Removing caps shows respect for the dead.
The first sailor I talked to works in the sonar control room listening for submarines. I asked him if he hears whales like in “The Hunt For Red October” and he laughed, saying yes, “But I can’t tell you anything about them aside from their size.”
From the sonar room I head to see the ship’s Engineering Officer who oversees the Barry’s full array of power systems. Until just this year that panel of monitors to his right was a bank of dials, knobs, and buttons — one of the many system upgrades as the vessel’s life is extended.
In Engineering I meet Chief Francis who is transferring from the enlisted ranks to Warrant Officer. He joined the Navy 18 years ago at 17 and says the only thing he doesn’t love about serving is being away from his family.
Chief Francis says he’ll miss the camaraderie and fraternal environment of the Chief’s Mess where senior NCOs share meals, advice, and determination
After leaving the Chief’s Mess I met Petty Officer 1st Class Carr who’s in the middle of an intense six week program leading up to the promotion of Chief. She enlisted in the Navy at 16 with her father’s permission. The wooden box is a “Vessel” carried by all potential Chiefs.
Time for lunch, I stop by the Officer’s Mess and find the white cards are the menu and officers circle what they want to eat, hand it to a steward and have it delivered
The Captain here in his chair on the bridge doesn’t often make it to meals — doesn’t often make it to bed either — catching maybe four or five hours of sleep a night
The Captain is waiting for the anchor test to conclude. At several thousand pounds the anchor is attached to the ship by a chain with links weighing almost 40 pounds apiece and here it is being snapped from a free-fall into hundreds of feet of water.
Once the anchor is back in the hold, the crew tests the CIWS Gatling gun — the last line of defense against incoming threats — the CIWS can shoot 4,500 rounds per minute
It’s so loud and piercing that despite the fact I’m expecting each burst, I flinch every time it fires and have to draw the camera back to the barrel
These are the 20mm rounds from the CIWS coming down in the water
Once the CIWS quiets down, the weapons officer prepares the 20mm cannon for testing — first it is fired remotely with a joystick and camera here on the bridge
Then one of the weapons crew grabs a helmet and a flak jacket before firing it off manually down on deck — even behind him I had to wear a vest as well
After returning the flak jacket to the weapons Chief — I wait outside the bridge for the 5-inch gun test and notice small signs of wear on the 20-year-old ship
The Arleigh Burke destroyers were meant to see 20 years of service, but their commitment will likely double and maintenance is becoming a larger part of shipboard service
When the 5-inch gun finally lets loose, the explosion is impressive and the tracking system lays down rounds on both sides of the vessel
With several different types of rounds, the 5-inch is as versatile as it is effective — here are the timed rounds detonating in the distance
With so many complex systems working together the 5-inch can be temperamental — below deck I see the Barry’s crew has named their 5-inch, Lucille
While the 5-inch packs quite a punch — what makes it so lethal lies behind this door in the Combat Information Center (CIC)— I was allowed in but not permitted to take pictures
However, I found some online, and this is precisely how one wall of the CIC looked on the USS Barry
And this is pretty much how the sonar anti-submarine stations looked
When weapons firing concluded, the ship’s flag was changed and the crew settled in for an unusual ride
It’s tough to convey speed in a still photo, but this is the wake behind the Barry for the majority of the trip
But as part of the sea trials, the destroyer was driven to her top speed of almost 38 mph and this is what the wake looked like then
And when the top speed was reached the Captain called for “hard rudder” — first one way
Then another
For a still day the chop brought about by the ship was immense — and this blast caught me far above the waterline outside the bridge
And the final test of the day threw the ship in reverse — this is the front of the ship trailing a wake as it worked its way backward
Once the onboard tests concluded for the day, crew got busy cleaning the weapons — the red jacketed rounds are live but had not been fired
For an idea of size I pulled this 20mm casing and placed it beside a quarter
The belts of rounds are separated off and placed in ammunition cans
And promptly “Deep-Sixed” — tossed into the ocean
After watching the weapons team remove the barrel to the 20mm gun, I took a walk around deck
And find the racks that hold missiles during deployment
They’re right next to the missile launching system here, that delivered 55 Tomahawk missiles into Libya last year
With the day wearing on I head back inside the ship and am reminded of what the crew knows at all times: this vessel is designed to go to war. In a chemical/biological/radiological (CBR) environment, not even the toilet can be used.
Even in this main passageway a bright yellow sticker reminds crew that the ship could go down at any point
But none of the Barry’s sailors need to be reminded; almost all of them pull watch, looking for contact on the horizon and for fellow sailors who have fallen into the water
There are not many places to go to wind down, but out here during a break in routine sailors meet to grab a smoke
After sundown enlisted crew did get the chance to come together here in the mess for an “ice-cream social.” “The Avengers” was playing on a couple of small TVs to the right.
After some ice-cream, I head back on deck to wait for a sono-buoy/anti-sub exercise. But after three hours of waiting, I nodded off and realized it was time for bed.
Back inside the air lock, I see that many lights are red now for security and to preserve night vision
So before heading back into the sleeping quarters I grab the flashlight I brought for just such an occasion
Iran’s navy aims to sail off US shores soon
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Jan. 1, 2012: In this image made available by the Iranian Students News Agency, an Iranian navy vessel launches a missile during a drill at the sea of Oman. (AP)
The head of Iran‘s navy says the country aims to put its warships in international waters off the U.S. coast “in the next few years.”
The comments Tuesday from Admiral Habibollah Sayyari on state TV are part of Iran’s response to Washington’s beefed up naval presence in the Persian Gulf.
The U.S. Navy’s 5th fleet is based in Bahrain — across the gulf from Iran — and the U.S. plans maritime war games later this month.
Iran has made similar claims in the past that its ships could soon sail into international waters off the U.S. coast.
Tehran and Washington have been in odd over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions that the West suspects it has aimed at weapon. Iran denies the charge.
These Ships Have Russia Considering A Missile Strike Against Europe
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The Navy is deploying four Guided Missile destroyers to Rota, Spainto serve as an integral part of the European Defense Shield.
The shield has been riling up Russia since it was announced, and in May the Kremlin came out and said it was not ruling out a first strike against the NATO shield in Europe.
Not long after the strike was threatened a story came out saying that Obama would release classified data on the shield to the Russians in an effort to calm them down.
No word on that yet, but then again, we know Obama wants to wait until after the election to assuage Russian concerns.
In the meantime, we took a look at the four destroyers headed over to Spain — the USS Ross, USS Porter, USS Carney and the USS Cook that riled the Russian’s up in the first place.
The USS Ross was commissioned in 1997 and has almost 300 crew
The Ross is 505 feet long and weighs around 9,000 tons full
In 2009 the Missile Defense Agency announced that the Ross would be upgraded to hold the advanced Standard Missile-3
In addition to the missiles that the ship carries, the Carney also has a landing pad for an anti-submarine helicopter
The Ross — like the 62 other ships in the Arleigh Burk class of destroyers — cost around $1.8 billion
This is the USS Carney, the oldest of the ships being sent to Spain
Seen from the mast here, the Carney was commissioned in 1996
One USS Carney tradition is the playing of National Anthem on guitar after each underway replenishment
In the back here, the Carney launches a coordinated volley of vertically-launched missiles
The ship also has a five inch gun which poses a massive threat to nearby enemies
The USS Cook, seen here receiving fuel on-the-go, was commissioned in 1998
The ship was one of the first to come to the aid of USS Cole — another Arleigh Burk-class destroyer — after it was damaged in a suicide attack by al Qaeda operatives in 2000
Here, the Cook fires a torpedo as part of an exercise
The ship is seen here firing Tomahawk missiles into Iraq in April, 2003
The ship was part of the USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group
The USS Porter in the foreground — is the youngest ship of the four being sent to Spain and was commissioned in 1999
an SA330 Puma lands on the Porter’s helipad for personnel transfer
In 2007 the Porter sank two pirate boats off the coast of Somalia that were attacking an oil tanker
The ship carries 90 Tomahawk missile, which can be launched from the vertical launch system
On August 12, 2012 the Porter collided with a Japanese Oil Tanker near the Strait of Hormuz and will be in Dubai for repairs for the time being
That’s what will be protecting Europe.
Stealthy, Tiny, Deadly, Global: The Drone Revolution’s Next Phase
Wired
Today’s unmanned robotic planes only seemadvanced. A decade after the CIA and the Air Force tucked a Hellfire missile under the wing of aPredator drone, much hasn’t actually changed: pilots in air-conditioned boxes remotely control much of the armed drone fleet; the robo-planes are easy for an enemy to spot; the weapons they fire weigh about the same; as much as they love the skies, they take refuge on dry land; and they’re built around traditional airframes like planes and helicopters. Yawn.
All this is starting to change. Drones are moving out to sea — above it and below it. They’re growing increasingly autonomous, no longer reliant on a pilot with a joystick staring at video feeds from theircameras. They’re getting stealthier; the payloads they carry are changing; and they’re going global. They’re pushing humans out of the gondolas of blimps. And the laboratories of the drones of the future aren’t only owned by American defense contractors, they’re in Israel and China and elsewhere, too.
Of course, there are other advancements as well: new model drones fly longer and wield better cameras. But those are routine improvements, like your smartphone rolling out upgrades to its operating system. Here’s a look at the more ambitious ways drones are getting re-imagined.
Northrop Grumman X-47B
The U.S. Navy is at the forefront of drone development. Its most ambitious project is to land a robotic plane on an aircraft carrier with minimal human involvement. It’s among aviation’s hardest maneuvers, one that no current drone on Planet Earth can execute. Next year, the Navy will program its X-47B — a batwing-shaped robot — to land on the deck of the U.S.S. George Washington off the coast of Maryland to see if it can be done. All with a click of a mouse.
If the X-47B can pull this off, it’ll be a sea change (pardon the pun). The X-47B is a demonstration model, not the Navy’s carrier-based drone of the future. By 2018, the Navy hopes, a successful X-47B will yield to the UCLASS program, for Unmanned Carrier Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike System. The name is actually pretty descriptive: If it works as planned — again, a big if — the Navy will have robotic eyes in the sky way out into blue waters, capable of spying on suspicious maritime behavior and attacking targets they spot. The effort ranks as one of the most significant in the history of drones.
Already, the X47B can refuel in mid-air, giving it a long, long seaborne flight time. Oh, and it looks like an alien spaceship. No big deal.
Photo: Jared Soares/Wired.com
Aero Vironment’s Switchblade
For all the upgrades drones are set to receive, U.S. military officials swear there’s one unyielding constant: A human being, inside a chain of command, will always make the decision to use a drone’s lethal force. The Switchblade doesn’t exactly violate that rule. But it pushes drone warfare closer to the boundary.
Already heading to Afghanistan for commando usage, the tiny Switchblade folds up into a backpack; gets fired through a tube; and a soldier using a laptop sends it on a one-way mission onto a target. Count the innovations there: Most tiny drones are spies instead of killers; and the Switchblade doesn’t fire a missile, itis the missile. But there’s a third, and more profound, change. The drone can be pre-programmed to hit a set of coordinates, making it an “autonomous platform” that manufacturer AeroVironment likes to boast about. True, a human being still sets those coordinates. But the small Switchblade moves drone warfare a step closer to an era when the robots decide who lives and who dies.
Photo: AeroVironment
Long-Endurance Multi-Intelligence Vehicle
Another example of how the drones of the future won’t necessarily be airplanes or helicopters. The U.S. Army is working on a spy blimp the size of a football field. Pilot not necessarily included.
Much of the hype around Northrop Grumman’s Long-Endurance Multi-Intelligence Vehicle, or LEMV, concerns the novelty of a giant blimp capable of hauling a heretofore unimaginable bank of cameras in its gondola. Less attention has gone to the mega-blimp’s intended ability to flip into autonomous mode. Which makes sense, when considering the airship’s other capabilities: If it works correctly, it should be able to stay aloft for weeks at a time. Does it really make sense to keep a human being in the lighter-than-air ship, complete with all the physiological frailties that would necessitate dropping the blimp down onto the ground? The Army is starting to consider those questions: Earlier this month, it brought the blimp over New Jersey for its first test flight; and next year it’s supposed to deploy to Afghanistan.
Image: Northrop Grumman
Raytheon’s Small Tactical Munition
Yes, it’s true: The Small Tactical Munition is not a drone. But it still has important implications for drone warfare.
The weapon of choice for the U.S. drone arsenal is the Hellfire missile. The Hellfires, unleashed on countless terrorism suspects over the last decade, weigh about 100 pounds. That’s a problem: It cuts against the trend of miniaturization that is all the rage in drone circles. Enter the Small Tactical Munition: a bomb weighing just 13 pounds designed to turn the Army’s 12-pound Shadow spy drone into a killer. Raytheon has been developing the Small Tactical Munition for years, but now thinks the bomb could beready to field within months. Not much good for a drone that’s supposed to, say, look like a hummingbird. But it’s probably just the first in mini-weapons for drones.
Photo: Raytheon
Israel Aerospace Industries’ Robo-Butterfly
It makes sense that Israel would be on the bleeding edge of drone technology. Not only are its spy apparatus and tech sectors among the world’s elite, Israel has a long, long history with unmanned aircraft. The Israel Defense Forces’ first drone unit formed in 1971, to aid with reconnaissance. Now it’s joining theU.S. military in developing tiny, tiny drones that look like bugs — with one huge difference.
In May, Israel Hayom reported on the Butterfly, a robot weighing a mere 20 grams and designed to look like the eponymous insect, except packed with listening devices and tiny video cameras. Not altogether dissimilar from the U.S. Air Force‘s “micro-aviary” of insect- and bird-like unmanned aircraft. But Israel Aerospace Industries’ mini-drone adds something unexpected: a helmet that gives an operator Butterfly vision. “When you put this on you are actually inside the butterfly’s cockpit,” enthused the company’s mini-robotics chief Dubi Binyamini. “You see what the butterfly sees. You can fly at any altitude and distance and see everything in real time.” In the States, drone operators merely watch their robotic aircraft’s video feed, with no attempt at anything approaching a sensory meld.
Photo: Israelhayom.co.il
Dark Sword
If you had to guess what this Chinese drone’s specialty is — and you do, because China’s government has cloaked it in secrecy — it’s probably stealth. The elongated, sharp angles of the Dark Sword are reminiscent of a stretched-out mashup of a Stealth Bomber and a Joint Strike Fighter. Designs for Dark Sword have been floating around for years, and Flight International has dubbed it an “amalgam of concepts” — to include, potentially, being a rare unmanned dogfighter.
China isn’t new to drones. It’s got the the Soaring Dragon, a surveillance drone that looks eerily reminiscent of a U.S. Air Force Global Hawk. But a stealthy drone is a next step up for China’s unmanned capabilities. The Dark Sword may not be the only Chinese stealth drone, either. Late in 2011, pictures of the so-called Wind Blade — a stealthy, blended-wing design drone — started surfacing on the internet.
Photo: Pakistan Defence Forum
Boeing’s Phantom Ray
This Boeing stealth drone has survived a near-death experience. Like its rival the X-47B, it’s a demonstrator craft; and like the X-47B, its batwing shape indicates that it’s designed to evade radar. Unlike the X-47B, however, the U.S. military got cold feet: In 2006, it told Boeing that it wasn’t interested in paying for the project anymore. Rather than junk Phantom Ray, Boeing opted to fund the project itself, and last April, the Phantom Ray took off on its maiden flight in St. Louis. And since the Navy hasn’t picked a design for the UCLASS project that comes after the X-47B, it’s possible that the Phantom Ray will eventually overtake its robotic adversary.
Photo: Boeing
General Atomics’ Sea Avenger
Take one part Predator and one part UCLASS and you’ve got the Sea Avenger. In short, the project is a next-gen Predator that can land on an aircraft carrier. Or so manufacturer General Atomics desires.
The Avenger is the third phase of the iconic armed Predator drone, following the Reaper. In 2010, the Air Force had reached the end of its intended purchases of Preds and moved toward buying Avengers. And for good reason: Avengers are way, way faster, capable of going beyond 400 knots, making it three times as fast as a Pred and 50 percent faster than a Reaper. The sleeker design also turns the drone stealthy.
So General Atomics tweaked its Avenger design to yield the Sea Avenger. (Hold your Sub-Mariner jokes.) The idea is to add the “flexibility” to accommodate “carrier suitable landing gear, tail hook, drag devices, and other provisions for carrier operations.” Translated from the contractor-ese, that means General Atomics is hoping that when X-47B gives way to UCLASS, the Navy will go with the iconic brand in the killer-drone field.
Image: General Atomics
BAE Systems’ Taranis
Stealth drones aren’t only for the Americans and the Chinese. BAE Systems is working on Europe’s first stealth robo-killer, the Taranis. Only the drone hasn’t had a smooth upward ascent.
Named for the Celtic thunder god, BAE first rolled out the Taranis in 2010, complete with a Hollywood-style presentation. Yet trial flights, originally scheduled for last year, have been pushed back repeatedly, and now the hope is to get the Taranis aloft in 2013. There isn’t yet much to show for the £143 million — around $220 million — spent developing the prototype, aside from the occasional mistaken UFO sighting. But if European budgetary austerity doesn’t ground the Taranis before it leaves the tarmac, the Taranis’ ability to evade radar could help wean allied militaries off their dependency on American airpower.
Photo: BAE Systems
Mikoyan Skat
Russia isn’t so great with drones. Sure, it’s buying spy robots from Israel, but its own fleet of homebrewed armed drones won’t be ready for another 20 years. That leaves the Russian government with smaller drones — the better to spy on street protests — and not a whole lot besides. Except for the Skat.
Translating to “Manta Ray,” the Skat is a stealthy drone that can carry up to two tons of weapons in its bays, and fly at nearly 500 miles per hour at a low altitude. Mockups and displays of the Skat have been on display for at least five years, but the drone remains in development. It might not take 20 years to field, but it highlights how far the once-mighty Russians have to go to capitalize on the drone revolution.
Photo: Wikimedia
DRDO Rustom 1
Rising global power India doesn’t intend to get left out of the drone revolution. After buying Israeli models for years, its Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) is starting to homebrew its own. Three different models of killer flying ‘bots are in the works: the Rustom 1, the Rustom H and the Rustom 2. (The Rustom 1 had its maiden flight in 2009; the other two are still being developed.) These drones clearly don’t have the capabilities of the American next-gens — they’re slower, not autonomous, and won’t be stealthy. And they wear their influences on their sleeves: The most ambitious model, the Rustom H, seems like a knock-off of the iconic Predator. Still, the arrival of India’s drone sector helps underscore how drone tech has cemented itself as a status symbol for rising powers.
U.S. Deploys Robot Subs in the Gulf
The United States has deployed a fleet of robot subs in the Gulf amid concerns that Iran will block the Strait of Hormuz.
The United States has deployed a fleet of robot subs in the Gulf to prevent Iran from blocking the strategic Strait of Hormuz with mines in the event of a crisis, officials said Thursday.
A Navy official told AFP that the “SeaFox” drone “has been deployed in the Fifth fleet AOR,” which includes the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea.
The undersea drone is about four feetlong and equipped with a camera and sonar. It is guided by a cable from a ship.
AFP reported that German manufacturer Atlas Electronik says the drone has a range of about 3,200 feet and carries an explosive to destroy mines.
“SeaFox devices will be employed from MCMs,” or mine counter-measure ships, in the Persian Gulf, the Navy official told AFP.
Fears of a closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world’straded oil passes, intensified earlier this year after Iran threatened to close it if Western governments kept up efforts to rein in Tehran’s controversial nuclear program by choking off its oil exports.
In response, the U.S. military has been bolstering its presence in the region. It sent four mine sweeper ships in early June, joining four other mine sweeping vessels already in the region, according to the Fifth Fleet.
The Navy also has MH-53 Sea Stallion helicopters and USS Ponce, an old amphibious warship that has been converted into a “floating base,” stationed in Bahrain, home to the Fifth Fleet headquarters.
Iran has an arsenal of about 2,000 sea mines that can be laid by any one of its dozen submarines or its many speedboats.
Iran has claimed it has the capability to destroy U.S. bases “within minutes.”
U.S. “bases are all in range of our missiles, and the occupied lands [Israel] are also good targets for us,” according to Revolutionary Guard commander Amir Ali Hajizadeh.
The 20 Aircraft Carriers Serving On The High Seas Today
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Despite aircraft carriers immense cost, the Navy believes there is no replacing a well-armed, aircraft equipped, sovereign piece of U.S. territory, powered by dual nuclear reactors.
Former Defense Secretary William Cohen was fond of saying that without “flattops” the U.S. has “less of a voice, less of an influence.”
Perhaps, but there is another school of thought that questions the wisdom of floating something that expensive within range of an attack that may send it to the bottom of the sea.
Despite which group you fall into, carriers are likely here to stay as the U.S. works to replace its aging fleet with the new Ford class carriers and China builds up a fleet of its own. We thought we’d take a look at the carriers each country had in service today.
The NAe São Paulo was bought by Brazil for $12 million from France in 2000
Length: 869 ft
Commissioned: 2000
Carries: 39 aircraft including A-4 Skyhawks and S-70B Seahawk helicopters
Crew: 1,920 seamen
Propulsion System: 6 boilers, 4 steam turbines, 2 propellers
History: For an absolute bargain price of $12 million, for a naval flagship, the São Paulo was bought by Brazil to upgrade their ailing fleet.
Originally launched in 1959 by France as the Foch, she served in a number of NATO efforts all around the world.
Since the transfer to Brazil, she underwent an upgrade from 2005 to 2010 and has been stocked with S-70B Seahawk helicopters and A-4 Skyhawks, the latter bought from Kuwait.
The INS Viraat was Britain’s flagship in the Falklands War before being sold to India
Length: 743 ft
Commissioned: 1987
Carries: Up to 30 aircraft, including the Sea Harrier and the Sea King
Crew: Maximum 2,100 crew. Typically 1,207 sailors and 143 airmen
Propulsion System: 4 boilers, 2 steam turbines
History: India purchased the HMS Hermes from England in 1986, renaming it the INS Viraat after a series of upgrades and modifications. The Viraat has been refitted to last for another 20 years while India builds its own aircraft carriers.
As the Hermes, the ship was the Royal Navy Flagship during the 1982 Falklands war
The Cavour is one of Italy’s two aircraft carriers and will host the F-35 JSF
Length: 735 ft
Commissioned: 2008
Carries: 20-30 aircraft, including the Harrier combat jet.
Crew: 451 crew, 203 airmen, 140 command staff and 325 Marines.
Propulsion System: 2 gas turbines, 6 diesel generators
History: Launched in 2004, the Cavour’s first mission was an aid mission to Haiti after the 2010 earthquake.
The Cavour will be eventually be stocked with the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter, replacing the aging Harriers. It has room for ten F-35Bs in the hanger and six on the deck.
The F-35B is the version of the jet with a short takeoff and vertical landing capabilities.
The Giuseppe Garibaldi was Italy’s flagship for decades, serving in Kosovo, Libya, and Afghanistan
Length: 591 ft
Commissioned: 1985
Carries: Harrier II fighters, AgustaWestland EH101 helicopters
Crew: 630 crew, 100 airmen, 100 command
Propulsion System: 4 gas turbines, 6 diesel generators
History: Italy’s first aircraft carrier, the Garibaldi was commissioned in 1985. She has a long service history, including combat air operations off Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Libya.
Harrier fighters from the Garibaldi carried out 30 sorties over the Balkans in 1999. Planes from the Garibaldi carried out 288 missions in the first year of the War in Afghanistan. During the NATO Libya mission, planes from the Garibaldi dropped 160 guided bombs during 1221 flight hours.
The Admiral Kuznetsov is Russia’s sole aircraft carrier
Length: 1,005 ft
Commissioned: 1991
Carries: 41-53 aircraft. 14 Su-33 fighters, 28 MiG-29K fighters (upcoming), 15 Ka-27 helicopters.
Crew: 1,960 sailors, 626 airmen, 46 command.
Propulsion System: Steam turbines. 8 boilers, 2 turbines, 9 turbogenerators, 6 diesel generators, 4 propellers.
History: While the full name — Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov — is a bit of a mouthful, this ship is one of the largest carriers and the flagship of the Russian Navy.
Originally launched in 1985, the Kuznetsov wasn’t fully operational until 1995 after the fall of the Soviet Union. It has never fought in combat, but has engaged in frequent exercises.
Her sister ship, the Varyag, was never commissioned and sold to China as a hulk by Ukraine.
The Príncipe de Asturias is Spain’s only Aircraft Carrier
Length: 643 ft
Commissioned: 1988
Carries: 29 aircraft
Crew: 1,920 seamen
Propulsion System: 2 gas turbines
History: The Príncipe de Asturias is the flagship of the Spanish Navy. Launched in 1982, the ship is armed with 12 20mm guns, 29 aircraft, and Raytheon’s 3D air-search radar. It has served in peace support operations in the Adriatic.
Rumors circulated in May that Spain would put the ship into reserve due to national financial pressures, but it has yet to do so.
The HTMS Chakri Naruebet is basically a glorified Royal Yacht
Length: 600 ft
Commissioned: 1997
Carries: 4 to 6 S-70B Seahawk helicopters, up to 675 soldiers
Crew: 393 sailors, 62 officers, 146 airmen
Propulsion System: 2 gas turbines, 2 diesel engines
History: The Chakri Naruebet is Thailand’s only aircraft carrier and was built in Spain. The ship has spent most of its life in dock, but has been deployed on several disaster relief missions in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and floods in 2010 and 2011.
Other than a single training day per month, the ship is used for the transportation of the Royal Family of Thailand, its main consistent use.
The HMS Illustrious is the UK’s only carrier, for now
Length: 686 ft
Commissioned: 1982
Carries: Until 2011, 12 Harrier II Fighter Jets and 10 Sea King ASaC helicopters
Crew: 685 sailors, 366 airmen
Propulsion System: 4 gas turbines, 8 diesel generators
History: Illustrious, affectionately called “Lusty” by those serving on her, entered service just after the end of the Falklands War in 1982, and served there as an air station in the postwar years.
She was deployed to Bosnia and Iraq in the 1990s, but was undergoing an extensive re-fit during the initial phases of the Iraq War.
She’ll be replaced once the HMS Queen Elizabeth is commissioned in 2016 .
France’s flagship — The Charles de Gaulle — is the only non-American nuclear powered carrier
Length: 858 ft
Commissioned: 2001
Carries: 20-40 aircraft, up to 800 commandos, 500 rounds of ammunition
Crew: 1,350 sailors, 500 airmen
Propulsion System: Two pressurized water nuclear reactors
History: The Charles de Gaulle is a nuclear powered aircraft carrier commissioned in May 2001.
While originally plagued with production issues — there was a recession at the beginning of construction, allegations of British spying in the middle, and technical issues toward the end — the carrier was deployed to the Indian Ocean during Operation Enduring Freedom and the initial liberation of Afghanistan.
The de Gaulle carried out air strikes against believed al Qaeda targets and conducted combat air-patrols with the U.S. Navy off the coast of Pakistan.
After a series of upgrades, the de Gaulle enforced the United Nations no-fly zone over Libya in 2011. The fleet flew 1,350 sorties during that war.
The USS Enterprise watched the Cuban Missile Crisis from the front lines
Length: 1,123 ft
Commissioned: 1961
Carries: Up to 90 aircraft
Crew: Maximum 5,828 crew. 2,700 crew, 150 Chiefs, 150 Officers, 250 pilots, 1,550 air support personnel
Propulsion System: 8 Westinghouse A2W nuclear reactors. Four steam turbines.
History: The Enterprise was the United State’s first nuclear powered aircraft carrier, and set the pace for the future of Carriers in the U.S.
It took 60,923 tons of steel to build and was one of the ships involved in the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. The Enterprise was one of the first ships to respond to the declaration of Operation Enduring Freedom in Fall of 2001, expending 800,000 pounds of ordnance.
The ship will be decommissioned at the end of 2012 as the Gerald R. Ford-class carriers enter service.
The USS Nimitz is the first of the latest class of US supercarriers
Length: 1,092 ft
Commissioned: 1975
Carries: 90 aircraft
Crew: 3,200 sailors, 2,480 airmen
Propulsion System: 2 Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors, 4 steam turbines
History: The Nimitz, nicknamed “Old Salt,” is the first in its class of supercarriers and has a long history of Naval service. Named after Chester Nimitz, the man who led the Navy throughout the Second World War, the Nimitz first was deployed to the Indian Ocean during the Iran Hostage Crisis.
It provided security at the Seoul Olympics in 1988, and was in the Persian Gulf in the aftermath of Desert Storm. It did a world tour between 1997 and 1998, and was stationed in the Persian Gulf in 2003.
The Nimitz‘ home port is Naval Station Everett in Everett, Washington.
The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower served during the Iranian Hostage Crisis
Length: 1,092 ft
Commissioned: 1977
Carries: 90 aircraft
Crew: 3,200 sailors, 2,480 airmen
Propulsion System: 2 Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors, 4 steam turbines
History: “Mighty Ike,” or the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, served during operation Eagle Claw during the Hostage Crisis. It went through the Suez Canal to the Red Sea during Desert Storm.
The aircraft of the Eisenhower first dropped ordnance during Operation Southern Watch, the mission to secure Iraqi airspace in the years before the 2003 invasion.
The Eisenhower‘s home port is Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia.
The USS Carl Vinson flew the first airstrikes of Operation Enduring Freedom
Length: 1,092 ft
Commissioned: 1982
Carries: 90 aircraft
Crew: 3,200 sailors, 2,480 airmen
Propulsion System: 2 Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors, 4 steam turbines
History: The USS Carl Vinson is named after the congressman from Georgia who served in the House during the Second World War, and later oversaw the transition of the Departments of War and the Navy into a singular Department of Defense. The carrier has a number of nicknames — “Starship Vinson,” the “Battlestar,” “The Gold Eagle,” and “America’s Favorite Carrier” to name a few.
It was the carrier that buried bin Laden at sea. It also was the carrier that hosted the UNC vs. University of Michigan NCAA basketball game several years ago.
It is stationed at Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego, California.
The USS Theodore Roosevelt flew thousands of sorties during Desert Storm
Length: 1,092 ft
Commissioned: 1986
Carries: 90 aircraft
Crew: 3,200 sailors, 2,480 airmen
Propulsion System: 2 Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors, 4 steam turbines
History: The USS Theodore Roosevelt is stationed at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia. Nicknamed “TR” or “Big Stick,” the aircraft of the TR flew 4,200 sorties in Desert Storm and dropped 4.8 million pounds of ordnance.
The carrier enforced no-fly zones over Bosnia, Iraq, and carried out airstrikes in Kosovo. In Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, the TR’s aircraft flew 3,100 sorties and dropped 59,500 pounds of ordnance.
The USS Abraham Lincoln was the site of the “Mission Accomplished” speech
Length: 1,092 ft
Commissioned: 1989
Carries: 90 aircraft
Crew: 3,200 sailors, 2,480 airmen
Propulsion System: 2 Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors, 4 steam turbines
History: The USS Abraham Lincoln is stationed at Naval Station Everett in Washington and nicknamed “Abe.”
It first was deployed when rendering relief to U.S. personnel on Luzon island in the Philippines during the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo, moving 45,000 people off the island. It carried out air patrols over Mogadishu in Somalia and was the first carrier to fully integrate female airmen.
It served in Operation Iraqi Freedom. President George W. Bush gave a speech in front of a “Mission Accomplished” banner on the ship upon its return. It helped during Japanese Tsunami relief and recently passed through the Strait of Hormuz.
The USS George Washington has a 200 page Japanese manga comic written about it
Length: 1,092 ft
Commissioned: 1992
Carries: 90 aircraft
Crew: 3,200 sailors, 2,480 airmen
Propulsion System: 2 Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors, 4 steam turbines
History: The USS George Washington, nicknamed “GW” or “G-Dub”, is currently stationed at Yokosuka, Japan. It was in the Persian Gulf in 2000, and was in New York Harbor after 9/11 providing airspace defense. It has served in Operation Southern Watch and Operation Enduring Freedom.
Particularly interesting is the fact that, in order to explain to the Japanese what the aircraft carrier was doing in their harbor, the Navy had a 200 page manga made to explain the ship. 30,000 copies were distributed.
It is the only United States naval ship that is the subject of a full-length and official Manga.
The USS John C. Stennis had a starring role in the Transformers films
Length: 1,092 ft
Commissioned: 1995
Carries: 90 aircraft
Crew: 3,200 sailors, 2,480 airmen
Propulsion System: 2 Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors, 4 steam turbines
History: The Stennis has home port at Naval Base Kitsap in Washington. It’s nicknamed “Johnny Reb,” and is named after the former Senator John Stennis from Mississippi and was commissioned in 1995.
It has served in Operation Enduring Freedom and has engaged in pirate hunting in the Persian Gulf. It was also featured rather prominently in the Transformers films.
The USS Harry S. Truman flew thousands of sorties in Operation Iraqi Freedom
Length: 1,092 ft
Commissioned: 1998
Carries: 90 aircraft
Crew: 3,200 sailors, 2,480 airmen
Propulsion System: 2 Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors, 4 steam turbines
History: The Truman, called the “HST” or the “Lone Warrior,” is stationed at the Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia. The HST was launched in late 1996, first serving abroad during the enforcement of the no-fly zone and eventual hostilities over Bosnia.
The HST then served during Operation Southern Watch and flew 1,300 sorties during Operation Iraqi Freedom. The ship passed through the Suez canal coming from the Mediterranean. The ship is now undergoing repairs.
The USS Ronald Reagan was commissioned in 2003
Length: 1,092 ft
Commissioned: 2003
Carries: 90 aircraft
Crew: 3,200 sailors, 2,480 airmen
Propulsion System: 2 Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors, 4 steam turbines
History: The USS Ronald Reagan is stationed at Naval Air Station North Island in Coronado, California. It saw a 2006 deployment which brought it to the Persian Gulf.
It’s served in both Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.
It provided relief to Japan after the earthquake and Tsunami, and also aided the Philippines after Typhoon Fengshen.
The USS George H.W. Bush is the Navy’s newest aircraft carrier.
Length: 1,092 ft
Commissioned: 2009
Carries: 90 aircraft
Crew: 3,200 sailors, 2,480 airmen
Propulsion System: 2 Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors, 4 steam turbines
History: Named after the President, a former Navy airman himself, the USS George HW Bush is nicknamed the “Avenger.”
It’s the most recent Carrier addition to the Navy, delivered only in May 2009. It is the last of the Nimitz class of carriers. It has since served in Operation Enduring Freedom.
This Animated Video Shows What The New X-47B Drone Will Really Be Able To Do
All we’ve been given of Northrop Grumman‘s X-47B so far are some general specs, a couple of videos and a bunch of pictures.
But the Navy’s new stealth drone is meant to do impressive things, which is why the military is so eager to get it aboard its carriers and deploy it around the globe.
But Grumman released this animated promotional video that gives a better feel for what the next generation drone will be able to accomplish. We see that the drone is capable of aerial refueling, 360 degree rolls, and offensive weapon deployment.
It cruises at half the speed of sound, has a wingspan of 62 ft, and a range of at least 2,400 miles. But we don’t need to explain, the video does it so much better. Enjoy.
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/animated-video-of-the-navys-new-x-47b-drone-2012-8#ixzz236YA1kGD
U.S., ALLIES PLAN MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM FOR GULF
News
by: UPI
An early warning radar in southeast Turkey is part of NATO’s missile defense system for Europe. Photo Credit:AP/Selcan Hacaoglu
The United States and its Persian Gulf allies are pursuing a regional missile defense system to protect against an Iranian attack, government officials said.
Analysts said the enterprise requires gulf nations to set aside differences, share information and coordinate their weapons arsenals to create a defense shield that covers and protects all the allies. …
The objective in the gulf is the same as the one of the better known missile defense shield being installed in Europe: deterring any Iranian attack and, if necessary, thwarting the effect of missiles launched against allied territory and U.S. forces.
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Read the original article at UPI
Read more:http://times247.com/articles/u-s-partners-for-gulf-based-missile-defense-against-iran#ixzz234qrgFGo
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