Notícias (Armadas/Sistemas de Armas)

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Fábio G.

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« Responder #135 em: Junho 30, 2004, 01:03:31 pm »
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Novo conceito para Marinha de Israel gera controvérsias
A decisão tomada pelo comandante da marinha israelense no sentido de interromper o programa para a obtenção de até três corvetas multifunção, e em seu lugar construir um Navio de Desembarque Doca de grande porte está gerando reações controversas entre a oficicialidade da força. O NDD proposto poderia transportar 600 tropas, além de carros de combate pesados, e desembarcá-los a distâncias de até 3.600km -- além, portanto, da atual área operacional da marinha de Israel, que até agora se concentrou em unidades pesadamente armadas, mas de alcance relativamente pequeno.
 

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Fábio G.

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« Responder #136 em: Junho 30, 2004, 03:07:19 pm »
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Submarino nuclear da Índia poderá estar pronto em 2008
A Índia deu mais alguns passos para a consecução de seu objetivo de construir e operar submarinos nucleares de projeto e construção próprios, conhecidos pela sigla ATV (Advanced Technology Vessel). Aparentemente, os problemas técnicos que estavam atrasando o programa (principalmente referentes ao reator de água pressurizada) foram resolvidos, com auxílio russo, reforçando a possibilidade de que já em 2008-2009 o primeiro ATV esteja pronto para testes de mar. Além disso, a Índia teria fechado contrato para o leasing (com opção de compra) de dois submarinos nucleares de ataque da classe russa "Akula".
 

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Fábio G.

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« Responder #137 em: Junho 30, 2004, 06:56:58 pm »
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Osprey: Navy Investigating Iwo Jima Precautionary Landing.

Osprey officials at Pax River are investigating a precautionary landing by V-22 Number 22 aboard the USS Iwo Jima on Monday.
 The aircraft was operating in tandem with aircraft number 10 during a series of dual flights designed to evaluate interactions between Ospreys while conducting deck landing operations.
 The Osprey landed following observation of debris coming from the right nacelle area, and a simultaneous bang heard by the pilots.
 Officials said cause of the incident is under investigation, but confirmed there had been extensive damage to the nacelle blower assembly.
Preferred procedure in the event of such a failure is to make a precautionary landing as soon as possible, an official said. If no immediate landing area is available, conversion to wing borne flight – making ram air cooling available – is substituted
 Officials at Pax River say internal damage was contained within the blower assembly, with no damage to other systems in the immediate nacelle area. A crewman was sent for observation when it was thought some of the debris may have struck him. He was immediately released.
Iwo Jima later docked at Norfolk with the Osprey still aboard, but aircraft Number 10 returned to Pax River.
 Officials could not immediately confirm whether there had been earlier failures of the same components.
But production Ospreys – Number 22 is not a production aircraft – have already been retrofitted with an improved blowing fan assembly designed to contain collateral damage in the event of such a failure.
 The two Ospreys were finishing up 10 days of sea-trials to validate deck handling. Tests to that point had been completed ‘very successfully’, according to a spokesman, Ward Carroll.


Mais um pequeno incidente com o V-22.
 

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Fábio G.

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« Responder #138 em: Junho 30, 2004, 07:06:05 pm »
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Domecq García sendo reativado no reparo de submarinos
Com a chegada do submarino ARA Salta (IKL-209) ao Astillero Ministro de Marina Manuel Domecq García, inicia-se a reativação da capacidade técnica argentina na reparação e manutenção de grande porte desse tipo de navio, que esteve paralisada por mais de dez anos. Será realizado um ciclo de manutenção que incluirá a revisão de seus sistemas principais e a troca das baterias. Os trabalhos se estenderão aproximadamente por seis meses. Com essa obra, o estaleiro reinicia suas atividade como porte do “Proyecto Submarinos” da Dirección General del Material Naval, com vistas ao reparo de meia vida do ARA San Juan (TR-1700). Como se sabe, os trabalhos no ARA Santa Cruz foram realizados pelo Arsenal de Marinha do Rio de Janeiro. A Argentina planeja retomar a capacidade de construção de submarinos, com vista principalmente à conclusão do ARA Santa Fe (terceiro TR-1700), que se encontra aproximadamente 70% acabado. (Juan Carlos Cicalesi e César del Gaizo).
 

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Fábio G.

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« Responder #139 em: Julho 05, 2004, 03:19:21 pm »
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3 de julho de 2004
Acordo para o novo NAe francês
O futuro navio-aeródromo francês será mesmo construído por uma empresa formada conjuntamente pelo estaleiro estatal DCN (que deterá 65% da mesma) e o poderoso grupo Thales (que ficará com 35%). O navio, de propulsão convencional, deverá entrar em serviço aproximadamente em 2015, e seu custo de construção está estimado em 2 bilhões de Euros. Como forma de diminuir os custos, o governo francês tentará identificar os pontos em comum com o projeto do futuro NAe britânico, dois exemplares dos quais deverão ser construídos (num envolvimento conjunto entrea BAE Systems e a Thales) para a Royal Navy, com expectativa de entrada em serviço em 2012-2015.
 

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Fábio G.

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« Responder #140 em: Julho 07, 2004, 11:40:09 am »
DD

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Marinha sem dinheiro para pagar horas extraordinárias

A Marinha está em risco, pela segunda vez em seis meses, de não conseguir pagar, no final de Julho, os emolumentos e horas extraordinárias a mais de um milhar de funcionários. A notícia é avançada na edição desta quarta-feira do jornal Público, que recorda que a dívida ronda, neste momento, os 10 milhões de euros.



Em Dezembro, refere o Público, a dívida ascendia já a cinco milhões de euros, sendo que, daí para cá, apenas foram pagas percentagens entre os dez e os 30%, consoante as capitanias.
Os funcionários afectados por esta situação integram a Autoridade Marítima Nacional (AMN), composta por cerca de 550 efectivos da Polícia Marítima, quase outros tantos civis e algumas dezenas de militares, a desempenharem cargos de chefia nas 28 capitanias do país.

Apesar de ter solicitado já um crédito especial junto de uma entidade bancária, o Banco Totta & Açores, o qual, no entanto, ainda não respondeu ao pedido da Marinha, razão pela qual esta arma das Forças Armadas começou já alertar as capitanias da falta de dinheiro.

Também devido a este problema, a Marinha já havia alertado, em Maio, uns dias antes da abertura da época balnear, as capitanias de que era imperioso reduzir o tempo de utilização dos barcos destinados aos salvamentos, assim como o número de horas extraordinárias.

07-07-2004 8:21:29
 

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Fábio G.

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« Responder #141 em: Julho 07, 2004, 12:33:33 pm »
TSF

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EMOLUMENTOS
Marinha nega problemas orçamentais
A Marinha garante que existe dinheiro para pagar os emolumentos do mês de Julho. O comandante Gouveia e Melo nega a notícia do «Público», mas reconhece que há um atraso nos pagamentos referentes a Dezembro por problemas administrativos.
 
( 11:12 / 07 de Julho 04 )

O comandante Gouveia e Melo, porta-voz da Marinha, desmente a notícia do jornal «Público», que refere que a Marinha estaria de novo com problemas orçamentais. «A Marinha vai pagar os emolumentos de Julho» e justificou que «há um processo administrativo por resolver relativamente a Dezembro».

O porta-voz da Marinha nega ainda que tenha sido pedido ao Banco Totta e Açores um crédito, como refere a notícia. Tal como nega que o valor em divida seja de 10 milhões de euros.
 

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Fábio G.

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« Responder #142 em: Julho 10, 2004, 02:10:00 am »
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7 de julho de 2004
Dinamarca se retira do programa Viking
O futuro do programa do submarino Viking sofreu mais um duro golpe, e seu futuro é incerto. Originalmente, o programa era tri-nacional (Suécia, Noruega, Dinamarca), com cada um dos parceiros se comprometendo a adquirir quatro unidades. A saída da Noruega, em 2002, levou a uma reformulação, com a Dinamarca se reposicionando para a aquisição de três submarinos, e a Suécia dois. Com esses navios, a Dinamarca tencionava substituir as duas unidades da classe “Tumleren” (classe U-107, construídos na Alemanha) e o Kronborg (da classe “A14, construído na Suécia e arrendado). Autoridades suecas informam que ainda é cedo para avaliar devidamente o impacto que a saída da Dinamarca causará no programa, mas acredita-se que o mais provável é que a Suécia procure um novo parceiro internacional. Os suecos certamente envidarão todos os esforços para manter o programa vivo. O que está em jogo é um grande interesse estratégico: a manutenção de uma capacidade autóctone de construção de submarinos, através da Kockums.
 

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Fábio G.

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« Responder #143 em: Julho 10, 2004, 01:10:37 pm »
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Tireless já está em Gibraltar
JOSE LUIS ROCA/afp
 
Tireless chegou mais uma vez a Gibraltar


Osubmarino nuclear Tireless da Armada Real britânica chegou, ontem, a Gibraltar, colónia britânica reivindicada por Espanha, para uma escala de cinco dias, considerada "não amistosa" pelo Governo espanhol.

A chegada do submarino, que, na anterior deslocação a Gibraltar, ficou em reparação durante quase um ano, foi acompanhada de fortes medidas de segurança, incluindo o apoio de pequenas embarcações da Armada britânica.

Esse procedimento é "habitual perante a chegada de navios de guerra ou submarinos deste tipo", assegurou a capitania da base naval de Gibraltar, que negou que as medidas fossem uma reacção a uma ameaça de protestos por parte de grupos ecologistas, que se opõem à visita.

A escala do Tireless na colónia britânica causou um profundo mal-estar no Governo espanhol, que considera "uma provocação" o facto do submarino ter fundeado nas águas de Gibraltar.

O ministro dos Negócios Estrangeiros espanhol, Miguel Moratinos, expressou o seu desagrado pela chegada do submarino, apesar de ter dito que, "de momento", o Governo não adoptará medidas contra Londres.

Anteontem, Moratinos advertiu que se vai avaliar os efeitos que podem ter nas relações bilaterais actos "não amistosos" desse tipo e expressou o desejo de que manutenção do Tireless no Penón seja "o mais curta possível" e dure menos de uma semana.

O Executivo de Tony Blair não atendeu à reiterada petição espanhola para que o Reino Unido cancelasse a visita do submarino a Gibraltar, levando Moratinos a sublinhar que o Governo tomará em consideração "essa falta de atenção e sobretudo falta de saber ouvir a petição de um país amigo, como é a Espanha".

Recorde-se que, após a anterior escala, para reparação, do submarino em Gibraltar, Londres prometera que não voltaria a verificar-se uma paragem prolongada do Tireless naquela base.

O Tireless ficou, na altura, quase um ano em Gibraltar, devido a uma fuga no circuito de água pressurizada do seu reactor nuclear.
 

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JLRC

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« Responder #144 em: Julho 10, 2004, 02:09:09 pm »
Egypt – Fast Missile Craft
 
 
(Source: US Defense Security Cooperation Agency; issued July 8, 2004)
 
 
 On 8 July 2004, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of a possible Foreign Military Sale to Egypt of three Fast Missile Craft as well as associated equipment and services. The total value, if all options are exercised, could be as high as $565 million.  
 
The Government of Egypt has requested a possible sale of three (3) Fast Missile Craft; three (3) 76mm/62 caliber MK 75 Dual Purpose guns with Super Rapid Kits; three (3) MK 31 Mod 3 Rolling Airframe Missile Guided Missile Weapons Systems; installation of Hull, Mechanical, and Electrical equipment; communications; operations equipment; spare and repair parts; support equipment; personnel training and training equipment; publications and technical documents; and U.S. Government and contractor technical and logistics personnel services and other related elements of logistics services. The estimated cost is $565 million.  
 
This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a friendly country that has been and continues to be an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East. This sale is consistent with these U.S. objectives and with the 1950 Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security.  
 
The Egyptian Navy does not currently have a modern, high speed, ship capable of providing deep and shallow water defensive protection for the approaches to the Suez Canal. Egypt intends to purchase these ships to enhance its overall ability to defend its coastal areas and the approaches to the Suez Canal and will have no difficulty absorbing these crafts into its armed forces.  
 
The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not affect the basic military balance in the region.  
 
The prime contractor will be Vision Technology-Marine of Gulfport Mississippi. There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale.  
 
Implementation of this proposed sale will not require the assignment of additional U.S. Government or contractor representatives to Egypt.  
 
There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale.  
 
This notice of a potential sale is required by law; it does not mean that the sale has been concluded.
 

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JLRC

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« Responder #145 em: Julho 10, 2004, 02:10:16 pm »
Boeing Receives Contract from Marines for ScanEagle UAVs
 
 
(Source: Boeing Co.; issued July 8, 2004)
 
 
 ST. LOUIS --- Boeing last week received a contract from the U.S. Marine Corps to provide two ScanEagle unmanned aerial vehicle “mobile deployment units” for use with the First Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF) in Iraq. ScanEagle is a low-cost, long-endurance fully autonomous UAV developed and built by Boeing and The Insitu Group.  
 
Each ScanEagle mobile deployment unit will consist of several UAVs as well as the computers, communication links and ground equipment necessary to provide intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) support for I MEF during operational missions.  
 
“ScanEagle’s ISR capabilities will give the warfighter an immediate, clear picture of the battlefield,” said Kim Michel, Boeing Advanced Unmanned Systems director. “Additionally, its communications relay technology will allow Marines on the ground to more easily receive and share information.”  
 
ScanEagle is four-feet long and has a 10-foot wingspan. For a vehicle of its size, ScanEagle’s endurance/payload combination is unmatched. The ScanEagle “A-15” -- the company’s current model -- can remain on station for more than 15 hours. Future planned variants will have an endurance of more than 30 hours.  
 
Another key design feature of the UAV is its internal avionics bay. The avionics bay allows seamless integration of new payloads and sensors to meet emerging customer requirements, and ensures the vehicle will be able to incorporate the latest technology as it becomes available.  
 
ScanEagle is launched autonomously via a pneumatic wedge catapult launcher and flies pre-programmed or operator-initiated missions. It is retrieved using a “Skyhook” system in which the UAV catches a rope hanging from a 50-foot high pole. The patented system allows ScanEagle to be runway independent with a small footprint for launch and recovery operations.  
 
ScanEagle, which made it first flight in 2002, most recently participated in the U.S. Joint Forces Command Forward Look exercises that concluded in June 2004. Forward Look was a series of demonstrations and experiments that began in December 2003 to improve interoperability and increase data fusion among multiple UAVs in operational scenarios.  
 
Phantom Works, the advanced research and development unit and catalyst of innovation for the Boeing enterprise, is assisting in the development of ScanEagle. Through its Integrated Defense Advanced Systems group, it provides leading edge systems and technology solutions to Boeing Integrated Defense Systems, one the world’s largest space and defense businesses.  
 
Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $27 billion business that provides systems solutions to its global military, government and commercial customers. It is a leading provider of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; the world’s largest military aircraft manufacturer; the world’s largest satellite manufacturer and a leading provider of space-based communications; the primary systems integrator for U.S. missile defense; NASA’s largest contractor; and a global leader in launch services.  
 
The Insitu Group, located in Bingen, Wash., develops miniature robotic aircraft for commercial and military applications. Insitu, which introduced the first UAV to cross the Atlantic Ocean, developed its Seascan UAV to serve the commercial fishing industry for fish spotting, and is developing vehicles for other commercial applications.
 

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« Responder #146 em: Julho 10, 2004, 02:15:41 pm »
Marines Testing New Kevlar Shorts In Iraq
 
 
(Source: US Marine Corps; issued July 5, web-posted July 8, 2004)
 
 
 CAMP RAMADI, Iraq --- Marines here from 3rd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment are currently testing lower body armor developed by the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory in Quantico, Va.  
 
The Kevlar shorts were designed to repel razor-sharp shrapnel from improvised explosive devices detonated by anti-Iraqi fighters along transportation routes throughout the country.  
 
According to Lt. Col. Lance A. McDaniel, battalion executive officer, the artillery unit received ten pairs of the shorts from the Warfighting Lab. The shorts arrived nearly a week ago and were distributed amongst the battalion’s batteries.  
 
“The gunners in our vehicles seem to be the most exposed to shrapnel,” McDaniel said.  
 
“We’ve had a lot of Marines receive injuries to their buttocks and upper thighs.”  
 
He said these shorts make the gunners, who man crew-served weapons on top of the vehicles, less vulnerable to serious injury during IED attacks.  
 
“The Marines wear flak jackets which protect their backs and chests,” McDaniel said. “It only makes sense to have protection for the legs,”  
 
The one-size-fits-all shorts are worn over a Marine’s uniform and are held up with built in suspenders. Each pair of shorts weighs close to 5 pounds.  
 
Lance Cpl. Mike C. Suchevich and Pvt. Luis R. Mejia have both tried the shorts a few times.  
 
“The other Marines made fun of me the first I put them on,” Mejia said. “I guess they thought it was a joke. They are really funny looking.”  
 
The shorts have already acquired a few nicknames from the battalion. One Marine referred to them as “lederhosen,” and others call them “fishing shorts.”  
 
Still, the two Marines said they are grateful to have the new gear.  
 
“They’re not very comfortable and they’re hard to move in,” Suchevich explained. “But I do feel a lot more protected than before and that’s definitely more important than comfort.”  
 
So far, the shorts have not been put to the test during any attacks, but the Marines believe it’s just a matter of time.  
 
“I think all gunners should have a pair,” Mejia added. “I feel safer wearing them. They can’t stop bullets, but they can stop shrapnel.”  
 
Several of Mejia’s fellow gunners have been injured during IED attacks and he wants to avoid earning a Purple Heart here.  
 
According to Mejia, the shorts take about a minute and a half to put on and the same to take off. He said if he could, he would make a few modifications.  
 
“They’re not too bad to wear,” he said. “But if I could change anything, I would have quick release straps for the suspenders.”  
 
He also said the pants fit comfortably around his waist, but they are too loose near his knees.  
 
McDaniel said the Warfighting Lab will solicit input from the Marines for an undetermined amount of time.  
 
“If the idea proves to be a success,” McDaniel explained, “I suspect they will be mass produced and sent out throughout the Marine Corps.”
 

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« Responder #147 em: Julho 10, 2004, 03:00:04 pm »
U.S., Royal Thai Navy Crews Practice Aerial Mine Laying in Gulf of Thailand  
 
 
(Source: US Navy; issued July 7, 2004)
 
 
 SATTAHIP, Thailand --- U.S. Navy and Royal Thai Navy (RTN) air crews shared shallow water mine laying techniques July 5 in the skies above the Gulf of Thailand during exercise Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT).  
 
Both U.S. and Royal Thai Navy crews deployed two MK 62 “Quickstrike” mines apiece, which will be hunted by RTN minesweepers during the at-sea portion of CARAT.  
 
According to Lt. Cmdr. Dennis Callahan, officer in charge of the 23-person P-3C detachment from Patrol Squadron (VP) 46 taking part in the Thailand phase of CARAT, working with the RTN during the exercise event was a great opportunity for air crews, maintainers, planners and tactical support personnel.  
 
“Every bit of interaction is always a great exchange of knowledge when we have the opportunity to work with different countries such as Thailand,” Callahan said before the mine laying mission. “In this particular case, while our aircraft, the P-3 Orion, and Thai F-27 are similar, there’s good sharing of the different types of radar and other equipment being used, as each of the planes flying will have a two-man observance team on board from the other nation.”  
 
The RTN F-27s are a smaller version of the P-3C Orion with twin turbo prop engines vice the four on the American plane.  
 
Although the P-3C Orion crews’ primary mission is normally anti-submarine warfare with the use of sonar buoys, maritime patrol and amphibious raid support, according to Callahan, the mine laying mission is not out of the ordinary for P-3Cs.  
 
Spending only one hour “on deck,” or in the air, the VP-46 crew dropped their mines first at coordinates predetermined by a RTN control ship, HTMS Bangrachan.  
 
As is standard practice by the U.S. Navy, each plane made a total of three passes on the drop site, ensuring sea lanes were open and clear of any maritime vessels.  
 
The crew proceeded with an on-target drop from both the port and starboard wings at an altitude of 500 feet and a speed of 250 knots before returning to the airfield.
 

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Fábio G.

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« Responder #148 em: Julho 10, 2004, 03:00:11 pm »
Defensa

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IZAR FABA SUMINISTRARÁ LAS DIRECCIONES DE TIRO DEL LITTORAL COMBAT SHIP DE LA ARMADA NORTEAMERICANA.

IZAR FABA suministrará la dirección de tiro de cañón DORNA del Littoral Combat Ship para la Armada Norteamericana. La decisión de instalar este sistema, el mismo que integran las fragatas F-100 de la Armada Española, ha sido anunciada al término de las reuniones de Revisión Preliminar del Diseño celebradas entre Lockheed Martin, responsable del proyecto del buque, y la US Navy. Se trata de un importante hito para FABA ya que representa entrar con fuerza en el mercado norteamericano de sistemas de defensa con perspectivas de consolidarse en él. En este sentido, IZAR FABA podría ser seleccionada también para suministrar las direcciones de tiro DORNA a los buques del programa Deepwater para el Servicio de Guardacostas de este país. La US Navy podría encargar hasta 60 buques. De momento se construirán dos unidades, la primera de las cuales se entregará en 2005 y la segunda en 2006.
 

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« Responder #149 em: Julho 10, 2004, 03:02:56 pm »
U.S., Canadian Navies Team Up to Fight Mine Warfare at RIMPAC
 
 
(Source: US Navy; issued July 6, 2004)
 
 
 PEARL HARBOR --- The U.S. and Canadian navies’ mine warfare ships have combined their might during the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2004 exercise to better counter hidden, cheap and powerful explosives that could seriously damage or sink high-tech warships.  
 
USS Avenger (MCM 1), USS Defender (MCM 2) and HMCS Brandon (MCDV 710) have expanded each others’ capabilities to accomplish tasks faster than what one side could alone, naval leaders said.  
 
“Having them here allows us to put more neutralization assets out and clear areas about 40 percent faster,” said Cmdr. Glenn Kuffel, commanding officer of Avenger, based at Naval Station Ingleside, Texas.  
 
The two sides have met before at sea. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, the U.S. and Canadian navies joined forces with U.S. Naval Special Clearance Team 1 and Helicopter Mine Counter Measures Squadron (HM) 14, the “Vanguards,” with its MH-53E Super Stallions to clear mines from the port of Umm Qasr, Iraq. Their work allowed humanitarian aid to flow into the Persian Gulf nation.  
 
“I really like working with those guys,” said Lt. Cmdr. Stephan King, captain of Brandon, homeported in Esquimalt, British Columbia. “They are very professional. They know their stuff. They train as they fight.”  
 
At RIMPAC, USS Dubuque (LPD 8) serves as a command and control ship. When the ships leave Pearl Harbor’s channel to begin the tactical phase of the exercise, the minesweeping force, led by Brandon, will clear the channel of “explosives” as the other warships depart.  
 
To help accomplish that mission, Brandon carries a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) that hunts and disables mines. It uses a TV camera and highly detailed photographic imagery that maps the bottom of the ocean, much like a satellite photographs the earth from space.  
 
Once the ROV finds the floating explosive, an operator on the ship can cut the mine’s cable with surgical precision. Divers blow up the mine when it surfaces.  
 
“It’s an area of warfare that’s commonly overlooked,” King said.  
 
U.S. minesweepers, which normally don’t have a diver embarked, will test the Battlespace Preparation Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (BPAUV) during the exercise. The blunt-nosed, oversized torpedo-shaped device identifies mine-like contacts on a pre-programmed course before the ship arrives.  
 
The combined force will also lay mines and participate in a search-and-rescue scenario. Moreover, the crews are expected to work with the twin-hulled catamaran High Speed Vessel Swift (HSV 2) in its first at-sea refueling, and provide support in the evacuation of “residents” during a humanitarian aid mission.  
 
“We have a very clear focus on how we are going to accomplish certain tasks,” King said.  
 
The two navies are part of a task force of seven nations consisting of 40 ships, seven submarines and about 100 aircraft involved in the largest maritime exercise in the Pacific.  
 
“It’s a huge learning experience, no question,” King said.  
 
To learn more about each other, the mine countermeasure ships exchanged crew members during the run-up to RIMPAC. More than 60 sailors crossed decks between the two navies.  
 
“They get to see how another country’s navy accomplishes the same mission,” Kuffel said. “They get to see how ships are driven (and) how ships are fought. This whole trip has been a series of firsts for us.”  
 
“The cross-pollination was a huge success,” King said. “It just pays dividends in the long run.”  
 
The Canadian sailors gained more than knowledge about their allies, King said.  
 
“We have enjoyed immensely working with these guys,” said the commanding officer, who leads a crew made up entirely of Naval Reservists. “The friendships that we’ve made, I’m sure they’ll stand the test of time.”  
 
RIMPAC 2004, the 19th since 1971, ties in with Summer Pulse 04 - a demonstration of the U.S. Navy’s ability to surge seven carriers in five theaters to give national leadership the ability to project naval power across the globe. It’s part of the Chief of Naval Operations’ Fleet Response Plan that deploys vessels quickly when needed rather than strictly on a routine deployment schedule.