[Get_It]

As fragatas canadianas vão ser submetidas ao upgrade FELEX (Frigate Life Extension Programme).

Prime Minister Harper announces Navy ship upgrades
Prime Minister Stephen Harper today announced new upgrades to the Navy’s Halifax-Class frigates that will improve the Navy’s ability to protect Canadian waters while boosting employment in Canada’s shipbuilding sector.

“New updated equipment will make these ships stronger, safer and better able to do all the work we ask of them,” said Prime Minister Harper. “The result is that more than ever, our Halifax-Class frigates will be giant floating command posts – standing up for Canada at home and abroad.”

During the last 15 years, these frigates have been to the four corners of the world, performing every conceivable mission – from battling international terrorism and fulfilling international security agreements to providing aid to civilians in distress and assisting in search and recovery. The fleet’s most important job – maintaining the safety and security of sovereign Canadian waters – sees the frigates routinely patrol Canada’s three coastlines, protecting our borders from drug and human smugglers, terrorists, illegal fishing and polluters.

“One of the most important upgrades to our frigates will be enhanced command and control centres, giving Canadian vessels the ability to lead operations, not just participate in them,” the Prime Minister added. “All of the work done on the ships will be done in Canada, by Canadian companies, and this is great news for Canadian shipyards, their employees and their suppliers.”

The $3.1 billion modernization of the Halifax-Class frigates will begin in 2010, with the final ship being completed in 2017.

2007-07-05
fonte: http://www.pm.gc.ca/eng/media.asp?category=1&id=1730

Harper announces major upgrades to navy frigates

Standing aboard the deck of a ship in Halifax Thursday morning, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced major upgrades to Canada's fleet of 12 Halifax-class frigates.

Harper, flanked by Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay and Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor, said the $3.1 billion project will begin in 2010, and the work will be done by Canadian shipyards.

He said the ships have proven their value to Canada time and time again in peacekeeping efforts around the world, disaster relief, maintaining Arctic sovereignty and protecting Canada's coasts.

"Today we are announcing our intention to proceed with a refit of the entire Halifax-class fleet," Harper said from the deck of the frigate HMCS Halifax.

"New updated equipment will make these ships stronger, safer and better able to do all that we ask them to do. They are the backbone of the Canadian navy so by upgrading them we are making the entire navy stronger."

From Halifax, Harper was set to head to Saskatchewan where he is expected to announce a $1.5-billion program for biofuels, The Globe and Mail reports.

Nova Scotia Premier Rodney MacDonald and Saskatchewan Premier Lorne Calvert are both at odds with the federal government, claiming the March 19 budget breaks a key promise to exclude non-renewable natural resources from the formula used to calculate equalization payments to the provinces.

Neither MacDonald nor Calvert were scheduled to be in the cities where Harper was making the announcements, and both said they had not received details about the announcements or formal invitations to attend.

But Harper said the two levels of government rarely expect to be included in each other's announcements, so it shouldn't come as a surprise.

MacDonald told reporters on Wednesday that he would be very disappointed if Harper planned to make a good news announcement for his province without having given him any prior notice about it.

"If it's good news for Nova Scotia, I'm quite surprised that I would not be aware," MacDonald said in Bridgewater, N.S.

Harper and MacDonald have been feuding over the budget's handling of offshore oil resources. MacDonald claims the prime minister has broken his promise not to claw back the province's offshore energy sector when calculating equalization payments.

MacDonald, along with Newfoundland Premier Danny Williams, claims the move negated the Atlantic accords which were signed in 2005, and intended to protect them from clawbacks to equalization.

MacDonald was in Truro Thursday while the prime minister was in Halifax.

In Saskatchewan, Harper is expected to make another spending announcement at a grain terminal in the south-central part of the province near the Gardiner Dam close to Strongfield.

The announcement will likely focus on biofuels. The government pledged in the budget to provide $1.5 billion over seven years in incentives for producers to move towards renewable alternatives to gasoline and diesel, such as ethanol and biodiesel.

Tensions have been high between Ottawa and Saskatchewan since Calvert asked the courts whether the budget -- and its treatment of natural resources -- is legally sound.

Calvert, who will be in Iqaluit meeting with other Western premiers when the announcement is made, says his province will lose $800 million each year under the new equalization formula.

He said he has also been left completely out of the loop about the Thursday announcement.

"I am surprised to learn of his visit via The Globe and Mail," Calvert told The Globe by telephone on Wednesday.

"I am not even sure what the announcement is - if it is something new or a reannouncement of monies in the federal budget. All I can gather is that it has some relationship to biofuels."

2007-07-05
fonte: http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070704/harper_halifax_070705/20070705?hub=TopStories

Alguns detalhes (via MilitaryPhotos.net):

Capability Enhancement Projects
Some of the major projects, either stand-alone or part of FELEX, which will be integrated into the CPF during the mid-life refit are:

   1. HMCCS - Halifax Modernized Command & Control Systems;
   2. HALIFAX class radar upgrades;
   3. Installation of the Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile - ESSM (installation reportedly underway since 2003, though the Department of National Defence has been very tight-lipped on installation date details);
   4. IRIUS - Long range infrared search and track system;
   5. IFF Mode S/5 Interrogator Friend or Foe Mode S/5 - will allow more accurate detailing of surface and air contacts;
   6. Internal Communications system upgrade;
   7. Harpoon Surface to Surface Missile system upgrade; and
   8. Electronic Warfare system upgrade - electronic support measures.

In addition to these projects, the mid-life refit will do all the general refit work such as ensuring the strength of the hull and superstructure, health of the engine assemblies and electrical systems, etc. Some of the “sustainment engineering changes” announced by PMO FELEX include:

   1. Modifications to the main gun of the CPF - the 57mm Bofors Naval Gun, located on the forecastle of each frigate;
   2. Replacement of Shield II Missile Decoy Countermeasures System;
   3. Replacement of the Integrated Machinery Control System; and
   4. Replacement of the Navigation Radar.

Cumprimentos,

[SSK]

Indonésia adquirirá 22 helicópteros, 20 tanques e dois submarinos russos
09/04/2007 10:05 Fonte: Pravda.ru          
 
 

Às vésperas da visita do presidente Vladimir Putin à Indonésia nesta quinta-feira, apareceu uma informação que o país comprará na Rússia helicópteros, tanques e submarinos no valor de US$ 1 bilhão por meio de acordos que serão formalizados durante a visita , informa Efe.

 
O Governo russo aprovou uma linha de crédito de US$ 1 bilhão para que a Indonésia possa conseguir equipamentos de defesa e armamento, informou hoje a agência estatal "Antara".

Com o financiamento, a Indonésia adquirirá 22 helicópteros, 20 tanques e dois submarinos de classe "Kilo", disse o porta-voz do Ministério da Defesa indonésio, general Edy Butar Butar, acrescentando que a dívida será paga durante os próximos 15 anos.

Os submarinos do tipo «Kilo» são navios convencionais, com propulsão a Diesel que foram desenhados ainda no periodo da antiga União Soviética. Os modelos em serviço na Rússia, têm capacidade para o lançamento de torpedos filoguiados. Entre as vantagens dos submarinos da classe Kilo está a elevada capacidade para resistir a perfurações no casco, pois o submarino pode continuar a flutuar e não se afundar, mesmo que um compartimento tenha sido completamente afundado. A última modernização da classe Klio é o projeto “Amur”, um submarino que no Ocidente recebeu o nome “Buraco Negro”.

"A Força Aérea também receberá armamento e equipamentos para o esquadrão de Shukoi, porque, além da compra de US$ 1 bilhão, também comprará seis aviões Shukoi no valor de US$ 335 milhões", disse Butar Butar ao jornal "The Jakarta Post".

A previsão é de que as companhias estatais russas de petróleo, Lukoil, e de mineração, RusAi, assinem contratos com as indonésias Pertamina e P. T. Aneka Tambang, respectivamente.
Os presidentes indonésio e russo também vão assinar acordos de reflorestamento e proteção do meio ambiente.
 

[ricardonunes]

Defesa: Assinado contrato para fornecimento de equipamentos

O contrato de fornecimento de equipamentos destinados a facilitar as operações de busca e salvamento no mar continental, através de radares, sensores metereológicos e sistemas de identificação automática e comunicação por voz, é assinado hoje, em Lisboa.
O contrato, que será celebrado na presença dos ministros da Defesa e das Obras Públicas, prevê o fornecimento de equipamentos e serviços necessários à integração dos sistemas de socorro e segurança marítima (GMDSS, Global Maritime Distress and Safety System, na sigla inglesa) e de controlo do tráfego marítimo (VTS, Vessel Traffic System), segundo um comunicado conjunto dos dois Ministérios.

O sistema GMDSS visa transmitir sinais de alerta e socorro a partir de navios e embarcações, a 30 milhas náuticas, de modo a que possam ser accionadas as operações de busca e salvamento e difundidas informações de segurança marítima.

Em contrapartida, o VTS é um sistema de vigilância e controlo de tráfego marítimo, composto por radares, sensores meteorológicos, sistemas de identificação automática, de comunicação por voz em muito alta frequência, de fusão e tratamento de dados, entre outros.

A assinatura do contrato, a celebrar entre o Instituto Portuário de Transportes Marítimos e o consórcio fornecedor do sistema VTS (Atlas Elektronik/Teixeira Duarte/Nokia Siemens/Case) realiza-se nas instalações do VTS do Porto de Lisboa (Torre Inclinada).

Diário Digital / Lusa

10-10-2007 9:38:28

[typhonman]

The program had great prospects, but will likely go down in history as yet another case of Liberal fiscal mismanagement. If they go ahead with plans for new subs, the Vics will have their upgrades cancelled and they'll be laid up in Halifax for the next 20 years.

Any ideas on possible replacements?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/cpress/20071009 ... k.ij_5kPUI

Tories may be considering new submarines, say military sources Murray Brewster, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Tue Oct 9, 5:43 PM ET


OTTAWA - The defence minister's office recently requested a briefing on how long it would take to introduce new submarines - a move that could set the stage for the replacement of the troubled Victoria-class boats, defence sources have told The Canadian Press.

ADVERTISEMENT

At the same time, a key refit contract involving the compressed-air system aboard HMCS Victoria has been put on hold, an upgrade which left incomplete would mean the warship would not be able to fire torpedoes.

Both actions raise questions about the future of the four glitch-plagued submarines that were purchased from Britain in 1998 under the former Liberal government and have yet to reach full operational status.

In the briefing, which was reportedly delivered by senior officials last week to Peter MacKay's new deputy minister, the government was told it would take six years to bring new submarines completely up to snuff, starting from the moment of contract signing.

A second defence source said a more conservative estimate of the timeline would be up to eight years.

A spokesman for MacKay declined to give details of the briefing.

"The minister has no comment on the substance of briefings, which are often sensitive in nature," said Jay Paxton, the minister's press secretary.

"The minister does view these subs as an important strategic asset for Canada."

The conjecture comes at a time when the Harper government is casting around for ways to bolster the country's sovereignty over the Arctic. The issue of the Far North is expected to figure prominently in next week's throne speech.

The four Victoria-class submarines are incapable of operating under the ice and naval experts have recommended that they be installed with an air independent propulsion system, which would allow for up two weeks submerged operations in the Arctic.

But the refit program for the current submarine fleet has been fraught with delays. A couple of weeks ago, the navy revealed that the upgrades on HMCS Victoria will take almost a year longer than expected.

In addition, the navy last year put off upgrading and repairing fire damage aboard HMCS Chicoutimi until 2010. On its maiden voyage to Canada in October 2004, an electrical fire crippled the boat and left Lieut. Chris Saunders dead.

Almost from the beginning, the $897-million program to buy the 1980s-vintage, mothballed diesel electric boats from the Royal Navy faced intense public scrutiny - especially after a series of mechanical glitches that included leaks, hull dents and rust. Through it all, the Canadian navy has been steadfast, defending the boats as necessary piece of the country's maritime defence strategy.

But getting the submarines up to snuff has been chewing up the largest chunk of the navy's maintenance budget, according to reports released under access to information. And each of the boats will require a mid-life refit in order to keep them operating into the 2025 time frame - a project that was estimated in 2005 to be worth an additional $865 million.

Defence sources said there are questions now about whether the Conservatives are preparing to cut the government's losses and replace the troubled boats sooner, operating the Victoria-class until a new breed of conventional submarine can be acquired.

"You've got wonder to what's going on, especially with all of the emphasis on the Arctic," said one senior source who asked not to be identified.

Defence expert Ken Bowring, a former naval engineer, said it's clear the government is on a fact-finding mission, but it remains to be seen what comes out of it.

"The navy is working hard to get the Victoria-class operational because they've got the boats, they want to do something with them," Bowring, who is a vice-president with the Navy League of Canada.

Liberal Senator Colin Kenny, head of the Senate security and defence committee, said the order time for new submarines is extensive and looking at possible replacement now would make sense.

"I can't see the Victoria submarines being with us for more than a decade," he said. "As long as they maintain this vital capability."

A possible replacement for the troubled British-built boats might be found in Germany. That country has developed a booming export business for its Type 214-Class boats.

South Korea and Greece recently lined up to buy the vessels, which are based on the proven Type 212 design - a boat that is powered by an air independent propulsion system much the same as engineers recommended for the Victoria class.


Canada e os Udolpher.

[Cabeça de Martelo]

Exercicio naval do Submarino Brasileiro Tikuna nos EUA:

http://www.alide.com.br/artigos/Tikuna-EUA/index.htm

Excelentes reportagem e fotos.  

[P44]

EMPORDEF assina parceria com Estaleiros Russos:

Cooperação industrial, técnica e comercial

Ainda no âmbito da visita do presidente Putin a Portugal, a Empordef assina com uma empresa russa (a Admiralty Shipyards) um acordo para reforçar a cooperação bilateral industrial, técnica e comercial para o desenvolvimento da área de negócios da indústria naval.

No quadro deste compromisso, as duas partes "vão aprofundar a cooperação bilateral na indústria naval, através do desenvolvimento de um projecto específico que inclua encomendas de serviços, compra e venda de materiais e equipamentos para a construção naval...".

O projecto prevê ainda "a prestação de apoio recíproco nas áreas de gestão, produção e tecnologias de informação na construção naval", adiantou a mesma fonte.

http://sic.sapo.pt/online/noticias/mund ... urpose=bas

[comanche]

Defesa: Chefe da Armada defende substituição urgente de corvetas e patrulhas

Almada, 26 Out (Lusa) - O Chefe do Estado-Maior da Armada (CEMA), Almirante Melo Gomes, alertou hoje que as corvetas e patrulhas, com mais de 30 anos de serviço, estão "no limite" e precisam de ser substituídas "com urgência".

O "recado directo e necessário" ao Governo, como admitiu, foi deixado pelo almirante Melo Gomes na abertura do ano operacional da Marinha, na Base Naval do Alfeite, em Almada, que incluiu um desfile de tropas em parada, e em que admitiu chefiar uma "esquadra envelhecida".

Em declarações aos jornalistas, admitiu que recursos existem na Lei de Programação Militar (LPM) e nos planos de investimento, mas que é preciso serem "levados à prática" para que a Marinha mantenha "a sua operacionalidade".

Apesar de as corvetas e patrulhas, com 32 e 38 anos de serviço, manterem "operacionalidade e prontidão assinaláveis", Melo Gomes advertiu que "não será possível manter por muito tempo os actuais níveis de empenhamento" dos navios.

"É necessário, é urgente que sejam substituídas por unidades tecnologicamente mais avançadas", afirmou Melo Gomes às tropas em parada, junto ao cais do Arsenal do Alfeite, no Tejo, onde estavam fundeados o navio-escola "Sagres", fragata Vasco da Gama ou o submarino "Barracuda".

O CEMA afirmou depois, em declarações aos jornalistas, esperar que os novos navios patrulha, em construção nos Estaleiros de Viana do Castelo, sejam entregues "no final de 2008".

A substituição das patrulhas pelas lanchas de fiscalização costeira "ultrapassou há muito o epíteto de urgente", disse.

Mas as corvetas e patrulhas estão "no limite máximo exigível", noutras áreas, porém, a Armada poderia "fazer mais, muitíssimo mais" se tivesse os "recursos adequados".

As potencialidades das fragatas e dos fuzileiros, afirmou Melo Gomes, "estão desaproveitadas", esperando que venham a participar em missões no âmbito das Forças Nacionais Destacadas.

O Chefe do Estado-Maior da Armada prometeu ainda "tudo fazer" para que "a especificidade da condição militar seja consagrada" na revisão dos vínculos e carreiras da função pública.

"Como comandante, compete-me criar as condições que fomentem a motivação e correspondam aos justificados anseios das pessoas, tendo sempre presente que os interesses da Marinha e a especificidade da condição militar são a primeira das prioridades", afirmou.

"A condição militar é demasiadamente séria para ser deixada apenas aos militares", ironizou.

Quanto à reestruturação do Arsenal do Alfeite, Melo Gomes afirmou aos jornalistas ser poss��vel que, nos próximos anos, sejam necessários 70 milhões de euros, como hoje noticiou o DN, para o modernizar e "tornar competitivo".

"Não podemos rentabilizar sem investir", afirmou.

Ao longo do ano operacional 2006-2007, os navios da marinha portuguesa, no seu conjunto, efectuaram 37 mil horas de navegação.

A Armada, ainda segundo os dados hoje divulgados, salvou 844 vidas, em 812 missões de busca e salvamento na costa portuguesa.

[p_shadow]

Defesa: Chefe da Armada defende substituição urgente de corvetas e patrulhas

O "recado directo e necessário" ao Governo, como admitiu, foi deixado pelo almirante Melo Gomes na abertura do ano operacional da Marinha...

Então... mas a culpa não foi das limalhas??


Cumptos

[P44]

Second Sandown-class Minehunter Delivered to Estonia
 
 
(Source: Estonian Ministry of Defence; issued Jan. 24, 2008)
 
   
 
 Today, Commodore Charles Stevenson, Commander of the Nordic region of the British Royal Navy, delivered the second Sandown class minehunter, ENS Sakala, to the Estonian Ministry of Defence. In total, Estonia will buy three Sandown class vessels from Great Britain.  
 
The Permanent Undersecretary of the Ministry of Defence, Mr. Lauri Almann, officially received the ENS Sakala at the ceremony, which took place at the Babcock shipyard in Rosyth, and the stern flag of a warship of the Estonian Navy, bow jack and pennant of the commander were hoisted on the vessel for the very first time.  
 
On receiving ENS Sakala, Mr. Lauri Almann said that the new minehunters of the Estonian Navy shall increase the capability of the Estonian Navy to locate and dispose of the sea mines that remain in Estonian waters as well as increasing its capacity to participate in international operations.  
 
“The Estonian Navy is not completely ready yet but today’s addition to the Estonian war fleet represents great progress in this direction,” Mr. Almann said.  
 
According to the contract signed with Great Britain in September 2006, Estonia is to purchase three Sandown class minehunters in all. The total price for the three ships is 800 million EEK, which includes refurbishment and maintenance work for the ships, as well as training for the crew in the United Kingdom. Sandown class minehunters use Seafox undersea robots to locate and dispose of sea mines.  
 
The first Sandown class vessel, ENS Admiral Cowan, was delivered to Estonia in April 2007 and the last one, ENS Ugala, will be delivered in the beginning of the next year. ENS Sakala will arrive in Estonia during the spring.  
 
The Commander of the Estonian Navy, Commander Igor Schvede and the Head of the Procurement Department of the Ministry of Defence, Mr. Ingvar Pärnamäe, also participated in the formal ceremony in Rosyth.  
 
-ends-

[P44]

Italy Awards Order for Four FREMM Frigates
 
 
(Source: compiled by defense-aerospace.com; posted Feb. 1, 2008)
 
   
 
 PARIS --- The Italian Ministry of Defense has signed a contract for the second batch of the FREMM multi-mission frigate program it is developing jointly with France. No value has been provided for this contract, which covers four additional ships.  
 
The contract was awarded to OCCAR, the European Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation, which is acting as the program’s joint executive, Italian Defense Undersecretary Giovanni Lorenzo Forcieri told reporters during a Jan. 31 media event in La Spezia. This contract brings the total number of FREMM frigates ordered by Italy to six, the first two ships having been ordered in 2006.  
 
“This program has substantial economic and employment benefits not only for the Riva Trigoso and Muggiano naval shipyards, but also for subcontractors such as Oto Melara, Selex and Elsag, and will provide work until 2016,” Forcieri is quoted as saying in Italian press reports.  
 
“We feared that the government crisis might block the contract’s signature…The FREMM program is fundamental for Riva Trigoso, where it will guarantee work-load for about ten years,” according to Sergio Ghio, trade union representative for Riva Trigoso which, like the Muggiano yard, belongs to the Fincantieri group.  
 
The announcement comes as Fincantieri is preparing to cut metal for the first two frigates. An event marking this milestone was scheduled for Feb. 8. Each ship will provide about two years of work to the shipyards.  
 
The four latest ships have been entirely funded in the 2007 budget, two by a special fund managed by the Ministry for Economic Development and two by the Ministry of Defence.  
 
Deliveries of the first two ships to the Italian Navy are scheduled for 2011 and 2012.  
 
The prime contractor for the FREMM program is a joint venture company between France’s Armaris (itself a joint venture between Thales and DCNS) and Italy’s Orizzonte Sistemi Navali S.p.A., jointly owned by Fincantieri and Finmeccanica.  
 
-ends-

[Cabeça de Martelo]

General Dynamics vence contrato para construir navio de US$ 1,4 bilhão para Marinha dos EUA

15/02/2008 - 12h20

SÃO PAULO - O estaleiro Bath Iron Works, subsidiária da gigante de defesa General Dynamics, venceu uma concorrência de US$ 1,4 bilhão para a construção de um destróier de nova geração, o DDG 1000, para a Marinha dos EUA. O navio, classe Zumwalt, terá capacidades furtivas (stealth) e deverá ser entregue em 2014. Essa embarcação será desenvolvida para realizar vários tipos de missões de combate naval.

"Sinto-me encorajado pelo impacto de longo prazo que essa concorrência terá nos trabalhadores da Bath Iron Works e sei que todos estão prontos para começar a trabalhar", disse o presidente da companhia, Dungan Shipway.

A Bath Iron Works, situada no estado de Maine, nos EUA, é um dos principais estaleiros do país no desenvolvimento de embarcações de guerra para a Marinha norte-americana, tendo sido responsável pela construção de navios AEGIS - sistema integrado de defesa naval com capacidade de direcionar armamentos de defesa e acompanhar até 100 alvos simultaneamente.

(José Sergio Osse | Valor Online)

http://economia.uol.com.br/ultnot/valor ... 83728.jhtm

[comanche]

Portugal/França: Marinhas vão cooperar na prevenção do terrorismo, buscas e salvamento

Lisboa, 21 Fev (Lusa) - Os governos de Portugal e França assinam sexta-feira um protocolo de cooperação sobre serviços de busca e salvamento marítimo, assim como uma declaração conjunta entre as marinhas dos dois países para a prevenção do terrorismo.

A assinatura de acordos, que terão sobretudo como incidência o domínio das políticas do mar, será presidida pelos primeiros-ministros de Portugal, José Sócrates, e de França, François Fillon, no final da III Cimeira entre os executivos de Lisboa e de Paris.

De acordo com fonte do executivo português, no Centro Cultural de Belém, no final do encontro entre os dois governos, serão ainda assinadas declarações conjuntas para a cooperação em áreas como a protecção do litoral e das águas do Atlântico contra a poluição e de cooperação no domínio da ciência e das tecnologias.

Em 2006, em Paris, no segundo encontro de alto nível entre os governos português (já com José Sócrates nas funções de primeiro-ministro) e francês ficou decidido que a terceira reunião, que se realiza sexta-feira em Lisboa, seria sobretudo dedicada ao tema da cooperação marítima.

"Portugal e França são dois dos países da União Europeia mais empenhados na construção de uma política marítima comum dentro da União Europeia", justificou à agência Lusa fonte do Governo português.

"Portugal adoptou em 2006 uma estratégia nacional para o mar e colocou este tema entre as prioridades da sua presidência da União Europeia, tendo-se realizado em Outubro, em Lisboa, uma cimeira inter-ministrial da UE sobre política marítima europeia", acrescentou.

De todos as matérias em discussão, fonte diplomática nacional destacou o protocolo para a troca de informações entre serviços de busca e salvamento marítimo, cujo objectivo, de acordo com o texto a que a Lusa teve acesso, "é optimizar esforços e reforçar a cooperação e a segurança em zonas mais afastadas do litoral".

O protocolo terá particular incidência em zonas como os Açores e as Antilhas, visando sobretudo as travessias atlânticas, os navios de passageiros e embarcações de pequeno porte.

Já a declaração conjunta entre as marinhas dos dois países prevê uma colaboração em termos de "monitorização e vigilância marítima, troca de informações e cooperação face a ameaças e riscos provenientes do mar ou que afectem a segurança marítima".

Com esta declaração conjunta, os executivos de Paris e de Lisboa, dizem pretender reforçar a sua colaboração em acções de combate à poluição, aos tráficos ilícitos e ao terrorismo".

Os governos português e de França vão também "instar" os governos de Marrocos e de Espanha para colaborarem activamente na protecção do litoral e das águas do atlântico nordeste contra a poluição.

O objectivo é criar a prazo em Lisboa um Centro para a Protecção do Atlântico Nordeste contra a Poluição.

De acordo com fonte do Governo português, em preparação está também a possibilidade de os executivos de Paris e de Lisboa assinaram sexta-feira um protocolo de cooperação na área da ciência sobre mobilidade de estudantes.

Este acordo, a concretizar-se, dará sequência às matérias que dominaram as conversações no II Encontro de Alto Nível entre Portugal e França, em Paris, e que foi dedicado à cooperação científica entre os dois países.

[nelson38899]

Half a century after the introduction of steam-driven catapults, the US Navy (USN) aircraft carrier community is entering an era that trades steam and hydraulics for advanced electronic circuitry.

Construction of the first in a new line of carriers, Gerald R Ford (CVN 78), is due to begin in 2008 and the USD10.5 billion ship will use electricity instead of steam for launching combat aircraft, cooking meals and heating sailors' living quarters. Its nuclear reactors will produce more electricity than any other warship, powering a maintenance revolution as well as one of the navy's 'floating cities'.

The CVN 78-class carriers - the fruit of the CVN 21 design and development programme - will have powerful new radar, upgraded landing systems and larger flight decks than their Nimitz-class predecessors. The ship's company plus air wing will number a relatively meagre 4,660 personnel, between 1,000 and 1,200 fewer than the total required in the older carriers.

Many technological advances contribute to the manpower efficiency gain. For example, radars in the new ship will not need to rotate, dramatically reducing wear and tear; and the USN says its new electromagnetic launch system can be operated by about 90 sailors, compared to the 120 needed for steam-driven catapults. Pilots on take-off may reap the most noticeable benefits as the new catapult will push them smoothly aloft, in contrast to the steam-driven jolt of the existing carriers.

"Going through a catapult launch is akin to getting launched on a roller coaster," says Louis Uffer, manager of the USN's Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) programme. "You wouldn't want to be jerked right out of your seat. You want to get nice and gently thrown on your roller-coaster ride. EMALS is going to do the same thing for the naval aviators who get to launch off aircraft carriers. This is going to be the start of whatever their thrill ride is, whatever mission they go on."

Thrill rides are an everyday occurrence for the carrier fleet, the centrepiece of the USN's fighting force. Each flat-top can accommodate more than 75 aircraft, with a lineup that typically includes four F/A-18 strike interdictor squadrons, a squadron of S-3B reconnaissance aircraft, a squadron of E-2C command-and-control aircraft and a helicopter squadron. Future plans will see the embarkation of unmanned aerial vehicles; in August 2007 it was announced that Northrop Grumman had won a USD635.9 million Unmanned Combat Air System-Demonstrator (UCAS-D) contract from US Naval Air Systems Command, after the company's X-47B drone was selected (ahead of Boeing's X-45) as the developmental testbed for the navy's first carrier-launched unmanned strike aircraft.

Also, the F/A-18s will be joined by a carrier version of the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), which will bring stealth and state-of-the-art electronics to maritime aviators. The USN plans a mix of the two supersonic combat aircraft, so that it can take advantage of the F-35's new capabilities without replacing its entire inventory and sucking funds from other programmes.

All these aircraft give the carriers their enormous combat power, including the potential to deliver nuclear weapons if needed. They also represent a shift in the navy's use of carriers and sea-based aircraft since their introduction in the early 20th century.

"At the end of World War II we had 99 carriers," says Vice Admiral David Architzel, one of the USN's senior acquisition officials. "Today's carriers are tremendously more capable. We measure things today not by number of aircraft per target but number of targets per aircraft."
www.janes.com

[antoninho]

Raytheon, US Navy Sign $61 Million Phalanx Close-In Weapon System Contract
   
   
(Source: Raytheon Company; issued May 15, 2008)
 
 
   
   LOUISVILLE, Ky. --- Raytheon Company has been awarded a $61.1 million U.S. Navy contract to purchase radar upgrade kits and other spare parts for the Phalanx Close-In Weapon Systems. Sixty- eight radar kits will be procured for use with the sea-based Phalanx and the Centurion Land-Based Phalanx Weapon System.

Phalanx is a rapid-fire, computer-controlled radar and 20 mm gun system that automatically acquires, tracks and destroys enemy threats. More than 850 sea-based systems have been built and deployed in the navies of 25 nations. Twenty-two land-based systems have been delivered to the U.S. Army.

"Along with defending against rockets, artillery and mortars in the land-based configuration, the Phalanx radars will support engagements of other at-sea systems such as the Rolling Airframe Missile against supersonic anti-ship missiles and other evolving threats," said Kevin Peppe, Raytheon's close-in weapon systems director.


Raytheon Company, with 2007 sales of $21.3 billion, is a technology leader specializing in defense, homeland security and other government markets throughout the world. With headquarters in Waltham, Mass., Raytheon employs 72,000 people worldwide.

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[AMRAAM]

La Russie finalise la vente de quatre sous-marins au VenezuelaAttendue depuis des mois, la vente de quatre sous-marins du type Kilo a été conclue avec le Venezuela. C'est ce qu'a indiqué cette semaine la presse russe. Baptisé projet 636, ce contrat est évalué à 1.2 milliard de dollars. Les bâtiments devraient être livrés en 2012 et 2013. Selon Flotte de Combat 2008, la location d'un Kilo pourrait intervenir d'ici là, de manière à assurer la formation des équipages destinés à armer les futurs sous-marins. Outre les quatre Kilo neufs, Caracas projette d'acquérir par la suite plusieurs exemplaires du nouveau sous-marin russe, l'Amur. Plusieurs industriels étaient initialement en lice pour renouveler la flotte sous-marine vénézuélienne, dont DCNS. Après avoir assuré la modernisation des deux bâtiments du type 209 actuellement en service (système de combat Subtics), le Français était semble-t-il bien placé. Mais Jacques Chirac, alors président de la République, avait finalement mis son veto à la vente de Scorpène au Venezuela, sans doute pour ne pas aggraver des relations déjà tendues avec les Etats-Unis.