Final River-Class OPVs Roll Off Line As Vosper Closes Woolston Yard

By AMI INTERNATIONAL

The HMS Severn, second of the River-class offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) built for the Royal Navy, was turned over to the service on 16 June 2003 by Vosper Thornycroft Ltd. The Severn, built at Vosper Thornycroft's Woolston Yard, will be followed by the HMS Mersey--the third and final unit of the class--which was launched on the same day at Woolston. The Mersey will be moved to Portsmouth Naval Base for completion and is expected to be delivered to the Royal Navy by the end of 2003. The first unit of the class, HMS Tyne, was delivered on 8 January 2003.

All three of the River-class OPVs are under a five-year lease arrangement to the Royal Navy. At the end of the five years, the service may either extend the lease, purchase the ships outright, or return the ships to Vosper Thornycroft. The Ministry of Defence also is considering contracting for two units of a modified version of the River class. Early in 2003, Vosper Thornycroft made an unsolicited proposal to the ministry for two modified units, but the British government has not made a decision.

With the launching of the Mersey comes the end of an era, as the Woolston Yard, established in 1907, will close its doors after nearly 100 years of building ships for the Royal Navy. Vosper's main shipbuilding facility is now a new facility at Portsmouth Naval Base.

Italy, France Kick Off Joint Frigate Program

The defense ministers of France (Michele Alliot-Marie) and Italy (Antonio Martino) signed a memorandum of understanding on 20 June 2003 to design and build 27 new frigates for both nations under the joint program designated Fregates Multi-Missions. These are the largest class of naval vessels ever built in an international project.

France will commission 17 units under the Future Multipurpose Frigate Program and Italy 10 under the New Generation Frigate Program.

The signing of the memorandum officially launches the project and follows a definition phase of the program in February between France's Armaris Group and its Italian partner Orizzonte Sistemi Navali SpA (a joint venture of Fincantieri SpA and Finmeccanica). The memorandum calls for the final feasibility study to be completed by the end of 2003 and provision to be made for initial design and construction of the frigates by early 2004.

Italy and France each are expected to launch their first vessel in 2008 under the cooperative agreement, which was first announced in November 2002 during a Franco-Italian summit. The Fregates Multi-Missions project follows on the heels of the Horizon destroyer program, also a French-Italian joint initiative, for the procurement of up to eight destroyers between the two countries.

France and Italy both apparently understand that it is best to cooperate in naval construction to save money and take advantage of each nation's strengths while allowing both countries flexibility in determining the best ways to cooperate.

With the combined frigate programs currently standing at 27 units, other navies in need of new frigates or corvettes may well consider joining the program to realize cost savings for all parties involved. Turkey, Belgium, Sweden, Germany, Portugal, and The Netherlands are in the beginning stages of programs for new frigates and corvettes and may view this as an opportunity.

Advanced Radar Funded For RAN Air-Defense Ship

On 10 June 2003, Australian Minister of Defence Robert M. Hill announced that his government will invest $4.7 million to develop Australian-designed leading-edge radar technology for the Royal Australian Navy's new air-defense ship program (SEA 4000). The funding is intended to further develop the CEA Technologies Inc./Saab Systems CEA-FAR active phased-array radar that was unveiled in September 2002.

The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) anticipates further developing the radar to be utilized in medium- to long-range air warfare as well as for ballistic-missile requirements.

The radar, unveiled at the MECON 2002 Conference in Hamburg, Germany, was advertised as part of the new 3,500-ton frigate of Blohm+Voss GmbH known as the MEKO D. At the time of the announcement, the RAN also said that it planned to install the CEA-FAR on one of its own ANZAC-class frigates for sea trials, and that, if the trials proved successful, Australia would consider it for use in SEA 4000.

This announcement makes it apparent that the RAN intends to move forward with CEA-FAR and adapt it to the ANZAC class as well as to the new air-defense destroyer. A construction contract award is expected for the first air-defense ship in 2006. At least three, and possibly four, new air-defense vessels will be built.

Russia Begins Construction Of Two Chinese Kilo SSKs

In May 2002, the Russian news agency Itar-Tass confirmed that construction began on two units of China's Kilo-class (Project 636) submarines during the first quarter of 2003 at the Severodvinsk Shipyard. Follow-on units of the class will be built at Admiralteyskiye Verfi Shipyard in St. Petersburg (five units) and at Krasnoye Sormovo Shipyard in Nizhniy Novgorod (one unit).

The eight submarines are being built under a $1.5 billion contract between the People's Liberation Army-Navy of China and the Russian export agency Rosoboronoexport. All eight units are scheduled for delivery to the Chinese military by 2007. This procurement follows a 1994 agreement under which four units of the Kilo class (two Project 877EKM and two Project 636) were delivered to China from 1995 through 1998.

First Talwar-Class Frigate Commissioned for India

Adm. Madhavendra Singh, chief of the Indian Navy, accepted the first Talwar-class frigate for the service from Russia in St. Petersburg on 18 June 2003. The INS Talwar, originally scheduled for delivery in 2002, was finally delivered following more than 18 months of delays due to recurring faults of the Kashmir (Shtil) surface-to-air missile system.

The second unit of the class, Trishul, was turned over to India on 25 June 2003 during the International Exhibition Salon-2003 held in St. Petersburg. The third and final unit, the Tabar, is undergoing sea trials and is scheduled for delivery by the end of 2003. The three units of the Talwar class are modified units of the Russian Krivak III-class frigates. Many of the characteristics found in the Krivak III and Talwar classes will also be found in the Indian-built Nilgiri-class (Project 17) frigate, of which the first unit was launched at Mazagon Dock shipyard in Mumbai on 18 April 2003.

Lockheed Martin, Sikorsky Compete for Canadian Helo

Lockheed Martin Canada, a unit of Lockheed Martin Corp., and NH Industries announced on 17 June 2003 a formal teaming arrangement for the pursuit of the Canadian Maritime Helicopter Project. Lockheed Martin Canada will bid as one of the prime contractors for 28 new helicopters that will be operated from the Canadian Navy's Halifax-class frigates. Lockheed Martin Canada will propose a bid for the NH-90 helicopter in direct competition with Sikorsky Aircraft's newest military helicopter, the H-92 Superhawk.

A decision on the prime contractor for the $2 billion project should occur by the end of 2003, or early 2004 at the latest. The Canadian Navy is expecting delivery of the first units in 2005. A total of 28 helicopters are scheduled for delivery from 2005 through 2008.

Final Point-Class RO/RO Delivered to Royal Navy

The United Kingdom Ministry of Defence announced on 23 June 2003 that the Anvil Point, the sixth and final unit of the Point-class strategic sealift ships, was delivered to the Royal Navy 20 months ahead of schedule. The Point class was built to meet a need identified in the Strategic Defence Review to move Great Britain's Joint Rapid Reaction Forces in time of crisis, as well as for sustainability and recovery of the force.

The six units of the 20,000-ton Point class were built from October 2001 through early 2003 under Britain's Private Financing Initiative. Terms of the initiative call for construction of the vessels and their long-term lease to the Royal Navy through 2024.

The first four units of the class (Hartland Point, Hurst Point, Eddystone, and Longstone) are being used to support British forces in Operation Iraqi Freedom.*

New Replenishment Oiler Under Construction in China

Recent reporting indicates China's newest replenishment oiler for the People's Liberation Army-Navy has been launched, probably from the Dalian Shipyard. The new oiler is in the midst of installation of two Type 76A 37mm twin guns. The new oiler is probably of the same design as the Similan (Hudong-Type R22T) class built for the Royal Thai Navy in the late 1990s.

Like the Similan-class oiler, the new one--171 meters long and displacing 22,000 tons at full load--also has a flight deck and a hangar for one helicopter. The new oiler follows the Fuqing class, of which two units were built, and is needed to support the new Guangzhou-class (Type 052B/C) destroyers under construction in China. The new oiler will probably be commissioned in 2004, around the same time the first Guangzhou-class destroyer is commissioned.

AMI International Inc., Bremerton, Wash., is an international consulting and naval intelligence services company located on the Web at amiinter.com.