02/04/2017: Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis and ROK minister of National defense Han, Minkoo give remarks during Sec. Mattis’ first visit to the ROK since appointment as SECDEF.
The press conference was held at the ROK ministry of national defense in Seoul, Korea.
Video by Sgt. Ryan Sharp :American Forces Network Pacific :02/03/2017
02/02/2017: HMAS Arunta operates as part of the multi-national Combined Maritime Forces, predominately tasked to support Combined Task Force 150 for counter-terrorism and maritime security operations.
HMAS Arunta’s S70-B Helicopter (Skeletor) fires decoy flares for exercise while on patrol in the Middle East region.
Arunta is deployed on Operation MANITOU, supporting international efforts to promote maritime security, stability and prosperity in the Middle East region (MER).
Arunta is on her third deployment to the MER and is the 64th rotation of a Royal Australian Navy vessel to the region since 1990.
Credit: Australian Ministry of Defence
HMAS Arunta is the second of the Royal Australian Navy’s eight Anzac class frigates. The Arunta is based on the German Meko 200 frigate, designed and built by Tenix Defence Systems at Williamstown, Victoria.
Arunta is a long-range frigate capable of air defence, surface and undersea warfare, surveillance, reconnaissance and interdiction. Arunta’s combat capabilities have been significantly improved under under the Anti-Ship Missile Defence upgrade program, a world class program that provides an enhanced sensor and weapons systems capability.
The upgrade showcases Australian design and integration capability, with new Phased Array Radar technology designed by CEA Technologies in Canberra, upgrades to combat systems performed by Saab Systems in South Australia, and platform integration design by BAE Systems in Victoria.
Arunta is fitted with an advanced package of air and surface surveillance radars; omni-directional hull mounted sonar and electronic support systems that interface with the state-of-the-art 9LV453 Mk3E combat data system. The ship can counter simultaneous threats from aircraft, surface vessels and submarines.
The ship’s main armament comprises one five inch (127 mm) gun capable of firing 20 rounds per minute, ship launched Mk 46 torpedoes and a Mk 41 vertical launch system for the Evolved Sea Sparrow point defence missile. Warramunga also has eight anti-ship/land attach canister launched harpoon missiles and a vertical launch system for the Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile. The ship’s other defence systems include the Nulka active missile decoy system, offboard chaff and a torpedo countermeasures system.
HMAS Arunta, like her sister frigates HMA Ships Anzac, Ballarat, Parramatta, Stuart, Toowoomba and Warramunga features a “combined diesel or gas” (CODOG) propulsion plant which enables the ship to sustain sprint speeds of greater than 27 knots and allows an operational range in excess of 6,000 nautical miles at 18 knots.
The ship can embark Navy’s latest multi-role Sikorsky S-70R Seahawk helicopter which has enhanced anti-submarine, anti-surface warfare and Search and Rescue capabilities. Embarkation of a helicopter also provides the ship with the capability to deliver air-launched missiles and torpedoes.
Arunta has recently departed Australia on a nine month deployment to the Middle East Region for Operation MANITOU. This will be the 64th Royal Australian Navy ship deployed to the Middle East since 1990 and will be the first in an extended rotation which will see greater time on task for Australian ships.
Arunta is the second ship of the name. The original Arunta (I), commissioned in 1942, became one of the best known RAN ships in World War II . She served with distinction in New Guinea and the Pacific between 1942-1944, the Battle of Leyte Gulf in 1944 and Lingayen Gulf in 1945.
The name “Arunta” comes from the Arrernte Aboriginal people (also spelt “Arunda” or “Aranda”) located in central Australia.
02/01/2017: Maintainers from the 179th Airlift Wing jack up a C130H to inspect the landing gear retraction systems. (U.S. Air National Guard).
MANSFIELD, OH, UNITED STATES
Video by Tech. Sgt. Joseph Harwood and 1st Lt. Paul Stennett:179th Airlift Wing:12/29/2016
02/01/2017: Army Air Forces pilot Capt. Jay Zeamer and his crew piloted their B-17 Flying Fortress — nicknamed “Old 666” — on one of the most daring aerial missions of World War II.
Sent on a photo reconnaissance mission on June 16, 1943, he and his men fended off 17 enemy fighters while accomplishing their mission.
From this near-suicide mission, the crew would be awarded two Medals of Honor and seven Distinguished Service Crosses.
Video by Staff Sgt. Neal Uranga :DoD News :01/26/2017
For a look at the only B-17 still flying in Europe, see the following:
http://sldinfo.wpstage.net/an-update-on-the-sally-b-flying-fortress-january-2017/
01/29/2017: The Australian Defence Force took to the water, land and skies for Australia Day festivities in Sydney.
HMAS Canberra was the centerpiece for the ‘Salute to Australia’ which involves a 21 Gun salute by Army artillery from Bradfield Park and a fly past by aircraft from the Royal Australian Air Force.
Credit Australian Ministry of Defence:1/26/17
2017-01-30 The USMC is the only tiltrotar-enabled assault force in the world.
The USS America has been built to facilitate this capability and will be augmented as the F-35B is added to the Ospreys, and helicopters already operating from the ship and as unmanned vehicles become a regular operational element as well.
To set the proper landscape to discuss the changes within aviation and the amphibious fleet, one can go back a decade ago and look at the aviation and ship pairings and their operational reach.
The ARG-MEU a decade ahead operated within the LPD-17, without the T-AKE ship, without the Osprey and was primarily a rotorcraft, landing vehicle and mixture of Harrier fast jets force. And the three ship ARG-MEU would operate largely in a 200-mile box affecting the objective area where it was located.
The Osprey has obviously been a game changer, where today, the ARG-MEU can “disaggregate” and operate over a three-ship distributed 1,000-mile operational area. Having the communications and ISR to operate over a greater area, and to have sustainment for a disaggregated fleet is a major challenge facing the future of the USN-USMC team.
A major change in the ship can be seen below the flight deck, and these changes are what allow the assault force enabled by new USMC aviation capabilities to operate at greater range and ops tempo.
The ship has three synergistic decks, which work together to support flight deck operations. Unlike a traditional large deck amphibious ship where maintenance has to be done topside, maintenance is done in a hangar deck below the flight deck.
And below that deck is the intermediate area, where large workspaces exist to support operations with weapons, logistics and sustainment activities.
This graphic focuses upon the USS America deck synergy and the workflow thereby facilitated. Credit: Second Line of Defense
In Corps Report video below, the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit prepares for deployment with the USS America (LHA-6).
This is the largest US LHA ever built.
The USS America can sustain as many aircraft as can the entire current fleet of amphibious assault ships.
As Todd Miller put it after he visited the USS America last Fall:
The USS America (LHA-6) a maritime base, provides unrivaled flexibility.
Park it where you want in international waters. Forward deploy it to a region for any contingency, and a Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) is at the ready. The LHA platform is ideal for military operations involving troop insertion, (anti-terrorism activities) where the objective is to infiltrate, accomplish the mission and leave no boots behind on the ground.
The LHA offers the flexibility to adjust mix from heavy jet (F-35B) to heavy tiltrotor (MV-22B) or rotor wing. Utilizing the MV-22B and the F-35B, the USMC can effectively insert troops 450 miles from the ship in under 2 hours.
The platform offers the flexibility to work together with additional amphibious assault carriers (LHD) when amphibious vehicles are desired, as well as with the support of the USN Supercarrier.
Not a replacement for either, the LHA provides flexibility for the military to tailor a force most suitable for the mission at hand.
https://sldinfo.com/the-marines-onboard-the-uss-america-the-remaking-of-the-amphibious-strike-force/
In an interview with the Deputy Commandant of Aviation, Lt. General Davis, the forthcoming contribution of the USS America was highlighted.
The MV-22 is an incredible platform, it can go a long way at a high rate of speed, it can receive air refueling, and it can be configured to provide air refueling.
It can move Marines, and (configured) it can pass fuel to other MV-22’s or F-35s. That is a tremendous capability for the Marines and the Naval services.
These ships are designed for amphibious operations, MAGTF operations with the standard mix of Marine units that will go out (Marine Expeditionary Units – MEU), but occasionally we need to configure this to be jet heavy or helicopter heavy. In this case, this is a jet heavy deck. We could take up to 20 F-35Bs onboard, we put 12 on this time.
This is a 5th Gen strike capability that the nation does not currently have from a sea base. It is a tremendous capability. We had Vice Admiral Rowden (Vice Admiral Thomas Rowden, Commander Naval Surface Forces) onboard today.
One of the things we did as part of this test was the AEGIS integration with the F-35B. That’s a big deal.
That’s a big deal for our Nation, our Navy and our Marine Corps.
The Marine Corps is a force that fights across the range of the military operations, and this could be something that a combatant commander, or a fleet commander decides that we need to be able to do for a time.
Like we did during Operation Iraqi Freedom, where I think we had 4 decks loaded up with Harriers. We sailed over with helicopters on board and then flew Harriers in and flew off those ships because that was the best way for us to operate.
Video by 1st Lt. Maida Zheng :15th Marine Expeditionary Unit:1/28/17
We have published many pieces on the USS America and its role as a cutting edge platform to shape new capabilities for the insertion forces.
Some of these are as follows:
The USS America, CVN-78 and HMS Queen Elizabeth: Crafting Capabilities for 21st Century Operations
An Update on the USS America: A Discussion with Captain Robert Hall, February 2015
VMX-22 Aboard USS AMERICA: An Interview with the CO of VMX-22
USS America Arrives in San Diego: Enabling the Tiltrotar Assault Force
The Skipper Discusses the USS America: Shaping an Innovative Path to 21st Century Operations
The USS America on Track to the Future: An Update from Captain Hall
The Impact of the USS America on USMC Operations: “A MAGTF ACE on Steroids”
The Coming of the USS AMERICA to an Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG)
Ship Design and Innovation: Captain Mercer Discusses the USS America
Captain Hall Discusses the USS America: Looking Towards the Future
https://sldinfo.com/building-the-uss-america-factory-methods-shape-possible-uptick-in-production/
The Challenge to Naval Aviation: The USS America Answers the Call
01/19/2017: HMAS Melbourne (FFG 05) has conducted a three week Systems Qualification Trail (SQT) off the east coast of Australia.
The SQT, following a period of dry docking and maintenance for much of the year, is a series of measured trails designed to validate the ship’s combat systems.
The successful SQT included an automated Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM) firing, Practise Drop Torpedo (PDT) firing, Close In Weapon System (CIWS) firing and gunnery serials including 76mm and 12.7mm.
Additionally, the ship’s combat survivability was tested with increasingly complex damage control exercises.
Credit: Australian MoD:12/10/16
01/18/2017: The Hon Christopher Pyne MP has officially opened the Centre for Defence Industry Capability and announced the Defence Innovation Hub as operational and calling for submissions.
Credit: Australian Ministry of Defence:12/5/16
The formation of the Centre was announced earlier in 2016 with the release of the Defence White Paper. According to an MoD press release on March 8, 2016:
The Prime Minister, the Hon Malcolm Turnbull MP, Minister for Defence, Senator the Hon Marise Payne, and Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, the Hon Christopher Pyne MP, today announced the new Centre for Defence Industry Capability (CDIC) will be headquartered in Adelaide.
The headquarters will both foster and drive innovation in the defence industry right across Australia and open up export opportunities.
A key initiative of the 2016 Defence White Paper, the CDIC will bring together the private sector, Defence and AusIndustry to transform the relationship between Defence and industry to help deliver the cutting-edge capability our armed forces require.
This is a 10-year, $230 million investment that will create more jobs and drive growth in Adelaide and across the country.
The CDIC will work with small-to-medium enterprises across Australia to promote defence industry competitiveness and guide the priorities across defence industry.
The Centre will also offer a range of advisory services including mentoring, defence market access, export facilitation and global supply chain development.
The Turnbull Government recognises that Australia’s defence industry’s capacity for innovation will be vital to maintain a world-class Defence Force.
In addition to its Adelaide headquarters, the Centre will have a network of advisors in key locations across Australia to engage directly with industry.
South Australia is at the forefront of the Turnbull Government’s plan to renew Australia’s naval fleet, and create a world-class, sustainable naval shipbuilding industry. An innovative and competitive Australian defence industry is critical to support the delivery of major capability projects, including the Future Frigates and Future Submarines.
Innovation will drive greater growth and more jobs. This is essential to creating a 21st Century economy for Australia.
The CDIC, along with the Defence Innovation Hub and the Next Generation Technologies Fund announced in the Defence Industry Policy Statement will generate economic benefits, deliver jobs and encourage innovation across Australia.
The CDIC and the Innovation Hub will provide new ways for defence and industry to work together, and will ensure a closer alignment between industry’s investment in future skills and Defence’s capability needs.
Led by an advisory board comprising senior members of industry and Defence, the CDIC will commence operations in the second half of 2016 and receive $230 million in funding over the next decade.
https://www.pm.gov.au/media/2016-03-08/centre-defence-industry-capability
For a look at CDIC, see the following:
https://www.business.gov.au/centre-for-defence-industry-capability