Royal Australian Navy Discussions and Updates

[StingrayOZ]

My apologies, I didn't detect the scepticism evident. I shall send my scepticism and sarcasm detectors for maintenance. No need for the sin bin and you are entitled to a double helping of pudding.

Your detectors are sensitive and I can see why they went off, bloody ASPI and their sensationalist head lines.
Are they monitising themselves or something? The article has some good points about a 3rd LHD, then goes off on bloody F-35 tangents. If you read between that the arguments are pretty reasonable.

The linking of the 3rd LHD to any fixed wing is probably determental to the procurement. RAN should just put some bollards on the dam thing.

 

[t68]

RAN should just put some bollards on the dam thing.

Put a snow machine on board and get some practice before snow season, waste not want not

 

[76mmGuns]

I think I saw a Harry De Wheels hotdog stand on the Sydney

 

[Hazdog]

Is there any interest in fitting SPY-6 to the Hobart Class ships in the future?

Cheers H.

 

[alexsa]

Is there any interest in fitting SPY-6 to the Hobart Class ships in the future?

Cheers H.

I would say no. Not only are the arrays bigger but the power demand is also much larger. The difficutly in reconfiguring the ship to address such issues is not minor and is simply not worth the money and may not actually be practical. The Hobart's are pretty tight as it is.

The USN will be maintaining the AEGIS/SPY1 upgrade process for some time noting they are still delivering AB Batch II+ vessels. If SPY6 is considered vital it would be interesting to see if that fount its way into later Hunters. However, I suspect you may need to wait for the follow on DDG's.

 

[ngatimozart]

Is there any interest in fitting SPY-6 to the Hobart Class ships in the future?

Cheers H.

I would say no. Not only are the arrays bigger but the power demand is also much larger. The difficutly in reconfiguring the ship to address such issues is not minor and is simply not worth the money and may not actually be practical. The Hobart's are pretty tight as it is.

The USN will be maintaining the AEGIS/SPY1 upgrade process for some time noting they are still delivering AB Batch II+ vessels. If SPY6 is considered vital it would be interesting to see if that fount its way into later Hunters. However, I suspect you may need to wait for the follow on DDG's.

Actually why would you want too if you have the CEA radars. LM tout the latest iterations of AEGIS as being sensor agnostic, so if that is the case you don't actually require a SPY series radar. Or don't the CEA series of radars have the same capabilities, qualities, and standards as the SPY radars?

 

[RDB]

Actually why would you want too if you have the CEA radars. LM tout the latest iterations of AEGIS as being sensor agnostic, so if that is the case you don't actually require a SPY series radar. Or don't the CEA series of radars have the same capabilities, qualities, and standards as the SPY radars?

The CEA radars would require more substantial changes to the ship's superstructure, due to the separate long and short/medium range arrays, each with 6 arrays. The SPY6 has only four like SPY1, and has been designed to be accommodated in the same location in Arleigh Burkes.

 

[Volkodav]

The CEA radars would require more substantial changes to the ship's superstructure, due to the separate long and short/medium range arrays, each with 6 arrays. The SPY6 has only four like SPY1, and has been designed to be accommodated in the same location in Arleigh Burkes.

I don't know the full extent of mod required for SPY-6 on a Burke but I do know SPY-1D was a very very tight fit on the F-100s. Power generation and cooling capacity was also an issue on the Burkes, which had more of both than the F-100.

 

[seaspear]

With some of the recent posts in mind about the Hunter class being built for N.Z the build rate of the ships at Osborne and even the size of future ships for the replacement of the Hobart class when possibly larger ships are required ,what are the capabilities of Osborne itself for further expansion and building larger ships to as well meet export needs at the same time if required

 

[Flexson]

Melbourne and Newcastle in CCGD undergoing refit in preparation for their new owner.
If you zoom in you can see where it looks like they have started to mark out for the new pennant numbers but I couldn't make out what they were.

 

[Stampede]

Melbourne and Newcastle in CCGD undergoing refit in preparation for their new owner.
If you zoom in you can see where it looks like they have started to mark out for the new pennant numbers but I couldn't make out what they were.

Do we know who the new owner is?
I understand Chile had some interest, but the most recent information I can find suggests Greece may be in the market for our two FFG's.
Would certainly be interested as to what price the Commonwealth gets for these very capable ships.

Regards S

 

[Rangitoto]

Do we know who the new owner is?
I understand Chile had some interest, but the most recent information I can find suggests Greece may be in the market for our two FFG's.
Would certainly be interested as to what price the Commonwealth gets for these very capable ships.

Regards S

"According to senior military sources in Santiago, the acquisition of the former HMAS Melbourne and HMAS Newcastle is expected to be finalised by the end of the year, with their transfer taking place in 2020."
Chile's frigate modernisation plans make progress | Jane's 360

 

[wowu5]

I would say no. Not only are the arrays bigger but the power demand is also much larger. The difficutly in reconfiguring the ship to address such issues is not minor and is simply not worth the money and may not actually be practical. The Hobart's are pretty tight as it is.

The USN will be maintaining the AEGIS/SPY1 upgrade process for some time noting they are still delivering AB Batch II+ vessels. If SPY6 is considered vital it would be interesting to see if that fount its way into later Hunters. However, I suspect you may need to wait for the follow on DDG's.

The US Navy does plan to retrofit a scaled down version of the SPY-6 (the SPY-6(V)4) to Flight IIA Burke without the major modification needed on the Flight III, so I don't see Hobart Class receiving the same kind of upgrade as infeasible.

With an eye to China and Russia, the US Navy plans a lethal upgrade to its destroyers

 

[Rangitoto]

The US Navy does plan to retrofit a scaled down version of the SPY-6 (the SPY-6(V)4) to Flight IIA Burke without the major modification needed on the Flight III, so I don't see Hobart Class receiving the same kind of upgrade as infeasible.

With an eye to China and Russia, the US Navy plans a lethal upgrade to its destroyers

Yeah absolutely. The SPY-6(V)4 (24 RMA) is designed specifically to replace the SPY-1D on existing vessels, fitting within the same space, weight and power requirements.

 

[vonnoobie]

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/fed...5b-to-build-and-maintain-20191129-p53fds.html

Much as I respect our armed forces they really need to get better at breaking down the costs into simple easy for dummies to understand presentations cause even I get a little worried when I see the out turned cost of SEA1000 at $80 billion and sustain, update and upgrade them at $145 billion. Would love to read the transcripts of the hearing but at the moment they still aren't up and not sure how long the wait is. The ADF pumping out big numbers isn't doing them selves any favors, Its hurting there case cause they aren't or cant show exactly where the money is going in what estimated years. Dont get me wrong media loves to hype, But ADF just feeding the beast at the moment.

 

[ASSAIL]

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/fed...5b-to-build-and-maintain-20191129-p53fds.html

Much as I respect our armed forces they really need to get better at breaking down the costs into simple easy for dummies to understand presentations cause even I get a little worried when I see the out turned cost of SEA1000 at $80 billion and sustain, update and upgrade them at $145 billion. Would love to read the transcripts of the hearing but at the moment they still aren't up and not sure how long the wait is. The ADF pumping out big numbers isn't doing them selves any favors, Its hurting there case cause they aren't or cant show exactly where the money is going in what estimated years. Dont get me wrong media loves to hype, But ADF just feeding the beast at the moment.

I watched some of the Defence and Foreign Affairs Committee in session on Friday and I have to say Admiral Sammut must have the patience of a saint. Some of the questioning would make your eyes bleed such as a failure to grasp the difference between actual pressure hull production start and hull verification welding before production start.
I think Rex Patrick, though condescending in making out Summut as his equal, at least understood the concept of technology updates as the builds programme advances.
What the press and half the committee seemed to not understand was the concept of cost expressed in today dollars as opposed to allowing for cost inflation over the life of the build along with the cost of “contingencies” let’s not all here fall into that hysterical nonsense.

 

[spoz]

Plus, the figures provided to the Goverment go into much greater detail, they just don’t choose to give them to every man and his dog - or senators. As SLC is normally only really a venue for political posturing by the opposition and cross bench of the day, no Government wants to give them more ammunition at the start of the process than they need to.

 

[Boagrius]

Yeah absolutely. The SPY-6(V)4 (24 RMA) is designed specifically to replace the SPY-1D on existing vessels, fitting within the same space, weight and power requirements.

You'd hope some form of suitably scaled SPY6 might be an option for the Hobarts during an MLU. I expect SPY1 will be showing its age in the 2030s...

 

[MickB]

You'd hope some form of suitably scaled SPY6 might be an option for the Hobarts during an MLU. I expect SPY1 will be showing its age in the 2030s...

Will the continuous build program do away with MLUs and just replace on a regular basis?

 

[Boagrius]

Will the continuous build program do away with MLUs and just replace on a regular basis?

For the Hobart class? I doubt it. Will defer to the pros on the Hunters.