You and me both.I best not say anything because I would probably get a warning or banned, or both all on the same post... due to bad language
You and me both.I best not say anything because I would probably get a warning or banned, or both all on the same post... due to bad language
Wasn't there more to that refit as well like... ripping up all the old decking and relaying that fireproof crap that Wellington had (I can't remember the name of it) As well as some of the machinery spaces and equipment ...?Over two years to be precise. MOD are saying that as at Sept last year exterior work was complete but interior work was still been undertaken. Canterbury went into refit in 1987 till Nov 1990 and got RCA 76, LW08 and new Sonar and that took a slightly longer period of time. I think there will be additional working up time in Canada due to the need to regenerate the skill set, but setting aside the weight / stability issues we probably should have followed Australia (in hindsight), and loss the CIWS. Still I do like Sea Ceptor.
Canterbury didn't get some of the extras, like additional fuel tanks etc. More focused on electronics upgrades. I think that's when they started withdrawing Seacat, as well, as I seem to recall she deployed to East Timor (based on photos) without CIWS.Wasn't there more to that refit as well like... ripping up all the old decking and relaying that fireproof crap that Wellington had (I can't remember the name of it) As well as some of the machinery spaces and equipment ...?
Both Te Kaka and Te Man have already most of that kind of work done to them in phase 1 and 2 etc...
I am sitting on the fence on that decision, there are for and against of the decision of Sea Ceptor... from cost, weight, less sensors required, a very accurate system (apparently), fire and forget missile ... to supply lines, and local allies not using same system, missile range, hitting power of said missile... etc, etc, etc...Still I do like Sea Ceptor.
Anybody able to expound (paraphrase) on what Mr Scott says in the rest of his article? Sadly, I can't afford Jane's exorbitant subscription fees. Just curious as to what the problem may be. In the March 2018 Navy Today it was stated that Te Kaha would be available for tasking in May 2020 - presumably that would be after the crew had been worked-up? I note that our esteemed Minister of Defence has recently paid a visit to the Seaspan yard. If I recall, in a Treasury paper several years ago - it was inferred that there were issues with electro-magnetic interference / compatibility.Answer to my question found.
NZ confirms redelivery schedule for updated ANZAC frigates | Jane's 360
A full two years and then some.
The NZDF website states that Manawanui was do to return to the operational fleet in November of 2019. Does anyone have info on whether she did or is she still undergoing her upgrading with the military comms and other mil spec improvements?
If I'm not mistaken it doesn't appear to be equipped with ciws as other illustrations of her and articles mentioned she would be?
Most likely get equipped once here in New Zealand... and it probably won't get done straight away either.If I'm not mistaken it doesn't appear to be equipped with ciws as other illustrations of her and articles mentioned she would be?
I came across this Official Information request (link) from 2017. It says the intention is "fitted for but not with" the CIWS & mini-Typhoon armament (see p.4)- so I would be very surprised if anything has changed in that regard. I wouldn't expect an embarked NH-90 either, just a Seasprite occasionally. The concept art released at the purchase announcement also didn't show any icing features. I guess if they had left the rainbows and the flying unicorns in on those drawings, it would have given the game away! My major concerns are the ship's speed (16 knots is pretty slow for a naval tanker), and the lack of a least one stores transfer station (something like the US standard STREAM rig would be ideal).If I'm not mistaken it doesn't appear to be equipped with ciws as other illustrations of her and articles mentioned she would be?
Thanks for that, the government repor you gave links to on defence acquisitions was an interesting read.I came across this Official Information request (link) from 2017. It says the intention is "fitted for but not with" the CIWS & mini-Typhoon armament (see p.4)- so I would be very surprised if anything has changed in that regard. I wouldn't expect an embarked NH-90 either, just a Seasprite occasionally. The concept art released at the purchase announcement also didn't show any icing features. I guess if they had left the rainbows and the flying unicorns in on those drawings, it would have given the game away! My major concerns are the ship's speed (16 knots is pretty slow for a naval tanker), and the lack of a least one stores transfer station (something like the US standard STREAM rig would be ideal).
Digging around the Parliamentary website, this document (link) from mid-2019 suggests Manawanui will enter service 1st-Quarter 2020 (p.3) - so expect late-March I suppose. It also states that Te Kaha's upgrade was then running 4-months behind schedule and expected her to be accepted after her refit in September 2020. Te Mana was then on-schedule. From the recent Jane's article, Te Kaha now seems to have have slipped to 6-months behind. Apparently, Lockheed Martin Canada has underestimated the differences between the ANZAC class and the Halifax class, and the difficulty of the Te Kaha upgrade! Hence the price increase of $148m. I don't know where I was getting the idea that electro-magnetic interference / compliance issues were part of the problem. I'm probably wrong about that. Seems like a systems integration issue. The systems the ANZACs are getting would perhaps shame a modern corvette, let alone a frigate - so I don't know what can be so difficult. Just a single Smart-S Mk2 air & surface radar (perhaps trying to do too much? - the Halifax class has the Smart-S as the long-range radar and an upgraded Sea Giraffe for mid-range air & surface surveillance), a single S-band & 2 X-band nav radars, no fire control radars, a couple of optronic directors (does the aft one have an issue with the heat from the funnels?), and a brand new missile system from the RN (which seems to work with the Type 997 radar and their CMS). A real grab-bag of different sensors (all bought beforehand in 2014 apparently). How could it possibly go wrong?
Aotearoa is supposedly to commission in May 2020 (see here, p.5).
Both linked documents are well-worth the read for other projects as well.
One thing I have wondered about, is if/when more naval vessels will start utilizing fibre optic wiring to reduce some of the EMI issues, and whether or not doing so would make an appreciable difference in the EMI issues. The material is of course more specialized and installation and repairs are more complicated, but the potential bandwidth available vs. most other wiring looms is significant.The upper decks of an ANZAC are incredibly crowded from an EMI perspective so it is entirely possible that more time than anticipated had to be spent in resolving mutual interference issues (that could easily be coded as "systems integration"). I have no specific knowledge of how complex that would have been in a Halifax but the upper decks do look quite a lot cleaner in that respect; and even if not, the actual issues will vary from ship design to ship design; and they may even vary somewhat between two ships of the same design.
The new ANZAC masts use lots of fibre but the EMI issues start when the electrons leave the antenna not generally in the cabling. It's interference between the various emitters and surrounding equipment (not all of it comms gear) that make emitter placement a bit of a bugbear.One thing I have wondered about, is if/when more naval vessels will start utilizing fibre optic wiring to reduce some of the EMI issues, and whether or not doing so would make an appreciable difference in the EMI issues. The material is of course more specialized and installation and repairs are more complicated, but the potential bandwidth available vs. most other wiring looms is significant.
Thanks Gibbo for the update. Greatly appreciated. Unfortunate that the process is so slow but it is to be expected. Once she gets away from the wharf she should prove her worth to the RNZN and the GOTD.