LOCATIONS
MARITIME
24 Oct 24. New 920 Gun Boat expands Twiga’s maritime range. Twiga’s new 920 Gun Boat is the latest addition to its line of virtually indestructible rugged military patrol boats that have been gaining traction in the African market.
Damian de Lange, CEO of Twiga Services & Logistics, said the company’s rugged patrol boats provide a virtually indestructible water platform from which security and defence forces can conduct operations in maritime areas where many threats to boats’ hulls arise.
“Twiga’s Rugged Patrol Boats can be fitted with a range of sensors, weapon systems, observation equipment and humanitarian aid equipment that enables the conduct of the necessary operations in these challenging operational areas. The hulls of Twiga’s boats will probably last in excess of 20 years making them an economically viable water platform,” he said, as the hulls are made from High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) that can endure extremely harsh working conditions. If damaged, these boats are easily and cheaply repaired. The hulls have been subjected to ballistic tests with different calibre weapons, which showed minimal damage unlikely to cause the boat to sink.
The Rugged Military Patrol Boats (MPB) have been designed for riverine or lake operations, and close-to-shore missions, and are suited for high-speed interdiction, counter-piracy, and countering illegal activities like smuggling, human trafficking, and poaching. The MPB also serves as an indirect fire platform, logistic support for maritime operations and for transportation of personnel and cargo for humanitarian aid activities.
The effectiveness of Twiga’s boats could be seen during Covid when South Africa’s Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF) approached Twiga for the loan of one of its boats for counter poaching – particularly the poaching of crayfish in the Western Cape.
“The initial loan of six months of an 850 Rugged Patrol Boat was extended repeatedly due to the effectiveness of the boat around Cape Town, the West Coast and on the Eastern Seaboard. We have been told that the boat became known as the ‘black ghost’ and some told us that there were more than four black ghosts operating. We know it was only one boat but that due to its power and sensors was able to operate off the West Coast and then later the same night move to the eastern seaboard for similar operations. We see our boats as being a viable water platform for the Border Management Authority (BMA) for the long term conduct of their operations on South Africa’s sea-board,” de Lange stated. The BMA is acquiring speed boats to bolster its maritime security operations.
De Lange explained that Twiga works closely with operators to meet their requirements, including fitment or future fitment of sensors, observations equipment, weapon systems etc. The company is exploring opportunities with like-minded South African companies that already work in the maritime sector, and there is a wide range who have the sensors, drones, observation and other ancillary equipment that can be fitted to Twiga’s Rugged Military Patrol Boats.
A trend de Lange has noticed due to the escalation of conflict on the African continent, where borders are often rivers or lakes, is an increased demand for greater power and bigger firepower as the water is being used a battlefield rather than as a logistic route. “A number of new Gun Boats are in the design phase currently,” he said.
At the recent Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) 2024 exhibition, Twiga presented one of its latest Gun Boats – the 920, a wider boat with significant power and hard points for three 12.7 mm machine guns.
The 920 joins Twiga’s numerous other models, including the 580 Utility boat, with a total payload of 1 000 kg and suitable for general work and rescue support operations; 720 Centre point Lift boat; 650 Centre point Lift boat; 850 narrow beam patrol boat range, available in Gun and Logistics forms; and 1050 wide beam range, designed to meet a number of requirements such as support for water operations, troop carrier, command boat and general rescue boat.
These boats have been exported – for example, in June 2018 the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) took into service four 850 Military Patrol Boats under a contract by Impala Services and Logistics Limited of Uganda. The UPDF subsequently took into service the 1050 Command boat, with an air-conditioned and ballistically protected cabin, and additional 850 Gun boats.
Also on the Twiga stand at AAD was its Nyati armoured personnel carrier (APC). This modern mine- and ballistically-protected 4×4 was designed partly at the request of the launch customer Uganda and partly to meet modern requirements for a heavily armed, well protected and low-cost vehicle for African conditions. The Nyati comes in a range of different variants suitable for a multitude of missions, including battlefield ambulance and weapon platform.
A turret can be mounted on the roof and accommodate weapons up to 20 mm. This can be either electrically or manually driven. In addition, two roof-mounted 7.62 mm machine gun mounts can be positioned on the rear of the roof, and there are 12 firing ports around the vehicle. The Nyati is manufactured in Uganda as the Chui (Leopard). Compared to the baseline Nyati, the Chui incorporates elements required by the Ugandan military.
Twiga’s latest vehicle, the 4×4 Nkwe, revealed at AAD 2024 for the first time, provides a STANAG Level 2 ballistic and mine protected platform suitable for urban and rural operations. The Nkwe is powered by a modern drive line that ensures supply of components well into the future, de Lange emphasised. In addition, the Nkwe project provides a complete upgrade for the Mamba and Nyoka range of 8 tonne armoured vehicles.
(Source: https://www.defenceweb.co.za/)
24 Oct 24. India Project 75-Alpha SSNs to boost ASW role, says GlobalData.
The submarines will also bolster the Navy’s ability to tackle regional security challenges and detect and track Chinese subs. The nuclear-powered attack submarines are expected to enhance India’s power projection in the Indo-Pacific region. Credit: Aleksandr Merkushev/Shutterstock.
As military operations escalate in the Asia-Pacific region, countries like India, China, South Korea, and Australia are ramping up their investments in advanced submarine classes.
India’s Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) has recently given the green light to the indigenous construction of two Project 75-Alpha nuclear attack submarines (SSNs), which is seen as a strategic move to upgrade and bolster the Indian Navy’s ability in carrying out anti-submarine warfare (ASW) roles in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
GlobalData’s report, ‘Global Submarine Market Analysis and Forecast to 2033,’ says that India is projected to spend approximately $31.6bn on submarine procurement over the next ten years.
Of this investment, 30.5% will be allocated to the Project 75-Alpha SSNs. India plans to acquire a total of six SSNs under this programme, with an estimated value of $17bn.
The Project 75-Alpha acquisition programme is a collaboration between the Defence Research and Development Organisation, the Department of Atomic Energy, and the Indian Navy, aiming to develop a submarine with a 6,000-tonne displacement.
The submarines are expected to have a wide range of capabilities, including ASW, anti-surface warfare, and strike missions.
Additionally, the SSNs, in conjunction with the Indian Navy’s P-8I maritime patrol aircraft, are expected to improve the service’s capacity to detect and track Chinese submarines operating in the IOR.
The Project 75-Alpha SSNs are expected to enhance India’s power projection in the Indo-Pacific region and promote self-reliance in defence technology.
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GlobalData Aerospace and Defence analyst Udayini Aakunoor said: “The acquisition of SSNs is a strategic move by India to modernise its Navy and tackle regional security challenges.
To be built at the Ship Building Centre located in Vishakhapatnam with participation from the domestic private sector, they are expected to boost the country’s autonomy in complex naval shipbuilding.”
The report also noted that the need for a reliable sea-based deterrent among nuclear-armed states is expected to boost submarine procurement from 2023 to 2033. As detection technologies advance, older submarine fleets are becoming less effective in terms of stealth. Consequently, many navies are launching initiatives to replace aging submarines, which will also impact demand during this period. (Source: naval-technology.com)
PLANT CLOSURES, STRIKES AND JOB LOSSES
21 Oct 24. UK planning to expand submarine recycling programme in 2025. Ongoing work on the dismantling of HMS Swiftsure will inform practices for the planned recycling of dozens of decommissioned UK submarines. The UK’s ongoing work to dismantle the former nuclear-powered attack submarine HMS Swiftsure remains “on track” to complete in 2026, while plans are underway to determine the next two boats to be sent for recycling ahead of a possible contract award in 2025.
The recycling of HMS Swiftsure is being used as a demonstrator for the UK Ministry of Defence’s (MoD) Submarine Dismantling Project (SDP), intended to develop a UK sovereign capability to fully dispose of decommissioned nuclear-powered submarines at Babcock’s Rosyth facility.
UK Minister for the Armed Forces Luke Pollard stated on 18 October 2024, that the dismantling of HMS Swiftsure was “on track”, with the process serving to “inform a baseline approach and schedule” for all current decommissioned Royal Navy submarines.
“We are currently working with Babcock in Rosyth to plan for the next two boats in sequence, with a view to being on contract next year,” Pollard said.
It is thought likely that HMS Valiant, lead boat of the Valiant-class nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSN), will be one of the two boats placed on contract for recycling in 2025.
Delivering the SDP
In 2023 the dismantling of HMS Swiftsure got underway at Babcock’s shipyard in Rosyth, with the initial timeline scheduling a completion end the end of 2026.
Around 90% of components, including steel, can be reused for recycling in the process, which will all be undertaken at the Rosyth site. Commissioned into service in 1972, HMS Swiftsure was the lead boat in the Swiftsure-class SSNs and operated until its decommissioning in 1992.
The MoD’s SDP is managed by the Submarine Delivery Agency (SDA) and is responsible for potential dismantling 27 nuclear submarines; 22 of which are decommissioned and have left service, while five currently continue to be operated by the Royal Navy.
Following two public consultations, the UK MoD selected a three-stage approach to dismantling, having also engaged with Nato partners, likely to gather information on processes and recycling practices.
In Nato, the US and France are the only two other operators of nuclear-powered submarines, although countries such as Italy, Sweden, Germany, and Norway, among others, utilise conventionally powered diesel-electric submarines.
Babcock’s Royal Naval Dockyard at HMNB Devonport has undergone an extensive modernisation programme to includes improvements to submarine sustainment facilities and the ability to defuel decommissioned nuclear-powered submarines.
Early in 2024 it was reported by Naval Technology that the naval reactor dismantling facility, located at 14 Dock inside HMNB Devonport, was due to begin operations later the same year.
Babcock expected that one decommissioned nuclear submarine will be able to be dismantled per year, although once nuclear contaminated material had been removed at the 14 Dock facility, the remaining hull or casing of the submarine could be scrapped outside of the Royal Naval Dockyard.
UK submarine recapitalisation
The outcome of the work being undertaken to dismantle HMS Swiftsure will in turn provide a better understanding in how to expand the process to HMNB Devonport, where the majority of the Royal Navy’s decommissioned submarines are housed. In total, seven of the submarines intended to be recycled in Rosyth, with the remaining 20 in Devonport.
According to a 2019 investigation by the UK’s National Audit Office into submarine defuelling and dismantling, the MoD had spent an estimated £500m ($651m) since 1980 on storing and maintaining its retired nuclear submarines.
The UK currently has five of the latest Astute-class SSNs in service or commissioned (Astute, Ambush, Artful, Audacious, and Anson), along with a single remaining Trafalgar-class SSN, HMS Triumph.
A sixth Astute class, HMS Agamemnon, was recently lowered into the water at the BAE Systems submarine yard in Barrow-in-Furness, while a seventh, HMS Agincourt, is still under construction.
Each of the Astute-class SSNs cost between £1.3-1.6bn and are expected to service for at least 25 years with the Royal Navy.
In addition, the RN operates four Vanguard-class SSBNs (Vanguard, Victorious, Vigilant, Vengeance), which will be replaced by the incoming Dreadnought-class submarines, with the first-in-class currently in manufacture in Barrow-in-Furness.
The UK has also begun the process to replace the Astute class with the planned AUKUS-SSN being developed for use by the Royal Navy and Australia. The class is effectively an evolution of the UK’s SSNR (Submersible Ship Nuclear Replacement) concept originally intended as the Astute-class replacement.
The AUKUS SSN is likely to feature the under-development Pressurised Water Reactor 3 (PWR3) that will be installed on the Dreadnought-class SSBNs and feature a vertical launch system from which to fire embarked surface and land attack munitions. (Source: naval-technology.com)
MILITARY AND GOVERNMENT
PERSONNEL
EUROPE APPOINTMENTS
25 Oct 24. The new Defence Select Committee announced.
Tan Singh (Lab) Chair
Alex Baker (Lab) Aldershot
Emma Lewe-Buck (Lab) South Shields
Michelle Scrogham (Lab( Barrow and Furness
Derek Twigg (Lab) Widnes and Halewood
Calvin Bailey (Lab) Leyton and Wanstead
Lincoln Jopp (Con) Spelthorne
Jesses Norman(Con) Hereford and South Herefordshire
Fred Thomas (Lab) Plymouth Moor View
21 Oct 24. Mr Irfan Siddiq OBE has been appointed His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Republic of Iraq in succession to Mr Stephen Hitchen who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment.
INDUSTRY
PERSONNEL
EUROPE APPOINTMENTS
14 Oct 24. Eamonn Brennan joins ANRA Technologies Board of Directors. ANRA Technologies today announced the appointment of Eamonn Brennan to its Board of Directors. Mr. Brennan has over 35 years of global experience in aviation and air traffic management (ATM), having held prestigious leadership roles shaping the future of airspace management and aviation policy. Before joining ANRA Technologies, Mr. Brennan served as the Director General of EUROCONTROL from 2018 to 2022 and was the Chief Executive of the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA). Eamonn has been a central figure in European aviation for many years. (Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)
U.S. APPOINTMENTS
21 Oct 24. CACI International Inc (NYSE: CACI) announced today that Scott C. Morrison has been elected by shareholders to its Board of Directors, effective immediately. Morrison will serve as an independent director on the Board. Morrison joins CACI’s Board of Directors from his most recent role as executive vice president and chief financial officer of Ball Corporation, sustainable packaging solutions for beverage, food, and household products customers. Morrison’s distinguished career spanned more than two decades with the company serving in roles of increasing responsibilities. Morrison joined Ball in 2000, initially serving as treasurer and later assuming the roles of vice president and treasurer in 2002, senior vice president and CFO in 2009, and dual responsibilities, including interim COO for global beverage packaging, in 2014. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
21 Oct 24. CACI International Inc (NYSE: CACI) announced today that Charles L. Szews has been elected by shareholders to its Board of Directors, effective immediately. Szews will serve as an independent director on the board.
From 2012 to 2015, Szews served as chief executive officer (CEO) of Oshkosh Corporation, a designer, manufacturer, and marketer of specialty vehicles and vehicle bodies. He joined Oshkosh in 1996 as vice president and chief financial officer (CFO). Later, he served in various roles of increasing authority, including executive vice president and CFO from 1997 to 2007, president and COO from 2007 to 2011, president and CEO from 2011 to 2012, and finally, CEO before retiring at the end of 2015.
(Source: BUSINESS WIRE)