MANAGEMENT ON THE MOVE
LOCATIONS
27 Jan 09. Eurocopter UK is to build a major new helicopter service centre at Kirkhill Commercial Park in Dyce, Aberdeen. The centre will bring the most up to date helicopter support technology to one of the busiest off shore oil and gas helicopter maintenance hubs in the world. The facility, which will be designed and built for Eurocopter UK by Knight Property Group, will be ideally placed to offer state of the art logistical and technical support and flight simulator training for the UK’s main heliport for the offshore oil industry. Home to major offshore helicopter operators Bristow Helicopters, Bond Offshore and CHC, Aberdeen is already a maintenance centre for 59 Super Puma/ EC255 family helicopters which fly an average of 85,000 hours per year in offshore missions, representing some of the most intensive helicopter traffic in the world.
08 Jan 09. Indian Navy explore options with privately-owned shipbuilder
The privately-owned Pipavav Shipyard expects to start construction of naval ships in the next two to four years, an executive at the Mumbai-based company told Jane’s on 7 January. Focused on lower-end vessels, it will be a significant shake-up for Indian Navy procurement. (Source: Jane’s Navy International)
16 Jan 09. Russia plans to transfer naval HQ to St Petersburg. The Russian military is set to transfer the Russian Navy’s main headquarters (HQ), which are currently based in Moscow, to St Petersburg. According to these plans, the first group of 800 officers and the navy’s commander-in-chief, Admiral Vladimir Vysotsky, will be relocated to St Petersburg no later than 31 December 2009. (Source: Jane’s, JDW)
22 Jan 09. HMS ENDURANCE: To Return Home. In a Written Answer (22 Jan 09), the Armed Forces’ Minister said that HMS ENDURANCE had “suffered extensive damage to her engine room and some accommodation areas” in December. It is intended that the ship will return to the UK, by heavy lift repair ship or barge, for repair. The projected repair costs are said to be “commercial-in-confidence” and are thus not available.
Comment: HMS ENDURANCE suffered a flood in her engine room on 16 Dec 08 and became stranded some 330km off Punta Arenas. The Chilean authorities provided tugs to escort the ship to Punta Arenas and then on to the Falkland Islands.
21 Jan 09. The Indian Navy will be commissioning its first helicopter base, INS Shikra, today (22 Jan 09). An impressive commissioning ceremony is planned at Mumbai to usher in the first helicopter base. The Air Station will be commissioned by the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) and Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC), Admiral Sureesh Mehta, PVSM AVSM VSM. Captain Philipose G Pynumootil is the first Commanding Officer of INS Shikra and will read out the Commissioning Warrant. The Air Station, which first commenced air operation in 1964 with setting up of a small Helicopter Maintenance Unit, today, provides maintenance and flying support to a diverse range of helicopters operating from naval ships at Mumbai. Operations from here include Sea King, Kamov 28, Kamov 31 and Chetak helicopters. The station also provides Air Traffic Control services to all civil and military helicopters operating in South Mumbai. (Source: Seawaves Publishing Inc.)
23 Jan 09. Monmouth fighting fit after Rosyth refit. Type 23 frigate HMS Monmouth sails from Rosyth for sea trials today (23 January), fighting fit and fully equipped for many more years service, following a ten month £11.5 million overhaul carried out by Babcock. In addition to essential routine maintenance work, the refit has provided HMS Monmouth with a number of improvements and enhanced capabilities, including enhancements to weapon and sensor systems. Major modifications to the main gearbox to handle the maximum power output of the gas turbines provide increased power and speed. The ship has also been made fit to receive an upgraded Surface Ship Torpedo Defence (SSTD) sys