LOCATIONS
LAND
01 Jul 13. Vector Aerospace and Sikorsky Aerospace Services Sign Agreement for Customer Service Centre in United Kingdom. Following an announcement at the Paris Airshow that Vector Aerospace has been appointed as a Sikorsky approved Customer Service Centre (CSC) in the United Kingdom, the company is delighted to announce that the fourth Sikorsky VIP S-76® helicopter has been inducted into the maintenance facility in Gosport, Hampshire.
04 Jul 13. Saab has signed a contract with Watpac Construction Pty Ltd for the installation and commissioning of electronic security systems for the Australian Department of Defence. The contract amounts to MSEK 470 and deliveries will take place 2013-2014. Watpac has been contracted as the Head Contractor by the Defence Support and Reform Group for the Base Infrastructure Works Project under the Base Security Improvement Program. This program will improve security at 16 priority defence sites. Saab is responsible to the Head Contractor for the integrated security solution based on own and third party products. This project will be carried out by engineering staff already working at Saab’s systems integration facility at Mawson Lakes in Adelaide, Australia.
02 Jul 13. The SNP government will unveil plans to build patrol ships for a Scottish navy on the Clyde, soon after any vote in favour of independence. Veterans minister Keith Brown will tell MPs on the Commons defence select committee that there is already a “gap” in naval patrol defences in Scottish waters and that scrapping the Nimrod fleet has left the UK without effective maritime surveillance aircraft. He will tell them the SNP would prioritise the procurement of frigates, along the lines of Type 26 vessels being planned by the UK, from its £2.5bn annual defence budget. Meanwhile, Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has admitted Trident could remain at Faslane for up to two years after independence. However, she said the SNP remained committed to scrapping nuclear weapons as a matter of principle and would not use them as a bargaining tool. (Source: The Scotsman)
BATTLESPACE Comment: £2.5bn won’t go far to build, man and support a fleet of Type 26 ships and have a land and air budget!
MARITIME
05 Jul 13. Libya: Successful Survey. The MoD reported (5 Jul 13) that HMS ECHO has completed a successful mission to make Libyan waters safer for passing vessels. The survey ship employed her sonar equipment to map wrecks, reefs and rocks off the Libyan coast over some 46.8 square nautical miles. RN specialists also hosted their Libyan opposite numbers for several days.
Comment: During her visit, HMS ECHO served as the venue for talks between the Chief of the General Staff and his counterparts in the Libyan Armed Forces on 4 Jul 13. The UK, in conjunction with the G8 group of countries, has agreed to train 7,000 members of the Libyan Armed Forces in basic Infantry skills. (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 13/27, 08 Jul 13)
01 Jul 13. Trafalgar Class Submarines: Withdrawal from Service. The Defence Equipment Minister said (1 Jul 13) that it is planned to withdraw the remaining Trafalgar Class (SSN) submarines as follows: HMS TIRELESS – 2014; HMS TORBAY – 2017; HMS TRENCHANT – 2019; HMS TALENT – 2021 & HMS TRIUMPH – 2022.
Comment: HMS TIRELESS. end of service date has been extended by a year from 2013 (presumably to align with the Astute programme). HMS TORBAY, TRENCHANT & TALENT have already had their end of service dates extended by two years. The in-service dates for the above boats were: HMS TIRELESS – Oct 85; HMS TORBAY – Mar 87; HMS TRENCHANT – Feb 89; HMS TALENT – May 90 & HMS TRIUMPH – Nov 91. (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 13/27, 08 Jul 13)
05 Jul 13. A high-tech Royal Navy survey ship has completed a successful mission to make Libyan waters safer for civilian vessels and pass on specialist knowledge to the Libyan Navy.. HMS Echo used state-of-the-art sonar equipment to map th