LOCATIONS
LAND
01 Apr 14. Sea Launch, a provider of launch services for the satellite operator industry, is relocating its corporate headquarters from Berne to Nyon, canton of Vaud, Switzerland. The new address is Chemin d’Eysins 47, CH-1260 Nyon, Switzerland. Sea Launch will continue to use the present telephone and facsimile numbers and e-mail addresses. (Source: Yahoo!/GLOBE NEWSWIRE)
MARITIME
02 Apr 14. The Navy commissioned its newest littoral combat ship, the future USS Coronado (LCS 4), Saturday, April 5, during a ceremony at Naval Air Station, North Island in Coronado, Calif. Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mark Ferguson will deliver the ceremony’s principal address. Susan Ring Keith, a long-time leader in the San Diego community, will serve as ship’s sponsor. The ceremony will be highlighted by a time-honored Navy tradition when Keith gives the first order to “man our ship and bring her to life!” Cmdr. Shawn Johnston, a native of North Carolina, is the commanding officer of the ship’s Gold Crew and will lead the core crew of 40 officers and enlisted personnel. The 2,790-ton Coronado was built by Austal USA Shipbuilding in Mobile, Ala. The ship is 417 feet in length, has a waterline beam of 100 feet, and a navigational draft of 15 feet. The ship uses two gas turbine and two diesel engines to power four steerable water jets to speeds in excess of 40 knots. Designated LCS 4, Coronado is the fourth littoral combat ship and the second of the Independence variant. Named for Coronado, Calif., it is the third Navy ship to bear the name. USS Coronado (LCS 4) will be outfitted with reconfigurable mission packages and focus on a variety of mission areas including mine countermeasures, surface warfare and anti-submarine warfare.
01 Apr 14. Republic of Korea Navy receives 15th Gumdoksuri-class vessel. The Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) has received the 15th domestically-built Gumdoksuri-class Patrol Killer Experimental (PKX) fast-attack craft (FAC), Park Dongjin. IHS Jane’s cites the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) as saying that the vessel has been delivered by Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction to the navy command, located in Jinhae-gu, 410km south of Seoul. Upon completion of two months of test-run programmes, the vessel will conduct patrol missions, which are aimed at defending the nation’s shoreline and harbour waters, DAPA said.
“The high-speed vessel provides cooperative engagement capability and is fitted with the latest weaponry.” Capable of cruising at a top speed of 40k, the 450t high-speed vessel provides cooperative engagement capability and is fitted with the latest weaponry, including ship-to-ship guided missiles and 76mm guns, according to Yonhap News Agency.
The Gumdoksuri-class ships, which can accommodate a crew of more than 40, are also outfitted with surface to surface fire/air control systems and are armed with KSSM anti-ship missiles and advanced radar systems.
The two variants are the Gumdoksuri A, which is armed with anti-ship missiles, and Gumdoksuri B, a 200t patrol boat. Powered by combined diesel and gas (CODAG), the ships are integrated with Dyneema HB25 for protection against a spectrum of ballistic threats, as well as EOTS and tracking radar to identify more than 100 targets simultaneously.
In addition, they are protected by an aluminium and glass-epoxy resin layer to reduce the overall weight while maintaining flame retardant properties. (Source: naval-technology.com)
31 Mar 14. US Navy Decommissions USS Miami. The Navy formally decommissioned Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Miami (SSN 755), March 28, during an indoor ceremony at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine. Past and present crew members, their families and other invited guests attended the event. Miami was commissioned June 30, 1990 as the Navy’s 44th Los Angeles-class submarine and the fifth ship of the “improved” 688-class. She was built with an improved sonar and weapon co