LOCATIONS
LAND
31 Jul 14. Mexican Navy to invest USD125.5m on shipyards. Ministry of the Mexican Navy (SEMAR) will be spending USD125m to modernise its two primary shipyards at Tampico and Salina Cruz, according to locally reported government planning documents. The plan calls for the funds to be spent through the end of December 2016. The two yards are the sites for construction of the Oaxaca-class ocean patrol vessels and the Tenochtitlan-class coastal patrol vessels, of which the Mexican government intends to buy a combined total of 30 vessels. There are currently four of the 1707 ton Oaxacas in service, and two 208 ton Tenochtitlans with eight in production. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
26 Jul 14. The U.S. military assisted in the movement of personnel at the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli in Libya to Tunisia, Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby said in a statement. Kirby’s statement reads as follows: At the request of the Department of State, the U.S. military assisted in the relocation of personnel from the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli, Libya, on Saturday, July 26. All embassy personnel were relocated, including the Marine security guards who were providing security at the embassy and during the movement. The embassy staff was driven in vehicles to Tunisia. During movement, F-16’s, ISR assets and an Airborne Response Force with MV-22 Ospreys provided security. The mission was conducted without incident, and the entire operation lasted approximately five hours. (Source: US DoD)
MARITIME
29 Jul 14. The DDG 1000 Zumwalt-class destroyer program continues to progress, meeting key program milestones on the path to Initial Operational Capability (IOC). As the prime mission systems integrator for the DDG 1000 ship class, Raytheon (NYSE: RTN) provides the multi-mission, integrated combat system capability for the program. Raytheon’s recent program milestones have advanced critical mission systems of the next-generation, multi-mission destroyer, from the radar and combat system, to onboard systems integration and crew training.
“Progress on milestones continues for the three ships of the class, in labs, at test facilities and dockside at the shipyard – it’s an exciting and rewarding time for the program,” said Raytheon’s Kevin Peppe, vice president of Integrated Defense Systems’ Seapower Capability Systems business area. “The collaboration between industry and the Navy has been outstanding, all moving forward with a common goal – to bring this transformational ship class to life.”
Recent milestones include:
* Successful Test Readiness Review of Total Ship Computing Environment software, release 7. The 550,000 software lines of code – developed, integrated, tested, and delivered – build on the TSCE baseline of more than six million lines of code, and represent the first formal delivery to the ship that includes the combat system software as well as hull, mechanical, and electrical ship control functionality.
* A production AN/SPY-3 Multi-Function Radar successfully tracked air targets for the first time at Wallops Island, VA. The SPY-3 array, receiver/exciter and signal/data processor were controlled by the combat system of the Self Defense Test Ship, exercising various search and track modes, including the new volume search. The radar tracked targets of opportunity and displayed targets and data on the DDG 1000 Common Display System.
* Completion of the third session of instructor-led ship control systems training with members of the DDG 1000 pre-commissioning crew in Bath, Maine. More than 55 sailors have been trained on ship control systems to date; 85 sailors have attended TSCE operations training. Crew training continues, most recently with a session at Raytheon’s Portsmouth, R.I. facility – in the company’s Ship Mission Center, a realistic replica of the crew’s command center. Onsite at the shipyard, Raytheon’s Ship Integration and Test team of experts continue to support ongoing installation, integration a