LOCATIONS
LAND
12 Dec 14. DCNS celebrates the official inauguration of the main building of the Brazilian Navy’s submarine construction shipyard. On 12 December, the President of the Brazilian Republic, Dilma Rousseff, officially inaugurated the main hall of the submarine construction shipyard, located in Itaguaí in the Bay of Sepetiba. This industrial facility brings together specific resources and tools for the assembly and equipping of Scorpene submarine sections in the frame of the Brazilian Navy submarine programmei. The ceremony took place in the presence of the Brazilian President, Dilma Rousseff, the Brazilian Defence Minister, Celso Amorim, Admiral Julio Soares de Moura Neto of the Brazilian Navy, high representatives and the CEOs of DCNS and Odebrecht, Hervé Guillou and Marcelo Odebrecht. The responsibilities of DCNS for the construction of this shipyard covered the design, the definition of the functional specifications, technical support for the construction of the shipyard and naval base, worksite management and the reception of the installations and industrial equipment. The inauguration of this new building marks an important milestone for the programme and illustrates the success of the partnership with Brazil. The function of the shipyard is to assemble the submarine sections built in the Metal Assembly Production Unit by Itaguai Construções Navais (Joint-venture between Odebrecht and DCNS) and integrate equipment and systems. The inauguration relates to the main building, the shipyard’s largest installation. When it becomes operational, its dimensions and industrial facilities will allow the simultaneous construction of two submarines, thus confirming its large industrial capacity.
16 Dec 14. General Dynamics NASSCO celebrated the grand opening of its new location in Bremerton, Wash., yesterday. The facility will support the company’s recently-awarded contract to repair and maintain U.S. Navy aircraft carriers home-ported in and visiting Bremerton and Everett, Wash. Attendees at the ribbon-cutting ceremony included U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer, City of Bremerton Mayor Patty Lent, Kitsap County Commissioners, Kitsap economic and business leaders, NASSCO leadership and more. “We feel right at home here in Bremerton. This community has done a fine job in making us feel welcome,” said Jeff Brooks, a General Dynamics NASSCO senior general manager assigned to the Bremerton operation. “We look forward to providing high-quality repair and maintenance services as part of our partnership with and commitment to the U.S. Navy.” The Bremerton location is the newest addition to General Dynamics NASSCO’s bi-coastal network of shipyards. Other shipyards include its main shipyard in San Diego, NASSCO-Norfolk (Norfolk, Va.) and NASSCO-Mayport (Jacksonville, Fla.).
MARITIME
15 Dec 14. RAN prepares for March 2015 flight trials on first-of-class LHD. Key Points:
* First-in-class HMAS Canberra will be cleared to operate MRH-90, S-70B-2 helicopters by mid-2015
* In due course, RAN may consider operating UAVs from the LHD
The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) will commence first-of-class flight trials on board its newly-commissioned landing helicopter dock (LHD) vessel HMAS Canberra in March 2015, the service told IHS Jane’s on 16 December. The 27,800-tonne amphibious ship was commissioned on 28 November and is expected to significantly improve the RAN’s sealift and amphibious capability once it is cleared to operate aircraft such as the MRH-90 multirole helicopter, the S-70B-2 Seahawk, and the CH-47F Chinook. Commander Michael Waddell, Officer in Charge of the RAN’s Aircraft Maintenance and Flight Trials Unit (AMAFTU), told IHS Jane’s that Canberra first embarked an MRH-90 and an S-70B-2 on 26 November while the ship was alongside at the RAN’s Fleet Base East in Sydney. However, the purpose of this first embarkation was to conduct deck-handling trials including parking and lashing procedures, and did not involve flight op