Mine Counter Measure News

HamiltonJet will collaborate with rigid inflatable boat manufacturer RIBCRAFT to supply 48 Rigid Inflatable Boats (RIBs) to the U.S. Navy.RIBCRAFT USA was recently awarded a five-year contract to deliver the RIBs custom-fitted for use in explosive ordinance disposal (EOD). The 11-meter vessels will be equipped with twin HJ292 waterjets, blue Arrow control systems and JETanchor technology from HamiltonJet. The contract also requires extensive spare parts and training to be delivered by HamiltonJet.A critical component of the Expeditionary Mine Countermeasures Company…

Ribcraft announced that the United States Navy (USN) has awarded a five-year indefinite quantity contract worth up to $43 million to build and deliver an estimated 48 of the 11-Meter Expeditionary Mine Counter Measure Boat. Ribcraft has also been providing the U.S. Navy with 7-Meter shipboard RIBs since 2014.The 11-Meter RIBs will serve to support explosive ordinance disposal mine counter measure platoons in both shallow and deep water operations. To achieve this, Ribcraft will build two configurations for mine counter measure operations…

RIBCRAFT announced that the United States Navy has awarded a five-year indefinite quantity contract to the company to provide the 11-Meter RIBs.Under the contract, RIBCRAFT will build and deliver the 11-Meter Expeditionary Mine Counter Measure Boat. RIBCRAFT has also been providing the U.S. Navy with 7-Meter shipboard RIBs since 2014.A critical component of the Expeditionary Mine Countermeasures Company, the 11-Meter RIBs will serve to support explosive ordinance disposal mine counter measure platoons in both shallow and deep water operations.

ATLAS ELEKTRONIK said it has received an order from the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) for the modernization of three minehunting vessels of the Frankenthal class (Type 332) in service with the German Navy. The objective of this project, which bears the designation MJ 332 CL, is to equip the three boats with the Integrated Mine Counter Measure System (IMCMS) and the mine disposal vehicle SeaFox of ATLAS ELEKTRONIK.

LR is participating in the MAXCMAS project, a £1.27million collaborative research project that aims to investigate, develop and implement real-time collision avoidance algorithms for autonomous maritime vessels. The MAXCMAS project aims to develop COLREGs (International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea 1972) compliant collision avoidance navigation for autonomous ships and other Unmanned Surface Vessels (USVs). Compliance with current and future regulations is instrumental to the wide-scale use of USVs at sea. Being able to demonstrate satisfactory autonomous operation that meets the COLREGs is also pivotal to maritime safety. The project also hopes to carry out comprehensive machine execution of the COLREGs and demonstrate these in part in real-world representative sea trials.

Over the next decade the maritime sector is likely to see one of the largest changes since sail gave way to steam. Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USV) are now being considered for various marine roles and the drivers for rapid development are significant. Unmanned or autonomous vessels have passed through the trial and evaluation stage and are now being adopted for civilian and military applications. The maritime sector now has the opportunity to shape technology developments from legislative and end-user standpoints.

She’s tough—capable of punching through 30-foot waves and riptides or smashing into rocks and reefs. But she’s also tender, providing hope to those in peril. Meet EMILY the robotic lifeguard—officially known as the Emergency Integrated Lifesaving Lanyard—a remote-controlled buoy that recently was used to rescue nearly 300 Syrian migrants from drowning in the waters off the Greek island of Lesbos. Created with support from the Office of Naval Research (ONR), several EMILY devices…

Britain is doubling its naval deployments to North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in a move aimed a showing enemies that "we are ready to respond to any threat", the Defence Secretary Michael Fallon has announced. Britain will play a bigger role in NATO maritime exercises and activities in 2016, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said. The UK will reportedly send five extra ships to the Baltic and additional troops to be stationed on a rotational basis in six countries bordering Russia. A decision on the number of troops is expected to be taken at the NATO summit in the Polish capital, Warsaw, in the summer. "Increasing our Nato deployments sends a strong message to our enemies that we are ready to respond to any threat…

Rear Adm. Mark H. Buzby, commander, Military Sealift Command, recognized 82 MSC military and civilian employees with commendations for their role in refitting USS Ponce (AFSB(I)-15) during a ceremony yesterday on Naval Station Norfolk, Va. Ponce, formerly an amphibious transport dock ship, was refitted by MSC in approximately five months as an interim Afloat Forward Staging Base and deployed June 1 to U.S. Central Command. Adm. John C. Harvey, Jr., commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command, and Rear Adm. David M.

BAE Systems and SeeByte Ltd of Edinburgh, Scotland have signed a Cooperation Agreement to pursue business opportunities associated with the UK’s Mine Counter Measure (MCM), Hydrography and Patrol Capability (MHPC) Program. BAE Systems Mission Systems and SeeByte have identified a shared vision for the managed introduction of autonomous computing into future military mission systems through the exploitation of ‘open’ or modular, yet secure, architectures. Thus they intend to work together to develop fully integrated MCM mission systems offering innovative, flexible and adaptable solutions for the adoption of unmanned systems into future MCM operations. These will be designed to minimise human operator load whilst providing maximum operational support to the Command Team.

Finning Power Systems (Finning), the UK’s sole supplier of Caterpillar engines, has signed a contract in excess of  $11.2M with BAE Systems for the supply of propulsion engines and associated machinery for the re-propulsion of eight Royal Navy HUNT Class Mine Counter-Measure Vessels (MCMVs). Following an agreement between the UK Ministry of Defence and BAE Systems, the vessels are to be refitted over a five-year period at Portsmouth naval base. Under the terms of the contract, Finning will supply the eight ships with sixteen Caterpillar C32 ACERT marine propulsion engines, gearboxes, mounting rafts, local operating panels and hydraulic systems that drive the existing bow thrusters.

L-3 Klein Associates, Inc. received an order from the Los Angeles Harbor Department for multiple L-3 Klein System 5500 dynamically focused Multi-Beam Side Scan Sonar Systems. Harbor and Port Security professionals with the use of dual L-3 Klein Side Scan Sonar Systems are able to identify potential underwater threats, such as Improvised Explosive Devices (IED), to commercial shipping. Captain Michael Graychik of the Los Angeles Port Police said, “We are excited to be one of the first civilian Law Enforcement agencies to use this technology.

On June 3, 2004, FDGM was awarded a U.S. Navy contract to upgrade the performance of diesel engines on the USS Warrior and USS Gladiator. The contract value is more than $4 million and includes refurbishment and upgrades of all engines to a configuration that demonstrated improved reliability and performance in a previous one-year test. Work has already begun on the USS Warrior MCM-10 and should be completed in August. Work on the USS Gladiator MCM-11 will begin in late June and will be completed in September. All work is to be performed in the Ingleside, TX, area by FDGM's Gulf Coast Operation, located in Aransas Pass, TX. In March…

The Navy's newest experimental ship sailed into Pearl Harbor July 5 to participate in the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2004 exercise. Of the 40 ships in RIMPAC, this ship stands out as unique. The High Speed Vessel Swift (HSV) 2 is a 321-foot catamaran drawing only 11 feet of draft, with a top speed of almost 50 knots powered by its four swivel water jets. According to Chief Mineman Paul Bertsch, Swift's engineering department head, HSV's primary focus during RIMPAC will be mine counter-measures, to include deploying divers and underwater robotic vehicles to seek out and disarm mines.

HMS Tyne, the first in a new generation of fishery protection vessels for the Royal Navy has been launched at Vosper Thornycroft’s Woolston, Southhampton, Shipyard. HMS Tyne was launched by Lady Squire, wife of Air Chief Marshal Sir Peter Squire, Chief of the Air Staff, and is expected to be handed over to the Fishery Protection Squadron (FPS) in November this year. The 80 m. Offshore Patrol Vessel is one of three River Class ships that are being procured in an agreement that is believed to be unique in modern times. Thought to b e the first time the RN has operated ships under such an agreement with private industry and at the end of the fie years the Ministry of Defense will have the option to extend the charter, hand the ships back or purchase them outright.

FDGM, Inc., a U.S.-based, wholly owned subsidiary of Fincantieri of Italy, was selected to supply Isotta Fraschini-powered Ship Service Diesel Generators (SSDG) to the Lockheed Martin Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) team. FDGM, Inc. is the supplier of Isotta Fraschini diesel engines in North America. Owned by Fincantieri, Isotta Fraschini specializes in the design and manufacture of specialized, high technology, high powered/lightweight diesel engines particularly for niche markets, including the U.S. Navy, Italian Navy, and international navies, as well as most of today's prominent cruise liners. LCS, a revolutionary naval combatant designed to dominate the world's coastal waters, will provide the U.S.

The role of unmanned vehicles in the war against maritime terrorism will be one of the key topics at this year’s UDT Europe, taking place at La Mostra d’Oltremare in Naples, Italy, June 5-7. Keynote presentations will highlight the technological advances in remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and autonomous undersea and surface vehicles (AUVs), and detail how these vehicles can not only be used for typical naval missions but also to counter the rapidly growing threat of maritime terrorism. Unmanned vehicles can perform roles in harbor and coastal waters surveillance, mine counter-measure operations, intelligence operations, and as integrated components of harbor defense systems.

Vosper Thornycroft (VT) Shipbuilding’s innovative project to build three Offshore Patrol Vessels for the Royal Navy has reached a major milestone with the acceptance of the first ship. Having successfully completed the trials program, HMS Tyne was handed over at a ceremony in Portsmouth Naval Base after making the short voyage from VT’s Woolston, Southampton, shipyard.The 264-ft. OPVs represent a unique procurement for the Royal Navy. They are believed to be the first ships built and funded by industry for charter to the Ministry of Defense. Under the agreement, VT will finance the $97M, build of the three ships and will charter them to the MoD for an initial period of five years.

Overloaded dry docks are not a pretty picture. They crack, buckle, flood, sink, damage the ships they are trying to lift - and sometimes even cause accidental deaths. Dry dock accidents are not common, but they do happen, usually resulting in dramatic photographs and disastrous physical and financial consequences. With past docking failures in mind, prudent dry dock operators strive to avoid overloading, normally through a set of manual calculations, but in certain cases through more sophisticated methods. A case in point is the AFDL-23 ADEPT, a rigid, one-piece, welded steel, floating dry dock that was built during WWII. Throughout the last 50 years…

Incat is proud to introduce the Evolution One12 112 metre Wave Piercing Catamaran, a new craft well suited to the demands of both commercial and military operators. Construction of the first Evolution One12, ordered by Incat USA, will commence shortly in Hobart, with delivery programmed for 2004. The Evolution One12 will be capable of carrying up to 1500 tonnes deadweight and will be the largest diesel powered fast craft in the world. Incat has selected four 20RK280 MAN B&W engines to provide the 36 megawatts required to power the vessel at speeds of up to 50 knots. Each 20-cylinder RK280 engine is rated for continuous operation at 9,000KWb at 1000 rpm for this application.