News
for Yemen and eight Australian Customs vessels. integration services for BAE Systems. Thales will also
By utilising a planing aluminium hull, the 21.2m continue to be a key contributor to the combat system
inshore patrol craft combines economical perform- Design Evolution Team managed by BAE Systems on
ance at all operational speeds with superior seakeep- behalf of the UK Ministry of Defence.
ing in varying sea conditions. The commitment requires Thales to achieve a
certain level of performance based on time, cost,
Refit quality and other factors. It is anticipated that contin-
Cammell Laird
uing high performance by Thales Underwater Systems
business in the UK will lead to further new business
refits Fort Rosalie
success in the future.
Birkenhead, UK-based shipyard Cammell Laird has OPVs
completed a massive £28 million (US$41.1 million)
refit of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) Fort Rosalie.
Multi-role warships
Cammell Laird chief executive John Syvret said the
for Italy
refit was one of the biggest the yard has undertaken in
the last seven years. In total the contract employed more Naval Spyglass has reported that the Italian Navy has
than 300 staff over 12 months and Syvret said the yard is begun to draft details of a requirement for the replace-
actively pursuing other projects of a similar size. ment of its Minerva class corvettes and Cassiopeia
“This was a complex military refit which required class offshore patrol vessels.
considerable skills and expertise to deliver,” he said. Rome appears to be seeking a multi-role vessel some
“It included an upgrade of machinery, engines, 110m and with a displacement of some 2500tonnes. A
operational and communications systems, weaponry top speed of up to 30kts is being sought together with
and accommodation making her fit for purpose an endurance of some 5000n miles at 12kts.
and able to operate more effectively and efficiently. Italy appears to be leaning towards a concept
On behalf of the company I would like to thank the similar to that of the Danish Stanflex with ‘plug-in’
workforce and staff for all their efforts in making the modules for anti-surface, anti-submarine and mine
project a success.” countermeasures. The first of class may be commis-
“Highly skilled and specialised military ship repair, sioned by 2013.
refit and conversion is now back in a very big way
on the Mersey,” added Syvret. “We look forward to Aircraft Carriers
seeing the Fort Rosalie again as we begin the new
MoD ‘cluster’ contract, to maintain her and 10 other
Keel laid for
ships in the RFA flotilla. The fundamental aim of the
Indian carrier
cluster contract is for Cammell Laird to develop an
in-depth, specialist long-term understanding of the The keel of India’s first Indigenous Aircraft Carrier
RFA flotilla delivering a more comprehensive service (IAC) has been laid as Moscow demands another
and better value for money.” US$700 million to complete the carrier Admiral
Gorshkov.
Company News The keel of the IAC was laid by India’s Defence
Thales signs sub
Minister AK Antony at Cochin Shipyard on 28 February.
Design of the ship began in January 2003 and the 260m
partnering deal
vessel, which will be named INS Vikrant, will have a
displacement of 40,000tonnes and carry 30 aircraft.
Thales UK’s naval business has announced that it has Steel was cut in November 2006 and the ship is
signed a submarine Performance Partnering Arrange- being built in prefabricated blocks. The Navy Chief-
ment (PPA) with BAE Systems. The arrangement of-Staff, Admiral Sureesh Mehta, claims the IAC will
provides a commitment between the companies to be launched by October 2010 in accordance with the
cooperate on future submarine programmes. The aim US$654 million Phase I contract and that she will be
of both parties is that the PPA will significantly contrib- completed in 2014.
ute to providing an affordable and sustainable common The keel was laid as Moscow demanded more
combat system across the UK’s submarine flotilla. money to complete reconstruction of the RFS Admiral
Under the PPA, Thales will be the preferred contrac- Goshkov (to be re-named) INS Vikramaditya. The
tor for submarine sonar work in support of BAE original agreement in 2004 was for US$970 million,
Systems’ submarine build and combat system design then Russia wanted an additional US$1.2 billion,
work. This will include providing sonar functional while the latest demand takes the programme’s total
10
Warship Technology May 2009
p6-7-8-9-10-11_WT_May09.indd 10 17/04/2009 10:35:44
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