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October 2012
As global defence ministries give increased importance to small and economical surface combatants such as frigates and corvettes, Defence IQ explores the most recent and notable developments in national warship programmes.
Market studies have shown that demand for these types of surface warships has increased due to their low cost, low displacement and multi-tasking capabilities. The advanced weapons and communication systems integrated on these small combatants facilitate the effective performance of multiple tasks such as destruction of enemy combat ships, search and destruction of enemy submarines, anti-air warfare and fire support. As such, many nations are looking to flesh out their fleets, and news on developments is fruitful. Find out whats new in:
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and 450 crew members. Variance in operational tasks will impact the number of helicopters on board at any given time. Introduction of the first Mistral is scheduled for 2015 and will see service in Russias Northern and Pacific fleets. Two more of the ships are also due to be built, with an anticipated share of construction weighted 80% in Russia and 20% in France.
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The Indian Navy is finalising handover of its latest frigate, currently being built at the Yantar shipyard in Kaliningrad. Delivery of the INS Tarkash is scheduled for November 2012, following a three ship construction contract signed in 2006 and recently completed sea trials. The ship is a Talwar class, the fifth of its kind to be built for the Navy and designed for the spectrum of operations from surface-to-air, surface-to-surface, and anti-submarine warfare. Three original Talwar class vessels, based at Mumbai, have been in service since 2004. The first new Talwar to be built at Yantar, INS Teg, was commissioned in April 2012 by Vice Admiral KN Sushil, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Naval Command. The third was launched last year and is expected to see commission in 2013. At 125 metres and a crew contingent of 190, the ship has a maximum speed of 32 knots and an array of armed systems, of which the Yantar batch will include new Indo-Russian developed BrahMos missile systems.
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Canada has welcomed back the HMCS Charlottetown, a Halifax class frigate that has been serving in the Mediterranean and Arabian Sea on an eight month counter-terror and anti-smuggling operation. Charlottetown left port at the start of the year to take over the role of HMCS Vancouver in NATOs Operation Active Endeavour (OAE). Previously, the ship has performed a similar role in the Atlantic and in the Persian Gulf. From April, Charlottetown joined Combined Task Force 150 via the Suez Canal as part of Operation Artemis in further counter-terror efforts. During the tour, the frigate was accompanied by civilian technicians as the mission was also used as the test bed for the Navys first expeditionary warship deployed unmanned aerial vehicle. The ScanEagle UAV is designed to loiter for up to 20 hours and is discreet enough to avoid most levels of detection as it feeds video data to the crew and
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This would involve anything from anti-submarine operations (set to be added to 8 of the vessels) to anti-piracy support in the littorals. 13 units are scheduled for service beyond 2020, budget pending. Early estimates suggested 400 million per unit, but this is open to changing dramatically. By the mid-2030s, approximately 50 per cent of active Royal Navy personnel will be operating on either a Type 26 frigate, or the later Type 27 FSC variant.
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This month saw history in the making for the Bangladesh Navy as it launched its first indigenously built warship. The Khulna Shipyard worked directly with input from the China Shipbuilding Offshore Co., which initiated designs and materials needed to take the force to the next step in its ongoing expansion plan. The vessel is a Khulna class armed offshore patrol vessel is believed to have a displacement of around 300 tonnes and carries 2x 37mm and 2x 20mm guns. The development marks a significant point in the governments grand plan to build a powerful naval force within the next 10 years. Not only is the drive seeing new vessels joining the fleet, but existing assets are also being upgraded to suit emerging requirements and better coordinate with allied navies. The Navy has also placed an order with China's Wuchang Shipyard for the development of two sophisticated warships, scheduled for delivery in 2013.
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Welcome to Surface Warships 2013 Exploring the future of global surface combatants, Surface Warships will provide the ideal environment for industry and naval professionals to discuss innovative future designs and the need to keep current vessels battle ready through capability upgrades and refits. Attend Surface Warships 2013 to: Explore the developing requirements of current combatant programmes globally in order to help identify potential improvements in your own programmes Examine the need for future combatants to be able to operate in shallow waters and in an asymmetric environment given the likely regions where future conflicts will take place Discuss the advances in technology that could help to decrease the number of crew required to operate a surface combatant: Will there ever be a totally unmanned vessel? Debate the lessons gleaned from recent operations and how this is likely to shape future procurements. Can you base future decisions on past experience given the change in operating environment?
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