New vessels have been handed over to the Indian Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force as a US Navy destroyer commences trials. Construction has meanwhile begun on a new US Navy amphibious ship. Lastly, a recently signed agreement calls for the establishment of a new production and support facility for corvettes for various international operators.
Japan's third Mogami-class stealth frigate enters service
The Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF) recently commissioned a new stealth frigate into service.
JS Noshiro is the third ship in the eight-strong Mogami-class frigates, which were developed in response to the JMSDF's need for multi-role surface combatants to replace the Asagiri-class destroyers and Abukuma-class destroyer escorts originally designed in the 1980s. The newer frigates also possess nearly similar capabilities as the Akizuki-class destroyers but with smaller crew complements and fewer missile launchers.
The ship's armament includes a BAE Systems 127-millimetre naval gun, Mitsubishi Type 17 anti-ship missiles, Raytheon RIM-116 and Type 03 surface-to-air missiles, Mitsubishi Type 12 torpedoes, machine guns on remote weapon stations, and mines. A chaff dispenser is fitted to provide some defence against hostile guided missiles.
Noshiro was built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.
Indian Navy takes delivery of submarine, destroyer
The Indian Navy recently took delivery of two locally-built vessels.
INS Mormugao is the second Visakhapatnam-class destroyer built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders (MDL) in Mumbai. Named after the historic port city of Goa on the west coast, the ship is equipped to fight under nuclear, biological, and chemical warfare conditions.
The destroyer, which was also recently commissioned into service, is crewed by 300 personnel and propelled by four gas turbines in a combined gas and gas (COGAG) configuration capable of achieving speeds in excess of 30 knots.
Also recently delivered is the future INS Vagir, the fifth diesel-electric submarine in the six-strong Kalvari-class that are variants of the Scorpene-class boats designed by the Naval Group of France. As with Mormugao, the submarine was also built by MDL.
Armament may consist of either torpedoes or Exocet anti-ship missiles.
Commissioning of the future Vagir is scheduled for January 2023.
US Navy destroyer Jack H. Lucas begins sea trials
Huntington Ingalls Industries' (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division has begun conducting sea trials of the future US Navy guided missile destroyer USS Jack H. Lucas.
The ship is an Arleigh Burke-class Flight III destroyer equipped with an AN/SPY-6(V)1 air and missile defence radar, which incorporates upgrades to the electrical power and cooling capacity.
The future Lucas is scheduled for delivery and commissioning in 2023.
First steel cut for US Navy amphibious assault ship Fallujah
Ingalls Shipbuilding has cut the first steel to be used for the construction of the future USS Fallujah, an America-class amphibious assault ship (LHA).
Like its sisters, the vessel will have a length of 844 feet (257 metres), a beam of 106 feet (32 metres), and two gas turbines with a total installed power of 70,000 hp (52,000 kW) to deliver speeds in excess of 20 knots. Armament will include surface-to-air missiles, 12.7-millimetre machine guns, and a 20-millimetre close-in weapon system (CIWS).
The LHA will be capable of transporting elements of a brigade-sized US Marine Corps expeditionary unit including aircraft and landing craft.
Italian-Greek partnership to build new corvettes
Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri and Greek company the ONEX Shipyards and Technologies Group have entered into an agreement for the creation of a manufacturing line for new corvettes for international naval operators.
The agreement, which also covers life-cycle support for the vessels, stipulates that the manufacturing line will be established at the facilities of Onex subsidiary Elefsis Shipyards.
The new support base will initially be used for the maintenance of the Qatari Emiri Navy's Doha-class corvettes, which were built by Fincantieri.
