April 2, 2009, Kings Bay, Ga. -- USS Alaska (SSBN 732) arrived at her new homeport in Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Ga., April 1, after completing a 26-month refueling overhaul at Norfolk Naval Shipyard.
Family and friends lined pier to welcome the crew home.
"The officers and crew of USS Alaska are excited to arrive in Kings Bay and Camden County and to return Alaska to operational status," said Master Chief Petty Officer (SS) Eric McAllister, USS Alaska chief of the boat. "We look forward to the challenges and missions the Navy will task us with in the future."
In the last few years the Navy has looked closely at the valuable Ohio-class, Trident missile submarines. In 2004, work began on converting four of the oldest Tridents to the new guided missile submarines with Tomahawk missile configuration. As the SSGNs began to return to active service, the need to balance the number of SSBN and SSGN submarines on each coast.
The decision was made, that after being assigned to Bangor, Wash., for 20 years, Alaska would change its homeport to Kings Bay.
"We are looking forward to a long and enjoyable stay in Kings Bay," said Cmdr. Paul Haebler, commanding officer USS Alaska (SSBN 732).
The "Kodiak Tough" Alaska will increase the number of SSBNs homeported in Kings Bay to six, with USS Tennessee (SSBN 734) currently at Norfolk Naval Shipyard undergoing its refueling overhaul.
Alaska is the seventh Trident Ohio-class nuclear-powered fleet ballistic missile submarine and the fourth United States Navy ship to bear the name of the state. Alaska was commissioned January 25, 1986 and has conducted 59 strategic deterrent patrols.
Alaska was commissioned Jan. 25, 1986 and has conducted 59 strategic deterrent patrols. (Navy)
April 1, 2009 -- Airbus is set to win contract to deliver six Airbus A-330 multi role tanker transports to the Indian Air Force in a deal worth estimated to be USD 1.3 billion.
Senior Defence Ministry officials confirmed that a 1-billion euro contract for six Airbus A-330 multi-role tanker-transports is close to being finalised. This despite the makers of the Russian IL-78 tanker, six of which the IAF has in service, offering a lower bid.
The Airbus A330 MRTT is being actively operated by up to five countries including Australia, United States and the United Kingdom.
The IAF chose Airbus for its larger fuel load and its dual transport capability. This decision has a bearing on the world's largest defence contract—the IAF's acquisition of 126 medium-range fighter aircraft worth over $10 billion where Russia's MiG-35 is a low-cost option. (India-Defence)
April 1, 2009 -- EADS Defence & Security (DS) in Spain has concluded a new live weapon firing campaign dedicated to the Eurofighter armament. Tests with the Getafe-based Instrumented Production aircraft IPA4 have been carried out by the DS Business Unit Military Air Systems (MAS). They were supported by the Spanish Air Force at Moron AFB, where the aircraft has been deployed since January 2008.
The trials have culminated on 31 March with the successful performance of a AMRAAM Guided Firing, a live firing of a medium-range air-to-air missile against an aerial target drone. This live test has seen the collaboration of several aircraft: the BAE Systems-operated Eurofighter IPA5, was tasked to detect the target and to assign it via the MIDS Data Link to the firing aircraft IPA4. In this complex test mission specialists from MAS, BAE Systems, the Spanish engine maker ITP, were involved. The Spanish National Aerospace Technical Institute (INTA) at Arenosillo was operating the target drones. The AMRAAM missile producer Raytheon, the Spanish Air Force, the Navy, and the Eurofighter consortium have also contributed to the success of these trials.
During this campaign, MAS engineering in Spain had performed as well several EGBU-16 jettison trials to support the Stores Release & Jettison clearances for the new smart weapons. This improved operational capability will be introduced in the Eurofighter fleet by 2011 as a result of the Future Batch of Enhancements contract signed with the Eurofighter core nations. The activity again involved specialists from the INTA Arenosillo Weapons Test Range, where the tests took place. Five successful weapon releases have been performed, ensuring the safe weapon integration with the Eurofigher. (Defpro)
March 30, 2009, Hengelo -- Recently, the Australian Department of Defense and Thales Nederland signed a contract for a user licence of Thales's Mid-Course Guidance and Sampled Data Homing function. This function will be utilised from 2011 within the warfare systems that are part of the Royal Australian Navy's ANZAC Class Frigate Anti-Ship Missile Defense Upgrade Project.
The Mid-Course Guidance and Sampled Data Homing function is based on Interrupted Continuous Wave Illumination (ICWI), a Thales development with the APAR partners in the APAR program that enables a single missile control radar to guide several missiles simultaneously to several threats.
With this contract, the number of navies using ICWI has risen to five. The German and Netherlands' Navies are operational users of the Thales APAR multi-function radar that was the first radar to use ICWI. The Patrol Ships for the Danish Navy, scheduled to be operational in 2011, will also be equipped with APAR radars. The Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force has purchased the ICWI function for their latest helicopter carriers and future destroyers. The addition of yet another major Navy to this list proves the substantial advantages of ICWI-based radar systems over conventional systems and Thales Nederland's leading position worldwide in naval sensor technology. (asd-network)
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