New Partner in Italian-US Team for US Navy’s Future Hovercraft

By:
Luca Bonsignore

Managing Director
defence.professionals (defpro.com) GmbH

Oceaneering International joins industrial team for US Navy SSC programme

The Italian-US competitor for the US Navy’s future hovercraft platform added a new team-mate to its industrial team. Marinette Marine Corporation (MMC), the US subsidiary of Italy’s Fincantieri shipyard, and Boeing announced Friday that they are extending their partnership with the inclusion of Oceaneering International Inc. as part of its bid for the US Navy’s Ship-to-Shore Connector (SSC) programme. The SSC programme, worth some $4 billion, consists of up to 80 new hovercraft vessels which are intended to replace the Navy’s Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC), which has been in service since 1984 and is reaching the end of its service life.


Marinette Marine will be the prime contractor for the team and assume responsibility for the hulls, while Boeing will deliver the propulsion systems and communication and control systems for the vessels. “Oceaneering International, will bring its consolidated experience in the maintenance and assistance of vessels,” a Fincantieri spokesman said during the Navy League Sea-Air-Space Exposition in Washington.

Fincantieri in the US

“Fincantieri’s decision to purchase shipyards in the USA has turned out to be a successful strategy as it enables us to bid for tenders of enormous scope and value - unrivalled in the world – which, under US law, must be executed in loco,” Giuseppe Bono, Chief Executive Officer of Fincantieri said. Marinette Marine is engaged in various government and commercial projects such as the USS Freedom (LCS-1) in the Lockheed Martin-led team, which was delivered to the US Navy in September 2008.

Last year, Fincantieri began a multi-million dollar, five-year modernisation programme of its US shipyards. The programme seeks to transform Marinette Marine into the premier mid-tier shipyard in the United States and includes installing new cranes and CNC-controlled pipe bending machines, as well as the enlargement of its major construction bays.

Bono added that the Italian company would additionally expand its production capacities in the US and improve infrastructure and processes.

The SSC programme

Announced in 2007, the SSC is intended to be the Navy’s primary over-the-horizon, ship-to-objective amphibious lift capability. Constructed as a hybrid platform, the craft will transport vehicles, cargo, and personnel from ship-to-shore and/or seabase-to-shore. According to the Navy’s requirements, the SSC will have the ability to move across beaches at speeds of about 40 knots, also operating in ice, mud, and marsh areas. Beyond that, the vessels will have the ability to transport heavy cargo loads of approximately 73-75 short tons for military and humanitarian operations.

A contract award for the 10-year programme is expected to be placed by the US Navy in fiscal year 2011 with first deliveries beginning in 2015.

The Industrial Competitors

The Marinette Marine/Boeing SSC solution is expected to be built on an aluminium alloy platform with an overall length of 28m (92ft) and be powered by 4 gas turbines with a post-swirl propulsion type on two lift fans generating over 17,000kW (22,800hp) at a sustained speed of over 35 knots. Further, HF/VHF/UHF Radios, AADS Hardware, GPS/INS System Hardware, and Condition Based Maintenance (CBM) Software will be integrated into the crafts.

In October 2009, Textron Marine & Land Systems – the builder of the LCAC – and L-3 Communications announced they are also teaming up for the Ship-To-Shore Connector contract. Textron is the prime contractor and shipbuilder of this team, while L-3 Communications is expected to design and integrate various craft modules, as well as provide integrated lifecycle support and logistics.

China getting aggressive - Economic, Naval and Nuclear

Source: 8ak

Rolling out its first indigenous stealth warship - Shivalik, India has taken comfort that its naval strength is sufficient to meet the Chinese threat. However, it may be a false comfort and China forges ahead in the economic, naval and nuclear spheres.


Business week reports that the US$10 billion (official $4.2 billion, Chinese media says over $58 billion. See Reuters "Why is China having the Expo") Shanghai World Expo opened with a bang and will be better for Shanghai than the Olympics was for Beijing. Telegraph (UK) on the other hand states that what was meant to showcase China to the world, may instead become an embarrassment to the government as only 60% of people given/bought tickets to the expo showed up.

Wired reports that China's recent naval exercises were aimed at showing the world (and possibly specifically the U.S.) that it can co-ordinate its naval assets. As Japanese citizens protested to get a U.S. base in Japan closed, Japan was taken by surprise by the Chinese anti-submarine exercises near an island near Okinawa and that too without warning. In addition, New York Times reports, "Its defense minister, Toshimi Kitazawa, said in mid-April that two Chinese submarines and eight destroyers were spotted on April 10 heading between two Japanese islands en route to the Pacific, the first time such a large Chinese flotilla had been seen so close to Japan. When two Japanese destroyers began following the Chinese ships, a Chinese helicopter flew within 300 feet of one of the destroyers, the Japanese Defense Ministry said."

But taking the above in combination with China's aircraft carrier developments, India may need to re-think our strategy.

On the nuclear front, Government Monitor (US) reports that China is close to exporting two nuclear reactors to Pakistan in contravention to NSG commitments and thereby showing off its aggressiveness in pursuing a nuclear strategy despite concerns of any other country.

Back in India, a concerned Huawei has sought clarification from the government about whether a ban exists on Indian Telcos from buying telecom equipment from China. The government denies this ban but Business Line reports that this issue will turn in to a diplomatic issue.

On the brighter side, Sify reports that on Labour Day May 1, the Chinese PLA hosted Indian soldiers on their side of the Line of Actual control near Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir. China-India relations have been deteriorating because of the continued issuance of stapled visas for Indian citizens residing in Arunachal and J&K, the dam on the Brahmaputra and recent stoppage of road construction in Ladakh by the PLA. According to EcoTimes, China also agreed to share hydrographic data on Tsangpo/Brahmaputra.

Indian National Cadet Corps To Procure 110 New Microlight Aircraft

by Shiv Aroor on Sunday, May 2nd 2010

The National Cadet Corps (NCC), India's military cadet organisation, has put out a tender to procure 110 microlight aircraft for its Air Force Wing. The NCC has 47 Air Squadrons and 11 technical Air Squadrons. Each squadron is authorised four flying machines. The 110 new microlights will replace old wooden gliders and augment a limited number of existing microlights. The NCC currently has 45 Zen Air Microlitesand six Raj Hamsa X-Air microlights.