The USA’s Future Intermediate Research Fleet [AGOR]

RV Kilo Moana

The USA’s University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System conducts research throughout the world’s oceans, and their fleet has shifted to 4 basic research vessel types: Global, Ocean/Intermediate, Regional and Coastal/Local. From 2014 onward, new Ocean Class ships will replace aging Intermediate Class ships in current use, and serve alongside the new SWATH-hulled RV Kilo Moana [T-AGOR 26]. Growing trends towards larger, interdisciplinary science teams, using more sophisticated research equipment, means a need for larger and more sophisticated ships. They new Ocean Class will provide parties of up to 25 scientists with an advanced blue-water platform that can stay at sea for up to 40 days, and cover up to 10,000 nautical miles.

Can they be built affordably? The US Navy is managing the competition, construction, and chartering process, and the 1st build contract was issued in October 2011.

Rapid Fire September 24, 2012: Chinese Carrier

• China’s first aircraft carrier was delivered to the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)… or was it really? After Vice President’s Xi Jinping temporary disappearance for two weeks earlier this month for reasons that remain unclear, there’s a disturbing level of opacity and fuzziness in the current news flow out of China.

• Boeing is pitching its C-17s to South Africa while China has made a concerted push at this year’s Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) in Tshwane (formerly Pretoria).