India Receives Last of 3 Follow On Krivak III/Talwar Class Frigates from Russia

Talwar class

In July 2006, the Indian government announced that Russia would build 3 “stealth warships” for India under a Rs 5114 crore (INR 51.14 billion, then about $1.1 billion) contract signed in New Delhi. The contract actually covers 3 modified Krivak III/ Talwar Class frigates, as a follow-on to an earlier $900 million purchase in 1997.

The Krivak III/ Talwar Class ships like INS Tabar are not really stealth warships, esp. by comparison to more modern designs like Singapore’s new Formidable Class frigates from France (a Lafayette Class derivative). They’re best described as mid-range multi-role frigates, with some stealth features and a potential emphasis on anti-submarine work. By mid-2013 they had all been commissioned by the Indian Navy.

Boldly Gone: The End for the USS Enterprise

The all-nuclear
Task Force One, 1964

There was a time when USS Enterprise was the most famous ship in the world. It still is, but these days, most people think of the fictional starship rather than the world’s first nuclear-powered carrier. The real USS Enterprise was commissioned in 1961, which means that its long career of service must soon draw to a close. In April 2008, a $453.3 million contract covered the ship’s Extended Drydocking Selected Restricted Availability for maintenance and upgrades – but reached over $660 million before all was said and done, and took 2 years.

That kept “the Big E” going for a couple more years, but it could only delay the inevitable. 2012 saw the ship’s last mission come to an end, and by 2014, USS Enterprise is scheduled to fade into history, to be replaced by the first ship [CVN 78] of the Gerald R. Ford Class. This time, there will be no reruns or syndication deals. When the end comes, plans and facilities for permanently decommissioning the ship and dealing with its A2W nuclear reactors will need to be ready.

Rapid Fire June 28, 2013: Half a Sequester Straightjacket Would Look Like Relief

• Sean O’Keefe, head of EADS North America and the NDIA trade association, urges the US government to at least grant the Pentagon flexibility within sequestration-level budgets.

Rapid Fire June 27, 2013: Eurocopter’s Export Wish List

• Big defense contracts in Eurocopter’s sights, according to La Tribune [in French]: the US, Qatar, Poland, Norway, India, and Malaysia.

Rapid Fire June 26, 2013: Global Defense Spending to Face Tectonic Shifts?

Forecast Me Not

• IHS Jane’s is making the bold prediction that aggregated Asian defense budgets will supersede North America’s by 2021. Maybe. They don’t share their methodology but from their release it appears that by “forecast” they mean “project recent past trends for straight 8 years regardless of likely disruptions.” Whether China, India or Russia will really be able to grow as much as Jane’s analysts expect is subject to financial constraints and social difficulties of a different nature, but probably as strong as in the West. The IISS came up with an even bolder scenario a few months ago, but defense budget forecasts 10 years out have a tendency to end up widely off the mark.

Afghanistan Orders EOD Robots

MMP-15/30
(click to view larger)

TML’s work with the US military began in July of 2007, via a request by the US Army to design 3 new man-portable EOD robot systems with a 4-axis arms, video display OCU, multiple cameras, swappable batteries and chargers, all of which had to weigh under 35 pounds. Those MMP-15 systems were finalized and shipped by the end of October 2007, and saw use in Iraq. The follow-on MMP-30 touts itself as a “bare bones simple but rugged machine.”

That seems to be a strong selling point for a country like Afghanistan, with few technical support and repair resources. The MMP-30 also appears to be cheaper than the MTRS robots, which boast more versatility thanks a wider range of add-ons.

Rapid Fire June 25, 2013: US DoD to Review Industry Plans for Indian Pitches

• US Acquisition Undersecretary Frank Kendall received [PDF] 90+ proposals from 50+ American companies interested in joint projects with India. He wants to remain realistic given India’s preference for local production:

“We will carefully assess a number of factors, including the degree of co-production and co-development involved, the likelihood of Indian interest, and the probability of approval for release of the technology involved.”

Rapid Fire June 24, 2013: Taliban Flag Games

• The office opened just days ago by the Taliban in Qatar to start peace negotiations used several signs of a nation state, including floating the flag they used when they held power in Afghanistan. They agreed to lower their profile on Sunday, but that is a telling opening positioning vs. the current official government, less than a year before presidential elections. Symbols matter.

Rapid Fire June 21, 2013: Syrian Rebels Get Weapons, Won’t Say Much More

• Syrian rebels have told AFP that they have started receiving an untold quantity of unknown weapons from an unnamed source, though they did say sophisticated anti-aircraft weapons were among this first shipment, with more to come. The EU embargo was lifted only 3 weeks ago which seems short for the supplier to be European. There are rumors the weapons were from Libya.

Brazil Buying & Building BAE’s 90m Patrol Vessels

Amazonas

As 2011 came to a close, Brazil’s buy of 3 in-stock Offshore Patrol Vessels from BAE, with an option to license-build 5 more, had the potential to cast wide ripples.

Brazil has very extensive coastal responsibilities, a sizable Marine Corps, and a Navy whose frigates are either British designs, or former British ships. That navy is set to expand and modernize, as Brazil moves to protect key assets like its deep-water oil production, but British shipbuilders will face stiff competition. Other key Brazilian suppliers like France’s DCNS will be bidding, alongside naval shipbuilders around the world. The Amazonas Class OPV purchase is certainly another piece of the naval puzzle for Brazil, alongside its future submarines. Is it also another piece of the puzzle for BAE?