Thursday, January 20, 2011
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
The only Giant in EAST ASIA
HTMS Chakri Naruebet (Thai จักรีนฤเบศร, meaning "In honour of the Chakri Dynasty"[1]) is the flagship of the Royal Thai Navy (RTN), and Thailand's first and only aircraft carrier. Based on the Spanish Navy's Principe de Asturias-class design and constructed by Spanish shipbuilder Bazán, Chakri Naruebet was ordered in 1992, launched in 1996, and commissioned into the RTN in 1997.
The carrier is equipped with an air group of V/STOL aircraft and helicopters, and was intended for patrols and force projection in Thai waters, disaster relief, and amphibious warfare support. However, a lack of funding brought on by the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis means that the carrier has spent much of her career docked at the Sattahip naval base. The carrier has been deployed on several disaster relief operations, although her other departures from port consist primarily of a single training day per month, and transportation of the Royal Family of Thailand, leading to claims that the ship is merely an oversized royal yacht.
The original plan was to acquire a 7,800 ton vessel from Bremer Vulcan, but the Thai government cancelled the contract on 22 July 1991.[2] A new contract for a larger warship to be constructed at Bazán's shipyard in Ferrol, Spain, and was signed by the Thai and Spanish governments on 27 March 1992.[2] The proposed vessel was based on the design of the Spanish Navy aircraft carrier Principe de Asturias, which in turn was based on the United States Navy's Sea Control Ship concept.[4][5]
Chakri Naruebet (top) underway with the United States Navy supercarrier USS Kitty Hawk, showing the size difference between the two ships.Chakri Naruebet is the smallest aircraft carrier in operation in the world. She displaces 11,486 tons at full load.[1] The carrier is 164.1 metres (538 ft) long between perpendiculars, and 182.65 metres (599.2 ft) overall.[1] She is 22.5 metres (74 ft) wide at the waterline, with a maximum beam of 30.5 metres (100 ft), and a draught of 6.12 metres (20.1 ft).[1] The warship has a ship's company of 62 officers, 393 sailors, and 146 aircrew.[1] Up to 675 personnel can be transported; commonly soldiers of the Royal Thai Marine Corps.[1][6]
Chakri Naruebet is propelled by a combined diesel or gas (CODOG) system.[1] Each of the two, five-bladed propellers is connected to a Bazán-MTU 16V1163 TB83 diesel engine (providing 5,600 brake horsepower (4,200 kW), used for cruising speed), and a General Electric LM2500 gas turbine (providing 22,125 shaft horsepower (16,499 kW), used to reach top speed for short periods).[1] Chakri Naruebet has a maximum speed of 25.5 knots (47.2 km/h; 29.3 mph), although she can only reach 17.2 knots (31.9 km/h; 19.8 mph) with the diesels alone.[1] She has a maximum range of 10,000 nautical miles (19,000 km; 12,000 mi) with a constant speed of 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph), and 7,150 nautical miles (13,240 km; 8,230 mi) at 16.5 knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph).[1]
The carrier's standard air group consists of six to eight AV-8S Matador V/STOL aircraft (an export version of the Harrier acquired secondhand from the Spanish Navy) and four to six S-70B Seahawk helicopters.[1][4][6] By 1999, only one Matador was operable.[7] Chakri Naruebet is also capable of carrying up to fourteen additional helicopters; a mix of Sikorsky Sea King, Sikorsky S-76, and CH-47 Chinook.[1] There is only enough hangar space for ten aircraft.[2][6]
The flight deck measures 174.6 by 27.5 metres (573 by 90 ft).[2] A 12° ski-jump is fitted to assist the Matadors in taking off.[2] There are two aircraft lifts, each capable of lifting 20 tons.[2]
The carrier is equipped with four SBROC decoy launchers, and an SLQ-32 towed decoy[6]
Sea trials were conducted from October 1996 to January 1997, the latter part of which was in coordination with the Spanish Navy.[2][5] This was followed by aviation trials at Rota, Spain.[2] The carrier was handed over on 27 March 1997, when she was commissioned into the RTN.[1][2] She arrived in Thai waters at the start of August 1997, and formally entered service on 10 August.[5]
Chakri Naruebet cost US$336 million to build.[7]
Stern view of Chakri NaruebetBetween 4 and 7 November 1997, Chakri Naruebet participated in disaster relief operations following the passage of Tropical Storm Linda across the Gulf of Thailand and the Kra Isthmus.[8] The carrier's main task was to search for and assist any fishing vessels affected by the storm.[8]
Flooding in the Songkhla Province resulted in the carrier's mobilisation in late November 2000.[8] Chakri Naruebet was anchored at an island marina off Songkhla, and used as a base for helicopters and small boats transporting food, supplies, and wounded.[8]
In January 2003, anti-Thai riots were sparked in Phnom Penh by incorrect news reports of a claim by a Thai actress that the Angkor Wat temple complex belonged to Thailand, not Cambodia. Chakri Naruebet was sent to help with any evacuation of Thai citizens from Cambodia.[clarification needed][8]
Following an undersea earthquake in the Indian Ocean, tsunamis struck multiple regions around the Indian Ocean, including the Andaman Sea coast of Thailand. The personnel of Chakri Naruebet were part of a 760-strong response by the Thai military to the disaster.[8] This task force was involved in search-and-rescue around Phuket and the Phi Phi Islands, treatment of wounded and handling of dead, and repair work to schools and government facilities.[8]
During the August 2005 filming of Rescue Dawn, a dramatised biographical film of US Navy pilot Dieter Dengler and his capture during the Vietnam War, the flight deck of Chakri Naruebet was used to represent the carrier USS Ranger.[citation needed]
In 2010, it was involved in flood relief.[9]
The carrier is equipped with an air group of V/STOL aircraft and helicopters, and was intended for patrols and force projection in Thai waters, disaster relief, and amphibious warfare support. However, a lack of funding brought on by the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis means that the carrier has spent much of her career docked at the Sattahip naval base. The carrier has been deployed on several disaster relief operations, although her other departures from port consist primarily of a single training day per month, and transportation of the Royal Family of Thailand, leading to claims that the ship is merely an oversized royal yacht.
Design
When Typhoon Gay hit Thailand in 1989, the Royal Thai Navy, as the main unit responsible for search and rescue missions, found that its ships and aircraft were unable to withstand the rough weather at sea.[3] Moreover, the Royal Thai Navy needed a new, high-technology ship to modernize its fleet.[3]The original plan was to acquire a 7,800 ton vessel from Bremer Vulcan, but the Thai government cancelled the contract on 22 July 1991.[2] A new contract for a larger warship to be constructed at Bazán's shipyard in Ferrol, Spain, and was signed by the Thai and Spanish governments on 27 March 1992.[2] The proposed vessel was based on the design of the Spanish Navy aircraft carrier Principe de Asturias, which in turn was based on the United States Navy's Sea Control Ship concept.[4][5]
Chakri Naruebet is propelled by a combined diesel or gas (CODOG) system.[1] Each of the two, five-bladed propellers is connected to a Bazán-MTU 16V1163 TB83 diesel engine (providing 5,600 brake horsepower (4,200 kW), used for cruising speed), and a General Electric LM2500 gas turbine (providing 22,125 shaft horsepower (16,499 kW), used to reach top speed for short periods).[1] Chakri Naruebet has a maximum speed of 25.5 knots (47.2 km/h; 29.3 mph), although she can only reach 17.2 knots (31.9 km/h; 19.8 mph) with the diesels alone.[1] She has a maximum range of 10,000 nautical miles (19,000 km; 12,000 mi) with a constant speed of 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph), and 7,150 nautical miles (13,240 km; 8,230 mi) at 16.5 knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph).[1]
Armament and aircraft
Chakri Naruebet is fitted with two 0.5-inch machine guns, and three Matra Sadral sextuple surface-to-air missile launchers firing Mistral missiles.[2][6] The missile launchers were installed in 2001.[2] The vessel is also fitted for but not with an 8-cell Mark 41 Vertical launch system for Sea Sparrow missiles, and four Phalanx close-in weapon systems.[5]The carrier's standard air group consists of six to eight AV-8S Matador V/STOL aircraft (an export version of the Harrier acquired secondhand from the Spanish Navy) and four to six S-70B Seahawk helicopters.[1][4][6] By 1999, only one Matador was operable.[7] Chakri Naruebet is also capable of carrying up to fourteen additional helicopters; a mix of Sikorsky Sea King, Sikorsky S-76, and CH-47 Chinook.[1] There is only enough hangar space for ten aircraft.[2][6]
The flight deck measures 174.6 by 27.5 metres (573 by 90 ft).[2] A 12° ski-jump is fitted to assist the Matadors in taking off.[2] There are two aircraft lifts, each capable of lifting 20 tons.[2]
Sensors and countermeasures
The sensor suite of Chakri Narebet consists of a Hughes SPS-52C air search radar on the E/F band, and two 2 x Kelvin-Hughes 1007 navigational radars.[2] There are provisions to install an SPS-64 surface search radar and a hull-mounted sonar, but neither has been fitted as of 2008.[2][6] Fire control facilities are also yet to be fitted.[2]The carrier is equipped with four SBROC decoy launchers, and an SLQ-32 towed decoy[6]
Construction
Work on the Thai carrier commenced in October 1993, although it was not until 12 July 1994 that the hull was laid down.[2][5] Chakri Naruebet was launched on 20 January 1996[5] by Queen Sirikit.Sea trials were conducted from October 1996 to January 1997, the latter part of which was in coordination with the Spanish Navy.[2][5] This was followed by aviation trials at Rota, Spain.[2] The carrier was handed over on 27 March 1997, when she was commissioned into the RTN.[1][2] She arrived in Thai waters at the start of August 1997, and formally entered service on 10 August.[5]
Chakri Naruebet cost US$336 million to build.[7]
Role and operational history
Chakri Naruebet is the first aircraft carrier to be operated by a South East Asian nation.[5] She is assigned to the Third Naval Area Command, and her intended duties include operational support of the RTN's amphibious warfare forces, patrols and force projection around Thailand's coastline and economic exclusion zone, disaster relief and humanitarian missions, and search-and-rescue operations.[1][2][4][5][7] However, at the time the carrier entered service, the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis prevented the necessary funding to operate the ship from being available.[5][7] The limited defensive armament compounded the problem; consequently, Chakri Naruebet is usually only operational for a single day per month for training, with the rest of the time spent alongside as a "part-time tourist attraction".[1][5][7] The ship rarely leaves the proximity of the Sattahip naval base, and when she does, it is usually to transport and host the Royal Family of Thailand.[1][5] Naval commentators consider Chakri Naruebet to be less an aircraft carrier and more the world's most expensive royal yacht, while the Thai media have nicknamed the ship "Thai-tanic", and consider her to be a white elephant.[5][7]
Flooding in the Songkhla Province resulted in the carrier's mobilisation in late November 2000.[8] Chakri Naruebet was anchored at an island marina off Songkhla, and used as a base for helicopters and small boats transporting food, supplies, and wounded.[8]
In January 2003, anti-Thai riots were sparked in Phnom Penh by incorrect news reports of a claim by a Thai actress that the Angkor Wat temple complex belonged to Thailand, not Cambodia. Chakri Naruebet was sent to help with any evacuation of Thai citizens from Cambodia.[clarification needed][8]
Following an undersea earthquake in the Indian Ocean, tsunamis struck multiple regions around the Indian Ocean, including the Andaman Sea coast of Thailand. The personnel of Chakri Naruebet were part of a 760-strong response by the Thai military to the disaster.[8] This task force was involved in search-and-rescue around Phuket and the Phi Phi Islands, treatment of wounded and handling of dead, and repair work to schools and government facilities.[8]
During the August 2005 filming of Rescue Dawn, a dramatised biographical film of US Navy pilot Dieter Dengler and his capture during the Vietnam War, the flight deck of Chakri Naruebet was used to represent the carrier USS Ranger.[citation needed]
In 2010, it was involved in flood relief.[9]
Elbit Selling Hermes Drones to Brazilian Air Force
ERUSALEM - Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems said Jan. 19 that it will supply the Brazilian Air Force with unmanned aerial vehicles.
The Hermes 450 drones will be supplied by Elbit's Brazilian subsidiary, Aeroeletronica Ltd.
The deal is part of efforts by the Brazilian Air Force "to establish independent Unmanned Aircraft Systems capabilities," the company said.
Elbit did not say how many aircraft are involved or value the deal, saying only that "the contract is not in an amount that is material to Elbit Systems."
Ackerman said the Hermes, a medium size drone, was in operation with 20 countries.
Israel is the world's largest exporter of drones, selling more than 1,000 to more than 40 countries in recent years.
The Hermes 450 drones will be supplied by Elbit's Brazilian subsidiary, Aeroeletronica Ltd.
The deal is part of efforts by the Brazilian Air Force "to establish independent Unmanned Aircraft Systems capabilities," the company said.
Elbit did not say how many aircraft are involved or value the deal, saying only that "the contract is not in an amount that is material to Elbit Systems."
Ackerman said the Hermes, a medium size drone, was in operation with 20 countries.
Israel is the world's largest exporter of drones, selling more than 1,000 to more than 40 countries in recent years.
Deadline Emerges For India's $10B Warplane Deal
NEW DELHI - India could award the $10 billion Medium Multirole Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) contract by the end of the year, according to the country's defense minister.
M.M. Pallam Raju, the minister of state for defense, said on the sidelines of a Jan. 19 conference here that the warplane contest could be decided by December. The conference was hosted by an industrial lobby group, the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India.
"I am hopeful of awarding it by the end of this year," Raju said.
The MMRCA program, for the purchase of 126 planes, is running behind schedule, The Indian Defence Ministry has made no formal announcement on the short-listing of aircraft after flight trials last year.
Raju said the ministry still has to carry out a comparative analysis of different vendors in terms of offset and transfer of technology offers before the financial bids are opened.
Earlier this month, a secret file pertaining to the MMRCA's offset program was lost and later recovered by Delhi police. An internal inquiry by the Defence Ministry has so far not named any individual behind the lapse, sources said.
Six aircraft vying for the MMRCA contract went through field evaluations, a series of flight trials and ground tests, in mid-2010. They include two U.S. fighter jets, Boeing's F/A-18 and Lockheed Martin's F-16, as well as the Rafale, built by France's Dassault; the MiG-35, built by RAC MiG of Russia; the Eurofighter Typhoon; and the Gripen, built by Saab of Sweden.
M.M. Pallam Raju, the minister of state for defense, said on the sidelines of a Jan. 19 conference here that the warplane contest could be decided by December. The conference was hosted by an industrial lobby group, the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India.
"I am hopeful of awarding it by the end of this year," Raju said.
The MMRCA program, for the purchase of 126 planes, is running behind schedule, The Indian Defence Ministry has made no formal announcement on the short-listing of aircraft after flight trials last year.
Raju said the ministry still has to carry out a comparative analysis of different vendors in terms of offset and transfer of technology offers before the financial bids are opened.
Earlier this month, a secret file pertaining to the MMRCA's offset program was lost and later recovered by Delhi police. An internal inquiry by the Defence Ministry has so far not named any individual behind the lapse, sources said.
Six aircraft vying for the MMRCA contract went through field evaluations, a series of flight trials and ground tests, in mid-2010. They include two U.S. fighter jets, Boeing's F/A-18 and Lockheed Martin's F-16, as well as the Rafale, built by France's Dassault; the MiG-35, built by RAC MiG of Russia; the Eurofighter Typhoon; and the Gripen, built by Saab of Sweden.
Bolivia Set To Receive 6 Karakorum Combat Jets From China
LA PAZ, Bolivia - Bolivia is set to receive six Chinese-made combat aircraft to be used to fight drug trafficking, the head of the Bolivian Air Force said Jan. 18.
Air Force Commander Gen. Tito Gandarilla told local journalists that the K-8 Karakorum jets are scheduled to be delivered in April, at a cost of $58 million.
The aircraft, bought through a loan from China, will be the first of their kind for Bolivia, which currently has only training and freight aircraft.
Gandarilla explained that the jets "have a lifespan of 15 to 20 years" and have the ability to intercept illegal crafts that "in Bolivian airspace without authorization."
The aircraft will be used mainly around Cochabamba in central Bolivia, where there is heavy production of coca plants used to make cocaine.
The Bolivian government also plans to buy 10 Russian-built cargo helicopters for use by the police.
In 2008, President Evo Morales ordered the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to leave after accusing it of having had a hand in political unrest and drug-trafficking in Bolivia.
The U.S. State Department has identified Bolivia as a major drug-transit or drug-producing country.
Air Force Commander Gen. Tito Gandarilla told local journalists that the K-8 Karakorum jets are scheduled to be delivered in April, at a cost of $58 million.
The aircraft, bought through a loan from China, will be the first of their kind for Bolivia, which currently has only training and freight aircraft.
Gandarilla explained that the jets "have a lifespan of 15 to 20 years" and have the ability to intercept illegal crafts that "in Bolivian airspace without authorization."
The aircraft will be used mainly around Cochabamba in central Bolivia, where there is heavy production of coca plants used to make cocaine.
The Bolivian government also plans to buy 10 Russian-built cargo helicopters for use by the police.
In 2008, President Evo Morales ordered the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to leave after accusing it of having had a hand in political unrest and drug-trafficking in Bolivia.
The U.S. State Department has identified Bolivia as a major drug-transit or drug-producing country.
Top Iran nuke envoy blames US for cyberattack
WASHINGTON: Iran's top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili blamed the United States for a cyberattack on what he insisted is a nuclear energy -- not weapons -- program, in an interview broadcast Monday.
Days ahead of a high-profile talks over the Islamic republic's nuclear program later this week, Saeed Jalili told media an Iranian investigation found the United States was involved in a cyberattack that apparently shut down a fifth of Iran's nuclear centrifuges in November.
"I have witnessed some documents that show... their satisfaction in that" the United States participated in the cyberattack -- using the Stuxnet computer worm -- that also helped delay Iran's ability to make its first nuclear weapons.
But he said the effort did not wreak as much damage as some media have reported. "Those who have done that could see now that they were not successful in that and we are following our success," Jalili said, warning the United States was "also weak and vulnerable" to cyberattacks.
His comments came after a US daily reported over the weekend that US and Israeli intelligence services collaborated to develop the destructive computer worm in a bid to sabotage Iran's efforts to make a nuclear bomb.
Tehran has also blamed its enemies for the killing of three top nuclear scientists last year, and on Monday, it vowed to sue its archfoe Israel for the murder of one of them -- Masoud Ali Mohammadi.
Iran accuses the intelligence services of Israel, the United States and Britain of being behind bomb attacks against the other two nuclear scientists on November 26.
"We believe that there is a meaningful relation between the UN Security Council resolution (sanctioning Iran over its nuclear program) and these kind of activities," Jalili said of the attacks.
"It is a big question for the international community, and a big kind of question in that the name of the scientists of a country mentioned in the United Nations council resolution and then following that the terrorists assassinated them."
Days ahead of a high-profile talks over the Islamic republic's nuclear program later this week, Saeed Jalili told media an Iranian investigation found the United States was involved in a cyberattack that apparently shut down a fifth of Iran's nuclear centrifuges in November.
"I have witnessed some documents that show... their satisfaction in that" the United States participated in the cyberattack -- using the Stuxnet computer worm -- that also helped delay Iran's ability to make its first nuclear weapons.
But he said the effort did not wreak as much damage as some media have reported. "Those who have done that could see now that they were not successful in that and we are following our success," Jalili said, warning the United States was "also weak and vulnerable" to cyberattacks.
His comments came after a US daily reported over the weekend that US and Israeli intelligence services collaborated to develop the destructive computer worm in a bid to sabotage Iran's efforts to make a nuclear bomb.
Tehran has also blamed its enemies for the killing of three top nuclear scientists last year, and on Monday, it vowed to sue its archfoe Israel for the murder of one of them -- Masoud Ali Mohammadi.
Iran accuses the intelligence services of Israel, the United States and Britain of being behind bomb attacks against the other two nuclear scientists on November 26.
"We believe that there is a meaningful relation between the UN Security Council resolution (sanctioning Iran over its nuclear program) and these kind of activities," Jalili said of the attacks.
"It is a big question for the international community, and a big kind of question in that the name of the scientists of a country mentioned in the United Nations council resolution and then following that the terrorists assassinated them."
 WELLINGTON: The New Zealand parliament in central Wellington was evacuated and surrounding streets cordoned off Thursday after a suspicious package was found near the building, police said.Police said a suitcase was found in bushes near the distinctive building, known as the Beehive, early Thursday afternoon. "Specialist police are currently travelling to the scene to examine the package," police said. |
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