Bulwark Leaves on First Deployment

London January 10, 2006 - HMS Bulwark, the Royal Navy’s most modern and flexible warship, sailed yesterday (Monday 9th January) from HM Naval Base Devonport, Plymouth, for almost seven months of high tempo operations. This is the ship’s first operational deployment. This will also be the first operational deployment of this length for this class of ship.

The ship, which is affiliated with County Durham, will be on a mission focused on looking after UK interests across the Gulf and Northern Indian Ocean and supporting operations to increase global security. She will be proving the flexibility of the Royal Navy and its ability to react to a wide range of demands, primarily in this case to help secure legitimate international trade routes worldwide.

HMS Bulwark’s Commanding Officer Captain Clive Johnstone said: "This is a very exciting time for the ship and for the Royal Navy and indeed for the general public because this is the first deployment of this scale for ship’s of this class and the first operational deployment for HMS Bulwark.

"We are a highly sophisticated floating command and control center and could be likened to a NASA satellite, able to communicate with the battlefield ashore.

"Also, because of the technically advanced nature of the ship, new fuel-efficient engines and because we have our own aircraft, space for extra stores and our own smaller boats we use for ship protection against possible attack, we will operate without major Royal Fleet Auxiliary support."

He said the ship will be working with the Iraqi Navy, policing international trade routes off the Horn of Africa and reinforcing diplomatic and military relationships with nations in the Horn of Africa: "We are prepared for anything and as well as protecting British and other trade routes at sea, helping protect the Iraqi oil platforms and therefore their economy, we are capable of reacting to any eventuality."

The 380 men and women who crew the ship will be operating off the Horn of Africa and in the Gulf alongside companies of Royal Marines from 45 and 40 Commandos, (of Arbroath and Taunton respectively), boat teams from 539 Assault Squadron (Plymouth), and members of 820 Squadron (Merlin helicopters, of Royal Naval Air Squadron Culdrose, Cornwall).

Operations will be intensive and aimed at bringing peace and stability to a volatile and unstable region. Training and material support will be given to coast guards and navies en-route, while conducting operations against illegal activity at sea and ashore.

One of the sailors on board Leading Airman William Lidstone, 33, from Saltash, Cornwall, will be missing his new wife Claire who he married last Friday. He said: "I am excited and sad at the same time because I only married Claire on Friday, so I can’t wait to come back. But also this is my first deployment as a leading airman, so I am really looking forward to doing what I am trained for."

Able Seaman Toni Hudson, 18, of Plymouth, said: "This is my first deployment, I am slightly nervous about it. But also this is exactly what I joined the Navy for, to go to sea and it will be a great chance to see countries I have never been to. It was a bit sad to say goodbye to my parents, but we all support each other on board."

HMS Bulwark is the Royal Navy’s newest Commando Assault and Command and Control ship. Launched in November 2001 she has a ship’s company of 380, a quarter of whom are made up from 4 Assault Squadron Royal Marines. The ship can carry up to 700 troops and her flight deck a Chinook or three Merlin helicopters. A large floodable dock holds four large landing craft and four on the ship’s side.

Minister Praises UK Marine Manufacturing Industry's Commitment to Excellence

London January 9, 2006 - The UK's £2 billion marine manufacturing industry continues to power ahead and enjoys bright prospects for the future, Minister for Industry and the Regions, Alun Michael, said today.

Mr Michael will visit the London Boat Show at ExCel, Docklands, tomorrow, where he will address British Marine Federation directors and members of the leisure marine and equipment manufacturing sectors.

"On recent visits I have been very impressed by the dynamics of the industry and the determination of business leaders to work together, to increase skill levels and to compete effectively in world markets." Mr Michael said.

"It is this type of industry which represents the future for our country in today's global economy."

Mr Michael said the industry's commitment to excellence had helped it achieve an impressive growth rate of 8 per cent a year since 2000.

"This industry, which employs about 30,000 people, makes a valuable contribution to the economy, generating an annual turnover of some £2 billion. Of that, more than 40 per cent is achieved through exports, showing that the UK can compete in an international market.

"The London Boat Show is a great way to showcase the latest innovations in the UK marine manufacturing industry. It really is promoting a British manufacturing success story."

Mr Michael said the results of a sector competitiveness analysis into the leisure powerboat building sector - due to be published shortly – were expected to reveal positive indications of the industry's health.

The analysis, jointly funded by the Department of Trade and Industry and the South East and South West Regional Development Agencies, is the most in-depth survey of the comparative performance of the UK industry ever undertaken.

"I am pleased to say it will contain some very positive messages about the health of the industry," Mr Michael said.

"For example, the UK brands remain highly regarded and maintain their share of the international market.

"Costs have been controlled by adopting lean manufacturing techniques and levels of innovation remain strong."

Pearl Harbor January 10, 2006 - The Sea-Based X-Band Radar (SBX) arrived in Pearl Harbor Jan. 9 for planned repairs and refurbishment, after completing a 15,000-mile journey from Corpus Christi, Texas aboard the heavy lift vessel MV Blue Marlin.

The SBX will be off-loaded and proceed into the Pearl Harbor Shipyard where it will undergo minor modifications, post-transit maintenance and routine inspections before completing its voyage to its homeport of Adak, Alaska in the Aleutian Islands.

"We brought SBX to the Pearl Harbor shipyard to undergo modifications because of the outstanding quality of work that they do," said Pam Rogers, communications specialist for the Missile Defense Agency.

The SBX is a combination of the world’s largest phased array X-band radar carried aboard a mobile, ocean-going semi-submersible oil platform. It will provide the nation with highly advanced ballistic missile detection and will be able to discriminate a hostile warhead from decoys or countermeasures.

"SBX will be an element of the ballistic missile defense system, which will protect our nation, our service members and our allies against ballistic missile attack," said Rogers.

The Missile Defense Agency completed integration of the SBX platform and radar in the spring of 2005 at a cost of approximately $900 million. The SBX spans 240 feet in width and 390 feet in length. It towers more than 280 feet from its keel to the top of the radar dome and displaces nearly 50,000 tons. The platform is twin-hulled, self-propelled and stable in high winds and turbulent sea conditions.

SBX returned from a successful 52-day deployment in the Gulf of Mexico Oct. 14. While in the Gulf, SBX completed more than 100 major test activities, demonstrating the ability to achieve most major sustainment and operational capabilities including transferring personnel, supplies, and fuel; at-sea maintenance; and the ability to operate at sea for extended periods. It also tracked three satellites to test the radar's operation.

"The radar is so powerful that if it were off the east coast of the United States near Washington, D.C., it would be capable of detecting the motion and rotation of a baseball launched into outer space from the San Francisco area," according the to the Missile Defense Agency.

The SBX is scheduled to arrive in Adak later this year. Although homeported in Adak, it will be capable of moving throughout the Pacific Ocean to support both advanced missile defense testing as well as defensive operations. The radar will provide missile tracking, discrimination and hit assessment functions to the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) element of the Ballistic Missile Defense System. It will support interceptor missiles located in Alaska and California if required to defend against a limited long-range missile attack on the United States, and will also participate in operationally realistic flight tests.

Vice Adm. Jonathan Greenert, commander of the US Seventh Fleet, spoke to Petty Officer Brianna Dandridge about the subjects and issues in the fleet that most concern him. This is the third and final in a series of articles as Greenert takes a look back at his first year and looks forward to new challenges in the forward-deployed naval forces.

As part of the fleet's Theater Security Cooperation Program, Seventh Fleet ships are involved in hundreds of exercises each year with forces from dozens of countries in the Asia-Pacific region. These run the spectrum from small-scale exercises involving one or two aircraft up to full-scale training evolutions with thousands of personnel from many countries.

Greenert said these exercises help provide training and encourage cooperation among the nations in the region. As an example, he pointed out how the US Navy and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force work together on ANNUALEX, a bilateral exercise demonstrating the US and JMSDF ships' ability to work for the defense of Japan.

"ANNUALEX is a splendid example of an important naval exercise and is one that we are very proud to be a part of," said Greenert. "The Japanese SDF and government continue to host Seventh Fleet and we continue to serve a vital part of the overall protection of Japan.

The two navies are always looking for ways to improve both function and capability for coordinated and bilateral operations. According to Greenert it is an ever-evolving exercise and one that will continue to improve and enhance our overall theater security cooperation initiatives.

"This year both the US and JMSDF are going to view and share the same common operational picture in almost real time. That is a big deal and we are excited about this new aspect to the exercise. We are very confident that this coalition will work well together for everything from future humanitarian efforts to possible defense operations," said Greenert.

Setting the stage for expanding operations with Japan is only part of the story. According to Greenert, Seventh Fleet continues to explore the best ways to maintain operational readiness through expanding cooperative efforts. During exercise Talisman Saber with Australia this summer, Seventh Fleet took part in combined and joint exercises to test the resolve of a unified force.

Talisman Saber, jointly sponsored by the US Pacific Command and Australian Defense Force Joint Operations Command, is the largest bilateral exercise the United States conducts. It's designed to train the US Seventh Fleet commander's staff and Australian Joint Operations staff to work as a Combined Task Force (CTF) headquarters.

Talisman Saber occurred for the first time this year and is scheduled to happen bi-annually.

Greenert said the exercise "is a realistic training tool for US and Australian forces to challenge unit assets in a complex and highly relevant scenario involving war at sea, expeditionary warfare, land maneuver, and coalition efforts. Talisman Saber shows the advantages of training in a coalition and UN environment and strong interoperability, while still maintaining safety and environmental consciousness."

Training, according to Greenert, is a strong attribute of Seventh Fleet and bi-lateral exercises such as with exercise Ulchi Focus Lens with the Republic of Korea military have tactical and practical value.

Ulchi Focus Lens is a combined and joint computer simulation-driven exercise, which involved both US and ROK military organizations. During the exercise both forces work together and refine their procedures for possible emergency situations.

"UFL's mission is to strengthen the ability of the United States and the Republic of Korea to work together in defending the Korean peninsula," said Cmdr. Dave Glenister Seventh Fleet Deputy Plans officer. "We also seek to build upon and continue to improve the strong and enduring relationship that we have with the Republic of Korea."

Seventh Fleet's Forward Deployed Naval Forces maintains proactive readiness with advanced technological operational exercises such as SHAREM.

SHAREM means "Ship Anti-Submarine Warfare Readiness and Evaluation Measurement." This exercises measures surface ships and aircraft ability to detect and track submarines. SHAREM is designed to develop and test coordinated ASW tactics, while collecting environmental and ASW equipment performance data to evaluate the proficiency of the participating units. Nearly a dozen US Navy and JMSDF ships take part in the annual exercise.

"SHAREM is a vital part of readiness for the fleet. It is a ship anti-submarine operational readiness measurement, held twice a year," said Greenert. "It is also a means for Seventh Fleet to evaluate and integrate new technology into ASW tactics."

According to Greenert, these exercises build trust and confidence between allies and potential allies. Trust and confidence, he added, are key ingredients to crisis resolution.

Malabar is another annual bilateral exercise that highlights the increased military cooperation between India and the United States. This cooperation has increased in complexity and momentum in the past two years.

"Our military and political relationship with India [and with other nations] is a fundamental element in the continued global war on terror. Interoperability is vital to successful GWOT operations."

Complementary to exercises, port visits by Seventh Fleet ships to various ports throughout the region maintain visibility of US presence in the region and offer engagement opportunities. While port visits offer Sailors an opportunity for liberty, they also put "deck plate-level forces" eye to eye with one another, and expose a world of culture on both sides.

In the past year, Seventh Fleet ships have been to the People's Republic of China, Russia, Malaysia, India, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and numerous locations.

"Our ships conduct hundreds of port visits a year," he said. "We share in community relations projects with our hosts and open our ships for tours by community leaders and other special groups.

"There's incredible value in being there…and there is a mission in this…and that's part of the job I think most Sailors enjoy the most."

Sometimes, it is Greenert himself who makes the personal contact. As commander of the world's largest forward-deployed fleet, he conducts dozens of flag-level and civic leader talks with his counterparts and government leaders throughout the region.

"Sometimes these meetings build bridges that might otherwise not exist," Greenert said. "We meet as allies or friends with common purposes. Ultimately, we find we can pick up the phone and talk (or email) in a time of crisis. There is great value in this. It can eliminate miscalculation and build that trust and confidence."

According to Greenert the numerous exercises and port and flag visits that Seventh Fleet orchestrates or participates in can make real-world operations run much more efficiently.

A recent example was the US response to the devastating Southeast Asia earthquake and tsunami relief efforts, called Operation Unified Assistance. Seventh Fleet simultaneously supported and took charge of one of the largest humanitarian relief efforts in history.

"Our work during the tsunami rescue and humanitarian efforts only reinforce the considerable import of our navies' and armed forces' collaborative efforts with other militaries," Greenert said.

Seventh Fleet directed the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) Carrier Strike Group and USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) Expeditionary Strike Group to assist in humanitarian help and disaster relief missions in the wake of the tsunami.

The US Navy hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) deployed from San Diego and provided emergency medical aid in the region, in support of Seventh Fleet's goal of delivering responsive, short-term readiness.

"Seventh Fleet has been steaming in the Asia-Pacific region for over 62 years, maintaining security and when required, projecting forward-deployed naval power. This area of responsibility is incredibly diverse. However, we are the common denominator for stability in every region."

Halifax January 9, 2006 - Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Athabaskan is leaving on a six-month deployment on Wednesday January 11th at 10 a.m., and will join the Standing NATO Response Force Maritime Group One (SNMG1) in Kiel, Germany.

The SNMG1 is a multi-national, multi-disciplined naval squadron composed of destroyers, cruisers and frigates from various NATO nations. SNMG1 is a highly effective force and is the nucleus of NATO maritime power. Its continuous presence demonstrates the solidarity and vigilance of the NATO Alliance while constantly developing multi-national maritime skills and tactics.

HMCS Athabaskan, designated as the Flagship for the Commander, will operate with the other ships of SNMG1in the waters of the North Atlantic, North Sea and Mediterranean and will participate in a number of exercises and operations designed to hone and develop combat training skills, force protection and Maritime Interdiction Operations (MIO) training skills, as well as improve interoperability between NATO ships.

The ship is one of two Iroquois class destroyers operating from Canadian Forces Base Halifax. With a crew complement of 280, including a Sea King detachment from 12 Wing Shearwater, HMCS Athabaskan has advanced command and control systems and a powerful area air defense capability. This ship is 129.8 meters in length, displaces 5,100 tonnes, and can reach speeds of more than 29 knots.

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Boeing Reports Fourth-Quarter and Full-Year Deliveries

Chicago January 10, 2006 - The Boeing Company today announced deliveries across its commercial and defense operations for the fourth quarter and full year of 2005.

Major program deliveries during the fourth quarter, including deliveries under operating lease (which are identified by parenthesis), were as follows:

Boeing SBX Completes Straits of Magellan Transit and Arrives in Pearl Harbor

St Louis January 10, 2006 - Boeing announced today the arrival in Hawaii of the Sea-Based X-Band Radar (SBX) built for the US Missile Defense Agency. This marks an interim stop in the vessel’s transport operation, originating in the Gulf of Mexico and maneuvering through the Straits of Magellan, ultimately destined for Adak, Alaska.

A major sensor for the Missile Defense Agency’s ground-based midcourse defense program (GMD), the SBX will provide the capability to track ballistic missiles and their warheads, discriminate among various objects in flight, and provide data for intercepting targets and their destruction. The addition of the SBX to MDA’s missile defense system is another key milestone toward the evolution of a layered and integrated Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS).

"The arrival of SBX in the Pacific builds on the momentum of the GMD program, which recently conducted a successful flight test and installed its 10th operational interceptor missile at Fort Greely," said Pat Shanahan, Boeing Missile Defense Systems vice president and general manager. "The SBX is a one-of-a-kind platform that will perform essential sensing functions for the Ballistic Missile Defense System. It can be deployed worldwide; it can sense small objects thousands of miles away; it can provide critical data on incoming ballistic missile threats; and it is the only platform of its type in the world. No other platform within the BMDS provides all these attributes."

Prior to its departure on its journey around South America through the Straits of Magellan, integration, assembly and test of the radar and platform were conducted at Corpus Christi, Texas. Following a series of sea trials, the SBX was transported into the Pacific Ocean aboard a commercial heavy transport vessel, the motor vessel Blue Marlin, which is owned and operated by Dockwise Shipping BV of Breda, The Netherlands.

The radar will join other land and sea-based radars and space-based sensors, to support the overall ballistic missile defense capability, with initial integration into the command, control, communication and battle management system for the long-range interceptor missiles located in Alaska and California, improving their ability to defend against a limited long-range ballistic missile attack on the United States. Home-ported in Adak, a small island located in the Aleutian Island chain, the SBX will be able to move throughout the Pacific Ocean, or any of the world’s oceans, in support of advanced missile defense testing and defensive operations.

The SBX program team completed important milestones despite challenges throughout last year’s intensive hurricane season. During scheduled program operations, the radar tracked orbiting satellites, which demonstrated key functionality. The program completed more than 100 test activities, demonstrating its ability to achieve major sustainment and operational capabilities, including: transferring personnel, supplies and fuel, performing at-sea maintenance and the ability to operate at sea for extended periods.

Clyde Pride as BAE Systems Delivers 750^th Ship From Govan Yard

Farnborough January 10, 2006 - RFA Mounts Bay today set sail from Faslane Naval Base on the Clyde for the first time since she was accepted into the Royal Fleet Auxiliary on 15 December 2005. The ship, a 16,000 tonne military transport vessel, or Landing Ships Dock (Auxiliary), becomes the first of the Bay Class of ships to enter service with the British fleet.

The ship was built and outfitted by BAE Systems Naval Ships in Glasgow, and is the 750th to have been built at the Govan shipyard. Outfitting work was also carried out at the company’s Scotstoun yard before sea trials were completed late last year.

Ship’s Captain Ross Ferris said, "I am immensely proud and delighted to take charge of this magnificent ship on behalf of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. She will continue the RFA’s proud one hundred years of service supporting the Royal Navy throughout the world, providing secure logistical support and amphibious operations capability for the British armed forces."

Vic Emery, Managing Director, BAE Systems Naval Ships, said, " We are committed to delivering the capability our customers require. We are all very proud of the timely completion of this ship and she is a testament to the skill and dedication of the workforce on the Clyde.

"BAE Systems has the strength and depth in terms of leadership and management - the right team in place to meet our customer’s requirements. This demonstrates that the Clyde remains the natural home of surface warship building in the UK."

The 176-metre long, 16,000 tonne ships will deliver the second wave of an amphibious assault ashore. The Bay class will also carry more logistical support capability and be better equipped to support humanitarian and disaster relief operations than the ships they will replace.

The contract for two vessels was placed with BAE Systems in November 2001 and steel cutting began the following month. RFA Mounts Bay was launched on 8th April 2004 by Lady Sarah Band, the wife of Admiral Sir Jonathan Band who will succeed Admiral Sir Alan west as First Sea Lord later this year. RFA Mounts Bay’s sister ship, Cardigan Bay, is currently nearing completion of outfit and will enter

EDO to Develop Control Unit for Maverick Missile

New York January 10, 2006 - EDO Corporation has been selected by Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) to design and develop a new electronic control unit for the AGM-65 Maverick missile. This control unit will enable the Maverick missile to be carried on aircraft currently not compatible with this proven "fire and forget" weapon.

"This contract continues our successful efforts with Raytheon to substantially expand the range of use for the Maverick missile," said Chief Executive Officer James M. Smith. "Our control unit will interface with the aircraft through Raytheon's LAU-117 Dual Mode Launcher, of which the electronics assembly was also designed and built by EDO Corporation."

EDO has also worked with Raytheon to integrate a GPS receiver and digital data-link into the Maverick missile system, allowing communication with the missile after it has been launched and improving its range by three to five times.

EDO Corporation is the market leader in sophisticated aircraft-armament carriage and release systems. For decades, EDO has provided such equipment for the world's dominant jet fighters, including the F-15, F-16, F/A-18, Tornado and Harrier. For the F/A-22, EDO has developed and produces the AMRAAM Vertical Eject Launcher (AVEL), which employs the company's state-of-the-art pneumatic ejection technology.

EDO is currently developing pneumatic launching systems for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the Joint Common Missile, and the P-8A Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft.