Thursday, January 30, 2014

WWII Eastern Front PR photo? No, Chinese FHJ02 at work



FHJ01 is a 62mm two-round Chinese FLASH (FLame Assault SHoulder Weapon), whereas FHJ-02 is the seven-round rack mount counter part.  This FLASH first entered service with the China Army in 1993,  capable of firing both incendiary and smoke rockets is normally attached to an engineering (Nebeltruppen) company.



  

Monday, January 27, 2014

China Marine Surveillance (CMS) commission of the day: CMS7018

The eighth of the 14 600-tonners on order to be delivered is Hai Jian 7018, commissioned 14 January 2014 at Dinghai, where it was built (by Navy Yard 4806):

-- franco-russe


1st ship of the Nigerian P18N OPV class launched in Wuhan

No,  Wuhan is part of Republic of China, well, not now anyways.

Nigerian Navy Imports Two War Ships from China

07 Dec 2013
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/nigerian-navy-imports-two-war-ships-from-china/166063/

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Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Dele Joseph Ezeoba

Jude Okwe
In order to meet operational needs and effectively police the waterways, the Nigerian Navy has placed order for two war ships from the Republic of China, Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Dele Joseph Ezeoba has revealed in Calabar.

He stated this while undertaking the annual inspection of naval facilities and formations in the Eastern Naval Command.  The new ships, according to him, on delivery, would give the Navy the needed capacity and edge to effectively combat sea piracy and oil theft which are all acts of economic sabotage.

One ship would be launched in China in January 2014 and brought down while the second would be delivered second quarter of the year.

  ”To effectively  combat our vast marine space, helicopters, open patrol vehicles, speed boats, and adequate manpower are needed; that is why we are taking delivery of these ships to beef up our defence and combat capacity”, he said.

Ezeoba commended the Eastern Naval Command for combating sea piracy and oil theft in the Gulf of Guinea to a reasonable level, which he noted has made the sea route along Calabar, Oron and Gabon relatively safe and secure.

“We have a mandate from the President of this nation to combat bunkering and piracy in the sea and the Eastern Naval Command has combated and reduced the incidences of sea piracy and oil theft to a very low level and this has made the Calabar Water Channel relatively safe”, he said.

  He explained that the multi billion naira Naval Specialist Hospital in Calabar that was abandoned for over thirty years was nearing completion and would be commissioned in the first quarter of 2014.

“That facility has been abandoned for over thirty years and what I did yesterday was to take an on the spot assessment of work and from the state of work done so far, that project will be commissioned in the first quarter of 2014”, Ezeoba added.

He said from his assessment, the units and bases were stable which proves that the Nigerian Navy was operationally prepared to undertake any mission in any part of the world in terms of the efficiency of its personnel and equipment capacity.

The naval Chief inaugurated several projects in the Eastern Naval Command in Calabar including living quarters for offices, senior officers’ mess and clinic.















Nigeria to order two 90m offshore patrol vessels from China

Thanks Koxinga for the link.

Nigeria approves procurement of two new offshore patrol vessels

http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=24719:nigeria-approves-procurement-of-two-new-offshore-patrol-vessels&catid=51:Sea&Itemid=106


Written by defenceWeb Monday, 02 April 2012 15:13
altNigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan has approved the purchase of two new 1 800 ton Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) for the Nigerian Navy as the service modernises and expands.

Nigeria’s 2012 Defence Budget Proposal allocates N6.78 billion/US$42 million for the two offshore patrol vessels. The first will be built in China while about 50% of the second ship will be constructed in Nigeria in an effort to enhance local shipbuilding capability and provide technology transfer.

The OPVs will be 95 metres long, with a draft of 3.5 metres. They will be powered by two MTU 20V 4000M diesel engines, giving a speed of 21 knots, and will be armed with one 76 mm and two 30 mm guns. Crew complement will be 70 sailors and endurance 20 days. They will be able to carry and support a helicopter off a rear deck.

The Nigerian Navy (NN) announced that the vessels would mainly to be used for maritime surveillance, patrol and response tasks. Other roles of the vessels would be protection of offshore assets, Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) patrol and surveillance, search and rescue and oil spill control.

“This acquisition is expected to bolster NN presence at sea to meet the current and emerging threats,” the Navy said.

Nigeria’s Navy will be receiving nearly two dozen new acquisitions under the 2012 defence budget. The 2012 Defence Budget Proposal also makes provision for three Shaldag Mk III fast patrol craft, three 24 metre coastal patrol craft and six 17 metre Manta Mk II ASD littoral interceptors (total cost N2.2 billion/US$13.7 million). In addition, the purchase of helicopter and ship spares will amount to N1.04 billion (US$6.5 billion), according to Budget Office documents.

The FY2011 defence budget approved the acquisition of two offshore patrol vessels, the refurbishment of six coastal patrol craft by TP Marine of Holland and the delivery of nine Manta Mk II ASD craft.

French shipbuilder OCEA is building the three 24 metre coastal patrol craft and commenced sea trials of the first vessel on March 13.

The Suncraft Group is expected to construct the six Manta Mk II ASD vessels, bringing the total ordered over the last several years to 21. The Manta Mk II first entered service with the Nigerian Navy in 2008.

In strengthening its military capabilities, Nigeria has paid particular attention to improving security in the Niger Delta and off its 780 kilometre long coast, where it has numerous oil installations. In March 2007 it signed a US$73 million contract for two ATR 42MP maritime patrol aircraft to join its Dornier 128s. The first ATR was delivered in December 2009 and the second in March 2010.

Late last year the Nigerian Navy received the former US Coast Guard Cutter Chase (WHEC-718), which was given to the Nigerian Navy as an excess defence article under the US Foreign Assistance Act, and renamed NNS Thunder.

Captain Mohammed Nagemu, the Commanding Officer of NNS Thunder, said that the ship, which commenced active operations on January 23, had been involved in several naval exercises, while making several arrests.

“NNS Thunder, which has sailed 14 665 nautical miles, has so far arrested two vessels, accosted 108 vessels and carried out ‘Exercise Obangame [Express]’, along with helicopter operations,” he said. However, Nagemu pointed out several challenges facing the vessel, including a scarcity of spare parts, insufficient tools and inadequate personnel training.

Nigeria’s Navy is seeking government approval to acquire up to 49 ships and 42 helicopters over the next ten years to police the nation’s territorial waterways and Gulf of Guinea, according to Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ishaya Ibrahim.

The Nigerian Navy has received 10 donated vessels to enhance operations in the Niger Delta. The navy has also established new base in Lokoja known as NNS Lugard and another in Ikot Abasi known as NNS Jubilee.

The Nigerian Navy has been allocated N69 billion (US$433 million) under this year’s budget while the Army has been allocated N122 billion (US$766 million), and the Air Force N64 billion (US$402 million), reports the Nigerian Budget Office. The navy has about 7 000 personnel.



Ship Commission of the day: Type 081A minesweeper 845 “Qingzhou” commissioned with the North Sea Fleet





From PLAdaily:

A commissioning, naming and flag-presenting ceremony of the new-type minesweeper “Qingzhou” of the Navy of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLAN) was held on the morning of January 26, 2014 at a naval port in Dalian of northeast China’s Liaoning province, marking that the ship is officially commissioned to the North China Sea Fleet of the PLAN. (Chinamil.com.cn/Yang Xinru and Li Ding)

Sunday, January 26, 2014

Ship Commission of the day: Type056 corvette number 10, FFG587 Jieyang.

From our friends Franco-russe and Andrew KC

Type056 587 JIEYANG commissioned 26 January, as fast as 586.

Subordinated to Shantou Naval District 5 Missile Ship Squadron: 汕头水警区导护艇五大队.

It is berthed at 23 20 43 N 116 40 39 E, where it has been joined by 053H1G 560 and 562 of 2 Frigate Squadron.


FIrst batch of PLZ45 155 mm self-propelled howitzer arrived in Algeria

First batch of Norinco's PLZ45 155 mm self-propelled howitzer arrived in Agleria  as spotted by sadral forcesdz (here) and confirmed by Chinese military websites.   This marks Agleria as the third operator of such a long range artillery system after Kuwait (75 tubes) and Saudi Arabia (54 tubes).





Here are old PR posters from 2006 and some of the spec might be dated.









Saturday, January 25, 2014

A fat Chinese new year to Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Company

Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Company just received an order of four 5000 Tonne class cutters from the China Coast Guard, worth 2.5 Billion RMB (here).  "Gong Xi Fa Cai" indeed. 

Those four new GC cutters will be a modified variant of the recently commissioned MSA01.






Wednesday, September 05, 2012


Photos of the day: MSA 01, the new flag ship of the Maritime Safety Administration launched.





Wednesday, December 22, 2010


China to commission MSA01 in May 2012.

The contract for this 5400 ton advanced patrol ship was recently signed between the Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration and the Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Company Ltd (here)

At the cost of 350 million Yuan, this new class of patrol ship features a top speed of 20.4 knots and with endurance of 10,000 nautical miles at 16 knots cruising speed. In addition to the 200 people rescue capacity, a fully equipped medical operation room is also provisioned .

China Coast Guard Communission of the day: Coast Guard 2401.

China coast guard receives new vessel
Xinhua | 2014-1-23 18:13:44

 A new law enforcement ship was commissioned for the China Coast Guard (CCG) East China Sea fleet on Thursday.

The CCG-2401, with displacement of 4,000 tonnes, is a multi-functional vessel equipped with advanced law enforcement facilities, the State Oceanic Administration said in a statement.

It is capable of completing marine law enforcement tasks and will play an important role in reinforcing China's administration of waters under its sovereignty, the administration said.

The ship is the second new CCG vessel of its size this month. On Jan. 10, the CCG-3401 was commissioned for the CCG South China Sea fleet.







2014年1月23日,中国海警2401船完成建造并交付中国海监东海总队。该船是国家海洋局重组以来第二艘完成建造并交付的新型4000吨级、多功能海洋执法船。该船船舶性能优良,配备了先进的执法设备,能够满足海洋执法任务需要。

该船交付并择期入列后,将在加强对我国主张管辖海域实施有效管控方面发挥重要作用。


Thursday, May 10, 2012


Chinese Maritime Surveillance (CMS) to commission 36 cutters in 3 years.

Chinese Maritime Surveillance (CMS) to commission 36 new cutters from 2010 to 2012 including seven 1500 ton class, fifteen 1000 ton class and fourteen 600 ton class "to better protect China's maritime interests".

Not sure what is the urgency but it sure helps to have a strong domestic shipbuilding industry  to handle bursting demands.  




中国明年完工36艘海监船 将极大提升海上维权实力
20120510 05:41 来源:中国日报网  http://www.chinanews.com/gn/2012/05-10/3876907.shtml

  中国海监总队相关负责人59日接受《中国日报》采访时介绍2010年部署的36艘海监船预计将于2013年完工,届时必将极大提升我国海上维权实力。
  据了解,36艘海监船将分10个沿海省市区(计划单列市),其中包括71500级,151000级和14600级海监船。
  昨日,中国海监威海市支队承担的1600级海监船在山东威海正式开工建设。
  海南省安排建造一艘1500级和两艘1000级海监船,以提升省级海监执法维权力量。
  (记者:王倩 编辑:陈璐)

Photos of the day: Beer-run to South China Sea