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India launched her first indigenous nuclear powered submarine Arihant on July 26. The submarine designed and constructed in India as Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) project since 1970’s has become a reality. ‘Arihant’ means ‘Destroyer of Enemies’.
Some interesting features of indigenous nuclear powered submarine Arihant are:

• was dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at Ship Building Center, Vishakapatnam naval dockyard.
• is among the five in the class approved by the government for construction.
• the other countries having capabilities to operate nuclear powered submarines are: U.S, Russia, U.K, France and China.
• is jointly developed by Indian Navy, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) with Russian assistance.
• the nuclear powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN)
  • is about 110 metres long, 6000 tons, 22 knots speed, 11 metre-wide with complement of around 23 officers and 72 men
  • the 80 MW mini-nuclear reactor to power the submarine has been installed
  • the K-15 Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) for the submarine was tested successfully from an under sea platform on February 26, 2008
  • can launch 12 SLBMs, even under ice-cap
  • the necessary crew training to operate the submarine, is planned through Russian Akula II submarine expected to join Indian Navy on lease by year end
• the ATV project started making significant progress only after the land-based reactor became fully operational in December 2004 at Kalpakkam, near Chennai.

Arihant is expected to be available for deployment to the Indian Navy after harbour trials and sea trials by 2011.

Here is a photograph from Press Information Bureau.

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Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh was the Guest of Honour at the Bastille Day Parade held in Paris, France on July 14. An Indian contingent of 400 soldiers from the Army, Navy and Air Force participated in the parade for the first time on the Champs-Elysees of Paris.

Bastille day on July 14 is celebrated in France to mark the anniversary of the storming of the infamous Paris jail in 1789 by revolutionaries, an event that triggered  France’s transition from a monarchy to a republic.

French media speculates that the decision to honour the Indian troops was an attempt to strengthen Indo-French relationship, as France is keen to sell India its Rafale jet fighters, while French nuclear power producer Areva has recently signed a draft deal for the sale of up to six nuclear reactors in India.

Here are some photographs from the Press Information Bureau.

Indian Navy contingent as a part of the Bastille Day Parade of France, in Paris.

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World’s first civilian nuclear powered icebreaker Lenin of Russia is finally getting ready to become a museum and hotel. The vessel arrived at the port of Murmansk on May 05 as her final destination for conversion into a museum. She was previously  undergoing decommissioning at nearby Atomflot’s facility.

The vessel will be turned into an Information Center and a Museum of the Arctic Region and the Development of the Northern Sea Route. Maintenance of the ship would cost about 30 million rubles per year (about $900,000).

Some interesting features of Lenin are:

• The preparation to construct the vessel was started on Aug 24 1956.
• The ship was launched on December 5, 1957.
• Undergone sea trials in the Gulf of Finland in Sept-Dec 1959.
• Was officially accepted for service on December 3 1959.

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USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77), the 10th and final nuclear powered aircraft carrier in the Nimitz class is scheduled to be commissioned on January 10 during a ceremony at Naval Station Norfolk, Va. The aircraft carrier is named in honor of the 41st President of the United States, George Herbert Walker Bush. It is further interesting to note that the commissioning is to take place without completing sea trials, before President George W. Bush (the eldest son of the former President George H.W.Bush) demits office on January 20.

The $6.3b ship built by Northrop Grumman was originally scheduled for completion in April 2008. The completion was delayed due to labor shortages, late material deliveries. After commissioning, USS George H.W. Bush will be initially home ported in Norfolk, Va., and assigned to the U.S. Atlantic Fleet to prepare for builder’s and acceptance trials. George H.W. Bush incorporates major improvements from her predecessors, including a bulbous bow, redesigned island, composite mast and three-wire arresting gear configuration.

The first Commanding Officer of USS George H.W. Bush is Capt. Kevin O’Flaherty. The carrier will have a crew of more than 5,500 men and women, including embarked air wing personnel.

The ship will support the F/A-18C Hornet and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet strike fighters, the E-2C/D Hawkeye Airborne Early Warning aircraft, the C-2 Greyhound  logistics aircraft, the EA-6B Prowler and the EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft, multi-role SH-60 and MH-60 helicopters, and other future carrier-based aircrafts.

Here are some interesting facts on USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77), from Northrop Grumman.

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Russian Akula II Class Nerpa nuclear attack submarine has commenced sea trials at Primorye Territory in southeastern Russia. Sea trials of this submarine is a significant development for the Indian Navy because,

• As per media reports the submarine is expected to join the Indian Navy on 10 years lease in mid 2009 with an option to buy at the end of the leasing, though the Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov has denied this report.
• The Akula class submarine on lease is necessary for the Indian Navy to prepare for the induction of the Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV), India’s indigenous nuclear powered submarine which is expected to go for sea trials in 2009.
• As India has already tested undersea launch of nuclear capable missile in February, Indian Navy has to accelerate the realization of ATV project.
• Further, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India has already pointed out that the operational availability of Indian submarines is as low as 48% due to an ageing fleet and prolonged refit schedules.
• In the past India leased a Charlie I class nuclear submarine from the Soviet Union from 1988 to 1991.

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The 33 year old Russian nuclear powered icebreaker ‘Arktika’ has completed her active service this week officially and her propulsion reactors have been shut down by this weekend. Russian icebreaker fleet ensure safe navigation in the Eastern part of the Northern Sea Route, the sea line connecting port of Murmansk with other Russian Arctic ports. Arktika was the second nuclear powered icebreaker built in Russia.

Some of the interesting features of Arktika are:

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World’s fastest submarine, the Russian nuclear powered K-222 is being dismantled. K-222 had a nuclear reactor accident on September 30,1980. Thereafter by 1988, she was placed in reserve at Belomorsk Naval Base in Severodvinsk.

Some of the interesting features of K-222 are:

• Called as Project 661 (Anchar), known in the West by its NATO Papa class
• Also designated as K-222 (former K-162) submarine
• Commissioned on December 31,1969
• Maximum speed of 25 knots at surface
• Submerged speed of 44 knots
• Endurance of 70 days
• Displacement: 5190 tons surfaced / 7000 tons dived
• Builders: Sevmashpredpriyatiye, Severodvinsk, Russia
• Maximum diving depth of 400 metres and crush depth of 550 metres
• Dimensions:106.92 m x 11.50 m x 8.20 m
• Complement:82
• Hull: Titanium alloy due to which nicknamed as ‘Golden Fish’

K-222 will be dismantled at Sevmash, the only facility capable of handling the titanium hull. Programme for Decommissioning of Multipurpose Nuclear Submarines in the North-West of Russia is available here.

Video clips of K-222 are available here and here.

More information is here at Russia Today.

The Indo-US Nuclear Deal has triggered a ‘ No Confidence Motion ‘ to take place in parliament on July 21-22 against the Indian Government. There is a disturbing news report which reveals that many political parties are demanding the following to support the government on Indo-US nuclear deal.

• a party that demands a separate state
• a party that wants to settle scores on corporate loyalty
• a party that wants to protect it’s state’s fishermen
• a party that wants nationalisation of mining activity
• a grand old man wants to occupy the Prime Ministerial chair

This is how world’s largest democracy functions.

It is being highlighted that the deal is necessary to ensure energy security. Just look at this pie chart below which shows the primary energy sources in India.

Image Source: Planning Commission of India, 2006

From the pie chart it can be seen that only 2 percent of the energy comes from Nuclear power. The hidden agenda of the Indo-US deal is available at Rediff News from Minhaz Merchant.

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Subsequent to a fire onboard nuclear powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington on May 22, now Royal Navy’s nuclear powered submarine HMS Superb is presently unsafe to dive after striking an underwater pinnacle on May 26.

The incident happened during a dived passage through the northern Red Sea. HMS Superb, built by Vickers Shipbuilding at Barrow, commissioned in 1976, is the third of the Swiftsure Class Attack Submarines of Royal Navy. In fact Swiftsure Class Attack Submarines are capable of circumnavigating the globe underwater without any need to come to the surface.

Here are some details of HMS Superb available on the incident:

• has hit an underwater pinnacle while 50 miles (80km) south of Suez, after passing through the canal
• displaces 5,200 tonnes while submerged
• 272 ft long and has a complement of 112
• equipped with Spearfish torpedoes
• no casualties and the submarine remains watertight
• is safe to operate on the surface under own power
• nuclear reactor is completely safe
• main sonar damaged
• no other vessel, military or civil, was involved in the incident

An investigation on the grounding is underway and a full Board of Inquiry will be conducted in due course.

Here is a photograph of HMS Superb.

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Fire onboard nuclear powered Nimitz class US Aircraft Carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) on May 22 was successfully contained and extinguished by the ships crew without any serious injuries to the crew. Fire was noticed when the carrier was conducting a routine Replenishment At Sea in the Pacific Ocean with USS Crommelin (FFG 37). USS George Washington is now continuing her voyage as scheduled to San Diego.

• fire was detected in the morning near aft air conditioning and refrigeration space and auxiliary boiler room
• fire spread to more places through electrical cable way
• ships crew as a team heroically extinguished the fire after several hours of fire fighting
• 23 crew members were treated for heat stress and one crew was treated for first degree burns
• no damage to propulsion plant and reactor is reported

Here are some photographs of fire fighting.

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Russia is presently building the world’s first Floating Nuclear Power Plant (FNPP) of 70 MW ‘Academic Lomonosov’. The project was launched in 2007 and is expected to be commissioned in 2011. Five such plants are expected to be operational by 2020. The FNPP under the Russian flag would operate in coastal states that had signed the necessary agreements. The FNPP would drop anchor in a safe place protected from potential natural disasters and operate with the assistance of local engineering services available on shore.

The interesting features of Floating Nuclear Power Plant are:

• under construction at Severodvinsk, Sevmash Shipyard located at northern White Sea which is the main facility of the State Nuclear Shipbuilding Centre.
• to generate 1/15th of the power produced by a standard Russian nuclear power plant.
• to be equipped with two power units using KLT- 40S reactors.
• reactors will be loaded with nuclear fuel once every three years.
• cost of electricity: just 5 or 6 cents per kilowatt.
• the first plant would cost around 10 billion Rubles ($ 0.42 billion).
• the remaining plants would cost around 5 to 6 billion Rubles ($ 0.2 to 0.25 billion) each.
• designed to be protected from the following potential terrorist threats using fingerprint and iris identification technologies.
  • unauthorized access to fissile materials onboard the plant
  • against possible subversive attempts by terrorist divers
  • nothing would destroy the reactor even if an airliner as big as a Boeing crashes on the plant
• will also be able to supply heat and desalinate seawater.
• on desalination mode, will be able to produce 240,000 cubic meters of fresh water a day.
• will save up to 200,000 metric tons of coal and 100,000 tons of fuel oil a year.
• will have a life span of 40 years.
• every 12 years the plant will be taken to Russia for overhaul.

More than 20 countries have shown interest in this project. Cooperation in this project with India,China,Indonesia and many African,Latin American countries are in pipeline. Depending on the agreement it may involve technology transfer or sale of only products of the plant: like electric power, heat and fresh water.

Here is the longitudinal section of a FNPP.

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PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) is set to unveil the massive nuclear powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz. The airing will be in two hour blocks beginning April 27 through May 1, 2008. The 10-hour series CARRIER was filmed aboard the USS Nimitz during the aircraft carrier’s six-month deployment to the Gulf in support of the Iraq War. The project itself took over three years to complete as 17 filmmakers shot 1,600 hours of film as the ship departed Coronado, California on May 7, 2005 and docked at various ports of call like Pearl Harbor, Hong Kong, Guam, Kuala Lumpur, Bahrain and Perth, Australia before returning to Coronado November 8, 2005.

The interesting features of CARRIER are:

• The CARRIER, a 10-part series filmed aboard the USS Nimitz, comprises a core group of film participants, from the admiral of the strike group to the fighter pilots to the youngest sailors, as they navigate personal conflicts around their jobs, families, faith, patriotism, love, the rites of passage and the war on terror.
• The CARRIER includes behind-the-scenes footage and additional commentary to set the stage for a dramatic voyage for the sailors and officers aboard.
• The 10 part series are:
  • Episode 1: “All Hands” : Setting sail for Hawaii and beyond, 5,000 sailors and Marines bid farewell and ponder life on board.
  • Episode 2: “Controlled Chaos”: Tight fraternies form when one lives on the roof of a nuclear reactor.
  • Episode 3: “Super Secrets”: Aboard a carrier, some topics are hush-hush.
  • Episode 4: “Squared Away”: Ports of call allow sailors to blow off steam, but not all the pressure vents.
  • Episode 5: “Show of Force”: Conditions are extreme in the Gulf.
  • Episode 6: “Groundhog Day”: Frustration surfaces when one day becomes indistinguishable from the next.
  • Episode 7: “Rites of Passage”: After an ancient maritime ritual, a storm arises, raising the stakes on the carrier landings.
  • Episode 8: “True Believers”: Exploring the many expressions of faith.
  • Episode 9: “Get Home-itis”: Deployment places a heavy burden on relationships back home.
  • Episode 10: “Full Circle”: The final transit from Hawaii to California allows for a look back and tearful, joyful reunions.
• CARRIER premieres Sunday, April 27 through Thursday, May 1, 2008, 9:00-11:00 p.m. ET on PBS (check local listings).
• When to watch the series ? Click here to find out.

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Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) was inaugurated in 2004, as one of the independent administrative institutions upon re-organized from its former organization, Japan Marine Science and Technology Centre.

Objectives of JAMSTEC

• to contribute to the advancement of academic research
• to the improvement of marine science and technology by proceeding the fundamental research and development on marine
• to the cooperative activities on the academic research related to the Ocean for the benefit of the peace and human welfare

Research and Development projects undertaken by JAMSTEC

• Observational Research for Global Environmental Change:Elucidating the Mechanism of Environmental Changes through Global Observations
• Research on the Prediction of Future Global Change:Predict the Future Global Change for the Earth and Mankind
• Research on dynamics of the inside of the Earth:Research on dynamics of the inside of the Earth
• Studies on Marine Organisms and Extremophiles:Exploration of Unknown Biospheres toward Understanding of the Origin of Life
• Research and Development of Infrastructural Technologies for Marine Science and Engineering:Research and Development of the World’s Most Advanced Marine Science and Technology
• Simulations Research and Development:Forecasting the Earth’s Future

In addition JAMSTEC is handling many projects with international collaboration.

The following Research Vessels and Vehicles are available with JAMSTEC to undertake Research and Development Projects:

Research Vessel Natsushima

Natsushima has an aft wheelhouse that allows the vessel to be piloted while at the same time deploying and recovering Hyper-Dolphin from the rear section of the vessel. Natsushima was built in 1981. Ship is 67 m long;draft 3.8 m; cruising speed 12 knots; Diesel propulsion with CPP.

Mission capabilities:

• Support research dives of the 3,000 m class ROV, Hyper-Dolphin
• Support research dives of the 4,000 m towed deep ocean floor survey system, Deep Tow
• Seafloor topography surveys
• Structural surveys of the deep-sea bottom
• Sampling of seafloor sediments
• Independent oceanographic surveys, and installation and collection of seismometers, mooring systems, etc.

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The commander of the nuclear-powered submarine USS Hampton has been relieved of his command amid an inquiry into misconduct by crew members. The misconduct was discovered on 17 September 2007, but not made public until after completion of an initial inquiry.

The misconduct probe exposes the following:

• The crew neither maintained inspection records nor conducted the required inspection of chemical levels associated with the cooling system of the ship’s nuclear reactor.
• The crew then went back and falsified existing records to make it appear the work had been done.

Follow up actions that have taken place:

• Cmdr. Michael B. Portland lost his post due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command. Cmdr. William J. Houston will replace Portland.
• Six personnel have been punished for forging inspection records for the cooling system. One officer and five enlisted personnel, received a nonjudicial punishment.
• One officer and two enlisted crew members have been temporarily reassigned to Submarine Squadron 11. Portland also will be temporarily reassigned to that squadron.
• A fact-finding investigation is under way, and further action against Navy crew members is possible.

Portland’s demotion brings to 10, the number of people relieved of duty on the submarine in the wake of the misconduct probe. The Hampton remains in port in San Diego, California. In all, the $900 million vessel’s crew includes 13 officers and 116 enlisted personnel.

Source:CNN

OldSailor feels that maintenance of records and documentation in ships may have to be reviewed and simplified if necessary.