BAE Systems will perform maintenance and modernisation on the U.S. Navy’s amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge starting in April 2023.
BAE Systems has received a $294.7 million contract from the U.S. Navy to drydock and perform more than 20 months of maintenance and modernization work on the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3).
“The contract includes options that, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value to $340.3 million. Under the awarded contract, the maintenance availability of USS Kearsarge will begin in April. Starting in June, the 843-foot-long ship will be drydocked for nearly a year at BAE Systems’ Norfolk shipyard.
The shipyard will perform extensive hull, tank, and mechanical work, rehabilitate all crew and embarked Marine living compartments onboard, and inspect the ship’s boilers. BAE Systems is expected to complete work aboard the 29-year-old ship in January 2025.”
Mike Bruneau, vice president and general manager of BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair, was quoted as saying:
“The extended sustainment period onboard the USS Kearsarge provides a great environment to apply BAE Systems’ substantial experience with ships of the same class and considerable production skills, and supports job stability across our shipyard and supply base. Through our maintenance and modernisation efforts, the Kearsarge will be ready to deploy for many years to come.”
USS Kearsarge is the third ship of the USS Wasp class of U.S. Navy amphibious assault ships, which are designed to carry expeditionary Marines and their equipment to anywhere in the world. The current Kearsarge is the fourth U.S. Navy vessel to sail with the name.
The company’s Norfolk shipyard is also completing a similar modernisation project aboard the Wasp.
You can read more about this here.
Perhaps this is my silly comment. Discuss: DO we need a couple mistral/ocean LPD flat top types with slightly up gunned t31s for escort – that can be used for lower intensity conflict and give us other options.
No
Hmmm…wait a sec…choose the right vessel and the ‘right’ BAE crew for contractor sea trials, at the appropriate time, turn and head for Blighty at flank speed. Modern day prize action; shades of Horatio Hornblower Claim it was a Lend-Lease action. USN flabbergasted: seeks funding for new vessel from Uncle Sugar’s paymaster. RN augmented by one LHD or LPH. Case closed. 🤔😳😉
Sadly I suspect the flaw in this otherwise brilliant plan is that it the BAE crew would effectively be stealing it from BAE rather than the USN… so more of a mutiny than a seized prize.
Nice try 😉
Yeah, most of my plans are usually shot in the ass by reality, or otherwise suffer a fatal flaw. 🤣😂😁
I think you just quoted Caspar Weinberger plan B for the Royal Navy in the Falklands war
“Mmm, how did the Brits manage to get their hands on an American LHD without anyone telling the state department” 😀
Never knew that, thought it was a novel plan. 🤔
Ronnie Raygun and Cap Weinberger truly believed in the ‘special relationship,’ more than most post-war administrations. Fortuitous timing in terms of Falklands conflict. 🤔😳😊
You’re dismissive talk about the president that did more to save the UK’s ass than anyone since Kennedy. Is the reason you are ex USAF. Come on…. Try to do a teensy bit better shall we.
🤣😂😁 Esteban you exhibit a truly breathtaking capability to misinterpret the intent of others. ‘Raygun’ was an affectionate pun which members of US forces substituted for the the name Reagan, given that he was also the chief advocate for ‘Star Wars’ missile defense initiative, which ultimately contributed to bankrupting the USSR, thus ending the first Cold War. The military knew both men implicitly and completely backed the institution and honored both Regan and Cap Weinberger upon retirement from office w/ reviews that have not been duplicated since.
BTW, I retired of own volition. Nice ceremony, sorry your invitation apparently was lost in the post.
He just waffles chuff, probably not even one of yours, but has such a chip on his shoulder about the Brits that he must have found more than one British squaddies sock in Mrs Esteban’s laundry basket! He is at least, sadly amusing in a pitiful sort of way.
😂👍. The hit and run ambush posts took me by surprise at first and almost rose to the bait, until I read the responses to him from everyone else. Sad case, unfortunately.
And again, get me a battered cod to go with your chips pal, good lad!
🤣😂😁
Ocean was only any use in Blair’s wars against any enemy that couldn’t hit back.
If you build a proper helicopter carrier the first question is ‘why’?
There isn’t a particularly good answer to that. As they are a bit like a 🐫. Not terribly good at landing troops or vehicles and compromised having to be that close in to do that.
So then look at the alternatives for the helos. RN have actually got plenty of vessels with big landing spots.
If you think about it you can actually generate more rapid deployment from a group of vessels than a single vessel anyway. You don’t have the deconfliction issues. Leave the Bays and Albions to do their job.
Spot on, better to deploy from a group of vessels than have all your landing force on a single vessel/target.
Turkey will launch UAV from an LPD size vessel. We do need to consider other platforms that we can launch drones from, landing spots are fine but through deck space would give us more options as fixed wing drones will always trump rotary when it comes to performance. Its more of question of what do the next gen of ships look like than an immediate need.
It may not be the best use of resources given the two CVs, which I’m sure is the argument the bean counters will use. And as far as I know the marines have been pretty happy with the Bays and Albions as far as it goes. But there are definitely reasons to want to get hold of an LPD or two given the RN’s objectives. It would be a significant sub-hunting asset to complement T26, and I remember hearing Ocean had maintenance facilities that the QEs just don’t. And more helos are always good for amphibious support.
I suppose the main argument against is that it’s just not high on the priority list compared to the need for more escorts and more subs. Replacing the forwards-deployed Rivers with extra T31 would be a good use of any extra resources that might be forthcoming, as the B2s come back to do the actual tasks of an OPV. Or some cheeky conventional subs to watch the Atlantic
The bean counters are simply here to remind you of the financial realities and constraints within which all of us have to work, not doing it for jollies and a lark.
Not really any such thing as low intensity conflict these days. You have to look at the requirements. Are we planning on beach landing RM in numbers on foreign shores anytime soon? probably not. Making T32 a reality and fully exploiting the capability and potential of carrier strike is were our money should be going. And we simply don’t have the money to introduce something as complex as LPH at the moment or the ship building capacity.
I think some defence analyst suggested that if the primary mission of the T32 is to carry airborne and seaborne drones, they could be modelled after the Italian navy’s San Giorgio class, which are basically a miniature LPH.
Though the Italians are looking at replacing the San Giorgio class with LHDs, so not perhaps a ringing endorsement of the design…
Well, the San Giorgio class is about 30 years old. I imagine they want something larger for the amphibious assault role, but something that size should be fine as a mothership for the autonomous systems the RN was talking about.
LPDs, Mmmm, No. LHDs yes please, with a T32 as escort based on either a up gunned T31 or a Damen Crossover Combattant and you have a good Amphibious assault group. Two Trieste type or three Juan Carlos type would do nice thank you.
Need to find a couple of hundred people to crew the ship, the unfamiliarity of the design and engineering compared with ships designed for RN would create some issues, and in what ‘lower intensity’ scenario would these offer anything that our existing platforms don’t?
What is the benefit of having an American arm of bae? If I’m right in understanding its basically treated as a separate company which its own board, headquarters, and its also not allowed to discuss things with its British parent due to security issues.
Do the profits come back to the UK and get taxed?
Americans like to deal with ‘an American’ company, perhaps.
America can only buy weapons for a US company by law. Even when a European contractor produces something for the US it can only bid if it’s establishes as US subsidiary. The UK does export a large number of components to the US. The US is very keen on everyone else playing by a set of rules but it’s very keen on not playing by the same rules. The law of the sea being the prime example. The US is far more protectionus than even France. It’s safe if exports relative to its economy is the smallest if any G7 nation.
Allows them to bid for US Eyes Only contracts. Its a firewalled subsidiary that has a significant share of the US Naval, Armour and Aviation markets. For example they have just won a contract to replace all the countermeasures and Dispensers on US Navy aircraft with their product. In practise the way it works is they just agree to have a few independent US directors on the subsidiaries board as well as guarenteeing a certain percentage of the companies appointees will be US citizens to ensure nothing classified crosses the Atlantic.
It works by classifying each project as sensitive or not. The UK board can see all the finances and an index of all projects (except Black projects) but they cant access the details of the ones marked sensitive. The US subsidary is 100% owned by the parent and after tax its profits flow back to Britain. If the UK company wants to access technology from a US subsidary project it has to go through the standard military export approval process.
No it will pay US tax on its US profits under DTA. The benefit is for the shareholders of BAE. It’s not a government department but a fully independent company.
It’s much the same for European contractors like Thales or Leonardo or US contractors like LM of GD in the UK.
So they are allowed to tax them but when we try to properly tax amazon or Google they threaten a trade war.
Yes although it’s different to a certain extent, US companies dodge a lot of tax. Starbucks for instance pays a franchise fee to its parent company with google much of its advertising revenue is deemed to be in Ireland. US companies would love to pay tax in the UK because it’s significantly lower than the US but it’s hard to get around when your building stuff in the US. The proposed digital tax the US was against specifically singled out US corporations which is what they were unhappy about it however those same US corporations were taking the piss which is why the tax was proposed. There is no way the US would allow any European company to hold monopolies in the way that for instance Microsoft does.
However the US is absolutely mercantile when it comes to dealing with other countries, Uncle Sam is not a big believer in win win.
This was one of the main reasons we joined the EEC in the first place, the US kept screwing us on trade and the EEC allowed us to fight back on even terms. Just look at all the s**t the US went through to ban Concorde.
Even in instances where the US executive agrees congress will often shoot things down.
Ahh the EEC. Those were the days. When trade was what mattered most. I’m guessing of course I wasn’t born until the 80s. 😂😂😂😂
Might be a good idea to dust it off again 😀
Really feel like the government should own part of bae at least 20% I would say. Seem like all other European nation security companies be them defence or power are partially owned by there respective governments. Considering bae and BP are probably some off our most successful companies that operate overseas I feel like the tax payer should be getting some of the profits back.
BAe Inc will pay some costs to the parent for admin etc. so these can directly benefit the UK. And indirectly get taxed through income tax and VAT.
These are all American installations and all the facilities are in the US and it is Americans doing the jobs. Not sure how that works but it sure makes the people on the website here very proud that there is British in the name of the company. But hey if it makes you feel better…
More Yaaaaaaawn and a slight smell of chip grease!
He never has a good word to say. Not much Christmas cheer from Ester the utter Scrooge.
Scrooge, at least your very kind to him, most on here just think he is a sad anti Brit throbber who hasn’t achieved what he thinks he should have achieved, hence ginormous chip on weak, sloped shoulders 👍
Haha. Say what you really think😂
Yep makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Ooooh BAE I love u, you big conglomerate hunk of a company.
I will let you know a little secret. BAE bought American defence companies as the Americans spent lots of defence.
And And none of the infrastructure is in your own go God damn country you do not have the capability to build most of these weapons But yep b a e is The cat’s ass
Esteban=helmet
😂👍
Ooooooooh 👜
The US arm will pay some costs back to the parent company in the UK so US deals like this mean there’s a contribution to the overall running of the company, for example a portion of the executives salaries or any other administrative costs of the group. This means the UK arm is not paying all these costs and the exec salaries are of course taxed at 45% so that some US money going to the treasury. BAe stock are also held by UK funds and % of group profits is paid to UK shareholders ie pensions which pay out and the money get spent in the UK, so VAT. BAE Inc (US) is a sizable part of the group so they contribute quite a lot to the overall admin.
Its complex but there’s always a benefit to the UK when multinationals HQ here. Ironically we’re doing our best to drive them away rather than attract them.
Quite a lot of money being spent on a refit. I wonder if the capability is being significantly enhanced? The write-up suggests it is just a ‘modernisation’ of existing systems.
Full refurbishment, the most expensive element is they have to replace the flight deck with one that can support the higher temperature of F-35 engines exhaust.
Refits are expensive.
Let’s hope the fire fighting procedures are up to date and working for this refit.
The us navy are already one Ship down from fire.
The USN has completely revamped its fire and onboard safety regimes during maintenance periods as a result of the BR fire…to such an extent that its now probably gone to far and is to over regulated which is always a result of hindsight and taking action after the fact.
My safety team is pulling their hair out over some of the pick ups they receive…but hey…its the USNs train set and if we want to play with it we do as they ask…
It was an expensive mistake last time so probably being a bit over the top just in case. I think the guy they said did it got found innocent.
Other than F-35B compatibility and the standard upkeep work of a ship her age, these ships are supposed to get a pretty significant radar upgrade in the form of the SPY-6(V)2 a smaller, rotating version of the SPY-6. I’m not sure if the Kearsarge will get it during this refit or not, but it will happen eventually.
Royal Marines to get new amphibious vehicles in £140m deal
16 December 2022. https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-latest-activity/news/2022/december/16/221216-royal-marines-to-get-new-amphibious-vehicles-in-140m-deal
I hope the RMs are keeping some Vikings too or this is another cut. I believe they have 100 of them at present.
Looks like an upgraded viking. Should be useful in the right roles. It says 60 vehicles are part of a bigger deal with other countries.
I wonder if this is replacing the vikings in service or supplementing. I even think there is some older models around still.
Did the warthogs that got bought from Singapore get dumped already or are they with the army?
75 warthogs for sale at the Rocket Site …one careful owner, never raced or rallied.
Very expensive for a daily driver for me. £70,000+ for one. So £5m for the fleet. I think they were £150m for 100 odd originally. Great deal for some country if they took a bunch.
I’ve been researching since I posted.
Not the right threat but Japan has agreed massive budget increase of over $300 billion. Good call for the UK on teaming up on Tempest.
China and Russia together are quite a threat to them, add North Korea and you get a whole lot of potential bad news. It is no surprise they are increasing spending.
They do have a bunch of grumpy neighbours unfortunately. Hopefully the current Chinese and Russian leaders change soon and some nicer people come in.
Japan is serious about defense… Other countries are not.
Japan has the lowest defence spending as a % of GDP in the G7 and it’s faces the biggest security threat. Why do you think they take defence seriously compared to other countries? Do you have any evidence to back this up? Even with their current pledge they will be on track to at best match Italy.
I get you like to Troll but you need to offer evidence when you make broad assertions or everyone just laughs at your comments as nonsense.
That massive budget increase only takes them to 2% of GDP after five years from the present 1% of GDP!
They havent yet allocated any tax or savings to finance it however, purely borrowing. They also have structural issues that make it have a lot of headline assets like ships and aircraft but very little logistic capability. For example their fleets support assets consist of six (two still under construction) destroyer sized tanker/solid support ships displacing 8,000 tonnes, just a single RFA support vessel matches their fleets displacement.
And yet look at the pointy end… They do not pretend to be a global force. As other nations do. No one would like to fight the Japanese.
You are ignoring the constraints of the Japanese constitution, just to make your usual anti UK whine
Taken to task, found wanting and now ignoring your initial chuff and flapping your lips with weak diversions and excuses. Weak, very weak! Anyway where’s my battered cod chip boy?
Yes they will experience significant difficulties much the same as Germany but when your economy is that big even just a few 0.1 of GDP can make a massive difference. Japan is in so much debt 1% of GDP won’t make much of a difference. Good news for us though as tempest is bound to be top priority after TLAM.
Debt however is merely robbing future Peter to pay present Paul. The Japanese debt situation is still quite serious as it will strike back when the day of reckoning arrives, and that will likely come in the form of a rapid and massive downsizing of the JDF’s capability. Amongst other important things.
Have you actually looked at the Japanese Air Force army in Navy lately compared to the UK.. some countries prepare for war at the moment The UK does a 10-year there will be no war thing. And when war actually breaks out they are completely defenseless kind of like now.
Get me a battered Cod to go with the chips on your shoulder, good lad, chop chop!
It’s ok there’s a plan in place if the poop hits the fan. As the forces are filling in for striking workers in return the strikers have to join the forces at the first sign of trouble. 🙈
Make mine a haggis supper. Salt and sauce.
Worked on her last year for a bit. Some planned maintenance and defect repair work. The air group was impressive. I can see why the BH fire was an issue though. Massive open spaces and if the fixed firefighting systems are down you would be in a world of hurt.