FLEETS #12: People's Liberation Army Navy

People's Liberation Army Navy, the rise of a new naval power

The U.S. Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI), published recently (April 9, 2015) an excellent report, the first unclassified report in six years, about the current and future capabilities of China's maritime forces. The document is titled  "The PLA Navy: New Capabilities and Missions for the 21st Century", and you can read it here. Moreover, for the first time ever, the U.S. Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) is making available publicly two great identification and recognition guides of China’s myriad People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) and Maritime Law Enforcement (MLE) ships. The first poster, a very detailed fleet poster, illustrates all the classes of PLAN and MLE warships and ships respectively, with 148 carefully labeled silhouettes. A second poster includes 89 photos, one for each class of ship (warship or law enforcement ship), aircraft, helicopter and drone. The first poster definitely is an excellent and very difficult work considering the amount of detail and information in order to depict the numerous classes of naval units.

INFOGRAPHICS #13: Trafalgar class nuclear powered attack submarines of the Royal Navy

HMS Triumph, last built submarine of the Trafalgar class.
Photo: Moshi Anahory

The Trafalgar-class nuclear-powered attack submarines were designed as Cold War warriors but have been adapted to the demands of the 21st century. The primary role was to hunt out and destroy enemy nuclear missile submarines as well as surface ships, over the decades they have been kitted out to perform other roles including covert surveillance and inshore reconnaissance of installations and landing beaches. All seven vessels were constructed by Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria. Three submarines have already retired (Trafalgar, Turbulent and Tireless) and four are active (Torbay, Trenchant, Talent and Triumph). These four submarines have been fitted with the Sonar 2076 system, which the Royal Navy describes as the most advanced sonar in service with any navy in the world. The Sonar 2076 sonar suite has the processing power of 2,000 laptop computers while it has the world’s largest number of hydrophones (13,000!), providing the Royal Navy with the “biggest ears” of any sonar system in service today. This sonar is so sensitive that one lurking in the Solent would be able to detect a ship leaving New York harbor 3,500 miles across the Atlantic! The boats have a displacement of 5,300tons, a length of 85.4 meters and the complement is 130 people. Like all Royal Navy submarines, the Trafalgar class have strengthened fins and retractable hydroplanes, allowing them to surface through thick ice.The submarines of the class are equipped with Spearfish torpedoes and Tomahwak land attack cruise missiles. The following images depict the compartments and the general characteristics of the boat as well as its most important weapon systems and electronic equipment.

Battleships and Men

Photo collection by D-Mitch

 

USS Missouri (BB-63)

HMS Nelson

This is a collection of approximately 90 crew photos of various countries' battleships and battlecruisers. I have always found really impressive the size of these Kings of the Seas, the so-called "Castles of Steel" or "The Floating Fortresses", with the huge guns during the 19th century and the early 20th century. Moreover, the fact that these massive warships had a crew of thousands of men (the complement of some ships exceeded the 2,700 men!), larger that any kind of today's surface combatant. So, enjoy some nostalgic photos of these former giant rulers of the seas with their crews! If you have similar photos, please share them with me and I will include them in this collection!


Elli class frigates of the Hellenic Navy

Written by D-Mitch

Hellenic Navy Elli class frigates in formation

The Elli class of Hellenic Navy (Πολεμικό Ναυτικό) is a class of nine (9) general-purpose frigates. These are ex-Royal Netherlands Navy (Koninklijke Marine) Kortenaer-class frigates which are also known as Standard or S-class frigates. The name "Standard" came from the idea to pursue standardization within NATO fleet. Ten ships were built by the former Royal Schelde Dockyard (now Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding) and two by the former Wilton-Fijenoord (it has been acquired by Damen Shiprepair) between 1978 and 1983. A total of twelve S-frigates were built, two for Greece (frigates n.6 and n.7 during construction were sold to Greece, L-frigates replaced them) and ten for the Netherlands. Ultimately, of these ten Dutch ships, eight were sold to Greece and two to the United Arab Emirates. The Iranian Navy ordered eight modified ships from Royal Schelde but the contract was canceled after the Iranian Revolution. Together with the Jacob van Heemeskerck class (also known as L-class), an AAW variant of the Standard frigates, it was the largest Dutch naval shipbuilding project of the 20th century. Once, these frigates were the workhorses of the Royal Netherlands Navy, today they are the workhorses of the naval force of Greece.

Choose the next month's ANALYSIS!

Currently, I am working on two new ANALYSES, the one will be posted this month, perhaps I will manage to finish and publish the second one this month as well. But the next month, I will not be the one that I will decide which ANALYSIS to write. It will be YOU! Choose the ANALYSIS that you would like to read the coming month. Choose a class among corvettes, frigates, destroyers and fast attack craft and see the article published some days later after the poll has been closed (end of March)! The second most voted class perhaps will be also published among FLEETS, INFOGRAPHICS and more as usual!

The POLL is closed!

FLEETS #11: French Navy, German Navy, Royal Navy and Austro-Hungarian Navy in WWI

The following images illustrate the most important classes of warships that were in service with the navies of France, Germany, United Kingdom and Austria-Hungary (Austro-Hungarian Empire) during the World War I. More posts will follow for your collection of current naval fleets but also of fleets from the past.

French Navy (Marine Nationale) in WWI

Click to enlarge and save the image to view the details - French Navy in WWI

INFOGRAPHICS #12: USS Arizona (BB-39) battleship

USS Arizona. Photo: US Navy

The following image was created by Donn Thorson and it illustrates in detail main characteristics and weaponry of one of the most famous battleships in  United States history, the USS Arizona (BB-39). USS Arizona was a Pennsylvania-class battleship built for and by the United States Navy in the mid-1910s; it was the second and last of the Pennsylvania class of super-dreadnought battleships which in comparison with the dreadnoughts, they had increased displacement, heavier guns and all their main armament was placed on the centreline. The ship is best known for her cataclysmic and dramatic sinking during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, the event that brought about U.S. involvement in World War II. During the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Arizona was bombed. The battleship exploded and sank, killing 1,177 officers and crewmen. Unlike many of the other ships sunk or damaged that day, Arizona could not be fully salvaged, though the Navy removed parts of the ship for reuse. The wreck still lies at the bottom of Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial, dedicated on 30 May 1962 to all those who died during the attack, straddles the ship's hull.

Durand de la Penne class destroyers of the Italian Navy

Written by D-Mitch

D560 Luigi Durand de la Penne, lead ship of the class.
Photo: Marina Militare Italiana

Elegant lines and powerful armament. These are the characteristics of the Durand de la Penne class destroyers of Italian Navy (Marina Militare), the last class of non-stealth major surface combatants in service with Italian Navy and some of the most beautiful and well-armed warships ever built. Two ships belong in this class of anti-aircraft warfare (AAW) destroyers, the Luigi Durand de la Penne and the Francesco Mimbelli. The ships were built by Fincantieri and they were commissioned in 1993. Initially there was a plan to built four ships of the class but the second pair was cancelled as Italy joined France in the Horizon project for AAW destroyers. The ships of the class are advanced and quite capable to perform any kind of mission given due to their extensive armament and electronic equipment.

PHOTO GALLERY #6: Changbaishan, amphibious warfare ship of the People's Liberation Army Navy

The impressive 20,000ton LPD Changbaishan!

On Monday morning (February 16, 2015), the 18th Escort Task Force of People's Liberation Army Navy arrived in Piraeus, Greece, for a four-day visit. The fleet consists of the Changbai Shan (989), a Type 071 Yuzhao-class Landing Platform Dock (LPD), the flagship of the squadron, the frigate Yuncheng (571), a Type 54A class frigate (Jiangkai II)  and the large replenishment ship Chaohu (890), a Type 903A (Fuchi) replenishment ship. The fleet is under the command of Real Admiral Zhang Chuanshu. On Wednesday, the Chinese ships docked at Piraeus, were open to the public (except Chaohu) for a limited time (10:00-12:00 and 14:00-16:00). Of course, I could not miss this opportunity; I found the time to visit the warships just for an hour. Enjoy photos of LPD Changbaishan, the flagship of the Chinese task force and one of the four ships of the class in service with People's Liberation Army Navy that was commissioned just in 2012!