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Israel Navy mulls Integrated Deep Water System platform
Remember those Saudi jets that moved up close to the northern border? And a discussion about Israeli airforce vulnerability to a massive strike on planes and airfields? Seapower is one interesting way to ensure the Israelis can and will strike back ...The Israel Navy is mulling linking its requirement for a multimission-capable platform to US Coast Guardâs (USCGâs) Integrated Deep Water System (IDWS) programme, senior navy sources have told JDW. The navy was expected to issue a $20 million request for proposals (RfP) last month for parallel $10 million project-definition activities for the contractual design of multimission corvettes, equipped with an advance phased-array radar, to the two competing consortia: Advanced Frigate Consortium (AFCON), comprising Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics Bath Iron Works (BIW) and Izar; and a joint team of Northrop Grumman Ship Systems, Raytheon and Elta Electronic Industries (JDW 3 December 2003). However, the estimated $1 billion programme has met strong resistance among other branches of the Israel Defence Force - particularly the Israel Air Force - which fear that it will consume the remaining available US Foreign Military Financing (FMF) funds and hinder other IDF procurement programmes (JDW 28 January). In an effort to minimise the impact on the FMF funds, the navy has decided to withhold the scheduled issuing of RfPs to the two consortia and is instead exploring the possibility of procuring two or three Northrop Grumman Ship Systems Offshore Patrol Cutters (OPCs) - one of the three classes of cutter in the USCG IDWS programme. An Israel Navy delegation is scheduled to visit the USGC on 17 February to negotiate Israeli participation in the project. "The opportunity to join the production process of 25 USCG platforms already on order, compared with purchasing two specially designed ships alone, would offer a significant reduction in costs," a senior navy source told JDW. "We believe that joining the OPC production line could save us 15% of the platform cost. The 2,922 tons [fully loaded] OPC is basically the size of platform we were seeking, allowing the installation of an advanced radar, an S-70 Seahawk compatibility and is capable of carrying the Mk 41 vertical launch systems we require. Should we opt for the OPC, we will issue a separate contract for the shipsâ systems." Separately, the navy is seeking to augment its fleet of three Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW)/Thyssen Nordseewerke Dolphin-class diesel-electric submarines by an additional two boats. Given budgetary constraints, in the interim the navy and HDW have concluded a feasibility study looking at the installation of a fuel-cell air-independent propulsion system in the Dolphin submarines. "Basically, this will give our submarines extended underwater endurance," said the navy source. "We are not aware of any political problem in Germany that might obstruct such a project, but we are bitterly aware of a funding problem in Israel," he added. "Such a project would require around $1 billion in local currency [NIS4.46 billion], as we will not be allowed to use the US FMF to fund it." Posted by: rkb 2004-02-17 |
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