Germany plans to build a multipurpose amphibious ship (LPH) similar to the US Iwo Jima class. It will be able to lift a reinforced battalion of 600-800 troops and armored fighting vehicles. It will carry at least 12 assault and utility helos, and will embark landing craft in a floodable dock. It will probably be able to double as an ASW carrier or mine countermeasures support ship, like other similar designs. It will enter service around 2000, and by virtue of its size, will become the flagship of the Bundermarine. Yakovlev is restarting development of the Yak- 141 supersonic V/STOL fighter and possibly the Yak-44 turboprop AEW aircraft. This may indicate that the Russians have received funding from some other country, or that their priorities have changed. The Yak-44 would be very useful on board Kuznetsov, but with the four Kievs gone, the Yak-141's need is less clear. 'Vill Russia market it as an export fighter for the world's growing number of helicopter carriers? The French Apache airlaunchcd standoff weapon is nearing deployment. A stealthy weapon, it carries 770 kg of submunitions; over an 81 nm range at 594 knots. It uses millimeterwave terminal guidance, and will enter service in 1997. An advanced version with a unitary warhead, which would be capable of attacking surface ships, is now planned. It will have a 454 kg warhead, a 522 nm range and fly at subsonic speed. It will have an advanced guidance system, using GPS for navigation and both IIR and millimeter-wave radar for terminal homing. The British Spearfish, a dualpurpose torpedo, is finally in production, as of the beginning of 1995. Development began in 1980. BT Back to The Naval Sitrep #3 Table of Contents Back to Naval Sitrep List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1995 by Larry Bond and Clash of Arms. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history and related articles are available at http://www.magweb.com