The Russian military has begun to re-examine its naval force structure following last year's conflict with Georgia, and the lack of a large amphibious assault ship is chief among its most pressing requirements. A dramatic shift in how the Russian Navy acquires some of its vessels may be on the horizon, however, as the Kremlin has indicated interest in purchasing a foreign-built large-deck amphibious ship. This presents an interesting dilemma for a nation that has not been known to look outside its own defense industrial base when purchasing major weapons, but must now face the reality of a lethargic domestic shipbuilding capability. Other than the United States, the nations considered most qualified to build large amphibious ships are all strong U.S. allies, and with the exception of South Korea and Japan, they are also members of NATO, including France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Though a contract does not appear imminent as of press time, reports have focused primarily on Russian interest in both the Dutch 16,000-ton (full load) Johan de Witt-class and the French 21,500-ton (full load) Mistal-class helicopter-carrying landing ships, pictured here.
On 21 September, the last E-2C 2000 airborne early warning and control aircraft was delivered to the U.S. Navy. The E-2C 2000, the final variant of the venerable E-2C Hawkeye family, began entering service in 2005 and will be joined and eventually replaced by its even more advanced cousin, the E-2D, beginning in 2010. The E-2D will carry the AN/APY-9 electronic scan array radar, offering vastly expanded capabilities over to the E-2C's AN/APS-145. Seventy-five E-2D airframes are called for in the Navy's program of record. Currently, more than 100 E-2C AWACS aircraft operate around the world, with roughly 30 percent serving abroad in the navies and air forces of Egypt, France, Israel, Japan, Taiwan, Mexico, and Singapore.
The Pakistani Navy took delivery in September of its newest and most advanced warship, the Chinese-built F-22P frigate Zulfiquar. The ship, based on the Chinese Jiangwei-II-class (Project 53H3) frigate, recently took part in a large Indonesian fleet review having been officially handed over in China on 30 July. The order for Zulfiquar and three sister ships, also known as the Sword class, was finalized in 2005. Two units of the class, the Shamsheer and Sair, are under construction at China's Hudong Zhongua shipyard in Shanghai and are expected to join the fleet in 2010. A fourth unit, expected in service in 2013, is being built in Karachi. The Zulfiquar displaces 3,144 tons (full load) and is armed with eight C-802 antiship missiles and a variant of the Chinese HQ-7 surface-to-air missile system, copied from the French Crotale missile. A 76-mm gun and several smaller-caliber guns are fitted on board the ship, and a Z-9 helicopter can be carried in the frigate's hangar.