Welcome to MSW’s Scuttlebutt! Here’s the news for the day.
Feature Review - Academy Queen HMS Warspite 1/350
New MSW Crew member Jim Adams shares with us his thoughts on the new Academy Queen HMS Warspite 1/350.
Navy Successfully Conducts DDG 1000 Round Testing
Source: US Navy
WHITE SANDS, N.M. --- The long range land attack projectile (LRLAP), designed for the DDG 1000 Advanced Gun System, successfully completed two live-fire tests at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, the Navy announced Sept. 22.
The mission, conducted Aug. 30, was the first live-fire test to successfully demonstrate LRLAP effectiveness against targets.
LRLAP is a 155 millimeter rocket-assisted guided projectile designed to support land-attack and naval surface fire support operations in conjunction with the Advanced Gun System on DDG 1000-class destroyers.
"This test success represents a key milestone in development of the land-attack capability and represents a significant step in the tactical maturation of the LRLAP," said Capt. Tim Batzler, Navy Surface Ship Weapons major program manager for Program Executive Office, Integrated Warfare Systems.
Both flight tests flew 45 nautical miles and met key test objectives including successful launch, GPS acquisition, warhead functionality, and terminal accuracy.
Live-fire testing is part of land-based flight qualification during the engineering and manufacturing development phase.
US Navy Awards Contracts for New DDG51 Destroyers
Source: Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc.
PASCAGOULA, Miss. --- Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. announced that its Ingalls Shipbuilding division was awarded a $697.6 million fixed-price incentive construction contract for a new Arleigh Burke-class (DDG 51) destroyer, DDG 114. It will be the 30th Aegis guided missile destroyer Ingalls has built for the U.S. Navy.
"This is an exciting opportunity for us to continue our outstanding quality of work in building DDG 51s," said Bob Merchent, Ingalls' vice president, surface combatants and U.S. Coast Guard program. "Every day our shipbuilders set out to build quality ships safely, and we've accomplished this for more than 20 years in this surface combatant program. We are proud of this legacy and will continue to build and deliver the best surface combatants in the world to the U.S. Navy."
Ingalls has delivered 28 DDG 51 ships to the U.S. Navy. The company's 28th ship, William P. Lawrence (DDG 110), was commissioned on June 4 in Mobile, Ala. The ship was the most complete at time of sea trials in the history of the DDG 51 program at Ingalls. Also, lessons learned from previous DDGs allowed Ingalls to deliver William P. Lawrence with a reduction in schedule and man-hours compared to previous ships in the class.
In April 2010 Ingalls was awarded a long-lead material contract on DDG 114 and on June 15 was awarded a construction contract to build DDG 113. Today's announcement also included contract amount information on the award of DDG 113, which is $783.5 million.
This highly capable, multi-mission ship can conduct a variety of operations, from peacetime presence and crisis management to sea control and power projection, all in support of the United States' military strategy. DDG 114 will be capable of simultaneously fighting air, surface and subsurface battles. The ship contains myriad offensive and defensive weapons designed to support maritime defense needs well into the 21st century.
LHD Watercraft and Enhanced Joint Operations Centre Command and Control Capability Projects Approved
Australian Department Of Defence
Minister for Defence Stephen Smith and Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare today announced that the Government had given Second Pass Approval for two important capability projects: the purchase of 12 new watercraft for the two Canberra Class Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) ships and the enhancement of information and technology infrastructure at Headquarters Joint Operations Command (HQJOC).
Purchase of watercraft for LHD (Joint Project 2048 Phase 3)
The Government has agreed to the purchase from Navantia of 12 medium-sized fast landing craft (the LCM-1E) for the LHD through Joint Project 2048 Phase 3.
This follows a decision in February 2009 to direct source the purchase of the watercraft to Navantia.
Navantia are building the hulls for the two LHDs and the watercraft will be purpose-built for these ships.
The watercraft will enable transport of troops and equipment from the LHDs to the shore including where there are no fixed port facilities.
The delivery of the first batch of four watercraft will be co-ordinated with the delivery of the first LHD, expected in 2014.
Construction of the LHDs is underway in Spain and Australia.
The LHDs are bigger than Australia’s last aircraft carrier.
Each is 230 metres long and can carry a combined armed battlegroup of more than 1000 personnel, 100 armoured vehicles and 12 helicopters. Each also includes a 40-bed hospital.
Maintenance and support for the watercraft will be provided by Australian industry.
The total cost of Joint Project 2048 Phase 3 is cost capped between $300 million to $500 million in the Public Defence Capability Plan.
The final cost is subject to the satisfactory negotiation of a contract with acceptable terms and conditions.
Operation Leader
Today is the anniversary of Operation Leader.
The Oldest Ladies…Battleships USS Arkansas, New York and Texas
Today’s website is an article on the Battleships USS Arkansas, New York and Texas. Enjoy.
This Day in U.S. Naval History
1821 - Lt. Robert F. Stockton sails from Boston for Africa to carry out orders to help stop the international slave trade.
1944 - Aircraft from USS Ranger (CV 4) sink five German ships and damage three others in Operation Leader, the only U.S. Navy carrier operation in northern European waters during World War II.
1952 - Task Force 77 aircraft encounter MIG-15 aircraft for the first time.
1976 - USS Jonas Ingram (DD 938) rescues seven survivors of a Finnish motor craft that sank in the Baltic Sea.
1991 - USS Arkansas (CGN 41), USNS Sioux (T-ATF 171), USS Aubrey Fitch (FFG 34) and Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron (HS) 6 rescue personnel on merchant ships in three different rescue operations in the Arabian Sea.
1998 - U.S. and Algierian navies conduct the first bilateral exercise since Algeria gained independendence from France in 1962. It was a search and rescue operation involving USS Mitscher (DDG 57).
Diorama Idea of the Day
On December 20, 1987, The Dońa Paz, carrying an estimated 4,000 passengers, crashed into an oil tanker off the Philipine coast. To see the original high resolution photo, click here.
Gator
