Ahoy mates and welcome to MSW’s Scuttlebutt! Let’s see what going on today.
We start off wishing a happy birthday to MSW staff member and crewmate Sean Ford!
ALERT ~ MSW Community Build Contest
A friendly reminder, Build Session 2 of our Community Build Contest will close at the end of this month (July 31, 2008) and all build progress photos must be uploaded, submitted, and posted in your individual build BLOG to be eligible for this sessions award points...mark your calendars, mates!
Also, all MSW staffers, please do the same, as the official judging session will begin on August 1st to August 7th, 2008!
Photo Update ~ Hasegawa - 1/700 Wooden Deck for HIJMS Carrier "Akagi" Three Flight Deck
For all you who have been eagerly waiting, we now have photos of the new replacement wood flight deck for Hasegawa’s 1/400 HIJMS Akagi Three Flight Deck
New 1/192 Keokuk From Flagship Models
Flagship Models is proud to announce the release of their latest 1/192 ironclad, the USS Keokuk. Retail price will be $75.00.
USS Keokuk, a 677-ton ironclad, was built at New York City. Originally named Moodna (sometimes incorrectly spelled "Woodna"), she was renamed prior to her December 1862 launching, and was commissioned in early March 1863. Keokuk arrived at Port Royal, South Carolina, later in that month to take up her duties with the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron.
On 7 April, she joined USS New Ironsides and seven monitors in an attack on Fort Sumter, centerpiece of the formidable defenses of Charleston, South Carolina. Under the fire of heavy Confederate guns for more than half an hour, Keokuk was struck by about ninety projectiles, many of which hit at or below her waterline. Her experimental armor, featuring alternating rows of wood and iron, was completely inadequate to protect her from this onslaught and she was "completely riddled". Though Keokuk was able to withdraw and anchor out of range, she sank on the morning of 8 April 1863, after about one month of commissioned service.
This Day in U.S. Naval History
1802 - Frigate Constellation defeats 9 Corsair gunboats off Tripoli.
1905 - Body of John Paul Jones moved to Annapolis, MD for reburial.
1953 - U.S. ships laid down heavy barrage to support UN troops in Korea
1964 - Four Navy Divers (LCDR Robert Thompson, MC; Gunners Mate First Class Lester Anderson, Chief Quartermaster Robert A. Barth, and Chief Hospital Corpsman Sanders Manning) submerge in Sealab I for 10 days at a depth of 192 feet, 39 miles off Hamilton, Bermuda. They surfaced on July 31.
1974 - Evacuees from the coup on Cyprus arrive on board Navy vessels in the Mediterranean. Operation ended on July 24.
NATO proposes joint Black Sea naval drills with Russia
NATO has proposed holding joint mine-clearing exercises in the Black Sea with the Russian Navy, the country's Black Sea Fleet said on Saturday.
German Navy Commander Eike Tammen, who heads the Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 2, put forward the proposal, the fleet said in a statement.
"Tammen proposed to Russian naval officers that joint mine-clearing exercises be held in the Black Sea," statement said.
Warships from NATO members Germany, Greece, and Turkey are currently visiting the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiisk as part of the NATO-Russia Council cooperation schedule for 2008.
During their visit, officers from the NATO ships will meet with top officials in the Russian city, and with Vice-Admiral Sergei Menyailo, commander of the Novorossiisk naval base.
NATO is currently engaged in joint naval exercises in the Black Sea with Ukraine.
On Friday Russia's Foreign Ministry voiced concern over the U.S.-Ukrainian Sea Breeze exercises, saying their purpose was "questionable." Two years ago, Sea Breeze exercises in Ukraine's Russian-speaking Crimea were disrupted by anti-NATO protests.
Iwo Jima COMPTUEX Marks First for U.S., Brazilian Navies
The Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) and the Brazilian Navy participated in a Composite Unit Training Exercise (COMPTUEX) July 8-18, marking the first time a Brazilian Navy surface unit fully integrated into a U.S. strike group.
The crew of the Brazilian naval ship (BNS) Greenhalgh (F-46) used this opportunity to increase interoperability with other navies and to prepare for possible future international naval missions.
"I think that working within the task group, this exercise proves that we can work together in the future," said Cmdr. Claudio Mello, commanding officer of Greenhalgh. "We'll probably have more Brazilian units coming and joining future exercises.
"I believe that in the future if Brazil thinks about sending another unit, our experience will prove that it has some issues to be solved, but it's not that hard. We have the right equipment and the right people to be able to come here and work together."
Greenhalgh's primary capabilities helped it integrate smoothly into the ESG for COMPTUEX.
"Our ship is an escort, and its main mission is anti-submarine warfare (ASW) but also has anti-ship-to-surface capability and air defense capabilities," said Mello. "We were used mostly for that type of defense and also in some specific missions that were carried out by the U.S. ships such as maritime interdiction operations and our visit and boarding teams.
"We participated in most of the same exercises that the U.S. ships were able to take part in."
Not only does this exercise help the U.S. with its training, but it's also significant to Brazil, specifically in how it works with the United States.
"This is a very important change in the way that we've been working with the U.S. and exercises such as COMPTUEX," said Mello. "Eight years ago we had a frigate here as an opposition force, and the last two years we've had submarines working as opposition forces.
"I think the biggest change in this exercise is that we were able to work within the task group, so that's a different level of challenge. With an opposition force you have inputs from the people that are controlling the exercise, where we should be and what we should do. With Greenhalgh within the task group architecture, we had to be integrated with planning and the execution of the entire exercise. That's a different level of challenge."
Another first during the exercise was the fact that Greenhalgh and the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) were the first two ships to operate the new CENTRIX IANTL system at the tactical level. This communications system allowed the exchange of classified messages and chat.
With the completion of the COMPTUEX, the Iwo Jima ESG and Greenhalgh will now participate in the USS Theodore Roosevelt's (CVN 71) upcoming Joint Task Force Exercise (JTFEX) 08-4.
The Iwo Jima ESG consists of Iwo Jima, with the embarked 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (26 MEU); the amphibious dock landing ship USS Carter Hall (LSD 50); the amphibious transport dock ship USS San Antonio (LPD 17); the guided-missile cruiser USS Vella Gulf (CG 72); the guided-missile destroyer USS Ramage (DDG 61); all homeported at Norfolk, Va.; the guided-missile destroyer USS Roosevelt (DDG 80), homeported at Mayport, Fla.; and the fast attack submarine USS Hartford (SSN 768), homeported at Groton, Conn.
Photo of the Day
The Los Angeles Class Attack submarine USS Chicago (SSN 721) completes a training maneuver off the coast of Malaysia.
Gator
