Ahoy mates and welcome to MSW’s Scuttlebutt! Let’s see what going on today.
Review ~ L'Arsenal USS The Sullivans Upgrade
Jim Adams brings us this "inbox" style review on L’Arsenal's 1/350 resin/PE upgrade kit for the USS The Sullivans. Check it out.
Review
Community Build Contest
Eight days and counting, Community Builders, until the close of Build Session 2 of our "Community Build Contest", make sure your images are uploaded (or ready to upload) and in your "BLOG" thread by the end of the day on July 31, to be eligible for this months points to be added to your total....Keep modeling!
1/72 JMSDF PT-15 Fast Patrol Boat
Tamiya announces that they will be re-releasing their 1/72 JMSDF PT-15 Fast Patrol Boat. This follows on the heels of the re-release of their 1/72 Vosper Patrol Boat.
New Photo Reference CD
Still Motions Photographics has announced the release of their new photo CD, SMP 35 Ticonderoga Class Cruisers - Part 2. This CD boast 150 new images.
Photos of Fujimi’s New 1/700 Flattop
Take a sneak peek at Fujimi’s 1/700 IJN Aircraft Carrier "KAIYO". Release date is scheduled for August.
This Day in U.S. Naval History
1813- Sailing Master Elijah Mix attempts to blow up British warship Plantagenet with a torpedo near Cape Henry, Virginia.
1944 - Following 43 days of naval gunfire and air bombardment, Naval Task Force lands Marines on Tinian, Northern Mariana Islands.
Portuguese Navy Launches First Class 209PN Submarine
On 15th July 2008, the first of two Class 209PN submarines for the Portuguese Navy was launched at Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft – a company of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems – in Kiel.
The submarine was named N.R.P. TRIDENTE by Dr. Alda Taborda, wife of the President of the Portuguese Parliament Dr. Jaima Gama.
The new submarine has a combined diesel-electric and fuel cell propulsion system. Equipped with ultra-modern sensors and an integrated Command and Weapon Control System, it is optimally suited to its future reconnaissance and surveillance tasks.
The contract for the two submarines was signed in 2004 between the Portuguese State and the German Submarine Consortium (GSC), consisting of Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft, Nordseewerke in Emden and MAN Ferrostaal in Essen.
Russian missile cruiser begins patrols around Spitsbergen
A Russian missile cruiser started on Tuesday patrols in the area around Norway's Arctic archipelago of Spitsbergen, to ensure security of Russia's maritime navigation in Arctic, a Navy spokesman said.
"The Marshal Ustinov, a Slava-class missile cruiser, took over the patrol mission from a Russian ASW ship, the Severomorsk, which sailed to the Barents Sea to participate in the Northern Eagle 2008 joint U.S.-Russian naval exercise," Capt. 1st rank Igor Dygalo said.
The Russian Navy resumed on July 14 a military presence around the Arctic Ocean, including the area of Spitsbergen.
Dygalo said Russian warships will strictly observe international law during patrols in the Arctic region, including the provisions of the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention.
The Marshal Ustinov is the second Slava-class missile cruiser in the Russian Navy. She was launched in 1982 and commissioned with the Northern Fleet in 1986.
The cruiser has been designed as a surface strike ship with some anti-air and ASW capability. It is fitted with sixteen SS-N-12 Sandbox nuclear-capable supersonic anti-ship missiles, which are mounted in four pairs on either side of the superstructure.
In addition, the cruiser reportedly carries 64 SA-N-6 Grumble long-range surface-to-air missiles (SAM) and 40 SA-N-4 Gecko short-range SAMs.
NATO experts had dubbed Russian combat ships of this class "the killer of aircraft carriers," as it can carry 1,000kg of high-explosives, or a tactical nuclear warhead, out to a range of 300 nautical miles.
U.S. Navy Awards $232 Million JPALS SDD Contract
The U.S. Navy announced July 17 that Raytheon Co., Fullerton, Calif., has been awarded the $232 Million System Development and Demonstration (SDD) contract for the Joint Precision Approach and Landing System (JPALS).
Raytheon is one of two companies that submitted proposals for the Cost Plus Incentive Fee (CPIF) contract with Award Fee provisions that will develop a GPS-based ship landing system for Navy aircraft carriers, L-Class Ships and other Naval combatants.
JPALS will replace multiple obsolete aircraft landing systems with a system that is more affordable, will function in more operational environments and will support all Department of Defense sea-based applications. This capability will provide interoperability between the services for approach and control as well as with civilian operations.
“This announcement represents the Navy’s largest investment in Air Traffic Control in many years. The extraordinary efforts leading to this announcement have helped the JPALS program begin to develop a GPS-based system never before available to the Fleet,” said Capt. CJ Jaynes, PMA-213 program manager, who oversees the Navy’s Air Traffic Control and Combat Identification System Program Office here.
“This is a significant milestone for the JPALS program, concluding a deliberate and meticulous source selection process that adhered to stringent Federal Acquisition Regulation and NAVAIR source selection processes and documentation requirements.”
JPALS will become an integral part of maritime landing systems for the Navy as well as the future landing system for the joint services. The lead aircraft to test this system will include the F/A-18 E/F, EA-18G fighters as well as MH-60R/S helicopters.
Photo of the Day
The guided-missile destroyer USS John Paul Jones (DDG 53) arrives in Seward harbor to resupply.
Gator
