Welcome to MSW’s Scuttlebutt! Here’s the news for the day.



Review - "Cold War Ships of the US Navy"
Second in a series of "First Look" reviews here at MSW, we now get a look at "Cold War Ships of the US Navy", image reference CD, from Still Motions Photographics.
Review

Review - IJN Akagi Triple Decker Carrier
Join me for an in depth review Hasegawa Models IJN Akagi 1/700 Aircraft Carrier in her three deck configuration covering her first and second fit outs. Review




This Day in U.S. Naval History

1918 - Ensign David S. Ingalls, in a Sopwith Camel, shoots down his fifth enemy aircraft, becoming the first U.S. Navy ace while flying with the British Royal Air Force.
1944 - Fifth Fleet carrier aircraft attack Japanese in Visayas, Philippines.
1960 - First nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, USS Enterprise (CVN 65), launched at Newport News, Va.

Northrop Grumman Achieves Key Technology Readiness Level for Navy's Next-Generation Surface Electronic Warfare Initiative

Northrop Grumman Corporation has successfully established the required baseline for the U.S. Navy to begin the Systems Design and Development (SDD) phase of its next generation Surface Electronic Warfare (EW) Improvement Program (SEWIP).

The key performance and technology readiness factors required for this transition were demonstrated during relevant over-water tests of the MFEW (MultiFunction Electronic Warfare) Advanced Development Model at the Navy's Chesapeake Bay facility, and during the recent RIMPAC Fleet operational exercises.

“Our success at the RIMPAC sea trials further validated achievements we made during tests at the Naval Research Laboratory's Chesapeake Bay Detachment that resulted in demonstrating a significant technology readiness level for the Multi-Function Electronic Warfare program,'' said Mark Kula, vice president of Radio Frequency Combat and Information Systems at Northrop Grumman.

A positive assessment by the Navy of the technology readiness demonstrated by the MFEW system will allow the program to pass its Milestone B decision point and move into SDD for SEWIP Block 2.

“Northrop Grumman has provided the Navy with a valuable asset for risk reduction for both the electronics support upgrade in SEWIP Block 2 and the follow-on Block 3 electronic attack upgrade. We look forward to providing more of these advanced capabilities required to protect the men and women who sail in harm's way for their country,'' noted Kula.

During the Hawaii-based RIMPAC TAPA II exercise, the Northrop Grumman-led MFEW team successfully demonstrated such key performance factors as precision direction finding, high sensitivity, the ability to rapidly detect and classify advanced threats, and mitigation of shipboard RF interference while onboard the U.S.S. Comstock.

The next step in the Technology Readiness Assessment process will include the return of the MFEW system to the company's Systems Integration Lab, located in Baltimore, to conduct detailed testing of other key performance factors in a controlled environment.

The Office of Naval Research MFEW program was awarded to Northrop Grumman in September 2005.


General Dynamics NASSCO Launches USNS Carl Brashear

General Dynamics NASSCO, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics, today launched the U.S. Navy's newest resupply ship, USNS Carl Brashear (T-AKE 7), during a christening ceremony. The ship is named in honor of Master Chief Petty Officer Carl Brashear, the first African-American to qualify and serve as a Master Diver in the Navy. Brashear's military career was portrayed in the 2000 movie Men of Honor.

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead and the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Joe Campa, Jr., spoke at the ceremony. Lauren Brashear, Master Chief Brashear's granddaughter, christened the ship by breaking the traditional bottle of champagne against the bow before the ship slid into San Diego Bay. More than 3,000 people attended the ceremony, including Robert De Niro, who starred in Men of Honor.

Brashear (1931-2006) enlisted in the Navy in February 1948. He was one of the first African-Americans to graduate from the Navy's diving school. While participating in a salvage mission in March 1966, his left leg was nearly severed in an accident. Faced with a serious infection and years of rehabilitation, he chose amputation. In April 1968, after completing a battery of fitness tests, Brashear became the first amputee to be restored to full diving status. In June 1970, he qualified as a Navy Master Diver. He retired from active duty in April 1979. He later served in the federal civil service for 10 years before retiring again in January 1993.

USNS Carl Brashear is the seventh ship of the T-AKE class of dry cargo-ammunition ships for the Navy. NASSCO began constructing the ship in May 2007 and is scheduled to deliver it to the Navy in the second quarter of 2009. When the Carl Brashear joins the fleet, its primary mission will be to deliver more than 10,000 tons of food, ammunition, fuel and other provisions to combat ships at sea.

Galveston Tall Ship Elissa Weathers Ike

The 1877 tall ship Elissa, restored by Galveston Historical Foundation in 1982 and a proud symbol of Galveston, seems to have ridden out the storm with little damage beyond the loss of several of her sails. Large steel piles driven deeply in to the harbor bottom allow the vessel to remain attached to the shore even beyond the estimated 18 foot rise of water on Friday.



The Texas Seaport Museum at pier 22, Elissa’s home berth, did not do as well, suffering considerable damage to the brick and wooden pier structure, and a suspected total loss of the wooden workshops which serve the maintenance needs of the ship. The Seaport Museum itself, in the 1990 Jones Building, is suffered little damage.


Photo of the Day



The multipurpose amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7), left, and the Military Sealift Command fast combat support ship USNS Arctic (T-AOE sit moored at Naval Station Norfolk's Pier 12 during sunset.

Gator