Welcome to MSW’s Scuttlebutt! Here’s the news for the day.
Feature - Making a Water Base, a lá Fulgoney
Peter Fulgoney was gracious enough to show us how he creates his beautiful water displays, and a big thank you from all of us at MSW for his efforts!
Feature
Japanese Merchant Ship Website
Are you a fan of the often forgotten auxiliary ships of the world’s navies? Well, here is a website just for you. This site contains several beautifully crafted 1/700 WWII Japanese armed auxiliary ships, some in striking camouflage.
Website
This Day in U.S. Naval History
1884 - The Department of the Navy establishes the Naval War College at Newport, R.I.
1940 - The fourth group of eight U.S. destroyers involved in the Destroyers for Bases Deal are turned over to British authorities in Halifax, Canada.
1943 - In the Battle of Vella Lavella, three U.S. destroyers attack nine Japanese destroyers to stop evacuation of Japanese troops from Vella Lavella, Solomon Islands.
1958 - USS Seawolf (SSN 575) completes a record submerged run of 60 days, logging more than 13,700 nautical miles.
1962 - USS Bainbridge (DLGN 25), the Navy's first nuclear-powered destroyer, is commissioned.
1997 - NASA Astronaut Cmdr. Wendy B. Lawrence returns from mission with STS-86, when Space Shuttle Atlantis docks with Mir Space Station. The mission began Sept. 25.
Pentagon Contract Announcement
Dynamics, Electric Boat Corp., Groton, Conn., is being awarded a $267,945,319 modification to previously awarded contract N00024-05-C-2103 to exercise options for continuation of engineering efforts associated with lead construction yard for Virginia-class submarines.
The contract provides Lead (Construction) Yard engineering support that will maintain, update and support the Virginia-class design and related drawings and data for each Virginia-class submarine, including technology insertion, throughout its construction and Post Shakedown Availability (PSA) period.
In addition, the contract provides Virginia-class development studies and design efforts.
Work will be performed in Groton, Conn., (94 percent); Quonset Point, R.I., (5 percent); and Newport, R.I., (1 percent), and is expected to be completed by Sept. 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.
The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity.
BAE Systems Receives $65.8 Million Contract for MK 45 MOD 4 Naval Gun
BAE Systems has been awarded a contract worth up to US $65.8 million from the Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD) Alliance to provide the Mk 45 Mod 4 Gun for the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN) Hobart Class Air Warfare Destroyers (AWD).
The contract, managed by Raytheon Australia for the AWD Alliance, calls for BAE Systems to deliver a total of three gun systems, which will be part of each AWD’s surface warfare package that includes the mission of firing extended range munitions in support of land forces. Raytheon is the weapon and radar systems integrator for the program.
“The Mk 45, with its unmatched fire support and mission performance, has been the system of choice for 11 navies around the world," said Dennis Morris, president of Armament Systems. "Building the Mk 45 Mod 4 systems for this latest class of advanced warships is another testament to how BAE Systems continues to meet the surface fire support needs of the Royal Australian Navy.”
The HOBART Class AWD program is a next generation ship program that will provide the RAN with one of the world’s most capable, all-purpose warships. Its mission is to provide air defense for accompanying ships, land forces and infrastructure in proximate coastal areas and for self-protection against attacking missiles and aircraft. The Mk 45 Mod 4 is a 5-inch (127-mm), 62-caliber gun system that supports both Australian Navy standard munitions and extended range munitions, giving it superior surface and land warfare capability to meet the needs of the new destroyer program.
The Mk 45 Mod 4 is currently in U.S. Navy service. Major upgrades of the Mk 45 Mod 4 over previous versions include a 62-caliber barrel, strengthened gun and mount subsystems, advanced control system enhancement, and a reduced signature, low-maintenance gun shield.
The Mod 4 is a variant of the Mk 45 Gun already installed on the RAN’s ANZAC Class frigates, the Spanish F100 and the U.S. Navy's DDG 51 destroyers. The Mk 45 Gun is also employed by the South Korean, Japanese and Danish navies.
The AWD Alliance is comprised of the Australian Defence Materiel Organization, which retains overall responsibility for the project management and delivery of the three AWDs, Raytheon Australia is the combat system - systems engineer and ASC AWD Shipbuilder is serving as the lead shipbuilder. The first of the destroyers is scheduled for delivery in 2014.
BAE Systems is a leader in the design, development, production and through-life support of naval guns. It is the only producer of the Mk 45 Gun.
Air Force, Navy Officials Agree Upon F-35 Depot Workload
Air Force and Navy officials here signed a memo Sept. 16 identifying a new process for allocating F-35 Lightning II depot repair workloads.
The new process takes into account service competency and experience in determining workload allocation.
"This was truly a joint effort on the part of the Air Force and the Navy to agree on the majority of the depot workload, ensuring we will have depot repair capability up and running when we need it," said Debra Walker, the deputy assistant secretary for logistics. The F-35, also known as the Joint Strike Fighter, is the largest joint program in the history of the Department of Defense.
For 80 percent of the major system categories on the Joint Strike Fighter, the services were able to reach early agreement on workload allocation. This agreement was formalized in an Air Force/Navy jointly signed letter to the Joint Program Office for final approval.
For the remaining 20 percent, which includes software and some avionics systems, a source selection team will be formed, comprised of representatives from all the services and the Joint Program Office.
Some of the systems the Air Force and Navy officers were able to agree on up front include airframe and engines. The Joint Strike Fighter airframe maintenance, which will be up and running in 2012, will be located at the Fleet Readiness Center-East at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C., and the Ogden Air Logistics Center at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. This includes associated doors, panels, covers and control surfaces.
Engine maintenance, which will also stand up in 2012, will be at the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center at Tinker AFB, Okla. A follow-on engine standup in 2014 will be at the Fleet Readiness Center-Southeast at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Fla.
The engine lift system, which will be used in the Marine Corps variant aircraft will be maintained beginning in 2014 at the Fleet Readiness Center East-MCAS Cherry Point.
For all you fans of college football, here’s this week’s AP Top 5
1. Oklahoma
2. Alabama
3. Missouri
4. LSU
5. Texas
Scores from around the country…
No. 1 Oklahoma runs rampant over Baylor in Big 12 opener 49-17.
Glenn Coffee runs for 218 yards as No. 2 Alabama stops Kentucky 17-14.
No. 3 LSU had a week off.
No. 4 Mizzou rolls Nebraska 52-17, ends Lincoln drought.
No. 5 Texas cruise past Colorado 38-14.
Scores of interest
Richmond thumps VMI 56-16.
Senior Newswriter Gator Loup’s alma mater McNeese wins in 3OT over South Dakota State 46-44.
Military Academy Scores
Navy grounds Air Force 33-27.
Army romps over Tulane 44-13.
Photo of the Day
Sailors aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) set the training barricade during flight deck drills.
Gator
