Welcome to MSW’s Scuttlebutt! Here’s the news for the day.
On Display - HMS Prince of Wales
MSW crew mate An Chu (anchu1939) sends us a fine gallery of images of his 1/700 build of the King George V class battleship, HMS Prince of Wales, in this "On Display" photo feature!
On Display
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This Day in U.S. Naval History
1797 - USS Constitution is launched at the Charlestown Navy Yard, Boston, Mass. The ship is now the oldest commissioned ship in the U.S. Navy.
1842 - Commodore Thomas Catesby Jones, commander, Pacific Command mistakenly seizes Monterey, thinking the United States has gone to war with Mexico.
1942 - A British submarine lands Capt. Jerauld Wright and four Army officers at Cherchel, French North Africa, to meet with a French military delegation to learn the French attitude toward future Allied landings.
Ocean Power Technologies Launches PowerBuoy for US Navy
Ocean Power Technologies, Inc. today announces that it has installed and commissioned one of its autonomous PowerBuoy systems off the coast of New Jersey under contract from the US Navy in connection with a unique program for ocean data gathering.
The Navy’s Deep Water Active Detection System (“DWADS”) program is designed to utilize sophisticated data gathering and communications systems. This advanced technology program has prospective applications, which include vessel tracking for homeland security, and utilizes wide-area unattended sensor networks. Under this contract, the Navy is ocean testing OPT’s autonomous PowerBuoy as a power source for the DWADS program.
OPT’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr. George W. Taylor said, “We are very pleased to be a part of this important Navy program. In addition to our utility PowerBuoy business for large capacity, grid-connected power stations, we believe that the use of smaller-scale PowerBuoys for autonomous applications provides additional revenue-generation opportunities for the Company. The advanced control features and proven longevity of the PowerBuoy will make an important contribution to the success of the Navy’s initiatives.”
Over the course of three days, and working with the US Navy, OPT successfully installed the deep water anchoring system, and completed tow-out and mooring of the PowerBuoy. The PowerBuoy is moored in 3,300 feet of water depth, 75 miles off the coast of New Jersey. The system is in communication with OPT’s facility in Pennington, New Jersey via Iridium satellite. All on-board operational systems are performing as expected.
The autonomous PowerBuoy is the second deployment carried out by OPT over the past four weeks. On September 23 the Company announced that it had deployed a PB40 PowerBuoy for Europe’s first utility scale wave power station project in Spain under contract with Iberdrola S.A.
Ocean Power Technologies is a pioneer in wave-energy technology that harnesses ocean wave resources to generate reliable, clean, and environmentally-beneficial electricity. OPT has a strong track record in harnessing wave energy and participates in a $150 billion renewable energy market. The Company's proprietary PowerBuoy system is based on modular, ocean-going buoys that capture and convert predictable wave energy into low-cost, clean electricity. OPT is headquartered in Pennington, New Jersey with offices in Warwick, UK.
Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope Appointed Next First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff
First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Sir Jonathon Band is pleased to announce that Her Majesty The Queen has graciously approved his recommendation that he be succeeded by Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope.
Currently serving as Commander-in-Chief Fleet, Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope will take up post as First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff on 21 July 2009.
Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope will be succeeded in turn as Commander-in-Chief Fleet by Vice Admiral Trevor Soar, who will be promoted to the rank of Admiral on taking up his new appointment.
Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope KCB OBE
As Commander-in-Chief Fleet, Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope has full command of all deployable Fleet units, including the Royal Marines, he is also a NATO Commander and is directly responsible for elements of the Standing NATO Response Force.
Joining the Royal Navy in 1970, his career has included command of submarines HMS Orpheus and HMS Splendid, the frigate HMS London and the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious.
He was the 'Teacher' on the unique 'Perisher' course and commanded the Submarine Sea Training Organisation. In between sea appointments he has worked in the MOD for the Naval Staff and for the Chief of Defence Staff and undertook a short secondment to the Cabinet Office in 2002. His initial NATO assignment was in the Regional HQ of Allied Forces North (in Holland), following this he served as the Deputy Commander-in-Chief Fleet before his last [NATO] appointment in Norfolk, Virginia, USA.
As a junior officer Admiral Stanhope read Physics at St Peter's College Oxford. He conducted staff training at Greenwich, the Royal College of Defence Studies and attended the Higher Command and Staff Course. Awarded the OBE in 1990, he was knighted in 2004 and is a recipient of the US Legion of Merit (Officer). He also holds the honorary post of Vice Admiral of the United Kingdom, is a Freeman of the City of London and the Guild of Freemen and a Younger Brother of Trinity House, a fellow of the Nautical Institute and a Liveryman of the Upholders Company.
Admiral Stanhope is married and lives with his wife in the West Country and they have one grown-up daughter.
Photo of the Day
Sailors deployed with Maritime Security Squadron Forward supporting Commander Task Force 158.1 provide protection for visit, board, search and seizure teams in the Persian Gulf.
Gator
