Welcome to MSW’s Scuttlebutt! Here’s the news for the day.
The Dreadnought Project
Today’s website is The Dreadnought Project. Tony Lovell started the project sometime around August of 2000 as a collaborative research effort of the Dreadnought Era. Others have contributed in a variety of ways in helping model, research and discuss the ships and technologies that helped forge 20th century naval warfare. The site offers some unique material such as historic ship plans. No two sections are too much alike.
Website
This Day in U.S. Naval History
1890 - USS Maine, the first American battleship, is launched.
1922 - Cdmr. Kenneth Whiting in a PT seaplane, makes first catapult launching from aircraft carrier, USS Langley (CV 1), at anchor in the York River.
1962 - USS Currituck (AV 7) rescues 13 Japanese fishermen from their disabled fishing boat Seiyu Maru, which was damaged in Typhoon Karen.
Russia to scrap all decommissioned nuclear submarines by 2012
Source: Russian Navy
Russia will scrap all decommissioned nuclear-powered submarines by the beginning of 2012, a shipyard official said on Friday.
"All decommissioned Russian nuclear submarines will be disposed of in 2010, or no later than the start of 2012," said Vladimir Nikitin, general director of the Zvezdochka ship-repairing facility in Severodvinsk in northern Russia.
Nikitin said more than 200 out of 250 nuclear submarines built in the Soviet Union and later in Russia have so far been scrapped, many of them with financial support from other countries like Norway, Japan and the United Kingdom.
The official said the program to dismantle nuclear submarines from the Northern Fleet had almost been completed and the majority of vessels due to be scrapped are currently with the Pacific Fleet.
"At present, we must focus on the Pacific Fleet because the dismantling process is slower there," Nikitin said.
Zvezdochka is Russia's biggest shipyard for repairing and dismantling of nuclear-powered submarines. According to Nikitin, the shipyard has the capacity to dismantle up to four nuclear submarines per year.
During the dismantlement, spent nuclear fuel is removed from the submarine's reactors and sent to storage, the hull is cut into three sections, and the bow and stern sections are removed and destroyed. The reactor section is sealed and transferred to storage.
Austal Awarded US Defence JHSV Contract
Source: Austal
Austal has won the contract to design and build the US Department of Defence’s next generation multi-use platform, the Joint High Speed Vessel (JHSV), as part of a program potentially worth over US$1.6 billion.
As Prime contractor, Austal will design and construct the first 103-metre JHSV, with options for 9 additional vessels expected to be exercised between FY09 and FY13.
Similar to the Austal-built “WestPac Express” operated by the US Marines for the past seven years, the JHSV will be capable of transporting troops and their equipment, supporting humanitarian relief efforts, operating in shallow waters and reaching speeds in excess of 35 knots fully loaded. The vessels will be a joint-use platform operated by both the United States Army and Navy.
Austal Managing Director Bob Browning said, “Being selected as Prime contractor for a major US Department of Defence shipbuilding program demonstrates Austal’s capabilities as a defence supplier. Austal is very proud to have been selected to build an important part of the US Navy’s fleet. This 10 vessel program is an important step in Austal's strategy to create longer-term, more predictable earnings for our investors."
The vessels will be built at Austal’s US shipyard located in Mobile, Alabama, where work is continuing on the first phase of a new state-of-the-art Modular Manufacturing Facility (MMF). Upon completion in mid-2009, the first half of the 70,000 m2 MMF will be available for the fabrication of all JHSV modules.
Austal USA’s 1000-strong workforce, which is currently completing the US Navy’s 127 metre Littoral Combat Ship “Independence” (LCS 2), as well as a 113 metre high speed catamaran for Hawaii Superferry, will grow to more than 1500 as a result of the JHSV programme.
“As demonstrated by the two Hawaii Superferry vessels recently constructed at our Mobile, Alabama facilities, our US shipyard has the capability to deliver large high speed advanced aluminium platforms on time and on budget - a capability which will be further enhanced upon completion of the MMF and the expansion of our US workforce,” Mr Browning said.
Sea trials of the recently-christened “Independence” (LCS 2) are scheduled to commence early next year. Mr Browning said the US Navy’s ongoing commitment to a 55-vessel LCS program, as part of its 313 ship fleet, meant there was strong chance Austal would be awarded a second LCS in early 2009.
Austal Chairman John Rothwell said successfully bidding as Prime contractor for the JHSV programme was a fantastic result for the company, which had taken significant steps towards advancing its standing as a defence supplier.
“Austal’s US Defence security clearance was an important factor in winning this contract along with the success of “WestPac Express”, which has been successfully serving with the US Marines in Okinawa, Japan for more than seven years,” Mr Rothwell said.
Austal is teamed with General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems, who will design, integrate, and test the JHSV’s electronic systems, including an Open Architecture Computing Infrastructure, internal and external communications, electronic navigation, aviation, and armament systems.
Northrop Grumman E-2D Advanced Hawkeye Completes Operational Assessment
Source: Northrop Grumman Corp
Northrop Grumman Corporation's E-2D Advanced Hawkeye System has completed its Operational Assessment (OA), flying out of the Northrop Grumman East Coast Manufacturing and Flight Test Center in St. Augustine, Fla. With completion of OA, the flight test program has accumulated more than 600 flight hours, over half involving in-flight radar testing.
“This is another significant milestone for the E-2D program,'' said Tom Vice, Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems Eastern Region sector vice president. “This achievement demonstrates the commitment of the Northrop Grumman team to working together with the U.S. Navy to deliver this state-of-the-art weapons system to the warfighter.''
Utilizing two test aircraft equipped with fully functioning mission systems, OA was conducted by a U.S. Navy test squadron to assess the potential effectiveness of the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye in a mission environment. Successful completion of OA is one of the critical steps the program must go through prior to a U.S. Navy decision on low-rate initial production. The official written report is anticipated to be released by the Navy in late December.
“Since entering flight test in August 2007, the joint Northrop Grumman and U.S. Navy Advanced Hawkeye team have been working hard, focusing on preparing for OA,'' said Jim Culmo, vice president of Airborne Early Warning and Battle Management Command and Control Programs for Northrop Grumman's Integrated Systems sector. “We are very pleased that during OA, all test objectives were executed, and we experienced no major system failures. The fact that we had an aircraft availability rate of over 92 percent is a testament to the outstanding teamwork of Northrop Grumman employees, our suppliers and U.S. Navy personnel. I am extremely proud of the fact that we set a date for Operational Assessment over five years ago and have completed yet another major milestone, on schedule, in accordance with our commitment to our customer. With Operational Assessment now complete, and a 'green' rating on Production Readiness, we are definitely on track for a successful Milestone C in 2009.''
A key enhancement of the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye is the new AN/APY-9 radar, designed and built by a radar team led by Lockheed Martin representing a two-generation leap in radar technology. The AN/APY-9 can “see” smaller targets and more of them at a greater range than currently fielded radar systems. The new rotodome contains an electronically scanned array that provides critically important, continuous, 360-degree scanning, allowing flight operators to focus the radar on select areas of interest. With its solid-state transmitter, the radar provides significant output power increase and improved reliability.
The E-2D is capable of synthesizing information from multiple onboard and off-board sensors, making complex tactical decisions and disseminating actionable information to joint forces in a distributed, open-architecture environment. By detecting, tracking and defeating theater air missile defense threats at extended range, the Advanced Hawkeye provides the warfighter with expanded battlespace awareness and the required reaction time to deal with emerging threats quickly and accurately.
The program continues to meet or exceed all key performance parameters and, during the past year, has been recognized for its program performance with numerous industry awards, including the Aviation Week Military Laureate Award, the Society of Experimental Test Pilots Leroy Grumman Award, NAVAIR Commander's Award for Program Management and Aviation Week's Program Excellence Achievement Award.
Northrop Grumman Corporation is a global defense and technology company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in information and services, electronics, aerospace and shipbuilding to government and commercial customers worldwide.
Photo of the Day
The littoral combat ship USS Freedom (LCS 1) sails into the mouth of the Buffalo River toward Buffalo Naval Park for a scheduled port visit in Buffalo, N.Y.
Gator
