Welcome to MSW’s Scuttlebutt! Here’s the news for the day.
The BejaModelShow
MSW Senior Editor Rui Matos reports:
Ten years after their start, AMBA (Associação de Modelistas do Baixo Alentejo) - or in english, Model Association of Baixo Alentejo (a region on south Portugal)) and the "Clube de Modelismo da Escola Básica 2, 3 Mário Beirão" (a model club in an prep/secondary school, as an extra activity) gave a big leap and made their first modeling event: The BejaModelShow!
Feature
On Display - USS Sampson DDG-102
MSW crew mate Carl Musselman (carlomaha) keeps cranking the great builds out, and this time, he shares his conversion build of Arleigh Burke class destroyer, USS Sampson DDG-102, in this "On Display" feature!
On Display
On Display - USS B Franklin vs. Soviet Sierra II
MSW crew-mate Somboon Vongveeranonchai (eddiev200) continues in his 1/700 scale submarine series with this fine gallery of images in this "On Display" Feature!
On Display
HMS Hood Association
Today’s website is HMS Hood Association. This site chronicles the history of the might HMS Hood. Enjoy.
Website
This Day in U.S. Naval History
1943 - The Chief of Naval Operations issued the Bureau of Naval Personnel Circular Letter on non-discrimination in the Navy V-12 program.
1944 - Congress appoints the first three of four fleet admirals.
1965 - Gemini 6 is launched with Capt. Walter M. Schirra Jr. as Command Pilot. The mission included 16 orbits in 25 hours and 51 minutes. Recovery was by HS-11 helicopters from USS Wasp (CVS 18).
1988 - Earnest Will convoy operations to escort reflagged tankers in the Persian Gulf is ceased.
Navy Plan for Huge Network Looks Likely to Fail
Source: Lexington Institute
In October of 2000, during the waning days of the Clinton Administration, the Department of the Navy awarded the biggest information-services contract in the history of the federal government. It was called the Navy Marine Corps Intranet (NMCI), and it was designed to replace thousands of incompatible information systems operated by sea-service shore installations with a single, integrated network. NMCI became the biggest "intranet" in the world, supporting 350,000 computers and 700,000 users.
It isn't surprising that the Navy Department was the first military department to push for an integrated internal network. The Navy and Marine Corps have led joint-force thinking about the military applications of digital networks since the dawn of the information age. It was the Navy that first embraced the notion of network-centric warfare, and the Navy that made the most aggressive steps to reorganize its warfighting posture around the synergies afforded by connecting all members of the force.
Having provided a path that other services could follow into the new millennium, though, the Navy has now begun to lose its way. Navy planners want to balkanize implementation of the successor to NMCI in a scheme that looks doomed to failure. The new system is called the Next Generation Enterprise Network (NGEN). It is one of several overarching networks that are supposed to complete the integration of sea-service information systems circa 2016.
The basic idea is to segment the operations of the next-generation network into a series of functionally related services such as data storage, user support and information security that would be provided by best-of-breed industry teams, with the overall system being integrated and managed by a dedicated Navy office. That sounds reasonable enough, but there is little basis for believing the Navy is capable of efficiently integrating the efforts of half a dozen unruly teams as they implement the pieces of a continuously evolving network. To make matters worse, the Navy Department proposes to have the new network up and running on October 1, 2010, even though it hasn't yet described a complete acquisition approach, much less conducted the competitions needed to select providers.
The Navy has adopted this improbable plan largely in reaction to its frustrations with the way NMCI unfolded. The Clinton Administration elected to outsource the whole network to Electronic Data Systems, which left EDS not only managing dozens of suppliers but also owning the hardware and intellectual property. EDS then misjudged how hard it would be to implement the network, causing delays and disagreements. As a result, even though NMCI has worked well for years now, every time there is a problem sailors blame the contractor.
Everyone in the Navy agrees the service needs more control over the successor to NMCI. That's fine, but Navy leaders ought to be asking themselves whether system integration of the world's biggest intranet is really one of their core competencies (it isn't). They also ought to be asking whether a segmented system will respond as well to the kinds of cyber attacks the military has been experiencing as NMCI has (it won't).
The sad truth about relying on networks is that we have shifted military competition to an arena where many enemies can play, so we better be damned sure we can count on the network before we build our warfighting posture around it.
The Navy's dis-integrated approach to implementing NGEN looks like an invitation to disaster.
Keel for First Patrol Ship Laid Down
Source: Dutch Ministry of Defence
The Royal Netherlands Navy is to receive four brand new patrol ships which, among other missions, can be used to combat rising piracy at sea.
The keel of the first unit, Holland, was laid down today at Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding at Ritthem, near Vlissingen.
In the presence of representatives of the Ministry of Defence and of the shipyard, State Secretary Jack de Vries welded an old coin to the keel section, in a tradition dating back to the eighteenth century. This centuries-old ritual is intended to bring good luck to the shiop and its crew.
The Holland is due to be christened in January 2010, and will be commissioned into the navy in May 2011.
The following three patrol ships will also be named for Dutch coastal provinces, namely Zeeland, Friesland and Groningen. Their keels will be laid in September 2009, October 2009 and April 2010, respectively.
The purchase of the vessels is related to the Navy blueprint of 2005. According to this document, the emphasis of naval operations has been moved to coastal waters, a consequence of the changing global security situation and of new threats such as terrorism and piracy.
These reasons convinced the Ministry of Defence to procure four new patrol ships for tasks lower in the threat spectrum, such as anti-piracy, naval surveillance and inspections, and anti-narcotics operations.
The Holland-class ships are 108 meters long, will be manned by a 50-man crew and will be able to reach a top speed of twenty knots. (ends)
State Secretary for Defence Jack de Vries laid down the keel of the first patrol vessel for the Royal Netherlands Navy in the dock of Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding on Monday, 8th December.
During the official act, the State Secretary welded an old Dutch duit (traditional Dutch coin) to the very first part of the vessel. At the keel-laying of this first of class, the names of the four patrol vessels were also announced: Holland, Zeeland, Friesland and Groningen.
In the “Navy Study 2005”, the foundation was laid for the new fleet of the Royal Netherlands Navy. On account of a new world view and new threats such as terrorism and an increase in piracy, the emphasis was placed on operations in littoral waters.
A decision was taken to purchase four patrol vessels specifically for tasks in conflicts of lower intensity, such as monitoring shipping (including boarding operations) and carrying out patrol duties.
The Royal Netherlands Navy previously sold six relatively heavily armed multipurpose frigates.
The new vessels will measure 108 metres in length and will displace approximately 3750 tons. They offer hangar space and landing facilities for one NH-90 helicopter or equivalent types. Their armament will consist of one 76 mm Oto-Melara gun, one rapid-fire gun and two Hitrole machine guns. The weapons will all have full remote control. Thanks to the state-of-the-art integrated sensor and communication technology in the mast, detection and tracking of high- and low-altitude air targets, fast boats, periscopes, mines and even swimmers will be possible.
The first two patrol vessels are to be built at the shipyard of Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding in Vlissingen, with a number of sections being supplied by the Damen shipyard in Galati.
Major parts of the third and fourth vessels are to be built at the Damen shipyard in Galati under the supervision of Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding.
A Little Bit On All Those Aircraft Carriers
Source: Deutsche Bank Global Markets Research
In its rearmament program, the government has suggested that Russia may build up to six aircraft carriers. This followed close on a suggestion from China that it would build one aircraft carrier. (The UK and France are committed to building a total of three large aircraft carriers between them.)
These plans seem strange given the ever-increasing vulnerability of these huge military assets. Aircraft carriers are for the projection of offensive power over long distances where basing of aircraft may be problematic. This makes no sense for coastal defense.
To build a serious aircraft carrier costs well above $5 billion. But then you need to build half a dozen escort vessels and the aircraft to produce a battle unit that will require upwards 10,000 sailors. Since it is for distant power projection, to keep a single aircraft carrier group on constant deployment requires at least two and more likely three groups. This is an enormously costly strategic decision.
Since its development has been in the industrial sector, China has the resources to build an aircraft carrier, and a single one would provide an experimental unit to serve as a learning platform.
But, even with vaster resources than Russia now has, the Soviet Union could not perfect an aircraft carrier. With its rapidly waning financial clout, Russia is unlikely to implement this program very soon.
Photo of the Day
From the Life Magazine archives, an F4F from the USS Enterprise takes off in a stern launch. The Yorktown class of carriers were designed to steam at 20 knots in reverse so that aircraft could be launched or recovered should the flight deck sustain damage. The carriers were also equipped with a complete set of arresting gear on the bow.
Gator
