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



On Display - USS Pennsylvania, 1945

MSW crew-mate Bob Cicconi (bobcicconi) sends us a batch of images of his latest, DML's 1/700 scale USS Pennsylvania, 1945, in this "On Display" feature!
On Display




Force Z Survivors Association

Today’s website is Force Z Survivors Association. This site chronicles the history of Force Z Survivors and it’s fateful voyage. Enjoy.
Website




This Day in U.S. Naval History

1821 - Lt. Robert F. Stockton and Dr. Eli Ayers, a Naval surgeon and member of the American Colonizing Society, induce a local African king to sell territory for a colony, which eventually became the Republic of Liberia.
1907 - The Great White Fleet departs Hampton Roads, Va., to circumnavigate the world.
1922 - USS Bainbridge (DD 246) rescues 482 people from the burning French transport Vinh-Long.
1941 - USS Swordfish (SS 193) sinks Japanese cargo ship Atsutasan Maru.
1942 - Pharmacist's Mate 1st Class Harry B. Roby performs an appendectomy on Torpedoman 1st Class W.R. Jones aboard USS Grayback (SS 208). It is the second appendectomy ever performed aboard a submarine.
1998 - In Operation Desert Fox, Navy cruise missiles attack Iraq.


USS Freedom (LCS-1) Littoral Combat Ship Commissioning Highlights Northrop Grumman-Built U.S. Navy MQ-8B Fire Scout VTUAV
Source: Northrop Grumman Corp

SAN DIEGO --- The U.S. Navy's MQ-8B Fire Scout Vertical Takeoff and Landing Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (VTUAV), developed by Northrop Grumman Corporation, was prominently displayed on the flight deck of the USS Freedom (LCS-1) littoral combat ship during its commissioning on Nov. 8, 2008 at Milwaukee's Veteran's Park.

The ceremony was attended by the Secretary of the Navy, the Chief of Naval Operations, the governor of Wisconsin and numerous other military, governmental and civic leaders. Fire Scout remains onboard the USS Freedom as it now transits to Norfolk, Va. The USS Freedom will be home-ported in San Diego.

The Fire Scout is a key enabler for LCS and will significantly contribute to its mission areas of mine counter measures, antisubmarine warfare and surface warfare with modular mission payloads as well as organic intelligence surveillance reconnaissance, targeting and communication-relay functions.

“Fire Scout VTUAV is proud to support the LCS community with the commissioning of USS Freedom,'' said Doug Fronius, MQ-8B Fire Scout VTUAV program director for Northrop Grumman's Integrated System sector. “Fire Scout is a mature system with modular payloads perfectly suited to support the wide range of fast, agile and focused LCS missions.''

Northrop Grumman was also chosen as the LCS mission package integrator and helped complete the successful installation of the mission package computing environment into the USS Freedom. The mission packages, each of which integrate sensor, weapon and other systems such as Fire Scout, several of Northrop Grumman's mine countermeasures systems and products by many manufacturers, enable each LCS to be reconfigured for different missions within a matter of days.


Navy Team Called To Second Suspected Bomb in 15 Hours
Royal Navy

The Royal Navy's Northern Diving Group are on their way to deal with their second suspected explosive device in 15 hours, after a group of fishermen reported that a possible sea mine had been spotted in the water off Leith in Scotland.

The five man dive team is currently travelling from their headquarters at Faslane Naval Base to the East coast of Scotland to inspect the object which has been reported to be round, made of metal and to be around eight feet in diametre.

The Diving Group were alerted to the situation after the fishermen who found the device contacted the Coastguard who, in turn, got in touch with the Naval Base to raise the alarm.

Leader of the team Lieutenant Troy Beechinor said:

"It's really useful that the coastguard in this area is proactive so we're able to process anything suspicious as soon as we can. We always are on the side of caution so we don't alarm anyone as this could end up not being an explosive device.
"Our dive team are preparing to enter the water to survey the object, hopefully later today we will have an idea of what we're dealing with and whether we need to take any action.”

The same team removed a Mk 11 Depth Charge live ordnance device from Largs in Ayrshire at 2320hrs yesterday evening. The team brought the device to the surface and transported it elsewhere in order to conduct a controlled explosion.
A 100-metre cordon was placed around the area where the device was found by divers who were working at Largs Promenade during the afternoon. All sailings from the area were cancelled for four hours as a precaution, as the team dealt with the situation.

ST Marine Launches RSN Submarine Support and Rescue Ship
Source: Singapore Ministry of Defence

The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) is well on course to add a submarine support and rescue ship to its fleet, with the support vessel, Swift Rescue, being launched on 29 Nov by Singapore Technologies Marine Ltd (ST Marine).

Touted to be the first of its kind in Southeast Asia, Swift Rescue was conceptualised, designed and built by ST Marine, to enable it with the primary capability of submarine rescue, as well as to fulfill other secondary roles to meet the requirements of the RSN.

Besides being highly manoeuvrable with excellent sea-keeping capabilities, the ship also incorporates a helicopter deck and unique operational spaces.

Measuring 85m by 18m, it is designed to house a Submarine Rescue Vessel (SRV) and its handling systems on board. The SRV, which is still being built in Britain by James Fisher Defence, can be lowered to a depth of 500m underwater to reach a distressed submarine.

Should the need arise, Swift Rescue will utilise a Transfer-Under-Pressure system to allow the affected submariners to be transferred seamlessly from the SRV into the recompression chambers for immediate treatment.

In March 2007, the RSN awarded the contract to ST Marine to design, build and maintain the ship and the submarine rescue system.

The 20-year services contract is expected to commence next year, when the support ship and the SRV have been completed and integrated into a complete system.


Photo of the Day



From the Life Magazine archives, a scout plane and guns of the battleship USS Idaho (BB-24) during US Navy maneuvers off Hawaii in November 1941.

Gator