Welcome to MSW’s Scuttlebutt! Here’s the news for the day.
U-boat Aces - Installment 8
Welcome to instalment eight of our brief mini-series of weekly installments focused on the Aces of the Deep- the Top Ten U-boat Commanders of World War 2. The subject of this week’s installment is Erich Topp.
U-boat Aces
USS Ward
Today’s website is the USS Ward. This site chronicles the history of the USS Ward. Enjoy.
Website
This Day in U.S. Naval History
1846 - Ships under Commodore Matthew Perry capture Laguna de Terminos during the Mexican War.
1941 - Adm. Chester W. Nimitz is named commander in chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet, relieving Adm. Husband Kimmel. Adm. William Pye becomes acting commander until Nimitz's arrival.
Northrop Grumman Wins Support Contract for Navigation Systems On U.S. Navy Ships and Submarines
Source: Northrop Grumman Corp
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. --- Northrop Grumman Corporation has been awarded a delivery order for the fifth year of a five-year contract to provide technical, logistics and material support for navigation systems installed on U.S. Navy ships and submarines.
The delivery order, valued at $15.5 million, was awarded to Northrop Grumman's Sperry Marine business unit by Naval Inventory Control Point, Mechanicsburg, Pa., under a firm fixed-price performance-based logistics (PBL) contract.
Under the contract, Sperry Marine will supply material management, configuration management and program management services for the AN/WSN-7 inertial navigation systems, and the AN/BPS-15 and AN/BPS-16 submarine radar systems. The current award also includes funding for initial support of installed steering systems on guided-missile destroyers and scalable integrated bridge systems on destroyers and cruisers.
“Over the past four years of this PBL contract, Sperry Marine has established an outstanding record of performance in support of these mission-critical products in the fleet,'' said Jeff Holloway, director for Sperry Marine's U.S. defense business development, marketing and sales. “We have consistently achieved 100 percent on-time delivery to surface and submarine forces under this contract.''
Sperry Marine, headquartered in Charlottesville, Va., and with major engineering and support offices in New Malden, United Kingdom and Hamburg, Germany, provides smart navigation and ship control solutions for the international marine industry with customer service and support through offices in 16 countries, sales representatives in 47 countries and authorized service depots in more than 250 locations worldwide.
Zumwalt Undersea Warfare Combat System Receives Official Navy Nomenclature
Source: Raytheon Company
TEWKSBURY, Mass. --- Raytheon Company's integrated undersea warfare combat system for the Zumwalt-class destroyer recently received its official U.S. Navy nomenclature, AN/SQQ-90.
Raytheon's SQQ-90 represents the U.S. Navy's next-generation undersea warfighting capability. The tactical sonar suite is composed of new integrated system capabilities, including the hull-mounted mid-frequency sonar (AN/SQS-60), the hull-mounted high-frequency sonar (AN/SQS-61), and the multi-function towed array sonar and handling system (AN/SQR-20). These systems provide unique mission capabilities and are fully integrated with the MH-60R helicopter's combat system to deliver broad warfighting coverage for the Zumwalt-class destroyer.
"This is an exciting development for the Zumwalt team because it confirms the maturity and readiness of Zumwalt's integrated undersea warfare combat system," said Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems' Robert Martin, vice president and deputy of Seapower Capability Systems. "The SQQ-90 will provide the sophisticated and reliable undersea warfare capabilities that our warfighters need and depend on."
Through the use of automation and unique information management, Zumwalt's undersea warfare combat system can be operated by one-third the crew of current Aegis-class anti-submarine warfare platforms. When combined with the entire Zumwalt open architecture combat system and multi-sensor capabilities, the SQQ-90 will provide the U.S. Navy with the most advanced integrated undersea warfare system in the world, bringing superior operational performance in both the littorals and the open ocean against a multitude of targets, including mines and quiet diesel submarines.
Integrated Defense Systems is Raytheon's leader in Global Capabilities Integration providing affordable, integrated solutions to a broad international and domestic customer base, including the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, the U.S. Armed Forces and the Department of Homeland Security.
Raytheon Company, with 2007 sales of $21.3 billion, is a technology leader specializing in defense, homeland security and other government markets throughout the world. With headquarters in Waltham, Mass., Raytheon employs 72,000 people worldwide.
Navy Team Destroys Firth of Forth Bomb
Source: Royal Navy
The Royal Navy's Northern Diving Group has successfully dealt with a suspected Second World War bomb which was found on the bed of the Firth of Forth in Scotland earlier today, Tuesday 9 December 2008, by a group of fishermen.
The team attended the scene which was the second suspected explosive device they had been called to in 15 hours, to discover that it was in fact an explosive device from World War II. The bomb was discovered in such a deteriorated state that the team were unable to identify its exact specifications.
A five man dive team travelled from their headquarters at Faslane Naval Base to the East coast of Scotland to inspect the device which had been reported to be round, made of metal and to be around eight feet in diameter.
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.
Speaking from the site, Leader of the team Lieutenant Troy Beechinor said:
"We're still here completing the operation and are dealing with the device which we think may be a possible World War II bomb. We have successfully destroyed the device in situ and are currently preparing to collect it so we can take it away for storage."
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.
Photo of the Day
From the Life Magazine archives, British battleship encrusted with ice while sailing Arctic seas route to bring aid to Russia during WWII.
Gator
