Welcome to MSW’s Scuttlebutt! Here’s the news for the day.
Attention Community Build Builders!
Ahoy, Community Builders!
The 9th Session of our GB is near to close, mates, make sure that you have your monthly progress images uploaded and into your BLOG by 4/1/09 EST for this sessions judging!!!
Don't forget... Your progresses are going to be judged by your photos uploads!
Keep'em coming
On Display – NRP Diogo Căo F-333 (1964)
Senior Editor Rui Matos (Skipper) shows off his latest creation, the Cold War Tin Can NRP Diogo Căo F-333 (1964). Enjoy.
On Display
Feature – 1/700 RN Type 41 Frigate
Rob Kernaghan, a MSW and also an active meber of the Finewaterline SIG, and Tony Lawrence of Dorking Models (master maker and caster) have filled one of the most important lacks in the Cold War NATO navies in 700 scale. So with some work, you can have one of the "Horse Neck" frigates in your collection.
Feature
Historic Naval Ships Association
Today’s website is the Historic Naval Ships Association. Today, the 175 ships of the HNSA fleet ride peacefully at anchor, inviting you to cross their brows and journey back in time. Sit in the wardroom of a mighty battleship, touch a powerful torpedo on a submarine. Walk the legendary decks of seafaring history and stand where naval heroes have stood. Enjoy.
Website
This Day in U.S. Naval History
1944 - Torpedo squadrons from carriers are used for the first time to drop aerial mines - Palau Harbor in the South Pacific.
1972 - The Easter Offensive began in Vietnam.
1942 - The Pacific theater is divided into two zones to clarify command relations. Adm. Chester W. Nimitz commands the Pacific Ocean Area and Gen. Douglas MacArthur is over the Southwest Pacific Area.
San Antonio Demonstrates Capabilities During Maiden Deployment
Source: US Navy
USS SAN ANTONIO, At Sea --- The amphibious transport dock ship USS San Antonio (LPD 17) readies to return to its homeport in Norfolk after completing a seven-month deployment as part of the Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG).
The homecoming will mark the end of the maiden deployment for the first San Antonio-class warship, which brought new warfighting capabilities to the stike group.
"We've demonstrated that the LPD 17 platform is very robust with its new features," said Cmdr. Eric Cash, San Antonio's commanding officer. "If you look at the lift capability, command and control, and capacity and facilities to embark a multitude of detachments, you can see how amphibious ships can be utilized from low to high intensity operations."
Thanks to San Antonio's design, embarked Marines from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (26 MEU) were able to carry out their daily routine and shore operations in an efficient manner.
"We were a complete unit, capable of any tasking because of the capacity that San Antonio has for our operations," said Lt. Col. John Giltz, Combat Logistics Battalion 26 commanding officer. "The passageways are much wider for a large number of Marines to move throughout the ship and for transporting vehicles. The flight deck is capable of having multiple aircraft, which makes loading and offloading much faster."
"This deployment has taught us a great deal on how to carry out MEU operations," Giltz added. "From what we've learned on San Antonio's maiden cruise, the LPD-class ships are very capable in independent ship missions."
A number of functions are monitored through the ship's latest feature, the shipwide area network (SWAN).
"SWAN has been a godsend for this ship on this deployment," said Information Systems Technician 2nd Class Wendall Bates.
"It has enabled us to man less spaces, and it's a constant watchdog for our systems should anything go wrong, such as broken consoles at an engineering station, navigation issues or problems with the ship's control system."
At the start of the new year, San Antonio was selected to serve as the flagship for the newly-established Combined Task Force (CTF) 151 counter-piracy mission. Fleet Surgical Team 8, from the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7), and Helicopter Anti-submarine Squadron 3, from the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), embarked San Antonio to enhance CTF-151's capabilities.
"By bringing such a diverse group of forces together, we were able to capitalize on each other's experiences and training, and that allowed us to better prepare for future missions," said Lt. Cmdr. Sean Kearns, San Antonio's executive officer.
"San Antonio surpassed all expectations made by the Iwo Jima ARG," said Lt. Richard Knutson, San Antonio's operations officer. "We demonstrated that this platform is versatile in carrying out operations such as visit, board, search and seizure operations, damage control training and simulated warfare."
Cmdr. Kurt Kastner, San Antonio's former commanding officer, led the ship and its crew out on the maiden deployment and is proud of the crew's accomplishments.
"The crew and embarked Marines faced every challenge and mission head-on," said Kastner. "I think their efforts will go a long way in defining future LPD 17 class deployments."
San Antonio is deployed as part of the Iwo Jima ARG supporting maritime security operations (MSO). MSO help develop security in the maritime environment. From security arises stability that results in global economic prosperity. MSO complements the counterterrorism and security efforts of regional nations and seek to disrupt violent extremists' use of the maritime environment as a venue for attack or to transport personnel, weapons or other material.
Northrop Grumman Successfully Executes Acceptance Trials for the U.S. Navy's Newest Amphibious Ship Makin Island (LHD
Source: Northrop Grumman Corp.
PASCAGOULA, Miss. --- Northrop Grumman shipbuilders and U.S. Navy personnel joined forces aboard the amphibious assault ship Makin Island (LHD
to complete a successful U.S. Navy acceptance sea trial in the Gulf of Mexico. The ship is the eighth USS Wasp (LHD 1)-class amphibious assault ship being built by the company at its Gulf Coast facilities in Pascagoula, Miss. “The commitment and effort displayed by our LHD 8 team over the past several months were the reasons we were able to achieve this important milestone,'' said Tim Farrell, Northrop Grumman vice president and program manager for the LHD 8.
During the acceptance trial, Makin Island performed all required sea trial evolutions for the U.S. Navy's Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV). Makin Island proved its operational success with the first gas turbine/electric-powered propulsion system ever used on large deck amphibious assault ships. The gas turbine engines and electric drive, a change from previous steam-powered ships, will provide significant life-cycle savings in manpower and maintenance costs over the previous ships.
When LHD 8 arrived back in Pascagoula, four brooms were raised symbolizing a successful sea trial.
“The four brooms being flown today represent the four teams who came together to make this ship successful: PMS 377, Northrop Grumman, Supervisor of Shipbuilding-Gulf Coast and Ship's force,'' said U.S. Navy Capt. Jeffery Riedel, program manager of Amphibious Warfare Programs for PEO Ships.
The Gulf Coast shipbuilding team met several milestones related to electrical cabling and the propulsion system set by Northrop Grumman in 2008 prior to acceptance trial. The Navy INSURV board was able to observe all electrical cabling installation throughout the ship and examine the integrated propulsion system. Both areas proved successful during the trial.
“This ship could be categorized as a first-in-class ship because of the many design changes associated with the new propulsion system,'' said Irwin F. Edenzon, sector vice president and general manager of Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding-Gulf Coast. “The LHD 8 team has worked hard to overcome a number of challenges and we're looking forward to delivering a great ship next quarter.''
The Makin Island is 844 feet long and 106 feet wide and weighs 42,800 tons. Its 70,000 horsepower hybrid propulsion system will drive it to speeds in excess of 20 knots. As a multi-purpose amphibious assault ship, it is designed to transport and land a Marine Expeditionary Unit, a force of almost 2,000 Marines, ashore by helicopter, landing craft and amphibious assault vehicle. It will also have secondary missions of sea control and power projection by helicopter and fixed-wing vertical short take-off and landing aircraft; command and control; and mission support, including a hospital with six operating rooms.
Makin Island is scheduled for commissioning at its San Diego homeport in October 2009.
First Marine Pilots Joint Strike Fighter
Source: U.S Department of Defense
The first Marine Joint Strike Fighter developmental test pilot took off from the flight line at the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics plant here March 19.
Maj. Joseph "O. D." Bachmann became the first Marine to pilot the F-35 Lightning II fighter jet, which is slated to become part of the Corps’ aviation arsenal by 2012.
Bachmann said the purpose of the flight was to acquire experience and become comfortable with the aircraft so he can to find any potential flaws or issues that may need correction, especially in the short take-off and vertical landing version of the aircraft.
"Mission: accomplished," said Bachmann after his first F-35 flight. "It was amazingly easy to fly. It was surreal. It was badass."
The F-35 is a single-engine, single-passenger, multi-role, stealth-capable, fifth generation supersonic strike fighter aircraft that was developed by Lockheed Martin's Joint Strike Fighter Program. Lockheed Martin is producing three variants of the aircraft.
Bachmann took off with the F-35A, the conventional take-off and landing variant. However, the Marine Corps is slated to field the F-35B, which is the short take-off and vertical landing variant of the fighter jet. Thus, the aircraft will become the Corps' primary aircraft fighter and will replace the Navy and Marine Corps' F/A-18 Hornet and the Corps' AV-8B Harrier II. It will also replace the Navy and Marine's EA-6B Prowler, an electronic warfare aircraft.
The F-35A variant is also slated to replace the Air Force's F-16 Fighting Falcon and A-10 Thunderbold II. The F-35C, the carrier variant, will go to the Navy.
Bachmann said the F-35 can do everything these three Marine Corps legacy fighter jets can do, "but better and cheaper."
One of the F-35's best of many capabilities is stealth, he added. This will be the first time the Corps will have a stealth aircraft, which according to Marine officials, will make the Marines adapt to new warfighting tactics.
The F-35B is the world's first supersonic and radar-evading stealth aircraft with short take-off and vertical landing capabilities. The aircraft can operate from a variety of ships, roads and austere bases.
"When the F-35 gets fielded, the rest of the world can't turn a blind eye to our force being stealth," said Bachmann, a native of Topeka, Kansas. "[The enemy] won't ever know we're coming. It's awesome."
Operation support cost is also reduced with the F-35. According to Lockheed Martin, the F-35B will provide unequaled multi-mission capability with a fraction of the support required by other fighter jets.
"This aircraft and its game-changing capabilities are going to offer Marine and joint force commanders on the front lines the most affordable and technologically-advanced fifth-generation aircraft in the world," said Marine Corps Deputy Commandant for Aviation Lt. Gen. George Trautman.
Bachmann said the F-35 is going to be easier to fly and easier to fix.
"It is more user-friendly to fix. So, the lance corporal whose job it is to fix the airplane will spend less time doing that," Bachmann added.
Bachmann and his fellow Marine and civilian test pilots will continue to fly, taxi and use the simulator version of the aircraft until they feel the aircraft is "perfect" and ready to be fielded. They are currently working side-by-side with the Lockheed Martin engineers to make the necessary adjustments as production continues.
"I better work really hard right now to make sure all things are done right so when it [goes out], it is perfect," Bachmann said. "Anything but perfect is failure. It needs to be perfect."
Doug Pearson, vice president of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Test Force, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company, said fielding the new aircraft is a great way to take American industry and come out with equipment the warfighter needs.
The three F-35 variants were derived from a common design developed together. Using the same sustainment infrastructure worldwide, the F-35 will replace at least 13 types of aircraft for 11 nations initially, making the aircraft the most cost-effective fighter program in history, according to a Lockheed Martin press release.
"It's just an amazing piece of machinery," Pearson said. "We are building an airplane that will last 8,000 flight hours.
"We're diligently working to keep our edge," continued Pearson. "God forbid we ever have a major conflict, but if we do, we need [this aircraft] and we need it to be swift."
Pearson continued to stress how the Marines operate all around the world in the ugliest situations and they need a "survival machine" to go into harm's way, survive and be effective. And that's what the F-35 is designed to do.
Bachmann sees the most important role of the aircraft is its benefit to the Marine walking point in a combat zone, when it's dark, scary and the enemy is near. There's a strike fighter that'll be in the air that's lethal, stealthy and it will kill the enemy before they know they're being watched, he illustrated.
"For the Marine that's out on the front all by himself, he's going to have a higher level of protection behind him," he said.
The whole point of the production of the aircraft was to protect the Marines on the ground - the grunts, said Staff Sgt. Ben Tchinski, an aviation ordinance technician and an F-35 basic maintainer with integrated test force out of Patuxent River, Md. Tchinski, a native of California, Pa., is one of the few Marines who are also learning side-by-side with engineers of the F-35 on how to properly fix and maintain the aircraft.
Tchinski also said the Marine Corps' new "Joint Strike Fighter" will "save more lives and kill more bad guys."
All who are part of the production and fielding of the aircraft agree, and the Marines are very welcoming to their new fighter jet.
"The Marine Corps opted to wait more than ten years for this multi-role aircraft rather than invest billions of dollars in legacy upgrades that offer only marginal incremental improvement in operational performance at high cost," Trautman said. "We didn't want something 'a little better.' We wanted an aircraft that will allow us to leverage technologies that have improved tremendously over the past few years. The F-35 is an aircraft that can perform a wide variety of missions across the full range of military operations far better than any other aircraft flying anywhere today."
Photo of the Day
Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Equipment) Airman Nicoles Schulmeister, lubricates the nose gear launch assembly of catapult number three on the flight deck of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68).
Gator
