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



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General Dynamics Awarded $31 Million for Trident Submarine Support Services
Source: General Dynamics Electric Boat

GROTON, Conn. --- The U.S. Navy this week awarded General Dynamics Electric Boat a $31 million contract to plan and perform maintenance and modernization work on U.S. Trident-Class and U.K. Vanguard-Class submarines. Electric Boat is a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics.

Under the contract from the Navy's Strategic Systems Program, Electric Boat will perform shipboard integration of the fire control system; provide support to the TRIDENT I and TRIDENT II submarine-launched ballistic missile programs; and provide strategic weapon systems technical engineering support. This is follow-on work from a 2008 contract that has now been extended to May 2012.


Malaysia Gets Its First Submarine
Source: ddi Indian government news

Malaysia gave a rousing welcome to its first submarine on Thursday with the king saying that the acquisition of the vessel is the government's biggest commitment to enhance the capability of its armed forces to safeguard the country's sovereignty.

The Scorpene submarine, named KD Tunku Abdul Rahman after the country's first premier, arrived at a naval base in Pulau Indah after a 54-day journey from France making stops at Jeddah, Djibouti and Cochin.

King Mizan Zainal Abidin, Prime Minister Najib Razak and other dignitaries watched the submarine surface at the harbour in a nationally televised ceremony.

"The acquisition enables the navy in particular, and the Malaysian Armed Forces in general, to develop a more credible and capable military force in the region," the king said.

"The acquisition of submarines for Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) is the government's biggest commitment to safeguard the sovereignty of Malaysian waters from any threat," he said.

Malaysia ordered in 2002 two diesel-electric Scorpene attack submarines at a cost of USD 900 million. The submarines were built by DCNS of France and Navantia of Spain.

The second submarine is to be delivered to Malaysia next year. Malaysia has maintained that the submarines are not meant to threaten any other country




Mesa Verde Gets First Experience with Osprey
Source: US Navy

NORFOLK --- Members of USS Mesa Verde's (LPD 19) flight deck team had their first opportunity to provide support for an MV-22 Osprey during helicopter operations Aug. 31.

The aircraft from Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 162 (VMM 162) made six landings on the flight deck which gave the pilots a chance to train on landing and gave Mesa Verde personnel the experience of bringing an Osprey aboard the ship.

"It was a learning process for everyone because there were a lot of people on our team who hadn't worked with the Osprey before," said Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Fuels) 1st Class (SW) Greg Kucharski. "We were able to come together and accomplish bringing the aircraft onboard faster."

Before the Osprey made its first landing, there were measures put in place to ensure the safety of personnel working on the flight deck. Air Department utilized special equipment to make sure this happened in addition to receiving support from the pilot.

"This evolution was a great learning experience for our Flight Deck Team," said Lt. Dee Gordon, Mesa Verde Air Boss. "Through coordination between the V-22 flight crew and the hard work of our own team onboard, we were able to accomplish this first landing of the V-22 onboard Mesa Verde safely and without incident."

"This was my first time seeing an Osprey which is a very large aircraft," said Hull Technician 3rd Class Derek Bunch of the ship's repair division and flight deck team member. "With it being a bigger aircraft, there was a strong downwash. We did all we could to make sure all of the members of the team were safe and this was an overall safe evolution."

During one of the landings, the crew of the Osprey picked up members of Combat Logistics Battalion 24. Members of VMM 162 were impressed by how the Air Department was able to get the helicopter onboard as efficiently as they did.

"The flight deck crew handled bringing the helicopter aboard well," said Sgt. Zachary Brown of VMM 162. "They were fast in getting the Osprey on deck as well as off."

"I'm especially proud of the ship's flight deck crew," said Gordon. "They are the best in the Navy."




U-505 Submarine

Today’s website is the U-505 Submarine. The Museum of Science and Industry invites you to step inside the real U-505—the only German submarine in the United States, and, now, a national memorial to the 55,000 American sailors who gave their lives on the high seas in WWI and WWII. Enjoy.
Website


This Day in U.S. Naval History

1944 - Invasion of Peleliu, Palau Islands, after several days of intensive carrier aircraft bombing and ship bombardment.
1950 - U.S. forces under Vice Adm. Arthur Struble achieve an amphibious landing at Inchon, Korea.
1967 - Operation Crimson Tide in Mekong Delta.


Photo of the Day



HMS Helsingborg, one of the Swedish Navy's Visby class corvettes

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