Welcome to MSW’s Scuttlebutt! Here’s the news for the day.
Review - 110' US Subchasers in Action
Join Associate Editor Jim Adams for a Book Review of 110’ US Subchasers in Action written by T. Garth Connelly and published by Squadron Signal Publishing.
Sustainable Oils to Supply Navy with Camelina-Based Jet Fuel
Source: Sustainable Oils, Inc
BOZEMAN, Mont. --- Sustainable Oils, a producer of renewable, environmentally clean, and high-value camelina-based fuels, announced today it has been awarded a contract by the Defense Energy Support Center (DESC) for 40,000 gallons of camelina-based jet fuel.
The fuel will be delivered to the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) fuels team in 2009 and will support the Navy’s certification testing program of alternative fuels. The contract includes an option to supply up to an additional 150,000 gallons of camelina-based jet fuel.
“This is a substantial endorsement of the years of research and development Sustainable Oils has been doing to improve camelina as a next generation feedstock,” said Scott Johnson, president of Sustainable Oils as well as president of the North American Camelina Trade Association. “Our camelina-based biojet fuel has already performed as well its petroleum counterparts in aviation tests involving a Boeing 747-300. We’re expecting similar performance with different, and even more demanding aircraft. I can think of nothing more appropriate for our nation’s defense aircraft than to be running on domestically-produced fuel.”
Camelina was selected by the DESC because it does not compete with food crops, has been proven to reduce carbon emissions by more than 80 percent, and has already been successfully tested in a commercial airline test flight. In addition, camelina has naturally high oil content, is drought tolerant and requires less fertilizer and herbicides. It is an excellent rotation crop with wheat, and it can also grow on marginal land.
Camelina is the most readily available renewable fuel feedstock that meets the Navy’s criteria, with the ability to scale up acreage to meet demand. The camelina for the contract was primarily grown in 2009 and harvested recently by farmers in Montana. The company also has several field trials in Washington state.
Sustainable Oils has the largest camelina research program in the nation. The company’s camelina breeding program began in 2005 and has steadily expanded to include more than 140 trials across North America from 2005-2009. The company is also evaluating more than 90 breeding populations of camelina to analyze agronomic and oil qualities and to develop new high-yielding varieties. Sustainable Oils leverages biotechnology resources from its Seattle-based agricultural biotech parent company Targeted Growth.
“This contract reflects the great promise of camelina as a readily-available drop-in replacement for aviation fuel,” said Johnson. “It also sends a strong message to farmers that there will be a long term market for camelina oil. We look forward to working with an even larger group of growers in 2010 to meet the increased demand.”
Camelina has also been proven to significantly reduce carbon emissions in aviation fuel. A life cycle analysis (LCA) of jet fuel created from camelina conducted at Michigan Tech University in conjunction with UOP LLC, a Honeywell Company, and Sustainable Oils found that the renewable fuel reduces carbon emissions by 80 percent compared to petroleum jet fuel.
In January, Sustainable Oils sourced the camelina for Japan Airlines’ historic biojet demonstration flight, whose biofuel blend was comprised primarily of camelina. In August, camelina again performed under high-test conditions in a 100 percent blend of fuel powering the Boeing U-787 hydroplane in a series of demonstration laps at the Seafair Cup in Seattle.
The upcoming Navy tests are part of a larger effort to test and certify promising biofuels in support of the Navy and Department of Defense’s strategy to enhance energy security and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
"DESC is partnering with the Navy to move this alternative fuel demonstration forward," said Mark Iden, deputy director of operations for DESC. "This initiative also supports the DoD's desire to meet the intent and goals of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007."
The Defense Energy Support Center (DESC) is the Department of Defense’s combat logistics support agency. It provides the Department of Defense and other governmental agencies with comprehensive energy solutions in the most effective and efficient manner possible.
Sustainable Oils, Inc. is a producer and marketer of renewable, environmentally clean, and high-value camelina-based biodiesel. A joint venture between Targeted Growth, Inc., a renewable energy bioscience company, and Green Earth Fuels, a vertically integrated biodiesel energy company, Sustainable Oils is focused on the continued research and development of dedicated energy crops such as camelina.
Raytheon Signs $151 Million Evolved SeaSparrow Missile Contract
Source: Raytheon Company
TUCSON, Ariz. --- Raytheon Company was awarded a $151 million contract by the U.S. Navy's NATO SeaSparrow program office to produce 186 Evolved SeaSparrow Missiles, with an option for $210.3 million to produce an additional 255 missiles. The agreement will also provide NSPO consortium member navies with spare parts and missile containers.
Deployed in the U.S. Navy and nine international fleets, ESSM defends the battlespace by delivering ship self-defense firepower against high-G maneuvering anti-ship cruise missiles as well as surface and low-velocity air threats.
"Raytheon, along with our international team of 18 partner companies, has advanced this world-class system to a point of prominence in ship self-defense missiles," said Ed Roesly, Raytheon's ESSM program director. "This contract cements the ESSM's future, and next
year will be exciting as we expand our worldwide customer base."
As a tail-controlled missile, ESSM uses recent enhancements to its guidance system to take advantage of improved seeker sensitivity, increased propulsion and greater weapon accuracy. These features enable ESSM to arrive at the intercept point with more endgame speed and agility to counter the threat.
France and UK Launch Studies of a New Lightweight Anti-Ship Missile
Source: French Defence Procurement Agency, DGA
The French and British Ministries of Defence (MoD) today announced the launch of evaluation studies to develop technologies for a new helicopter-launched anti-ship missile.
This cooperation, which meets the needs of the French Anti-Navire Léger (ANL, lightweight anti-ship missile) and the UK’s Future Anti-Surface Guided Weapon (FASGW), includes an initial assessment phase lasting just over two years, and amounting to approximately 50 million euros (35 million pounds).
The work will be conducted in France and the United Kingdom using the national industrial prime contractors and their subcontractors.
This joint evaluation phase is the subject of an addendum to the contract of Team Complex Weapons (WCA) awarded to MBDA by the UK MoD on behalf of both countries. The commitment of the French Ministry of Defense is materialized by a Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Delegation Generale pour l’Armement (DGA) and the Chief of Defense Material (CDM), which comes into force upon the signature of contract.
This new missile is intended to equip, for offensive and defensive naval missions, the NH90 helicopter and light helicopters (Panther and its successor) of the French Navy, and the Lynx Wildcat of the Royal Navy, allowing them to engage surface targets such as fast craft and patrol boats, with a displacement of less than 500 tonnes.
France and the United Kingdom had confirmed their intention to jointly explore a future lightweight anti-ship missile at the last Franco-British summit, held on July 6, 2009 in Evian. This project opens the way for further cooperation, as proposed by the Franco-British Working High-Level Working Group (HLWG) in charge of defence procurement.
Task Force 1
Today’s website is Warships on the Web. This neat little website goes back to pre-dreadnaughts. Enjoy.
This Day in U.S. Naval History
1918 - Ensign David S. Ingalls, in a Sopwith Camel, shoots down his fifth enemy aircraft, becoming the first U.S. Navy ace while flying with the British Royal Air Force.
1944 - Fifth Fleet carrier aircraft attack Japanese in Visayas, Philippines.
1960 - First nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, USS Enterprise (CVN 65), launched at Newport News, Va.
Photo of the Day
Here’s one for all the flyboys. An EA-6B Prowler assigned to the Eagles of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 129 prepares to launch from the flight deck aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74).
Gator
