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



Feature - Flyhawk’s 1:700 Naval figures
MSW Crewmember Anthony Kochevar [ajkochev] shares his thought on Join MSW Crewmember Scott Sim [brazen] as he takes us for a trip over the sunny harbor of Toulon France in this stunning MOD of thebattleship Jean Bart.. Enjoy.


Review - DKM Prinz Eugen in 1/350 scale
Join Jim Adams for an inbox review of Trumpeter’s newest ship, the German Heavy Cruiser, DKM Prinz Eugen in 1/350 scale.. Enjoy.




Argon ST Awarded $49 Million U.S. Navy Contract for C4ISR Systems
Source: Argon ST, Inc.

FAIRFAX, Va. --- Argon ST, Inc., a leading systems engineering, development and services company, today announced that it was awarded a $49.7M cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for research, development, and analysis, to produce Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) system architecture in support of electro-optical, radio frequency, acoustic sensors, and special sensor systems for the U.S. Navy.

This contract is expected to be completed over the next three years and initial funding is approximately $5.4 million.

“The ISR market is a strategically important part of our business. This contract enables development of important technologies and systems in support of warfighters as well as protection of U.S. forces, facilities, and borders,” stated Kerry Rowe, President and Chief Operating Officer, Argon ST, Inc.


Argon ST, Inc. designs, develops, and produces systems and sensors for the Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Combat Systems, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) markets including SIGINT (Signals Intelligence), ESM (Electronic Support Measures), EW (Electronic Warfare), IO (Information Operations), imaging, and acoustic systems serving domestic and international markets.


Landing of Gas Turbine Engines Is Latest Milestone for Nation's Third Littoral Combat Ship
Source: Lockheed Martin

MARINETTE, Wis. --- The Lockheed Martin-led industry team completed another key milestone in constructing the nation's third Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) with the landing of the vessel's two main propulsion gas turbines. More than 50 percent of the ship's modules are under construction at the Marinette Marine shipyard. LCS 3, named Fort Worth, is scheduled for delivery to the U.S. Navy in 2012.

Designed to operate in coastal waters, the LCS provides the Navy with a fast, agile shallow-draft warship that maximizes mission flexibility. The vessel is a highly automated and networked surface combatant which can accommodate mission packages that provide the ship with the ability to execute focused missions such as mine warfare, anti-submarine warfare, surface warfare, as well as other potential missions.

Fort Worth's gas turbine engines, part of an innovative combined diesel and gas turbine propulsion plant with steerable water jets, are a critical part of the Lockheed Martin team's proven LCS propulsion system. The same system has successfully powered USS Freedom (LCS 1) since that ship's November 2008 commissioning. Two Rolls-Royce MT30 gas turbines - the largest gas turbines installed on any Navy ship class - will allow Fort Worth to sustain sprint speeds of well over 40 knots, as demonstrated with USS Freedom. The propulsion system also has two fixed and two steerable Rolls-Royce water jets which enable superior maneuverability for mission execution.

"The success that Freedom achieved in its acceptance trials proves the soundness of the logistical, technological and manufacturing approach that the team is using to build LCS," said Dan Schultz, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin's Integrated Defense Technologies business. "We're using the lessons learned from LCS 1 to build LCS 3 even more efficiently and cost effectively."

In March 2009, the Navy awarded Lockheed Martin a fixed price incentive fee contract to construct Fort Worth. In July, the ship's sponsor, Rep. Kay Granger (R-12-Texas) joined the Lockheed Martin team members and U.S. Navy representatives for its keel laying ceremony.

Lockheed Martin's LCS team delivered the first-of-class USS Freedom to the fleet in only six years from its initial concept, half the time of traditional shipbuilding programs. Team members include naval architect Gibbs & Cox, ship builders Marinette Marine Corporation, a Fincantieri company, and Bollinger Shipyards, as well as domestic and international teammates.




NAVY Enhances T-Hawk
Source: US Naval Air Systems Command

PATUXENT RIVER, Md. --- The Navy has decided for full fielding of the T-Hawk Micro Air Vehicle after incorporating several improvements to the system.

Full fielding signifies that all system capability improvements have been tested, evaluated, and proven to be operationally suitable and logistically supportable.

NAVAIR’s Navy and Marine Corps Small and Tactical Unmanned Air Systems program office at Patuxent River, PMA-263, purchased a total of 90 systems from Honeywell.

“This is a critical asset to field to the front in response to Joint Explosive Ordinance Disposal units’ urgent need. It’s a timely 75 percent solution,” said Capt. J.R. Brown, program manager. “The T-Hawk is being used by joint force EOD units in Iraq and Afghanistan, among other locations, to locate and identify Improvised Explosive Devices. Delivery of the 90 systems is scheduled to be complete by December.”

In an effort to reduce the number of pre-setup tasks for the operator, the Block II variant of the T-HAWK, RQ-16B, is now equipped with an automatic fuel-air mixture control. This eliminates the need for operators to manually tune the carburetor prior to each flight.

Additions to the system to improve situational awareness include the installation of a Gimbaled Electro-Optical or Infra-Red payload and a digital video radio. The cameras enable operators to stabilize the camera on the target while the video radio allows better compliance with theater frequency spectrum requirements.

“Enhancements made to the T-Hawk will greatly improve safety for EOD technicians during system set-up and operation, and improve situational awareness while prosecuting an incident site,” said Lt. Col. James Roudebush, integrated product team lead for Navy Tier 1 Unmanned Aircraft Systems.




U.S. Navy Armed Guard and U.S. Merchant Marine in World War II

Today’s website is U.S. Navy Armed Guard and U.S. Merchant Marine in World War II. The U.S. Navy Armed Guard was a service branch of the United States Navy that was responsible for defending U.S. and Allied merchant ships from attack by enemy aircraft, submarines and surface ships during World War II. Enjoy.


This Day in U.S. Naval History

1800 - U.S. schooner Experiment captures French schooner Diana.
1844 - The Naval Observatory, headed by Lt. Matthew Fontaine Maury, occupies its first permanent quarters.
1874 - Supply Corps purser Lt. J.Q. Barton is given leave to enter service of new Japanese Navy to organize a pay department and instruct Japanese about accounts. He served until Oct. 1, 1877, when he again became a purser in the U.S. Navy.
1880 - John Phillip Sousa becomes leader of Marine Corps Band.
1928 - The first class at school for enlisted Navy and Marine Corps radio intercept operators (The "On the Roof Gang") is held.
1937 - Patrol aviation is transferred to Aircraft Scouting Force, a re-established type command. With the change, five patrol wings were established as a separate administrative command over their squadrons.
1946 - Truculent Turtle lands at Columbus, Ohio, breaking the world's record for distance without refueling during flight of 11,235 miles.
1949 - Military Sea Transportation Service is activated.
1955 - USS Forrestal (CVA 59), the first of post-war super carriers, is commissioned.
1979 - President Jimmy Carter awards the Congressional Space Medal of Honor to Neil Armstrong, retired Navy Capt. Charles Conrad Jr., retired Marine Col. John Glenn and retired Rear Adm. Alan Shepard Jr.
1980 - USS Cochrane (DDG 21) rescues 104 Vietnamese refugees 620 miles east of Saigon.
1990 - USS Independence (CV 62) enters Persian Gulf (first carrier in Persian Gulf since 1974).


Photo of the Day



Seaman Bertram Taylor signals the combat rubber raid craft boats, manned by the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), as they approach the well deck of the amphibious dock landing ship USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49).

Gator