Welcome to MSW’s Scuttlebutt! Here’s the news for the day.
Review - Flyhawk’s DKM Ladders/Searchlights - 1/700
MSW Crewmember Anthony Kochevar [ajkochev] shares his thought on Flyhawk’s 1:700 DKM Ladders and Searchlights.. Enjoy.
USS Freedom (LCS 1) Completes Industrial Post-Delivery Availability
Source: US Navy Program Executive Office for Ships
WASHINGTON --- USS Freedom (LCS 1) completed its second industrial post-delivery availability (IPDA) at Colonna's Shipyard in Norfolk, Va. Sept. 8.
The two-month IPDA was a planned event in Freedom's post-delivery period that offered an opportunity to complete the installation of the needed components not installed during construction. The ship underwent a similar shipyard period earlier this year. During the availability, the ship implemented launch recovery and handling system improvements; completed installation of commercial broadband satellite program systems; received magazine certification and completed navigation and combat system alignment.
"USS Freedom continues to meet or exceed our expectations," said Capt. Jim Murdoch, LCS program manager within the Navy's Program Executive Office, Ships (PEO Ships). "We are looking forward to completing the remaining tests and trials and to getting this ship into the hands of warfighters."
LCS 1 is currently undergoing its post-delivery test and trials period, intended to fully examine the ship's performance and allow the crew to become familiar with and exercise the ship's systems. Following the recently completed shipyard availability, the ship will begin conducting test firing exercises of the 57mm gun, RAM missiles, 30mm gun mission module, as well as navigation and identification friend-or-foe certification.
LCS is a new breed of U.S. Navy warship with versatile warfighting capabilities, capable of open-ocean operation but optimized for littoral, or coastal, missions. Operational experience and analyses indicate that potential adversaries will employ asymmetric means to deny U.S. and allied forces access into critical coastal regions, such as strategic chokepoints and vital economic sea lanes. LCS is specifically designed to defeat such "anti-access" threats, which include fast surface craft, quiet diesel submarines and various types of mines.
Shipboard Protection System Achieves Milestone Decision
Source: US Navy
WASHINGTON --- Program Executive Officer, Littoral and Mine Warfare (PEO LMW) announced today that the Shipboard Protection System (SPS) was approved for production Aug. 26.
The SPS program is an Anti-Terrorism/Force Protection initiative to provide multiple classes of U.S. Navy ships with an enhanced ability to accomplish self-protection against asymmetric threats. SPS is a system of systems that coordinates command and control of sensors, ship's equipment, software, personnel and procedures.
"Achieving a favorable milestone C decision and attendant permission to enter low rate initial production (LRIP) are major accomplishments for SPS," said Capt. John Day, program manager for Anti-Terrorism Afloat Program Office. "What is especially notable is that system design and development was accomplished by Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Dahlgren, in a short, three-year span. Starting with guided missile destroyers, SPS will provide warfighters additional capability to help protect Sailors from attacks similar to the small-boat attack on the USS Cole (DDG 67)."
The Navy's Anti-Terrorism Afloat Program Office, a division of PEO LMW, is now authorized to enter into a LRIP for up to 12 SPS sets for DDG 51-class destroyers.
To benefit from various technology development programs such as the Navy's Fleet Force Protection Future Naval Capabilities initiatives, and to meet an aggressive schedule, SPS was fielded via installation of equipment and software sub-sets, or "block" upgrades. This approach facilitated the early delivery of useful technologies at an economical cost and addressed important capability gaps.
Future enhanced capabilities will continue to be incorporated as research and development efforts mature and available resources permit.
"Shipboard Protection System, low rate initial production, is a vital step toward protecting our Sailors, Marines, ships and systems," said Program Executive Officer, Littoral and Mine Warfare Ms. E. Anne Sandel. "SPS LRIP will enable the Navy to field systems, and gain valuable fleet feedback to evolve the technology further."
Following a series of developmental tests conducted at NSWC Dahlgren, SPS was successfully deployed on USS Benfold (DDG 65), USS Donald Cook (DDG 75), USS Laboon (DDG 58), and USS Oscar Austin (DDG 79). Installation and testing of SPS on aegis class cruisers, "L" class amphibious assault ships and aircraft carriers is anticipated in fiscal year 2012.
PEO LMW is an affiliated Program Executive Office of the Naval Sea Systems Command which designs, delivers and maintains the systems, equipment and weapons needed by the warfighter to dominate the littoral battle space and provide the warfighter assured access.
Royal Navy Sea Kings 'Bag' Intelligence over Helmand
Source: U.K Ministry of Defence
The Royal Navy's unique airborne surveillance and control helicopters, known as 'Baggers', have recently deployed to Helmand for the first time, where they are detecting, following and intercepting insurgent activity.
The Mk7 helicopters are known as Baggers thanks to the large grey 'bag' which contains the aircraft's state-of-the-art radar.
Primarily used in the maritime surveillance role, the helicopter's powerful onboard sensors also enable it to provide valuable battlefield reconnaissance and targeting information at particular times in land operations, and in May this year Sea King Mk7s from 854 Naval Air Squadron (NAS) were deployed to Afghanistan.
The eye-in-the-sky Sea Kings have been around since the mid-80s, serving principally as airborne early warning. That role began to change when new radar, Searchwater 2000, was fitted at the beginning of the 21st century.
Designed to identify potential aerial targets, crews found the new radar system was also capable of tracking both maritime and land targets - as the helicopters demonstrated during the 2003 campaign to oust Saddam Hussein.
Back then, the ground role of the Baggers - in official military parlance SKASaC (pronounced 'skayzac') - was in its infancy. Six years down the line, those skills have been honed - and committed over Helmand in earnest for the first time.
After a month acclimatising to conditions in Camp Bastion and exercising with allied forces in theatre, the Baggers and support personnel from 854 NAS were sent aloft on missions from the middle of June onwards.
Commander Matt Avison, Commander Sea King Force, said:
"The job is to throw a light into areas which are regarded as a black hole - vast areas outside the 'Green Zone' in Helmand - and give the commanders on the ground an idea of what is going on. Almost every sortie has produced useful information and there have been many - and significant - results."
Now it's in theatre, SKASaC will be there for the foreseeable future; 854 NAS returns home this month with its sister squadron 857 trading places.
Lieutenant Commander Steve Lynch, 857 NAS's Commanding Officer, said: "We are going out well prepared, well kitted out - you won't hear any complaints from the lads and lasses about equipment. Most of the personnel are delighted to be doing a job that is operational."
The Mk7s were fitted with a defensive aid suite, new engines and extra armour for their Afghan mission. In the coming months special rotor blades - already used by Jungly Sea Kings in theatre - will be added which will allow the Baggers to fly higher and longer.
The squadrons' personnel have also been prepared for their new mission thoroughly, including some infantry training. Cdr Avison added:
"If you're working alongside soldiers, it's important that you're not a dead weight on the ground. Whether you're up in the air or on ground, you have to go through five weeks of training - and that's how it should be."
Aside from running around with SA80s, first 854 and now 857 NAS have undergone intensive training by day and night in the skies of Cornwall. That's meant long, irregular hours, putting demands not merely on the Bagger community, but on the Culdrose community as well:
"Air traffic controllers, the logisticians getting all the kit ready, the galley working into the night to feed our guys - the support from everyone on the base has been fantastic. People have always said 'what do you need?'," said Cdr Avison.
If the response from the team at Culdrose has been heartening, then the feedback from commanders in Helmand has given air and ground crew a lift:
"For our men and women, this is a challenge - and I've been surprised by just how quickly we've shown we can shift from sea to land," Cdr Avison added.
"Allied commanders in Afghanistan are really impressed with what we've achieved so far - no-one else in the world has the ability we have. Whatever the battlefield - land, sea or air - we can work in it, day or night, all weathers."
Force 'Z' Survivors Association
Today’s website is Force 'Z' Survivors Association. Its purpose is to inform, educate and help people to understand, the events of December 10th, 1941, and hopefully also serves to act as a tribute to the fallen men who went down with their ships on that fateful day. Enjoy.
This Day in U.S. Naval History
1863 - Confederate steamer David seriously damages USS New Ironsides with a spar torpedo off Charleston, S.C.
1913 - OWL (Over Water Land Type), the Navy's first amphibian flying boat, is tested at Hammondsport, N.Y.
1957 - Minitrack, a satellite tracking net developed by the Naval Research Laboratory, becomes operational. This network, with stations from Maine to Chile, tracked the Vangard satellite.
Photo of the Day
U.S. Naval Academy Midshipmen safety Emmett Merchant (#7), outside linebacker Ram Vela (#34), linebacker Ross Pospisil (#51) and linebacker Tyler Simmons (#54) stop U.S. Air Force Academy running back Jared Tew (#42) during the first quarter of a college football game at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.
Gator
