Welcome to MSW’s Scuttlebutt! Here’s the news for the day.
Feature - Campaign Leader Tutorial
Campaigns Administrator Gary Kato (Gary Kato) give us a tutorial on how to be an effective Campaign Leader. Enjoy.
Thales to Supply Satellite Communication System for Dutch Ocean Patrol Vessels
Source: Thales U.K.
Thales has been awarded a contract by the Dutch Ministry of Defence to supply naval satcom terminals on the four Ocean Patrol Vessels that are being built for the Royal Dutch Navy. The first terminal will be installed on the first ship scheduled to be handed over to the Royal Navy at the end of 2010. The delivery period will last until 2012.
This very comprehensive contract will guarantee the effectiveness of the Ocean Patrol Vessels, enabling them to communicate over secure, high bandwidth satellite links, both with other national and allied force elements. This solution is already in service in several NATO countries, including France, Belgium and Norway.
Thales will deliver a complete and innovative satcom solution for the Ocean Patrol Vessels (OPV) including a state-of-the-art dual band stabilised antenna, with civilian satcom Ku-band and military X-band. This solution is engineered to give the best trade-off between performances and installation constraints on-board the OPV. It is based on the sea-proven SURFSAT* naval satcom family with leading-edge multi-band and stabilisation capabilities, using multiple transmission systems, and ensuring seamless on-board integration.
Thales is the Prime Designer and Integrator of the Integrated Mast on which the naval satcom terminal will be placed. The possibility to accommodate on the same structure and assure the compatibility of the numerous sensors for communications including satellite, surveillance, fire control and navigation is a sound and unprecedented answer to reduce the time and cost to build naval warships. Other advantages are significant savings in top-deck and below-deck space and better operational performance.
“This contract confirms Thales as a leading provider of naval satcom solutions and will strengthen Thales’s partnership with the Royal Netherlands Navy”, said Geert Van der Molen, Director Land & Joint Systems of Thales Nederland.
SURFSAT is Thales's family of naval satcom terminals. It has been originally developed for the French Naval-2000 programme. SURFSAT-L, for medium and large vessels, is available in several sizes (from 1m90 to 2m60), and several operating frequency configurations, single or dual, military X band, commercial C or Ku bands. Other configurations are being developed including versions with lower diameter antennas (SURFSAT-S), or for other frequency band such as Ka and EHF.
All the versions of SURFSAT terminals share the same innovative pedestal technology. They can however slightly differ regarding antenna technology; namely, according to the operational and performance requirement, SURFSAT can rely either on aluminium or composite reflector, and be fitted with single band feed or multiband feed. Furthermore, other system functions such as dual satellite tracking, primary link, ESM, etc… are available whatever the version of SURFSAT delivered.
USS Freedom to Deploy Early
Source: US Department of Defense
WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The Navy announced Oct. 13 the decision to deploy the USS Freedom (LCS 1) in early 2010 to the Southern Command and Pacific Command areas ahead of her originally scheduled 2012 maiden deployment.
According to Navy leaders, Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) are needed now to close urgent warfighting gaps.
"Deploying LCS now is a big step forward in getting this ship where it needs to be – operating in the increasingly important littoral regions," said Adm. Gary Roughead, chief of naval operations. "We must deliver this critical capability to the warfighter now."
The Freedom will have an immediate impact on fleet readiness and global reach as an asset with unique combat capabilities and the ability to meet littoral tasking not previously seen in the modern cruiser or destroyer fleet.
"The Navy plans to build a considerable number of littoral combat ships which will form the backbone of our future fleet," said Adm J. C. Harvey, Jr., commander, U.S. Fleet Forces, charged with executing the early deployment. "The sooner we integrate them into our fleet, the sooner we can incorporate them in the order of battle. This deployment offers a golden opportunity to learn by doing. Employing the USS Freedom in theater two years ahead of a normal timeline allows us to incorporate lessons that can only be learned in a deployment setting more quickly and effectively in the LCS fleet integration process."
In evaluating options for deploying the Freedom earlier than originally scheduled, the Navy took into consideration several key factors including combat systems testing, shakedown of the ship systems and overseas sustainment with a new concept of operations and crew training.
To facilitate the early deployment, the Navy adjusted the Freedom testing schedule, prioritized testing events needed for deployment and deferred others not required for the missions envisioned during this deployment. The Freedom recently completed Industrial Post Delivery Availability 2, which also supported an early deployment.
Initial Test Proves Navy’s F/A-18 Hornet Can Fly on ‘Green Fuel’
Source: US Naval Air Systems Command
NAVAIR, PATUXENT RIVER, Md. --- The Navy is one step closer to flying the “Green Hornet.” Members of the NAVAIR Fuels team recently made a small, but very vital step toward changing the source of jet fuel the U.S. Navy uses.
The team tested an F404 F/A-18 engine to determine if it could run on a jet fuel (JP-5) derived from a weed.
“This engine run was our first shot at certifying a JP-5 fuel derived from a renewable source,” said Tony Cifone, director for the Propulsion & Power Department at the Naval Air Systems Command. “This is the first step on the road to the ‘Green Hornet’.”
The “Green Hornet” encompasses more than just a new source for jet fuel. It will eventually include upgrades and new technology to create a more fuel efficient F/A-18 Super Hornet. More tests will occur in the December-January timeframe on the F414, the engine for the Super Hornet. This test could be conducted either at NAS Patuxent River or at the General Electric facility in Lynn, Mass.
Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus pointed out during the Navy’s Energy Forum held last week, that the “Green Hornet” is an important element in accomplishing his five Green Goals, which center around reducing the use of petroleum derived fuels and increasing the use of energy from renewable sources. The intent is to have the alternative fuels in operational use in the Hornet within three years of certification.
This first test on the F/A-18 Hornet engine proved that a renewable source of JP-5 can be used as a “drop-in” replacement for the current petroleum-based jet fuel.
“The engine reacted the way we had expected,” said NAVAIR’s Rick Kamin, who is the Navy’s Fuel Team Lead. “It did not know the difference.”
Likewise, the operators in the fleet will not know the difference, Kamin said as he emphasized the importance of the “drop-in” aspect of an alternative fuel.
Cifone said he anticipates the first actual flight of a Super Hornet fueled with a renewable fuel blended with the current JP-5 will occur next spring.
“The eventual goal for the Navy is to be able to use fuels produced from non-petroleum sources without having to blend them with petroleum derived fuels,” Kamin explained. “The 50/50 blend is a stepping stone on the path. We are using a walk before you run philosophy.
“Aircraft, since their inception, have been developed around petroleum based fuels. Although renewable fuels currently being tested have many similar properties to petroleum based fuels, they are not 100 percent the same. Blending is the near term solution to allow use of these fuels until on-going research provides a complete solution.”
The tests the fuels team conducts to ultimately certify alternative fuels are the same for all fuels. The tests encompass standard chemistry, component and engine testing. The certification process is the same regardless of the source of the fuel. One of the unknown aspects of using a fuel derived from a non-petroleum source is how it would affect seals in the various systems.
Standard petroleum-based jet fuel contains aromatics, a class of ring-shaped hydrocarbon molecules that includes benzene and related solvents. Aromatics soak into the seals and make them swell, and ensure a tight fit against the metal.
“Self-sealing fuel bladders, for example,” Kamin said, “need aromatics to work properly.”
The fuel used in the recent run of tests was created from the camelina plant, which is in the same family of plants as the mustard seed and rapeseed. It needs little water or nitrogen to flourish and can be grown on marginal agricultural soil. An important aspect of using camelina as a renewable source for fuel is that it does not compete with food crops.
Kamin said the Navy’s goal is to certify as many alternative fuels derived from renewable sources as possible.
Bluejacket.com
Are you looking for research material on naval weapons? Then today’s website is for you. Navweaps. Enjoy.
This Day in U.S. Naval History
1864 - Steamer General Thomas and gunboat Stone River destroy Confederate batteries on Tennessee River near Decatur, Ala.
1882 - Orders issued for first naval attache (Lt. Cmdr. French Chadwick sent to London).
1933 - The development of the PBY Catalina flying boat is begun by awarding the contract to the Consolidated Aircraft Company.
Photo of the Day
Guests prepare to tour the Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Annapolis (SSN 760). Annapolis was anchored in the Chesapeake Bay near the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. during the school's homecoming weekend.
Gator
