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



Feature - IJN Heavy Cruiser Maya

MSW Crew-mate Kym Knight (Rab) shares one of his latest builds with us in this MSW Build Story, take a long look at his fabulous build of the IJN Heavy Cruiser, Maya.


Feature - K-137 Pantera Akula I Diorama

MSW Crew-mate Rui Matos (skipper) shares his latest build K-137 Pantera Akula I Diorama.


Feature - USS PT-174, "Adaptor Scheme"

MSW Crew-mate T. Garth Connelly shares a gallery of images of his latest addition to his showcase, USS PT-174, "Adaptor Scheme" built by modeler/Naval Historian Alex Johnson.




Navy Commissions USS New York in Big Apple
Source: US Navy

NEW YORK --- USS New York (LPD 21), the fifth San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock, built with steel salvaged from the World Trade Center, was commissioned here Nov. 7 in a ceremony held in the shadow of the city for which it is named.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, a former New York senator, was the keynote speaker for the ceremony.

"This ship carries with it searing memories of September 11," said Clinton. "Lives cut short, families ripped apart, a nation attacked. And in that steel, burned but unbroken, lives the spirit we saw on 9/11 and the days that followed, the bravery of the rescuers, the resolve of the survivors, the compassion of this city, the patriotism of this great country."

Calling USS New York a symbol of freedom similar to the Statue of Liberty, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus explained how this ship will be a reminder of all New York and the nation went through on September 11th.

"Today, we witness the birth of another memorial to liberty. Eight years ago, this city witnessed the worst atrocities committed against our country. The New York will be a visible testimony to our resilience, to the character of this city, to the strength of this country," said Mabus.

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead spoke to the ship's future and what it will mean to Americans through the years.

"Wherever she sails in the next 40 years…USS New York will forever conjure the valor, the sacrifice, the heroism and the tenacity of New York," said Roughead.

New York Governor David Paterson called the day "a great day for America, a great day for New York and a great day for everyone who believes in freedom and justice."

USS New York, the sixth Navy ship named for the state, was built at Avondale Shipyard in New Orleans by Northrop Grumman and christened March 1, 2008. The ship arrived in New York Nov. 2 and rendered honors at the World Trade Center site before pulling into Pier 88 on the Hudson River.

Thousands of veterans and invited guests witnessed the ceremony, which was also broadcast live in Times Square and on the Navy.mil website. The commissioning was the culmination of a week-long celebration of the Navy and Marine Corps team and the ship in New York City.

New York is an amphibious transport dock designed to transport Marines and their equipment. It will be used to support the nation's maritime strategy, to include humanitarian assistance and maritime security operations. The ship's homeport will be in Norfolk, Va.


Navantia Delivers Submarine 'Tun Razak' to Malaysia
Source: Navantia

This morning, at the shipyard in Cartagena, Navantia held the delivery ceremony of the Scorpene-class submarine "Tun Razak", the second of two boats that the consortium formed by the French company DCNS and NAVANTIA built for the Royal Malaysian Navy. The contract was signed in June 2002.

The ceremony was presided by the Chief of Navy Malaysia, Tan Sri Dato 'Sri Haji Abdul Aziz Jaafar, and attended by the Malaysian ambassador to Spain, Dato' Mohammad Naimun Ashakli, and Aurelio Martinez, President of Navantia.

The submarine "Tun Razak" was launched and christened in a ceremony held at the Cartagena shipyard on 8 October 2008, an event that was chaired by Their Majesties the Kings of Malaysia, and is the second of a two-submarine contract. The first boat, christened “Tunku Abdul Rahman," was delivered to the navy of Asian nation on 26 January 2009 in Toulon (France).

According to the program, the stern sections are built by Navantia and the bow sections by DNCS. The first submarine was assembled and delivered by the French shipyard in Cherbourg, and the second here, at the Cartagena shipyard.

The main features of the submarine are:
- Length: 66.40 m
- Beam: 6.20 m.
- Draft: 5.40 m.
- Pressure hull diameter: 6.20 m
- Surface Displacement: 1,525 T
- Submerged Displacement: 1,670 T
- Maximum speed:
*submerged: 20 kts
*surfaced: 12 kts
- Autonomy: 45 days
- Crew: 31




Joint Strike Fighter Lands Closer to Corps’ Air Arsenal
Source: US Marine Corps

WASHINGTON --- At approximately 1 p.m., the Marine Corps came one step closer to adding the Joint Strike Fighter F-35B STOVL (Short Take-Off Vertical Landing) variant to its arsenal. The test plane, BF-1, flew from Fort Worth, Texas, to Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., where it will undergo additional integrated developmental testing as directed by Joint Strike Fighter Program Executive Officer Maj. Gen. David Heinz.

“Getting BF-1 in the hands of the wonderful men and women at Naval Air Station Patuxent River is a big deal for the Marine Corps," said Lt. Gen. George J. Trautman III, deputy commandant for aviation. “I'm anxious to have our engineers, our test pilots, and our operators get their hands on this jet, and then see what we can do to turn test points and sorties at a rapid rate during the coming months.”

While at Patuxent River, the first set of testing for BF-1 is to have it flying shorter take-off runs and slower landings that will eventually culminate in the plane’s first vertical landing. Further testing will include flying with different weight loads and ordnance pay loads, and work-ups to shipboard operations. In total, five F-35B and three F-35C (the carrier variant) Joint Strike Fighters will be delivered to Patuxent River to enable the flight test operations required to deliver this aircraft to the warfighter.

In April 2010, Marine Fighter/Attack Training Squadron 501 (VMFAT-501) will officially stand up as part of the Joint Integrated Training Center located at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The work done at Patuxent River will enable the Marine Corps to start training Marine pilots and maintainers at this time next year. Additionally, the Marine Corps is scheduled to have its first operational squadron in 2012.

The STOVL F-35B Lightning II will replace three variants of Marine Corps combat aircraft (F/A-18, AV-8B and EA-6B), improves operational capabilities, provides flexible basing options ashore and afloat, and reduces aviation training and maintenance costs across the Corps.

This 5th generation multi-role fighter has significant advantages over the Marine Corps’ current tactical fixed-wing squadrons. The STOVL JSF will carry more ordnance with greater range than the F/A-18 Hornet, operate from austere environments like the AV-8B Harrier, and possess electronic warfare technology and capability like the EA-6B Prowler.




USS Cavalla

Today’s website is USS Cavalla. The USS Cavalla is berthed in Seawolf Park, Galveston, Texas as a memorial to the lost submarine USS Seawolf. Enjoy.


This Day in U.S. Naval History

1940 - President Franklin D. Roosevelt appoints Adm. William D. Leahy as U.S. Ambassador to Vichy, France, to try to prevent the French fleet and naval bases from falling into German hands.


Photo of the Day



The littoral combat ship USS Freedom (LCS 1) fires its MK-110 57 mm gun during a surface gunnery exercise (GUNEX). Notice how the railing has been folded down.

Gator