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



Feature - IJN Ise (Late 1944)

MSW crew-mate Kym Knight (Rab) shares his build of Fujimi Models'' 1/350 scale Ise in this "On Display" build feature.




HMS Orion to Get A Refit
Source: Kockums AB

Kockums has received an order from the Swedish Defence Matériel Administration (FMV) and the Karlskrona Naval Base, concerning a service life extension of HMS Orion. A signal intelligence (SIGINT) vessel, HMS Orion operates mainly in the Baltic. She was built at the Karlskrona shipyard in the early 1980s.

Work on the vessel will begin in dry dock, after which she will be moved to the Shiplift and taken into Skrovhallen (the Hull Construction Hall), where most of the work will be done. The vessel is scheduled to be returned to service with the Swedish Navy during the spring of 2010. This life extension project involves a fair amount of work, to be completed in a tight timeframe, and will require intense commitment to make the deadline.

HMS Orion features some of the most highly classified equipment fielded by the Swedish Armed Forces. The large cylinder located above the deckhouse contains advanced antennas that, in conjunction with powerful computers, enable the vessel to pick up and monitor signals over a wide area.

Plans are already in the pipeline for an eventual replacement for HMS Orion, with start-up on the project planned for the near future. Until the new vessel is ready, however, HMS Orion will remain in service as part of Sweden’s surveillance force. Thomas Johansson is Project Manager.


LCS 2 Completes Acceptance Trials
Source: US Navy

WASHINGTON --- The future USS Independence (LCS 2) successfully completed acceptance trials this week, after completing a series of graded in-port and underway demonstrations for the Navy's Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV).

Acceptance Trials are the first opportunity for INSURV to test the ship and its systems.

During two days underway, the ship completed demonstrations of the combat systems suite, steering, anchoring and propulsion. The ship achieved a top speed of almost 45 knots during the full power demonstration.

"Independence performed extremely well during trials," said Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Program Manager Rear Adm. James Murdoch. "LCS 2 conducted two outstanding days at sea. We look forward to delivering this critical asset to the fleet."

The ship was presented to INSURV with high levels of completion in production and test. The official results of the trials, including the type and number of trial cards, are currently being reviewed by the Navy.

Members of the LCS 2 pre-commissioning unit were on board Independence during trials to see how their future ship will perform.

"It's going to change the way we do things, particularly in the surface force," said Cmdr. Curt Renshaw, Independence Blue Crew commanding officer. "This ship allows us the flexibility to complement almost all the pillars of the Maritime Strategy."

"This is a significant milestone for the surface warfare community and the Navy at large - the impact that Freedom and Independence will have on the fleet will be immediate. We are another step closer to having this important capability as part of the surface force, and I applaud the team effort - Sailor, civilian and contractor - that went into making this happen," said Vice Adm. D.C. Curtis, commander, Naval Surface Forces.

Acceptance trials are the last significant milestone before delivery of the ship to the Navy. Ship delivery is expected to occur next month, with the ship's commissioning Jan. 16 in Mobile, Ala.




Battleship USS Oklahoma

Today’s website is Battleship USS Oklahoma. This site has been developed as a tribute to those who served aboard the USS Oklahoma. It contains information about the ship's involvement in Pearl Harbor as well as information about its overall history.


This Day in U.S. Naval History

1938 - Prototype shipboard radar, designed and built by the Naval Research Laboratory, is installed on USS New York (BB 34).
1941 - USS Swordfish (SS 193) makes the initial U.S. submarine attack on Japanese ship.
1952 - A strike from Task Force 77 aircraft destroys a munitions factory and several rail facilities near Rashin, North Korea.


Photo of the Day



The sun rises over the USS Arizona Memorial on the 68th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Gator