Welcome to MSW’s Scuttlebutt! Here’s the news for the day.
Northrop Grumman-Built U.S. Navy Amphibious Transport Dock Somerset (LPD 25) Honors Heroes of United Airlines Flight 93
Source: Northrop Grumman
AVONDALE, La. --- Northrop Grumman Corporation observed a significant milestone with a keel authentication ceremony for Somerset (LPD 25), the ninth ship in the LPD 17 series of San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ships being built by the company.
Somerset is named in honor of the passengers and crew of United Airlines Flight 93, whose courageous actions prevented terrorist hijackers from reaching their target on Sept. 11, 2001. Somerset is the county in Pennsylvania in which United Flight 93 crashed.
"This ship demonstrates the steadfast commitment of our nation to protecting our freedom, and it symbolizes the courage of those aboard Flight 93 who refused to yield to those who threatened it," said Irwin F. Edenzon, vice president and general manager, Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding - Gulf Coast. "As shipbuilders, we provide the nation's sea services with the tools of their trade. Shipbuilding is hard, complicated work. And I am proud that we do it well and strive every day to do it better."
Construction of Somerset is taking place at the Shipbuilding sector's Avondale shipyard, with fabrication support from the three other company facilities in Pascagoula and Gulfport, Miss., as well as Tallulah, La.
Mary Jo Myers, ship sponsor and wife of U.S. Air Force (Ret.) Gen. Richard B. Myers, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had her initials welded onto a keel plate by Northrop Grumman welder Lanford Bridges. Following the welding, Mrs. Myers announced LPD 25's keel to be "truly and fairly laid."
"The shipyard workers are building this ship for those men and women who wear our country's uniform, but there's more than one way to serve our country," said Mrs. Myers. "You are serving it by your passion and dedication in the work that you're doing and by building something that's greater than yourselves. I'm inspired by that pride and patriotism you bring to your craft."
"These men and women who have dedicated themselves to shipbuilding join our extended family to build upon a memory that we cannot afford to lose," said Gordon Felt, president, Families of Flight 93, whose brother Edward, was a passenger on the flight. "To build a naval vessel that will remind the world and motivate those who serve aboard her that what took place in Somerset County, Pennsylvania on September 11, 2001, was worthy of our honor and remembrance."
The 684-foot, 105-foot-wide LPD transport dock ships are used to transport and land U.S. Marines, their equipment and supplies by embarked air cushion or conventional landing craft and Expeditionary Fighting vehicles, amphibious assault vehicles, augmented by helicopters or vertical takeoff and landing aircraft such as the Osprey. The ships will support amphibious assault special operations, or expeditionary warfare missions throughout the first half of the 21st century.
Somerset (LPD 25) is scheduled to launch in the fall of 2011 and be delivered to the U.S. Navy at the end of 2012.
"With dozens of ships currently under contract, I've had the opportunity to watch American shipbuilders across the country, and I can tell you there are no more dedicated, skilled or passionate crafts men and women anywhere in the world," said U.S. Navy Rear Adm. William E. Landay III, program executive officer, ships. "The United States Navy is the preeminent power in the world because of the powerful combination of the abilities of the American Sailor and Marine and the skill and passion of the American shipbuilder. I can think of no better team of patriots to entrust the care and construction of our Navy's newest amphibious assault ship."
Two other Northrop Grumman-built LPD ships are named in honor of the victims and heroes of 9/11 -- Arlington (LPD 24), currently under construction in Pascagoula, Miss., and USS New York (LPD 21), which was recently commissioned in New York City.
Somerset (LPD 25) is the fifth United States Navy ship of that name.
Visby Corvettes Bunkers At Sea
Source: Swedish Armed Forces
The delivery of the first two Visby corvettes to the Armed Forces is now very close. One of the final tests before delivery is the RAS (Replenishment At Sea), to fill up fuel from another ship at sea.
“Being able to get fuel from a support ship at sea makes the corvettes may no longer endurance at sea, thus avoid time-consuming movements to and from the quay,” says Patrik Norberg who is the commanding officer of HMS Härnösand.
If the ships are far from the port, such as during operation in the Gulf of Aden, the RAS capability becomes very important. A recent example was the support ship HMS Visborg, who took on fuel in the Stockholm area.
The bunkering will not necessarily come from a Swedish support vessel, so procedures and equipment are the same whether the refueling is done by support vessels of other nations.
The refueling ship drags a hose behind her, which is taken on board by the corvette, and when everything is connected and clear the fuel is pumped over. Should a leak occur, the transfer is immediately stopped.
What is special about the Visby corvettes is the way their foredeck is built. The crew is inside the hull, and must recover the floating hose by hand. Management becomes a bit harder, but on the other hand, it is weather-protected, which is a major benefit for staff.
The tests were incredibly smooth, we had prepared ourselves carefully and everything went as planned, "concludes Patrik Norberg.
On December 16, HMS Helsingborg and HMS Härnösand will be handed over to the Armed Forces. Bothe are in the so-called Version 4. In parallel, ongoing development of three Visby corvettes will upgrade them to Version 5, which will also have the ability to operate anti-ship missiles.
The corvettes Helsingborg and Härnösand in their current configuration are able to carry out many different missions, of which security in Gulf of Aden is just one example.
During the next year they will have a busy training schedule with the goal to be ready for action both at home and abroad in October 2010.
Construction Starts On New Submarine for the Italian Navy
Source: Fincantieri
TRIESTE, Italy --- Today at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Muggiano there was the ceremony to celebrate the cutting of the first sheeting – marking the start-up of construction of the first of the second pair of class U212A “Todaro” submarines, ordered by the Central Unit for Naval Armament – NAVARM for the Italian Navy.
Scheduled for delivery in 2015 and 2016, the Navy has earmarked these vessels to replace the “Prini” and the “Pelosi” submarines (“Sauro” classe– third series), built at the end of the 1980s.
Present at the ceremony were, beside Fincantieri’s representative, Admiral Dino Nascetti, General Director of NAVARM.
Construction of the two submarines is the continuation of a program which started in 1994 in cooperation with the German Submarine Consortium, which led to two submarines being built for Italy – the “Todaro” and the “Scirè”, delivered by Fincantieri in 2006 and 2007 respectively – and four submarines for Germany.
At an overall length of 56 metres, the vessels will have a surface displacement of 1,450 tons and a maximum diameter of 7 metres and be able to reach a submerged speed of 20 knots with a crew of 24. As the other submarines in the series, this new submarine will feature highly innovative technological solutions and will be entirely built employing amagnetic materials, applying the latest silencing devices in order to reduce its acoustic signature.
The vessel will be equipped with a silent propulsion system based on fuel cell technology, producing energy through an oxygen-hydrogen reaction independently from external oxygen, ensuring a submerged range three to four times higher than the conventional battery-based systems. It will also feature a fully integrated electro-acoustic and weapon-control system, and a modern platform automation system.
The first two submarines of this type delivered by Fincantieri are already successfully at work within the fleet of the Italian Navy. Indeed, on the first December the “Scirè" returned to Taranto having participated in CONUS ’09 - an intense naval campaign in the Atlantic with the US Navy while in the summer the “Todaro” was also engaged in a similar mission within the framework of NATO manoeuvres. This submarine is at present anchored at Fincantieri’s Muggiano yard for scheduled maintenance to be carried out by Fincantieri which has recently also been tasked with managing the vessel’s life support program.
Commenting, Fincantieri’s Chief Executive Officer, Giuseppe Bono, said: “Continuation of this program with the Navy benefits both our national defence and our industry. These submarines constitute state-of the-art for the sector, our country cannot not afford to lose the know-how needed to work in such a high tech field.”
Indonesian Navy Orders Three Units of Maritime Patrol CN235-220
Source: Indonesia Aerospace
Defense Ministry puts a contract order of three units of Dirgantara Maritime Patrol CN235-220 aircraft, for Indonesian Navy, which totally covers US$ 80 million.
The signing of the contract by Dirgantara Indonesia CEO, Budi Santoso, and General Director of Indonesian Defence Facility, Marshall Eris Herryanto, takes place in Jakarta on the closing of National Workshop on Defence Industry Revitalization on 11 December 2009.
This kind of aircraft is supported with sensors of surveillance and targetting mission and also prepared for future modification according to Indonesian Navy Operational Requirement (Opreq) and Technical Specification (Techspec). The aircraft is also projected to strengthen the national fleet according to the navy operational needs to protect Indonesian ocean zone and to replace the old Nomad aircraft.
At present, Indonesian Navy has been operating Maritime Patrol NC212-200, another Dirgantara product.
PTDI and Maritime Patrol Flight Center have been through analysis and other phases of the CN235-220 design in order to meet the optimal defense products.
The three CN235-220s are part of the total six units ordered by Indonesian Navy in the 2010- 2014 Strategic Planning to fullfil the concept of Minimum Essential Force.
USS Yorktown CV-5
Today’s website is USS Yorktown CV-5 from the US Navy Archives.
This Day in U.S. Naval History
1943 - The Chief of Naval Operations issued the Bureau of Naval Personnel Circular Letter on non-discrimination in the Navy V-12 program.
1944 - Congress appoints the first three of four fleet admirals.
1965 - Gemini 6 is launched with Capt. Walter M. Schirra Jr. as Command Pilot. The mission included 16 orbits in 25 hours and 51 minutes. Recovery was by HS-11 helicopters from USS Wasp (CVS 18).
1988 - Earnest Will convoy operations to escort reflagged tankers in the Persian Gulf is ceased.
Photo of the Day
A pre-war photo of the USS Hammann in the waters around Pearl Harbor. The Hammann was sunk at the Battle of Midway while screening the USS Yorktown.
Gator
