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



Feature - IJN Light Cruiser, Nagara

MSW crew-mate Kym Knight (Rab) shares a fine gallery of images of his IJN Light Cruiser, Nagara in this "On Display" feature.




Navy Accepts Delivery of Future USS Independence
Source: US Navy

WASHINGTON --- The Navy officially accepted delivery of the future USS Independence (LCS 2) Dec. 18 during a short ceremony in Mobile, Ala. Independence is the second littoral combat ship delivered to the Navy, and the first LCS of the General Dynamics variant. 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.

"Today marks a critical milestone in the life of the LCS 2," said Rear Adm. James Murdoch, the LCS program manager in the Navy's Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships. "The Navy and our industry partners have worked diligently to deliver a much-needed capability."

Prior to delivery, the Navy's Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV) conducted Acceptance Trials aboard LCS 2 on Nov. 13-19, and found the ship's propulsion plant, sea-keeping and self-defense performance to be "commendable," and recommended that the chief of naval operations authorize delivery of the ship following the correction or waiver of cited material deficiencies.

Between now and sail away in February 2010, the contractor will correct most of the trial cards received during trials. Any remaining cards will be corrected during scheduled post-delivery maintenance availabilities including the post-shakedown availability scheduled for completion in 2011.

Delivery is the last shipbuilding milestone before commissioning, scheduled for Jan. 16 in Mobile, Ala.

The LCS class is designed from the keel up to deliver efficient capability, capacity, and flexibility to the warfighter. Independence, a high-speed aluminum trimaran, is designed to defeat asymmetric "anti-access" threats such as mines, quiet diesel submarines and fast surface craft. The 417-foot Independence will be outfitted with reconfigurable payloads, called mission packages, which can be changed out quickly. These mission packages focus on three mission areas: mine counter measures, surface warfare and anti-submarine warfare.

PEO Ships is responsible for the development and acquisition of U.S. Navy surface ships and has delivered eight major surface ships to the fleet since the beginning of 2009. PEO Ships is working in conjunction with its industry partners to achieve steady production for all programs to increase production efficiencies and leverage cost savings. Delivering high-quality war fighting assets -- while balancing affordability and capability -- is key to supporting the Navy's Maritime Strategy and building the Navy's 313-ship force structure. PEO Ships is committed to delivering quality ships at an affordable price.


Egypt – Harpoon Block II Anti-Ship Cruise Missiles
Source: US Defense Security Cooperation Agency

WASHINGTON --- The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress Dec. 17 of a possible Foreign Military Sale to Egypt of 20 RGM-84L/3 HARPOON Block II Anti-Ship Cruise Missiles and associated parts, equipment, training and logistical support for a complete package worth approximately $145 million.

The Government of Egypt has requested a possible sale of 20 RGM-84L/3 HARPOON Block II Anti-Ship Cruise Missiles, 4 AN/SWG-1A HARPOON Shipboard Command Launch Control Systems including all consoles, software, and shipboard canister launcher units (4 missile battery), spare and repair parts; supply/technical support; support equipment; personnel training and training equipment; technical data and publications; U.S. Government and contractor engineering and logistics support services; and other related elements of logistics support.

The estimated cost is $145 million.

This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a friendly country which has been and continues to be an important force for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East.

Egypt intends to use the HARPOON missiles and launch systems on upgraded S-148 Tiger Class Patrol Boats which will assist in modernizing its fleet and consolidate the configuration of the surface-to-surface missiles within its inventory. Egypt will have no difficulty absorbing these missiles into its armed forces.

The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region.

The principal contractor will be The Boeing Company in St. Louis, MO. There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale.

Implementation of this proposed sale will not require the assignment of any additional U.S. government or contractor representatives to Egypt; however, U.S. government and contractor representatives will be required to travel to Egypt annually for a period of one to two weeks to participate in program and technical reviews.

There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale.

This notice of a potential sale is required by law and does not mean the sale has been concluded.


Thales Welcomes Royal Navy Frigate’s Sonar Upgrade
Source: Thales UK

One of the Royal Navy’s (RN’s) most advanced Type 23 frigates has re-entered operational service, fitted with Thales’s Sonar 2087 system, following a period of intensive sea trials.

HMS Sutherland has been declared fit for operational service after trials of its major sonar and defensive systems, and now becomes the sixth Type 23 frigate to be upgraded with the Sonar 2087 system.

In November 2008 the Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced that HMS Sutherland had left Rosyth dockland for the trials after a multi-million pound refit that included major upgrades to its sonar, Sea Wolf missile defence and gun systems.

The MoD has said the installation of Sonar 2087 will improve the frigate’s submarine-hunting ability. This type of frigate can also carry the Merlin helicopter fitted with Thales UK’s FLASH dipping sonar. The combination of 2087 and FLASH makes the Type 23 a formidable anti-submarine warfare (ASW) platform.

Sonar 2087 is a towed array system that enables Type 23 frigates to hunt the latest submarines at considerable distances and locate them beyond the range at which they can launch an attack.

The system is a low-frequency active sonar, consisting of both active and passive sonar arrays. The system is manufactured at Thales sites in the UK (Cheadle Heath in Manchester and Templecombe in Somerset) and France (Brest).

Mike Waldron, Group lead for Sonar systems at the MoD’s Defence Equipment & Support facility, says: “Recent operational deployments using Sonar 2087 against actual ‘threat platforms’ has shown this to be a very capable ASW system, giving these platforms a significant capability enhancement.

“HMS Sutherland now enters the in-service reliability phase alongside the other five Sonar 2087-fitted platforms so that the MoD and Thales can fully test and assess the system performance.”




Sea King Helicopter Retires from U.S. Navy After 50 Years
Source: US Naval Air systems Command

NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, Md. --– The last operational UH-3H Sea King helicopter was retired from the U.S. Navy on Friday Dec. 11 during a ceremony here ending 50 years of service by the Sea King.

Capt. Andrew Macyko, Patuxent River Commanding Officer and former Sea King pilot and squadron commander, presided over the ceremony.

“This ceremony is for all the maintainers, the support people and crews who flew the mighty Sea King over the decades,” said Macyko. “The Sea King was a pleasure to fly and was the longest serving operational helicopter model in Navy history.”

“This Sea King will continue to serve the nation as it is turned over to Marine Helicopter Squadron One (HMX-1) for use as a training and test asset for the Presidential VH-3D fleet,” added Macyko.

The first Sea King prototype flew on Mar. 11, 1959. The last operational Sea King, tail number 154121, was manufactured in 1986 and flew 10,166.2 hours over the course of its lifetime. Its final operational missions were flying Search and Rescue and other utility missions in support of flight test programs here at Pax River.

Rear Adm. Ron Christenson (U.S. Navy ret.), a former Sea King pilot, Sea King squadron commander and was the first helicopter pilot to command a U.S. nuclear aircraft carrier, USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), was the guest speaker.

“The trusty Sea King was an amazing machine,” said Christenson. “It’s truly one of the greatest aircraft ever designed. The Sea King was a multi-mission helicopter before they invented the term. But as great as the Sea King was, it’s the people who maintained it, supported it and flew in it that really made it what it was.”

It’s estimated that Sea King helicopters flew more than 5.2 million flight hours in military service and three to four million flight hours in civilian service added Christenson.

“As we turn over the keys to the Marines of HMX-1, we know you will take good care of her because you know it will take good care of you,” said Christenson.

After Christenson’s speech, Macyko turned over the log books to Col. Jerry Glavy, HMX-1 Commanding Officer, transferring Sea King 154121 to HMX-1 and officially ending Sea King service to the U.S. Navy.

The H-3 Sea King or one of its variants has been flown by all the Services in the Department of Defense, the U.S. Coast Guard, by 23 different countries and it remains a front line military helicopter in many of those countries today. The U.S. Marine Corps remains the last U.S. military service to operate the Sea King helicopter.




River Boats in Vietnam

Today’s website is River Boats in Vietnam. Take a trip back in time and patrol the rivers of Vietnam with the Brown Water Navy.


This Day in U.S. Naval History

1798 - First annual report by Secretary of the Navy, sent by Benjamin Stoddert.
1812 - USS Constitution (Captain William Bainbridge) captures HMS Java off Brazil after a three hour battle.
1943 - USS Silversides (SS-236) sinks three Japanese ships and damages a fourth off Palau.


Photo of the Day



Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Gary Roughead drives a semi-submersible boat while meeting with Colombian Coast Guard Forces at Naval Base Bolivar. The boat was seized from drug smugglers in the Caribbean.

Gator