Welcome to MSW’s Scuttlebutt! Here’s the news for the day.
Bataan Medical Delivers Earthquake Miracle
Source: US Navy
USS BATAAN, At sea (NNS) -- The medical professionals aboard the multipurpose amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5) successfully delivered 8 lb. 3 oz. Theo Joe, a baby boy, at approximately 4:40 p.m., Jan. 30 in the ship's hospital, following a medial evacuation to Bataan from Grand Goave, Haiti.
A team of doctors and corpsmen from Bataan were volunteering at the Lifeline Christian Ministries Mission Medical Clinic, in Grand Goave, when they identified a pregnant Haitian woman, who had been laboring for nearly four hours and needed urgent care exceeding the clinic's capabilities.
Bataan's team in Grand Goave ordered an evacuation of the patient to the ship by way of an air cushion landing craft (LCAC) from Assault Craft Unit (ACU) 4.
"Mom and her baby boy are doing great," said Cmdr. Michael Cackovic, the delivering doctor, who is embarked aboard Bataan from Naval Medical Center, San Diego. "The LCAC ride relaxed her enough to be able to give birth naturally and safely."
Cackovic said the mother and baby are currently listed in stable condition and recovering aboard Bataan.
Bataan is part of the Amphibious Relief Mission, along with USS Carter Hall (LSD 50), USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43) and USS Gunston Hall (LSD 44), in support of Operation Unified Response in Haiti after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake devastated the island nation Jan. 12.
United Arab Emirates Navy Orders Two Stealth Vessels
Source: Fincantieri
TRIESTE, Italy --- Fincantieri has gained a further important new order from the United Arab Emirates Navy for the construction of two stealth vessels, “Falaj 2”. The contract includes an option for a further two sister ships for the UAE Navy and technology transfer from the Company to a local shipyard.
Two of the four vessels will be built at the Group’s Italian shipyards, with delivery scheduled in the second half of 2012.
At 55 meters long and 8.60 meters wide the ships will be able to exceed 20 knots and accommodate a crew of 28. They will feature advanced stealth characteristics to reduce their detectability.
Highly flexible and versatile, the vessels will be suited to carrying out a range of missions – from patrol and surveillance operations to self-defense in case of threats from the air or surface and attack against both targets at sea and on land – in national and international scenarios, whilst affording high standards of accommodation and safety.
Today’s order follows the order announced in August 2009 for the construction of an “Abu Dhabi class” corvette for the UAE. This further order is even more important for Italian industry since the combat system, as for the “Abu Dhabi class” ship, will be supplied by Selex Sistemi Integrati, a Finmeccanica Company.
Commenting on the order Fincantieri’s Chief Executive officer Giuseppe Bono said: “We continue to reap what we have sown. Gaining this new order is further reassurance and confirms that we were far-sighted in choosing, in recent years, to explore new markets, besides the domestic market, also in the Defense sector.”
USS Yorktown CV-10 Association
Today’s website is the USS Yorktown CV-10 Association. Enjoy.
This Day in U.S. Naval History
1941 - The U.S. fleet is reorganized, reviving the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets.
1942 - USS Enterprise (CV 6) and USS Yorktown (CV 5) make the first World War II air strike on the Japanese in the Marshall Islands.
1955 - Operation Deep Freeze, a research task force, is established in Antarctica.
2003 - Space shuttle Columbia broke apart during re-entry on mission STS-107. Cmdr. William C. McCool (Pilot), Capt. David M. Brown (Mission Specialist) and Cmdr. Laurel B. Clark (Mission Specialist) were killed in the incident, along with four other astronauts.
Photo of the Day
Lt.j.g. Natalie Shaffer, a nurse assigned to Fleet Surgical Team (FST) 8 and embarked aboard the multi-purpose amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5), hands over a newborn Haitian baby boy to his father.
Gator
