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



Feature - Making a Calm Sea Water-base

MSW crew-mate Guido Hopp (tailor) shares a step-by-step method of creating a calm sea water base for your builds, in this MSW Feature.




Malaysian Submarine Completes First Sea Trials
Source: The Royal Malaysian Navy

The Royal Malaysian Navy's Scorpene Class submarine Tunku Abdul Rahman has completed its first sea trials off the Malaysian coast.

DCNS submarine division head Pierre Quinchon said the trials demonstrated that the Royal Malaysian Navy had successfully established the country's first ever submarine force, according to defenceworld.net.

The 67.5m-long submarine has a displacement capacity of 1,550t and can accommodate a crew of 31.

The recent trials, followed by scheduled maintenance at its home port, have confirmed the operational readiness of the submarine and its capability for underwater service.

In June 2002, the Malaysian Government signed a contract with DCNS for two Scorpene submarines and associated logistics and training.


India’s Third Indigenous Naval Destroyer INS Chennai Launched
Source: Press Information Bureau India

The country’s third indigenous naval destroyer INS Chennai, built at the Mazagon Docks, was launched by the Defence Minister Shri AK Antony’s wife Smt Elizabeth Antony amidst chanting of Vedic hymns at a function in Mumbai, today.

INS Chennai has been built under the code name of Project 15 Alpha. The 163 meter long INS Chennai, propelled by four gas turbines, is designed to achieve speed in excess of 30 knots. The indigenously-designed ship will have state-of-the-art weapons and sensors, stealth features, an advanced action information system, a comprehensive auxiliary control system, world-class modular living spaces, sophisticated power distribution system and a host of other advanced features.

INS Chennai will be fitted with the supersonic BrahMos surface-to-surface missile system. The system enables the ship to engage shore-based and naval surface targets at long range making it a lethal platform for strike against enemy targets. The ship’s air defence capability, designed to counter the threat of enemy aircraft and anti-ship cruise missile, will revolve around the vertical launch, long range surface to air missile system, which is being co-developed by DRDO. Four AK-630 rapid-fire guns will provide the ship with close-in-defence capability while an MR gun will enable her to provide effective naval gunfire support.

Indigenously-developed twin-tube torpedo launchers and rocket launchers will add punch to the ship’s anti-submarine capability. Indeed, these ships integrate many new features and involve design changes that ensure a far more advance weapons platforms compared to the earlier Project – 15 ships.

Once again, MDL will be using a ‘Pontoon Assisted Launching’ method to launch this vessel in collaboration with Baltisky Zavod of St. Petersburg, Russia. In this method, pontoons are welded to the hull, which will increase buoyancy and will overcome limitation on the launch weight and tidal constraints. This method will be the future of launching process in MDL and give the required flexibility in selection of launching dates, which were hitherto dictated by tidal considerations. Also as we progress towards a modular building concept, it will be possible to launch ships of a much higher weight. INS Chennai will be commissioned into the Navy in August 2013.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Antony said the role of Navy is continuously evolving and changing. “The active role it plays during peacetime – in curbing piracy and defending our coastline from aggressors. As the Navy’s mandate increases, it will have to arm itself with all kinds of vessels.”

Shri Antony said though the Defence Shipyards were performing well, they have to enhance their capability further to meet the stringent and timely requirements of the Armed Forces. He said if necessary, the Government would also involve the shipyards in private sector for building Naval ships.

The Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Nirmal Verma asked the Defence Shipyards in the country to brace-up and build vessels at a faster pace to meet the demands of the Indian Navy.




GE and Navy Commit to Reducing Super Hornet SFC
Source: GE Aviation

LYNN, Mass. --- GE Aviation is teaming with the U.S. Navy to develop and adopt technologies aimed at reducing the specific fuel consumption (SFC) for the Navy's twin-engine F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fleet. The F414-GE-400 engine powers the F/A-18E/F and E/A-18G aircraft.

Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) awarded a $7.5 million contract to GE in 2009, designating the F414-GE-400 engine for this Near Term Energy Efficiency Technology Demonstration and Research Project (under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009). NAVAIR issued a $7.34 million modification in Feb. to continue the progress of this key initiative.

The crux of this effort is the demonstration of new technologies, with the goal of reducing the specific fuel consumption of the F414 engine by three percent. NAVAIR has also asked GE to estimate the cost of incorporating the fuel-saving technologies into the F/A-18 fleet in the shortest timeframe.

Under this program, GE Aviation is manufacturing a single engine to demonstrate the fuel-saving technologies, and will conduct engine testing to quantify the amount of fuel savings for the technologies in combination as well as individually.

"We are excited about teaming with the Navy and infusing 'green' technology into the F414 and providing cost-savings to the customer," said GE Engineering leader Dale Carlson.

Advanced engine components that will be demonstrated include an advanced six-stage compressor, a high-pressure turbine featuring advanced air-cooling, new-design low-pressure turbine blades, a performance-seeking control, and afterburner exhaust nozzle area optimization.

Incorporation of SFC improvement technologies in the Navy's F414 engine could result in an estimated projected annual fuel savings of nearly 2 million gallons.

In addition, GE Aviation is working with the U.S. Navy to test and qualify the use of a 50/50 blend of biofuel and JP5 for the F414 engine, in support of the Navy's wide-ranging initiative to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels. The F414 engine recently ran successfully on a 50/50 blend of biofuel and JP5 fuel in a GE test cell, and additional component and rig testing is nearing completion. The Navy plans to flight test the Super Hornet aircraft with F414 engines installed using the biofuel blend in April 2010. The Super Hornet will be the first tactical Navy aircraft to be operated using a biofuel blend.

The USN currently has an active fleet of more than 400 Super Hornets, plus 21 EA-18G Growler electronic-attack aircraft. The F414 engine for the F/A-18E/F and EA-18G is rated at 22,000 pounds (98 kN) thrust and is in the 9:1 thrust-to-weight ratio class. The U.S. Navy has taken delivery of over 1,000 F414 engines with more than 1,300,000 engine flight-hours accumulated to date.




USS Langley

Today’s website is USS Langley from the Naval Historical Command. Enjoy.


This Day in U.S. Naval History

1925 - The first planned night landings on a carrier take place aboard USS Langley (CV 1).
1950 - An unarmed Navy patrol aircraft is shot down over the Baltic Sea by the Soviet Union.
1951 - The first of four detonations occurs during Operation Greenhouse nuclear test.


Photo of the Day



Gunner's Mate 3rd Class Geoffrey Martin, assigned to Riverine Squadron (RIVRON) 1, fires a GAU-17A gun from the bow of a riverine assault boat during live-fire battle drills.

Gator