Welcome to MSW’s Scuttlebutt! Here’s the news for the day.
Feature - "Saving the Smith"
MSW crew-mate Karl Zingheim (captsonghouse) shares a new, action packed diorama in 1/350 scale "Saving the Smith", at The Battle of Santa Cruz in this “On Display” feature.
SECNAV Announces Five New Principles for Navy Acquisitions
Source: US Navy
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. --- Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced five governing principles for Navy and Marine Corps acquisitions at the Navy League's annual Sea, Air, Space symposium May 5.
Designed to address the affordability of procurement programs, these principles are also intended to empower program managers to seek cost-savings, establish baseline performance parameters for Navy and Marine Corps programs, and support development of the acquisition workforce.
Similar to the Navy and Marine Corps' five energy goals outlined in October, Mabus outlined the acquisition principles the Navy plans to execute:
-- clearly identify the requirements;
-- raise the bar on performance;
-- rebuild the acquisition workforce;
-- support the industrial base; and
-- "make every dollar count."
Mabus did, however, draw a clear distinction between the five energy goals and the acquisition principles, stating "These are not goals, these are imperatives, these are “have-tos”. In order to build the fleet that we need – the Navy, the Marine Corps and our industry partners – we have to do all these things."
Discussing the first principle, Mabus said the Navy would put all programs through a formal Gate Review Process. This process will allow acquisition teams to properly analyze the requirements before granting a contract. "We're going to be doing this analysis on everything," the Secretary said, including the future SSBN, the Ohio-class replacement submarine and other initiatives.
Turning to the second principle, Mabus vowed to raise the bar on performance by holding both industry and the Navy - Marine Corps acquisition team more accountable for what they do. "Quality has to improve, man hours have to come down, and budgets and milestones have to be met. That's the bar," he said.
In line with the second principle, Mabus also announced a new aviation and shipbuilding change-order policy that requires leadership review "to ensure that both unit cost and total ownership costs are considered before a change-order is approved." He said the Navy would redefine acquisition standards to allow for more industry collaboration.
Citing the third principle and current education programs in place, Mabus said, "the Navy and Marine Corps are creating wonderful opportunities for the future of America [that] will bring some very lasting benefits to our country." The secretary challenged his acquisition team to enhance these efforts with a plan "to double the Department of Navy's science, technology and engineering outreach" by 2015.
Mabus addressed the fourth principle by announcing establishment of an Industrial Base Council that will begin meeting later this year. The Council is intended to bring together representatives from major shipbuilding and aircraft firms and will be "an opportunity for [the Navy and Marine Corps] to be more informed about industry concerns," he said.
Mabus also encouraged top performing companies to improve performance so that they will qualify to join a Preferred Provider Program, expected to be released for comment in the Federal Register later this month. Through this program, the Navy would reward contractors with favorable contract terms, conditions and payment schedules "in return for consistent and exemplary contract performance." Mabus mentioned that energy efficient products and manufacturing capabilities would be part of entry criteria.
Mabus also said the Navy will turn to fixed-price contracts to "make every dollar count." Cost-plus contracts will only be used for high risk, first-of-class ships and other high-risk systems.
Mabus closed by saying "The Navy and the Marine Corps are the most formidable expeditionary fighting force the world has ever known. There has never been a force like the fleet we put to sea and the Marines that ride with that fleet and fight ashore. Building an effective partnership between industry and the Navy will reduce costs and will lead us to the fleet that we need. We owe that to America and we owe that to the generations that will follow us."
U.S. Navy's Dual Band Radar Achieves X- and S-Band Milestone
Source: Raytheon
TEWKSBURY, Mass. --- For the first time, the U.S. Navy has successfully tracked targets with a multiband radar featuring a common radar suite controller.
This milestone, which took place at the Navy's Engineering Test Center, Wallops Island, Va., was accomplished through the use of an engineering development model of the Dual Band Radar (DBR) developed by the Navy's prime contractor, Raytheon Company, and its subcontractor Lockheed Martin Corporation.
The DBR tracked a target simultaneously at both X- and S-band frequencies. This is the most advanced naval radar in the world and will provide advanced surveillance and ship missile-defense capabilities for the Zumwalt-class destroyer (DDG 1000) and Ford-class aircraft carrier (CVN 78) in both deep water and littoral environments.
This 21st century system combines the benefits of the X-band AN/SPY-3 Multi-Function Radar and the S-band Volume Search Radar (VSR), providing superior performance in a broad range of environments against a variety of threats. It is the first naval radar system in the world capable of simultaneous, coordinated operation across two frequency ranges.
This milestone event simultaneously used AN/SPY-3's and VSR's search capabilities to acquire and track the target. Additionally, the test demonstrated the system's ability to perform automatic handover from S-band to X-band in precision tracking mode, a key feature of the radar and its single track manager.
The DBR is the result of more than a decade of collaboration between Raytheon, Lockheed Martin and the Navy. The radar is now in production for both the Zumwalt and Ford class, where it will replace six legacy radar systems.
First Student Takes Flight in T-6
Source: US Navy
WHITING FIELD, Fla. --- It was another historic day for Training Squadron 3 and Training Wing 5 as the first student naval aviator to train in the T-6B Texan II took flight at Naval Air Station (NAS) Whiting Field May 18.
Student naval aviator, Ensign Christopher D. Farkas, teamed up with U.S. Marine Corps instructor pilot, Capt. Michael Perkins to complete the inaugural flight.
"VT-3 has been the first of many in aviation, and it's fitting to have the pleasure of introducing the T-6B to training with a Navy student and a Marine instructor by an aircraft jointly developed by the Air Force and Navy," said Cmdr. Jody Bridges, VT-3 commanding officer.
The T-6B Texan II is replacing its long time predecessor the T-34C Turbomentor. Training Air Wing 5 anticipates a complete transition at NAS Whiting Field by 2015. Developed jointly by the Air Force and Navy, the advanced training aircraft provides increased training capabilities similar to that of modern fleet aircraft.
"It has been a long time vision to have a joint training aircraft," said Lt. Col. Kent Hobson, VT-3 Executive Officer. "To finally have it is a good thing."
Three weeks previous to Tuesday's flight Farkas began ground school for the T-6B with 13 of his peers. The class was composed of Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard students. However, as the morning dawned and the flight line came to life it was Farkas who would be the first student to fly the next generation of Naval aviation's training aircraft.
"It was unlike anything I've experienced," Farkas gleamed. "To begin take off and feel the power of the aircraft, to lift off the ground for the first time and experience how nimble and dynamic it is… It's incredible."
The 2009 Naval Academy graduate has known his goal for a long time. When he was four his parents took him to an air show, and from that moment he has wanted to fly. Farkas majored in Aeronautical Engineering and has hopes to one day fly the F/A-18 Hornet.
"I realize there is always going to be another step to take. On one hand it's very humbling to have the honor of being the first but it was really just right time and right place. On one hand it's just my first flight. I'm here for the Wing of Gold," he said. "It's just amazing. Right time, right place, right day, I really lucked out."
Captain Stephen Decatur
Today’s website is history of SS-192, U.S.S. Squalus/Sailfish. Enjoy.
This Day in U.S. Naval History
1917 - First U.S. convoy to cross North Atlantic during World War I leaves Hampton Roads, Va.
1918 - USS Olympia anchors at Kola Inlet, Murmansk, Russia, to protect refugees during Russian Revolution.
1939 - First and only use of Vice Adm. Allan McCann's Rescue Chamber to rescue 33 men from sunken USS Squalus (SS 192).
1941 - Authorization of construction or acquisition of 550,000 tons of auxiliary shipping for Navy.
1945 - Fast carrier task force aircraft attack airfields in southern Kyushu, Japan.
1945 - Nine U.S. ships damaged by concentrated kamikaze attack off Okinawa.
Photo of the Day
The Military Sealift Command fast combat support ship USNS Supply (T-AOE 6) performs a replenishment-at-sea with the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) and the guided-missile destroyer USS Farragut (DDG 99).
Gator
