Welcome to MSW’s Scuttlebutt! Here’s the news for the day.
Feature - SMS Weissenburg
Join MSW crew-member Bob Cicconi (BOBCICCONI) for a cruise around on Combrig’s 1/700 SMS Weissenburg in this “On Display” feature.
Navy to Christen Guided-Missile Destroyer Spruance
Source: US Navy
WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The Navy will christen the newest guided-missile destroyer, Spruance, June 5 during a 10 a.m. ceremony at Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine.
The new destroyer honors Adm. Raymond Spruance, whose calm and decisive leadership at the Battle of Midway contributed to a pivotal American victory during World War II.
Sean Stackley, assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition, will deliver the ceremony's principal address. Ellen Spruance Holscher, granddaughter of the ship's namesake, will serve as sponsor, and in accordance with Navy tradition, will break a bottle of champagne across the bow to formally christen the ship.
Born in Baltimore, July 3, 1886, Spruance graduated from the Naval Academy in 1906. His Navy career was extensive, including command of five destroyers and the battleship Mississippi. Spruance led Task Force 16, with two aircraft carriers, during the 1942 Battle of Midway, where his disposition of forces and management of aircraft was crucial to a victory that is regarded as the turning point in the Pacific war with Japan.
He later directed campaigns that captured the Gilberts, Marshalls, Marianas, Iwo Jima and Okinawa and defeated the Japanese fleet in the 1944 Battle of Philippine Sea. After commanding the Pacific Fleet in 1945-46, Spruance served as president of the Naval War College until retiring in 1948. In 1952-55, he was ambassador to the Philippines. Spruance died at Pebble Beach, Calif., Dec. 13, 1969.
Designated DDG 111, Spruance is the 61st ship of the Arleigh Burke class, a multi-mission guided-missile destroyer designed to operate in multi-threat air, surface and subsurface threat environments. The class provides outstanding combat capability and survivability characteristics while minimizing procurement and lifetime support costs.
The ship will be the second ship named for Spruance. The first USS Spruance (DD 963) was the lead ship of Spruance class destroyers serving from 1973 to 2005.
Cmdr. Tate Westbrook, a native of Murfreesboro, Tenn., is the prospective commanding officer and will lead a crew of 276 officers and enlisted personnel. The 9,200-ton Spruance is 509 feet in length, has a waterline beam of 59 feet, and a navigational draft of 31 feet. Four gas turbine engines will power the ship to speeds in excess of 30 knots.
HMS Dauntless Commissioned Into Fleet
Source: UK Ministry of Defense
HMS Dauntless, the second of the Royal Navy's new, formidable Type 45 destroyers, was formally commissioned into the fleet today, Thursday 3 June 2010.
Hundreds of guests including families of the 190-strong ship's company attended the colourful 'christening' ceremony at Portsmouth Naval Base.
Principal guests were Lady Mary Burnell-Nugent, the ship's sponsor who launched the ship at BAE Systems' Govan shipyard in Glasgow in January 2007, and Commander-in-Chief Fleet, Admiral Sir Trevor Soar.
The ceremony was conducted by the Venerable John Green, Chaplain of the Fleet.
Lady Burnell-Nugent inspected some of the crew on parade and also the Collingwood Royal Marines Band which provided musical accompaniment for the hour-long ceremony.
HMS Dauntless' Commanding Officer, Captain Richard Powell, read out the Commissioning Warrant and the ceremony was rounded off in traditional Royal Navy fashion with the cutting of a commissioning cake.
Performing the honour were the Commanding Officers's wife, Carolyn, and Engineering Technician Robert Clough, aged 17, who is the youngest member of the ship's company.
Captain Powell said today was a proud moment for all on board HMS Dauntless:
"The Type 45 destroyer represents the cutting-edge of air defence and propulsion technology and reflects the excellence of British manufacturing expertise delivering real operational capability.
"The ship is able to deal not only with today's threats but most importantly tomorrow's and will be a key element of the 21st century Royal Navy."
HMS Dauntless is the second of six Type 45 destroyers being built for the Royal Navy. All will be based in Portsmouth.
The first, HMS Daring, was commissioned last July and the third, Diamond, will make her first entry into Portsmouth by the end of the year. All six are scheduled to be in service by the middle of the decade.
The Type 45 destroyer is the largest and most powerful air defence destroyer ever built for the Royal Navy. It will provide UK Defence with a world-class military capability.
The prime role of the Type 45 destroyer will be air defence: protecting UK national and allied/coalition forces against enemy aircraft and missiles. It will carry the UK variant of the world-leading Principal Anti-Air Missile System (PAAMS) including the UK-designed Sampson multi-function radar.
This system, which has been named Sea Viper by the Royal Navy, will set new standards in air defence, capable of defending the Type 45 and ships in its company from multiple attacks from even the most sophisticated anti-ship missiles and aircraft.
In addition to its world-class air defence capability, one of the Type 45s greatest assets is its versatility. The Type 45 will be able to act as a base platform for a deployable headquarters, from where operations can be commanded. This will result in an improvement in our expeditionary capability.
The Type 45 will also be able to embark up to 60 troops (over and above its own complement) and their equipment, and support them with a modern medical facility that can deliver surgical capability.
The Type 45 also has a large flight deck that can accommodate helicopters up to and including the size of a Chinook. The ship can also take up to 700 people if necessary to support a civilian evacuation from war zones or natural disasters.
The Type 45 is not only a world class anti-air warfare destroyer. It will also act as a multi-role, general-purpose platform, able to contribute effectively to a range of worldwide maritime and joint operations.
Northrop Grumman's Viper Strike Being Added to KC-130J Arsenal
Source: Northrop Grumman Corp.
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. --- The U.S. Marine Corps Harvest Hawk aircraft will soon be equipped with Northrop Grumman Corporation-built Viper Strike stand-off precision guided munition as part of an effort under way to bring greater utility to the Marines' KC-130J refueling and cargo aircraft.
Under the terms of the contract, Northrop Grumman will deliver 65 Viper Strike munitions beginning this year to the Joint Attack Munition Systems Project Office within the Program Executive Office Missiles and Space at Redstone Arsenal for eventual integration onto the KC-130J platform.
Viper Strike is a gliding munition capable of precision attack from extended stand-off ranges using GPS-aided navigation and a semi-active laser seeker. Its small size, precision and high agility provide a very low collateral damage weapon that can be used in the difficult operational environments where U.S. troops may be deployed.
"In today's irregular warfare environment, Viper Strike provides the right characteristics needed to support our warfighters in the current fight - high precision and agility to hit targets in complex terrain and with very low collateral damage," said Steve Considine, programs director, Aviation and Weapons for Northrop Grumman's Land and Self-Protection Systems Division. "The KC-103J represents the latest military airborne asset to be equipped with Viper Strike's formidable capabilities."
Viper Strike munitions are produced at the company's Huntsville, Ala., facility.
The Course to Midway
Today’s website is The Course to Midway from the US Navy’s website. Enjoy.
This Day in U.S. Naval History
1819 - Lt. John White on merchant ship Franklin, anchored off Vung Tau, is first U.S. naval officer to visit Vietnam.
1917 - U.S. subchasers arrive at Corfu for anti-submarine patrols.
1942 - Battle of Midway ends with loss of USS Yorktown (CV 5).
1944 - Construction of artificial harbors and sheltered anchorages begins off Normandy coast.
1991 - Joint Task Force Sea Angel ends relief operations in Bangladesh after Cyclone Marian.
Photo of the Day
William Eckel, a veteran of the Battle of Midway, renders honors during a wreath presentation ceremony.
Gator
