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



Review - Grex® Tritium. TS3

Frederick Boucher [ JPTRR ] gives us a great tool review featuring the Grex® Tritium TS3 Airbrush with 0.3mm Nozzle!
Review.




PHNSY to Support Fleet in Cruiser Modernization
Source: US Navy

PEARL HARBOR --- Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard (PHNSY) will directly support the Navy's Cruiser Modernization Program (CMP) beginning with the $50 million upgrade of USS Chosin (CG 65) in January 2011.

The goal of CMP is to ensure achievement of the 35-year expected service life for each of the Navy's 22 Ticonderoga-class cruisers.

"Pearl Harbor homeports 25 percent of the nation's ballistic missile defense (BMD) ships," said Rear Adm. (Select) Greg Thomas, commander, PHNYS and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (IMF). "These ships are due for upgrades, both for BMD purposes and to ensure they have other necessary state-of-the-art capabilities throughout their planned service lives. The cruiser upgrades are vitally important to our Navy and our nation."

Work on cruiser modernizations will result in a significant jump in the port's surface ship workload from 68,000 man-days in fiscal 2010 to 140,000 man-days in fiscal 2013. Major Navy surface ship work, such as the Chosin availability, is executed by the prime contractor, BAE Systems Hawaii Ship Repair, augmented by other private ship repair companies on Oahu. PHNSY and IMF, in its role as Navy Hawaii Regional Maintenance Center, will provide contractual oversight of the industry partners' executed work.

Executing the Chosin portion of the CMP in Hawaii requires an additional 500 to 600 personnel a day, which means bringing help from off-island, according to Thomas.

Participation in the CMP will make the shipyard even more valuable to the Navy by revitalizing essential fleet assets, said Michael Carnes, business and financial manager for the Shipyard Industry Management Department.

"Starting with the USS Chosin, the Cruiser Modernization Program will demonstrate the port's capacity and capability in terms of work on surface ships," said Carnes.

According to Project Manager Ivy Caires, the three main jobs on Chosin will be conversion from steam-driven auxiliary equipments and systems to electric-driven, installation of an integrated ship's control system, and fuel oil tank top stiffening modifications. The conversion to electric auxiliary equipment eliminates waste heat boilers and improves quality of life for the crew with the introduction of electric laundry washers and dryers, galley kettles, dishwashers, heaters and water distilling plants.

PHNSY is a full-service naval shipyard and regional maintenance center for the U.S. Navy's surface ships and submarines. It is the largest industrial employer in the state of Hawaii with a combined civilian and military workforce of about 4,800. It has an operating budget of $563 million and infuses $700 million a year into the local economy. Strategically located in the mid-Pacific, the shipyard is about a week of steam time closer to potential major regional contingencies in East Asia than sites on the West Coast.


Collins Class Submarines Training in Undersea Warfare
Source: Australian Department of Defence

Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Collins Class submarines have been captured in impressive imagery, whilst exercising off the West Australian coast recently.

HMAS Collins, HMAS Dechaineux and HMAS Waller have been involved in an extensive training exercise which has tested both the crews and submarines. Imagery available shows two of the submarines conducting early morning activities just off Garden Island.



The exercise encompassed a number of military assets including RAN frigate HMAS Anzac, three RAN Seahawk helicopters from the Nowra based 816 Squadron and a Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) P3 Orion. These units were taking part in order to expose all participants to a variety of challenging and complex anti-submarine warfare scenarios.

Commander Australian Fleet, Rear Admiral Steve Gilmore said these types of exercises, involving multiple units are vital in ensuring that our war fighting skills and competencies in the under-sea environment are maintained at the highest level.

“The exercise provided appropriate challenge to all who were involved, and was conducted with the utmost professionalism,” said Rear Admiral Gilmore.

“Activities such as these ensure our people and platforms remain at the highest level of readiness in the defence of Australia.”




Airbus Military Receives Certification for Anti-Submarine C295 MPA
Source: Airbus Military

Airbus Military’s anti-submarine warfare (ASW) version of the C295 Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) has been certified by the Spanish authority INTA which is responsible for their certification and military airworthiness.

The aircraft is based on the C295, a military multi-role transport aircraft with proven capabilities for many military and civic missions to the benefit of society. These include many surveillance missions. With an autonomy enabling it to remain in the air for as much as 11 hours, a excellent manoeuvrability, digital avionics that are compatible with night-vision goggles (NVG), advanced self-protection systems, and numerous other features, the C295 is the most capable aircraft in its category.

The anti-submarine version of the C295 MPA is equipped with a tactical system proven during MPA/ASW missions, and underwing stations to carry weapons and other stores. It represents a modern, risk-free and much more efficient alternative to older generation veterans such as the P-3 Orion or the Bréguet Atlantique, while its operating and maintenance costs are significantly lower.

This important milestone further confirms Airbus Military’s capacity to integrate complex systems into its aircraft for any kind of military and civic use. It is also the first time in 30 years that a completely new Anti Submarine Warfare aircraft is developed and certified in Europe. The C295 MPA benefits from the experience accumulated with the CN235 MPA since 1994 on maritime patrol missions.

Today Airbus Military holds 85 firm orders for the C295. Of these 63 have been delivered and have clocked up more than 80,000 flying hours in operations as varied as Afghanistan, Algeria, Brazil, Chad, Colombia, Finland, Haiti, Iraq, Mexico, and Poland.




US Navy Airship Association

Today’s website is the US Navy Airship Association. Enjoy.


This Day in U.S. Naval History

1836 - Commissioning of Charles H. Haswell as first regularly appointed engineer officer.
1916 - North Carolina is first Navy ship to carry and operate aircraft.
1921 - Congress creates Bureau of Aeronautics to be in charge of all matter pertaining to naval aeronautics.
1951 - Ninth Naval District forces assist in flood relief work in Kansas City through July 20.
1953 - United Nations Fleet launches heavy air and sea attack on Wonsan; Marine Maj. John Bolt becomes first jet ace in Marine Corps.
1988 - SECDEF approves opening Navy's Underwater Construction Teams, fleet oiler, ammunition ships and combat stores ships to women.
1990 - Cmdr. Rosemary Mariner becomes first woman to command an operational aviation squadron (VAQ-34).


Photo of the Day



USS O'Kane (DDG 77) departs Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam for a seven-month deployment.

Gator