Welcome to MSW’s Scuttlebutt! Here’s the news for the day.
On Display Feature - German Battleship Graf Spee
MSW crew-mate Kostas Katseas shares a fine gallery of images of his latest, 1/700 scale German Battleship Graf Spee by Trumpeter Models, in this "On Display" Feature.
On Display Feature - U-Boot 90 – Biber Mini Submarine
MSW crew-mate Alan McNeilly (AlanL) shares a few pictures of his build of the U-Boot 90 – Biber Mini Submarine based on the new Italeri kit No 5609.
Northrop Warship Gets Failing Combat Grade from U.S.
Source: Reuters
A $1 billion-plus warship developed by Northrop Grumman Corp (NOC.N) is ineffective and unsuitable for combat, according to the Pentagon, dealing a blow to the company as it looks to sell its shipbuilding unit.
Michael Gilmore, the Pentagon's top weapons tester, assessed the LPD-17 amphibious warfare ship as being "not effective, not suitable, and not survivable in a combat situation," a Defense Department spokeswoman said.
The reasons for the assessment are classified, spokeswoman Cheryl Irwin said in an email.
The ship, designed to carry Marines and landing craft, was found to be capable of conducting amphibious operations in a "benign environment," she said.
The 10 planned ships of the LPD-17 San Antonio class are a key element of the U.S. Navy's ability to project power, including for humanitarian assistance and disaster response.
The Marines have not conducted a large-scale amphibious assault since the 1950-53 Korean War.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates has repeatedly questioned the future of such forcible U.S. landings, "especially as advances in anti-ship systems keep pushing the potential launch point further from shore," as he put it in May.
The LPD-17's shortcomings were described in a "Combined Operational and Live Fire Test and Evaluation" report sent to Congress in June.
It found they would stand up better under enemy fire than its four classes of predecessor ships but ultimately lacked survivability, Irwin said.
Gilmore's assessment was first reported by Bloomberg.
TROUBLED PROGRAM
Northrop and General Dynamics Corp (GD.N) are the military's main shipbuilders. The LPD-17 program long has been troubled by cost growth, schedule slips and construction problems, particularly on the earlier ships in the program.
Northrop Grumman, the Pentagon's No. 3 supplier by sales, referred questions to the Navy.
The Navy has reviewed the report and "is taking the necessary steps to implement required actions across the LPD 17 class to improve the ship's survivability in a combat situation," said Navy spokeswoman Lieutenant Courtney Hillson.
Northrop shares closed 1.56 percent higher at $63.21 on the New York Stock Exchange.
Northrop Chief Executive Wes Bush said in July the company was exploring a possible spinoff or sale of its shipbuilding business. He said it would close its yard in Avondale, Louisiana, by 2013 to cut excess capacity, and consolidate its Gulf Coast shipbuilding operations in Mississippi.
At least four possible private-equity buyers have emerged, including Carlyle [CYL.UL], KKR (KKR.N), TPG [TPG.N] and Bain Capital as well as Cleveland Ship LLC, a small Ohio-based shipbuilder.
The first three ships of the class - San Antonio (LPD 17), New Orleans (LPD 18) and Mesa Verde (LPD 19) - have successfully completed overseas deployments, the Navy said.
Gilmore tested LPD-17 and LPD-19, Irwin, the Pentagon spokeswoman, said.
She said tests on later ships in the class may bring different results "because the Navy continues to work to correct problems."
The Navy's current five-year shipbuilding plan calls for buying an 11th and final LPD-17 in fiscal 2012, which starts Oct. 1, 2011, but Congress has not approved this.
The Navy estimates the price tag of the 11th ship at just over $2 billion, according to an Oct. 4 report by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service.
BAE Systems Announces Ambush Submarine Launch Date
Source: BAE Systems
BARROW-IN-FURNESS, UK --- BAE Systems has announced it will launch the second Astute class submarine on 16 December 2010. The 7,400 tonne nuclear powered attack submarine, Ambush, will be rolled out and officially named at the Company’s shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria.
Lady Anne Soar, Ambush’s sponsor and wife of the Royal Navy’s Commander-in-Chief Fleet, Admiral Sir Trevor Soar KCB, OBE, will perform the ceremony. Lady Soar will be joined by invited guests from the Royal Navy, Ministry of Defence and the Barrow community.
John Hudson, BAE Systems Submarine Solutions Managing Director, said: “The launch of Ambush represents another significant milestone in the Astute programme, following the commissioning into service of HMS Astute in August this year.”
After the ceremony, Ambush will be inched out of the Company’s main submarine construction facility, the 51 metre high, 58 metre wide and 260 metre long Devonshire Dock Hall. It is planned she will then be lowered into the dock by a ship lift to allow further outfitting, testing and commissioning to take place.
In total BAE Systems is building seven submarines in the Astute Class. The programme employs more than 5,000 BAE Systems people and involves 1,200 supplier companies. Activity on the first three boats alone is delivering £1.6 billion into the supply chain.
Each Astute submarine is 97 metres long and fuelled by a nuclear reactor powerful enough to power a city the size of Southampton. The boats are armed with a mix of Spearfish torpedoes and Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles, and their sonar suites have the processing power of 2,000 laptops.
The first boat, HMS Astute, left Barrow for her operational base of Her Majesty’s Naval Base Clyde, at Faslane, Scotland, in November 2009, and was officially commissioned into the Royal Navy in August this year. Boat three, Artful, is now well advanced following the integration of the Command Deck Module earlier this year. The final butt weld followed this to form a complete hull and outfitting of the vessel continues. Construction of major steelwork for the fourth boat in Class, Audacious, continues after its keel was laid in 2009. In addition, early build phases have begun on boat five, and long lead items, including the reactor core, has been ordered for boat six.
HMS Astute is currently undergoing inspection at Her Majesty’s Naval Base Clyde, in Faslane, Scotland, following her grounding in the Kyle of Lochalsh, on October 22.
USS New Orleans (LPH-11)
Today’s website is USS New Orleans (LPH-11). Enjoy.
This Day in U.S. Naval History
1776 - First salute to an American flag (Grand Union flag) flying from Continental Navy ship Andrew Doria, by Dutch fort at St. Eustatius, West Indies.
1856 - Barrier Forts reduction began at Canton China.
1942 - Navy's first Night Fighter squadron (VMF(N)-531) established at Cherry Point, N.C.
1963 - President John F. Kennedy on USS Observation Island (AG 154) witnesses launch of Polaris A-2 missile by USS Andrew Jackson (SSBN-619).
1968 - Operation Tran Hung Dao began in Mekong Delta.
1973 - Launch of Skylab 4 under command of Lt. Col. Gerald P. Carr, USMC. The mission lasted 84 days and included 1,214 Earth orbits. Recovery by USS New Orleans (LPH-11)
Photo of the Day
The Royal Navy’s HMS Astute underway.
Gator
