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



U.S. Coast Guard Awards Northrop Grumman $89 Million Long-Lead Material Contract for Fifth National Security Cutter
Source: Northrop Grumman Corp.

PASCAGOULA, Miss. --- The U.S. Coast Guard awarded a firm fixed-price contract to Northrop Grumman Corporation for long-lead material procurement on a fifth National Security Cutter.

The contract is for $89 million, with options that would increase potential value to $94 million. The Legend-Class cutters are the flagships of the Coast Guard fleet, designed to replace the 378-ft Hamilton class High Endurance Cutters, which entered service during the 1960s.

"This award demonstrates the Coast Guard's ongoing commitment to the National Security Cutter program and continued confidence in our shipbuilders," said Bob Merchent, vice president, surface combatants and U.S. Coast Guard programs, Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding. "This procurement contract enables us to focus on effective and efficient supply chain management and move forward so we can secure the best price for equipment and materials, while also meeting our schedule commitments with our U.S. Coast Guard customer."

The funds will be used to purchase long lead time materials and major equipment in support of the new ship, such as main propulsion and navigation systems, generators, electrical switchboards, major castings and the ship's integrated control system. The work will be performed at the company's Pascagoula facility.

Two of eight planned National Security Cutters have been commissioned and are executing Coast Guard missions. The third ship, Stratton, is over 75 percent complete and scheduled for delivery this year. A construction contract for the fourth ship was awarded on Nov. 29, 2010. Construction will begin on that ship mid-year 2011.

National Security Cutters are 418-feet long, with a 54-foot beam, displacing 4,400 tons with a full load. It will have a top speed of 28 knots, a range of 12,000 miles, an endurance of 60 days and a crew of 110.

The Legend-class NSC is capable of meeting all maritime security mission needs. The cutter includes an aft launch and recovery area for two rigid hull inflatable boats, and a flight deck to accommodate a range of manned and unmanned rotary wing aircrafts. It is the largest and most technologically advanced class of cutter in the U.S. Coast Guard, with robust capabilities for maritime homeland security, law enforcement, marine safety, environmental protection and national defense missions. This class of cutters plays an important role enhancing the Coast Guard's operational readiness, capacity, and effectiveness at a time when the demand for their services has never been greater.


Final Frigate Received from Shipyard in Spain: Important Milestone for Norway
Source: Norwegian Ministry of Defense

“I am very pleased that we have now taken delivery of the fifth and final frigate. They constitute a very important part of the Norwegian Armed Forces and will help us get the most modern navy” said Defence Minister Grete Faremo.


On Tuesday, January 18, HMNS Thor Heyerdahl, the last of five frigates on order, was handed over to the military by the Navantia shipyard in Ferrol (Spain). The handover marks a significant milestone for the Armed Forces' largest acquisition.

The Defence Forces began planning the acquisition of new frigates to replace the old Oslo-class ships for almost 20 years ago.

The five frigates have been delivered well within the approved cost limit of almost 19 billion Norwegian kroner.

"The Frigate Project has contributed positively to the development of bilateral cooperation between Norway and Spain. It also contributed to the industrial cooperation which now also includes high technology. For the Norwegian industry and Norwegian jobs, this has been important, not only for the shipbuilding industry, but for more than 250 Norwegian companies," Minister Faremo added.

Why Frigates?

Frigates are important to safeguard our national security challenges in the North. They will give Norway a good capacity for handling everything from minor emergencies to major conflicts. Frigates will contribute to peace, sovereignty and security of our territorial waters.

When equipped with new helicopters in a couple of years, the ships will have increased firepower and operational flexibility. Their helicopters will in addition reinforce national capabilities for Search And Rescue.

International operations

The frigates’ high operational capabilities will make them very relevant for service in international operations. The frigate HMNS Fridtjof Nansen demonstrated some of these capabilities when it took part in anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden in the autumn of 3009.

The Government plans to send another frigate to conduct anti-piracy operations in 2012.

A Norwegian frigate will in future also be part of NATO's Atlantic fleet and constitute an important contribution to the alliance.

Frigate project
The Frigate Project is the largest and most complex investment project so far undertaken by the Norwegian military. The project has suffered considerable uncertainty, not least in terms of progress and cost, and the vessels have been somewhat delayed. This is not unusual for large and complex construction projects like frigates. During its implementation, the emphasis was on quality. Some work remains to be done, but it is expected that this will be completed by the end of 2012.

The project was approved by Parliament in 1999. Its budget is now 18,915 million kroner. In addition, associated costs include the procurement of helicopters, of the new Naval Strike Missile and of lightweight torpedoes, which are funded outside the frigate project.

Industrial cooperation
In connection with the frigate contract, an industrial cooperation agreement (offset agreement) was signed with the Spanish shipyard, which undertook to procure from Norwegian suppliers approx. 10.6 billion kroner in goods and services.

In addition, the Spanish military bought Norwegian defence equipment worth just over three billion kroner as part of this agreement. More than 250 Norwegian companies have received orders as a result of the offset agreement. Including the shipbuilding industry, Norway has been awarded contracts worth approx. 1 billion kroner, mainly related to the construction of modules for the vessels.

Command and control systems, as well as some weapons systems supplied by Lockheed Martin, where the Norwegian Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace (KDA) has a very large part of value creation.

The offset obligations were achieved three years before the deadline, and the Ministry of Defence is very pleased with how Navantia, along with its subcontractors, and the Spanish State, have met this obligation.

Facts about the vessel
Length: 134 meters
Displacement: 5300 tons
Top speed: over 26 knots
Engine power: over 40,000 hp
Range: 4,500 nautical miles
Crew: 127

Main Weapons:
-- New anti-surface naval strike missile (NSM)
-- Evolved Sea Sparrow missile (ESSM) air-defence missile
--76 mm Oto Breda gun (anti-surface and -air)
--Stingray torpedo (anti-submarine)
-- NH 90 helicopter (with Stingray torpedo)



USS Galveston (CL 19)

Today’s website is USS Galveston (CL 19). Enjoy.


This Day in U.S. Naval History

1922 - Cruiser USS Galveston (CL 19) lands her Marine Corps detachment at Corinto, Nicaragua, to reinforce the Managua legation guard during a period of political tension.
1945 - Navy surface forces bombard Japanese positions at Iwo Jima.
1963 - The 1st Seabee Technical Assistance Team arrives in Vietnam.


Photo of the Day



The South African Valour class frigate Spioenkop in the port of Rota.

Gator