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



On Display - USS Baltimore CA68

MSW Crewmember Dave Hill (DAVEHILL) brings us a wonderful build of the USS Baltimore by YMW in 1/350 scale.




Future USS William P. Lawrence Successfully Completes "Super Trials"
Source: Naval Air Systems Command

PASCAGOULA, Miss. --- The future USS William P. Lawrence (DDG 110) successfully completed combined "super trials" Jan. 21 while underway in the Gulf of Mexico.

These trials are the last significant milestone before delivery of the ship to the Navy. Due to the maturity of the DDG 51 class, the Navy holds only one round of trials on each ship prior to delivery, instead of separate builder's and acceptance trials, thus requiring less time, fuel and manpower.

William P. Lawrence is expected to be delivered to the Navy in March 2011.

"DDG 110 performed extremely well for INSURV, and the success of this trial reinforces the advantages realized when a program is well into serial production," said Capt. Pete Lyle, DDG 51 class program manager for the Navy's Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships. "This class continues to provide leading capabilities designed to support current and future operational needs."

Throughout the three days underway, Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding and the U.S. Navy's Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV) tested several ship components, including the communications and propulsion systems.

A full-power run was conducted successfully and the communications suite performed exceptionally well, fully supporting all sea trial events. Overall, William E. Lawrence exhibited significant improvements in the level of completion, final finish and performance compared to previous ships of the class.

William E. Lawrence's combat and weapons system also underwent thorough testing and evaluation, and the utility and reliability of the Aegis Combat System - was demonstrated successfully. While underway, the ship completed all planned trial evolutions, including the successful firing of the vertical launch system, the MK 45 main gun, the Phalanx close-in weapon system, and the MK 36 Super Rapid Bloom Offboard Countermeasures Chaff and Decoy Launching System.

The DDG 51 class ship is a multi-mission guided-missile destroyer designed to operate in air, surface and subsurface threat environments. The class provides outstanding combat capability and survivability characteristics while minimizing procurement and lifetime support costs due to the program's maturity.

The DDG 51 program continues to reinforce affordability and efficiency in its shipbuilding program, with a commitment to delivery ships at the highest possible quality allowing seamless transition to the fleet.

William E. Lawrence is named in honor of the late Vice Adm. William P. Lawrence, who spent six years as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam.


New SSBNs to Initially Carry Trident II
Source: Forecast International

BANGOR --- The U.S. Navy is developing a new nuclear-powered strategic missile submarine (SSBN) class. These new boats, the SSBN(X), will replace the current Ohio class submarines. Fourteen Ohio class submarines armed with ballistic missiles remain in service: eight at Bangor and six at Kings Bay, Ga.

Construction of the first new boat will begin in 2019. Work on this submarine will be complete by 2026, and the submarine will enter service by 2029. The first Ohio class submarine will be retired in 2027, followed by a further boat each year for the next 13 years.

The Ohio class submarines carry 24 Trident II (D-5) ballistic missiles. The new SSBN class will keep the D-5s, at least at the beginning, but will carry only 16 missiles instead of 24.




USS Wright Association

Today’s website is the USS Wright Association. Enjoy.


This Day in U.S. Naval History

1799 - USS Constellation, commanded by Capt. Thomas Truxtun, captures the French warship l'Insurgente.
1943 - The organized Japanese resistance on Guadalcanal ends.
1947 - Carrier USS Wright (CVL 49) is commissioned.
1978 - A new era in naval communications begins with the launching of the first satellite of the Navy's Fleet Satellite Communications System.
1984 - Destroyer USS Moosbrugger (DD 980) fires approximately 150 shells at Syrian artillery positions east of Beirut.


Diorama Idea of the Day



Amphibious assault vehicles depart the amphibious transport dock ship USS Denver (LPD 9) during a Cobra Gold 2011 amphibious training operation.

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