Welcome to MSW’s Scuttlebutt! Here’s the news for the day.
Construction Begins on Navy's Newest Aircraft Carrier
Source: US Naval Air Systems Command
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. --- Advance construction started on the nation's newest aircraft carrier Feb. 25 with a "first cut of steel" ceremony at Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding Newport News, Va.
The steel plate cut will be used in the construction of the carrier, which has yet to be named, but will be designated CVN 79.
The carrier represents the second in a new class of ships designed to replace Enterprise and Nimitz-class carriers and save more than $5 billion in total ownership costs during its planned 50-year service life when compared to Nimitz-class carriers.
"Today we mark the beginning of the advance construction of CVN 79, second of the Gerald R. Ford-class of aircraft carriers," said Rear Adm. Michael McMahon, Program Executive Officer (PEO) for Aircraft Carriers. "It's an important step in continuing carrier construction using advanced technologies and efficiencies to reduce both ownership and procurement cost in this new class of carriers."
Ford-class aircraft carriers, while retaining the same hull form as the Nimitz class, contain several advanced technology systems including Electromagnetic Aircraft Launching Systems, advanced arresting gear, dual band radar, a redesigned smaller island and a new propulsion plant. The first ship in the class, Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), is also under construction at Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding-Newport News and is scheduled to be delivered to the fleet in September 2015.
The PEO for Aircraft Carriers, an affiliated PEO of Naval Sea Systems Command, focuses on the design, construction, system integration, delivery and life-cycle support of all aircraft carriers.
Fond Farewell to HMS Manchester
Source: U.K Ministry of Defence
The end of HMS Manchester's 30-year Royal Navy career was officially marked in a formal ceremony at Portsmouth Naval Base last week.
The Type 42 destroyer - a veteran of the first Gulf War - has clocked up over 860,000 nautical miles (1.6 million kilometres) in operations across the world. She is being decommissioned as the ageing fleet of Type 42s makes way for the new, highly-capable Type 45 destroyers.
The decommissioning service was conducted by a former chaplain of HMS Manchester, Father Mike Wagstaff, with musical accompaniment provided by the Royal Marines School of Music.
The Commanding Officer of HMS Manchester, Commander Rex Cox, said:
"It is with mixed emotions that we approach HMS Manchester's decommissioning. On the one hand there is sadness at the retirement of a very special ship that has made an impression on everyone who has had the good fortune to serve on her.
"On the other hand there is great pride in a destroyer that has served the Navy with distinction and is now ready to pass on the baton to the next generation - the Type 45s.
"It is the people however that have made this great ship what she is and each and every one of them has made their contribution over the years. It has been an immense privilege and enormous fun to be the last Commanding Officer of the 'Busy Bee' and to command such a cracking ship's company."
Guests of honour at the ceremony included the Lord Mayor of Manchester, Councillor Mark Hackett, and Rear Admiral Mark Anderson, Commander Maritime Operations.
HMS Manchester was built by Vickers Shipbuilding Group at Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, was launched on 24 November 1980, and commissioned into the Royal Navy on 16 December 1982.
Her first 'action' was a major NATO exercise off north west Scotland and soon after she escorted Her Majesty The Queen in the Royal Yacht Britannia on a tour of the Western Isles of Scotland.
In 1991 she played a key role in Operation Desert Storm in the Gulf. Along with other allied ships, Manchester provided an air defence umbrella to cover the land offensive into Kuwait. On cessation of hostilities the ship resumed patrols in the Gulf, supporting mine clearance operations and providing post-war reassurance to merchant shipping.
In 2002 while on patrol in the North Atlantic the ship saved the lives of 11 people after their 148-foot (45-metre) cruiser Shiralee sank in the Caribbean.
Towards the end of 2007 Manchester worked closely with the giant US aircraft carrier Harry S Truman off America's eastern coast. The ships were part of a carrier strike group during the two-week Exercise Bold Step.
In December last year Manchester returned from her last deployment, a seven-month stint in the North Atlantic, and earlier this month the ship sailed to Liverpool so her ship's company could pay a farewell visit to her affiliated city of Manchester.
The Battle of Nassau
Today’s is the anniversary of the The Battle of Nassau.
Grey Funnel Line
Today’s website is the Grey Funnel Line. Enjoy.
This Day in U.S. Naval History
1776 - The first amphibious landing operation takes place. A Continental naval squadron, under Commodore Esek Hopkins, lands Sailors and Marines, commanded by Capt. Samuel Nicholas, on New Providence Island in the Bahamas. They capture urgently-needed ordnance and gunpowder.
1871 - The Navy Medical Corps is established.
1883 - Congress authorizes four modern ships of steel, "A, B, C, D Ships"; three cruisers, Atlanta, Boston and Chicago, and dispatch boat Dolphin.
1915 - The Office of Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) is established.
1915 - Congress creates the Federal Naval Reserve. Under it, the Naval Reserve Force is built up.
1960 - USS Sargo (SSN 583) returns to Hawaii from an Arctic cruise of 11,000 miles - 6,003 miles under the polar ice.
Diorama Idea of the Day
Royal Navy’s Daring class destroyer making a high speed turn.
Gator
