Welcome to MSW’s Scuttlebutt! Here’s the news for the day.
Fiscal Year 2011 Littoral Combat Ship Contract Awards Announced
Source: US Naval Sea Systems Command
WASHINGTON --- Contract modifications were issued to Lockheed Martin Corporation and Austal USA March 17, under their respective Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) block buy contracts to add funding for construction of one fiscal year 2011 Littoral Combat Ship each.
This is the second ship fully funded for each contractor under its previously-awarded, fixed-price incentive "block buy" contract for the design and construction of up to ten LCS Flight 0+ ships. The two block buy contracts provide for the acquisition of a total of up to 20 LCS from fiscal year 2010 through fiscal year 2015, subject to availability of appropriations.
The amount of funds added under the block buy contract with Lockheed Martin Corporation for the fiscal year 2011 LCS ship is $376,621,375. The amount of funds added under the block buy contract with Austal USA for the fiscal year 2011 LCS ship is $368,592,125.
The ships will be built at Fincantieri Marinette Marine Corporation in Marinette, Wis., and Austal USA in Mobile, Ala., respectively.
The prices for the fiscal year 2011 ships were determined based on the competitive, LCS dual block buy contracts that were awarded Dec. 29, 2010.
"The awards represent the Navy's commitment to driving down costs in the littoral combat ship program," said Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition Sean Stackley. "We are executing the dual award strategy for these ships. Efforts to stabilize design, improve production planning, invest in shipbuilder improvements and leverage long-term vendor agreements all within the framework of a competitive fixed-price contract have returned this program to the level of affordability necessary for the Navy to move forward with construction at efficient rates in support of the 55-ship LCS requirement."
The additional funding obligated is for the seventh and eighth ships in the LCS class. USS Freedom (LCS 1) was delivered to the Navy September 2008 and is undergoing a continuous maintenance availability at its homeport of San Diego. USS Independence (LCS 2) was delivered to the Navy December 2009 and is currently undergoing test and trials in Mayport, Fla. Fort Worth (LCS 3) and Coronado (LCS 4) are under construction at Marinette Marine and Austal USA, respectively, and are expected to be delivered to the Navy in 2012.
LCS is needed to fill critical, urgent warfighting requirements gaps that exist today. LCS is required to establish and maintain U.S. Navy dominance in the littorals and sea lines of communication choke points around the world.
Navy Names Littoral Combat Ships Milwaukee and Detroit
Source: U.S Department of Defense
Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced today that the next two Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) to be built in Wisconsin will be named the USS Milwaukee and the USS Detroit.
These two ships are part of a dual block buy of LCS class ships announced by Mabus in December 2010. By procuring both versions of the LCS – Lockheed Martin’s semiplaning monohull and General Dynamic’s aluminum trimaran – the Navy can stabilize the LCS program and the industrial base with an award of 20 ships; increase ship procurement rate to support operational requirements; sustain competition through the program; and enhance foreign military sales opportunities. Both designs meet the Navy’s LCS requirement. However, the diversity provided by two designs provides operational flexibility.
Milwaukee and Detroit will be designed to defeat growing littoral threats and provide access and dominance in the coastal waters. A fast, agile surface combatant, the LCS provides the required war fighting capabilities and operational flexibility to execute focused missions close to the shore such as mine warfare, anti-submarine warfare and surface warfare.
The Milwaukee and Detroit will be 378 feet in length, have a waterline beam of 57 feet, displace approximately 3,000 tons, and will make speed in excess of 40 knots.
Construction of Milwaukee and Detroit will be by a Lockheed Martin led industry team in Marinette, Wis.
The selection of Milwaukee, designated LCS 5, honors the city’s citizens and their continued support to our nation’s military. Milwaukee has been a city of national pride since its official founding in 1846. This makes the sixth ship to bear the city’s name.
The selection of Detroit, designated LCS 7, honors the citizens of the Motor City and their ongoing patriotic spirit and military support. Detroit is a major port city on the Detroit River in the state of Michigan. It was founded on July 24, 1701. Detroit is the seventh ship to bear the city’s name.
Second battle of Sirte
The second battle of Sirte of 22 March 1942 saw a British force of light cruisers and destroyers prevent a powerful Italian fleet led by the battleship Littorio from attacking a convoy heading for Malta with vitally important supplies. Operation MG1 was mounted in an attempt to get Convoy MW10 to Malta. The convoy of four ships was to be guarded by a total of four light cruisers, eleven fleet destroyers and six “Hunt” class destroyers, under the command of Admiral Philip Vian. Most of the warships came from Alexandria, but the cruiser Penelope and a destroyer joined the fleet on the morning of 22 March from Malta.
Admiral Vian believed that there was a real danger that the Italian fleet would attack the convoy on 22 March, as it sailed to the north of Libya, across that part of the Mediterranean that was easily approached from the Italian naval base at Taranto. Just as expected, early on 22 March Vian news reached Vian that an Italian fleet had left harbour that morning (the news came from an Ultra decrypt of an Italian message and from a British submarine posted off Taranto). This Italian fleet contained the battleship Littorio, the two 8-inch heavy cruisers Gorizia and Trento, the 6-inch cruiser Giovanni Delle Bande Nere and ten destroyers, under the command of Admiral Iachino.
To oppose this powerful fleet Vian had four light cruisers, eleven fleet destroyers and six “Hunt” class destroyers, and a carefully worked out plan. If the Italian fleet appeared then the convoy with five of the “Hunt” class destroyers would be sent back, while the rest of his ships would form into six divisions and turn on the Italians. One of these divisions would be used to produce smoke, and the other five would use the cover of that smoke to harass the Italians.
At 14.10 the cruiser Euryalus reported seeing funnel smoke to the north, and fifteen minutes later she sighted four Italian warships, while the destroyer Legion reported sighting a single ship. At this point Vian put his plan in place. The convoy turned away to the south, while the remaining sixteen British ships turned towards the Italians. At 14.33 the British began to produce smoke. Over the next hour Vian’s ships fought a long range gunnery duel with the Italian ships, repeated coming in and out of the smoke. The Italian ships, which at this point did not include the Littorio, refused to close with Vian’s ships, and this first phase of the fighting was over by 15.35.
The second stage of the battle began soon after Vian rejoined the convoy. This time the Littorio and all three of the Italian cruisers were in the attacking force, but once again they were unable to close with the convoy. Vian credited this failure to Iachino’s determination to work his way around the western edge of the British smoke cloud, in an attempt to get between the convoy and Malta. As the smoke cloud was itself being blown to the west the Italians were never able to get into range. Once again Vian’s ships were able to fight from the edge of the smoke, using their torpedoes when the Italians came too close. The Littorio came under attack from 17.00. Vian’s cruisers were not really powerful enough to threaten the Italian battleship at any distance, but did manage to cause a fire behind her aft 15in turret.
After two and a half hours of this Iachino finally gave up, and his fleet withdrew to the north west. Vian’s cruisers had fired between 1,600 and 1,700 rounds, his destroyers 1,300, in three and a half hours of fighting. Most of the British ships suffered some damage – Vian’s flagship Cleopatra suffered a hit on the bridge, killing 15 and knocking the radio out for some time, while the destroyers Havock and Kingston were each hit by a 15-inch shell. The Kingston suffered the most serious damage, while the Havock had her speed reduced to 16 knots.
After the battle Vian continued to escort the convoy west until 19.40 on the evening of 22 March. At that point he turned back for Alexandria, while the Penelope and the Hunt class destroyers continued to escort the convoy. Although Vian’s actions had seen off the Italian fleet, the battle had fatally delayed the convoy. At dawn on 23 March all four merchant ships were still at sea. Only two of the ships reached Malta, where they came under heavy German air attack. Only 5,000 of the 26,000 tons of supplies intended for Malta actually reached the beleaguered island.
from historyofwar.org
HMS Warspite
Today’s website is the HMS Warspite. Enjoy.
This Day in U.S. Naval History
1820 - Commodore Stephen Decatur dies after a duel with Capt. James Barron.
1915 - "Naval aviator" replaces "Navy air pilot" for officers qualified as aviators.
1929 - Navy ships protect Americans and their property during a Mexican revolution.
1946 - USS Missouri (BB 63) departs the United States to return the body of a deceased Turkish ambassador to Turkey for burial. Missouri arrived in Istanbul April 5.
Diorama Idea of the Day
Sailors and members of the Applied Physics Laboratory Ice Station clear ice from the hatch of USS Connecticut (SSN 22) as it surfaces above the ice during ICEX 2011.
Gator
