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



Feature - Scottish National Model Show

MSW Crew member Adam Greenwold took time from his busy schedule to send us some shots of the recent Scottish National Model Show.




ANZAC Frigate Modernisation Reaches Final Milestones
Source: Saab AB

The Defence and Security company Saab is one of the prime contractors for the ANZAC frigate ASMD project which has reached its most important milestone with the successful firing of an Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile from HMAS PERTH off Jervis Bay, Australia.

The Anti-Ship Missile Defence (ASMD) program was commenced in 2004 to redesign and modernise the ship’s critical combat capability. Its prime role was to prepare the ship’s defences for the potential missile threats of the 21st century.

”The ANZAC ship now has a very sophisticated combat system which is clearly a world leader. The ship’s weapons, sensors and command and control capabilities are now highly prioritised towards defence in a hostile anti-ship missile defence scenario”, said Managing Director of Saab Systems in Australia, Mr Richard Price.

A major part of this project has been to upgrade weapons capability through introduction of the CEA Technologies CEAFAR active phased array radar and CEAMOUNT missile illuminator. Detection of small, fast missiles by Sagem Vampir infrared search and track sensor has also been added and the ship’s data links will be extended by the addition of Link 16, VMF (Virtual Message Format) and satellite capability.

Another vital part of the upgrade has been to enhance the fully integrated combat management system performed by Saab’s 9LV 453 Mk 3E. These enhancements include:
-- New 30-inch widescreen operator consoles, with large touch input displays operating commercial Microsoft operating systems,
-- a completely redesigned operations room layout with 10 consoles to improve management and coordination of operations,
-- large screen displays on the bulkheads showing intelligence, CCTV and status information,
-- redundant Gigabit LANs for greater data capacity,
-- new operator modes for fighter control, and
--ulitisation of advanced control modes for the Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles.

“Saab will continue to support all variant’s of the 9LV system in the Royal Australian Navy until the rest of the ships are brought up to the ASMD standard,” adds Mr Richard Price.


Selex Details Aster Launches from Italian Carrier
Source: Selex Sistemi Integrati

ROME --- SELEX Sistemi Integrati executed two very positive launches to test the capabilities of the combat management system (CMS) and multifunctional EMPAR radar onboard the Italian Navy aircraft carrier Cavour.

The missile system SAAM/IT, which was officially qualified by this campaign, managed both launches.

The SAAM/IT, a system realized within the international cooperation programme FSAF, is made by the multifunctional EMPAR radar system, by the AGIS command and control system, both developed and realised by SELEX Sistemi Integrati, and by the vertical launcher sub-system and the Aster 15 missile both belonging to MBDA.

Both launches had a successful result in terms of intercept and correct behavior of the SAAM/IT and of the capability of the whole combat management system of the Cavour aircraft carrier.

The first launch was made in autonomous configuration, not integrated with the ship combat system, and achieved the shooting down of the radio target (MIRACH). The EMPAR was able to intercept, track and allow the threat neutralization, respecting the mission timing.

The second launch was realized using the EMPAR radar system integrated into the combat management system of the Cavour aircraft carrier. The target was intercepted in less of 50 centimeters of distance, allowing the management system to recognize the threat and allow its neutralization.

The CMS and the EMPAR confirmed to be completely reliable in terms of combat readiness, also ensuring very fast response times.

The second launch was particularly important because it involved the whole Cavour combat management system, qualifying the integrated capabilities to intercept, track and neutralize a target through the onboard sensors.

The CMS, recently and successfully tested on shore, is a combat system among the most complex in the European scenario, with a high usage flexibility. It is operational thanks to functionalities as the navigation support, automatic local and force threat evaluation, surface and air threats engagement, air traffic control, tactical picture management through the integration of the information provided by the onboard sensors and by the tactical links elements.

The EMPAR is the main radar system installed onboard of Cavour which also hosts many radars and sensors provided by SELEX Sistemi Integrati, like the surface radar RASS, the surveillance radar RAN40L, the IFF Phased Array, the PAR (Precision Approach Radar) and the FCS - Fire Control Systems. Other onboard navigation equipments and systems used for information exchange onboard are again managed by the CMS of the Finmeccanica company.




The USS Liberty is attacked by Israeli forces

Today is the anniversary of the attack on the USS Liberty.




USS Liberty Veterans Association

Today’s website is USS Liberty Veterans Association. Enjoy.


This Day in U.S. Naval History

1830 - Sloop-of-war Vincennes becomes first U.S. warship to circle the globe.
1853 - Commodore Matthew Perry arrives at Uraga, Japan, to begin negotiations for a treaty with Japan.
1880 - Congress authorizes the Office of Judge Advocate General.
1937 - Observation of total eclipse of the sun by U.S. Navy detachment commanded by Navy Capt. J. F. Hellweg, participating in the National Geographic Society - United States Navy Eclipse Expedition at Canton Island in the Phoenix Islands, Pacific Ocean. USS Avocet (AVP 4) was assigned to this expediton.
1958 - Navy and post office deliver first official missile mail when USS Barbero (SS 317) fired Regulus II missile with 3,000 letters 100 miles east of Jacksonville, Fla., to Mayport, Fla.
1960 - Helicopters from USS Yorktown (CVS 10) rescue 54 crewmen of British SS Shunlee, grounded on Pratus Reef in South China Sea.
1962 - Medical team from Naval Hospital, Bethesda, Md.; Naval Medical Research Institute, Bethesda, Md.; and Naval Preventative Medicine Unit No. 2 Norfolk, Va., sent to San Pedro Sula, Honduras to fight epidemic of infectious gastroenteritis.
1967 - USS Liberty (AGTR 5) attacked by Israeli forces in Mediterranean.
1990 - Cmdr. Rosemary Mariner becomes first Navy women to command fleet jet aircraft squadron.


Diorama Idea of the Day



USS South Dakota steams into heavy seas on 24 February 1945, while en route to take part Task Force 58's second Tokyo raid of the month. To see the original high resolution photo, click here.

Gator