Another winter, another LCS gets set to join the fleet
November 20th, 2009 | Maritime operations Photos Ships | Posted by Phil Ewing
The littoral combat ship Independence pulled out for its acceptance trials, now finished, from Mobile, Ala. // Navy
After a long and winding technical journey that began in June with the main engine light-off, then initial delays, then included blazing speed, otherworldly photos and flooding in the jet-drive room, the littoral combat ship Independence got to its latest milestone this week. The ship finished its acceptance trials Thursday, which included a full-power run at a wave-scorching 45 knots.
A team from the Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey was aboard for the demonstrations, and its inspectors now are going over their findings to determine whether they’ll recommend that the Navy accept the ship. We’ll be watching for that, as well as for new images from the Navy that show whether being aboard still makes you feel like you’re wrapped up in a monstrous burrito.
If all goes well, the Navy plans to commission the ship Jan. 16
How many carriers do you see in this image?
November 17th, 2009 | Aviation Carriers Foreign navies Maritime operations Photos The Pacific | Posted by Phil Ewing
Japan's "helicopter destroyer" -- wink, wink -- the Hyuga, joined the carrier George Washington for excerises this month in the Pacific // MC1 John Hageman / Navy
How many carriers? Just one. In the background is the carrier George Washington; in the foreground is Japan’s “helicopter destroyer” — or “carrier destroyer,” as one Deck commenter called it — the Hyuga.
Some observers might think it’s neat that the last time Japan and the U.S. both fielded aircraft carriers, they were at war, and that it’d be cool to see what could be the first photos of modern U.S. and Japanese flattops underway together. But that’s not what this is a picture of. Because Hyuga is not a carrier.
New York, meet New York
November 3rd, 2009 | Life at Sea Maritime operations Photos Ships | Posted by Phil Ewing
Crew members aboard the New York got a tour of the harbor Monday that tourists would dream of // Philip Ewing/ Staff
ABOARD THE AMPHIBIOUS TRANSPORT DOCK NEW YORK — Reveille was at 0400 Monday morning, and the 1MC crackled with a familiar brassy introduction and an unmistakable baritone:
“Start spreaadin’ the newwwwws! I’m leaavin’ todaaaaay!”
The sun had not yet risen over the clear morning in the anchorage off Brighton Beach where this ship had spent Sunday, but the atmosphere aboard the New York was already electric. Mayor Michael Bloomberg had distributed 100 “FDNYPD” ball caps in the crew’s mess the night before. The Yankees had won. The Navy ship with the supernatural link to its namesake was about to visit for the first time.
Hoo-ya, smoke shrine
October 22nd, 2009 | Life at Sea Photos leadership | Posted by Phil Ewing
MC2 Matthew White/ Navy
Back in Scoop Deck’s camping days, the standard practice was to say “I hate white rabbits” when smoke from the campfire was blowing on you, to magically send it in the other direction. (This does not actually work.) At this shrine outside the Sensoji Temple in Tokyo, however, the objective is to get the smoke on you, to absorb its curative powers. If it works, Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (SS/SW) Rick West, and the other top enlisted leaders with whom he recently toured Tokyo, should be healthy for a long time… or at least give off a distinctive aroma.
China’s concrete carrier
October 19th, 2009 | Aviation Blogs Carriers Foreign navies Photos Science and technology | Posted by Phil Ewing
A building under construction in Wuhan, China, looks suspiciously like a giant aircraft carrier. What is it for? // tiexue.net
If you’re plugged in to the Navy inter-webs you may have seen the latest photo-set depicting China’s newest aircraft carrier, which is quickly taking shape but won’t put to sea any time soon — because it’s a building.
The giant pretend cement aircraft carrier is being built in the inland city of Wuhan, and it corresponds to your standard Russian-influenced notional Chinese carrier design: Large ski-jump bow and very large island, in this case much bigger than it would need to be on a real ship at sea.
The problem — as is often the case in these situations — is a severe shortage of actual facts about the carrier-building. Will Chinese aviators train on this enormous mock-up? Is it a tourist attraction? The blog ChinaSmack reports that parts of the island are already in use as office space. Which is kind of neat, if you think about it; it’s the grown-up equivalent of sleeping in race-car bed. Our Center of Excellence would definitely be better if it were a building shaped like a warship. Or a warship.
So what do you think the Wuhan carrier-building is?
Back in the water again, and barnacle-free
October 6th, 2009 | Photos Science and technology Ships | Posted by Phil Ewing
The cruiser Port Royal, complete with new screws, rudders and re-touched blue underside, floated off its dry dock Sept. 24 // Liane Nakahar/ Navy
The cruiser Port Royal may have sustained a lot of damage when it ran aground in February on a coral reef off Honolulu Airport, but seven months and $40 million later, the ship is looking fine. It’s wearing two new screws, new rudders, a new sonar dome and a re-touched coat of sparkling blue below the waterline, which Naval Sea Systems Command says will help save taxpayers money in fuel the Port Royal won’t need to burn.
The blue coating will save the ship $180,000 in fuel costs each year, NavSea says, because it’s too slick for marine interlopers like barnacles to grab on, meaning the ship will slide more efficiently through the water.
“It is a silicone-based, non-toxic technology that provides a very smooth, slick, low friction surface,” said program manager Petter Kristiansen in a NavSea announcement. “Settling marine organisms like barnacles, tunicates and algae can’t attach themselves firmly to the slick surface. Those that do attach, do so weakly and are usually washed away when ships are underway, or are removed during regularly scheduled pierside hull inspections and cleanings.”
Port Royal is the first cruiser, and the second Navy ship after the destroyer Cole, to get the new blue underside. NavSea calculates that if all 70-plus cruisers and destroyers had the new coating, the Navy would save $12.6 million per year in fuel costs.
All fine, but Scoop Deck just hopes that Port Royal’s sailors will be able to use the ship’s heads as normal and not have to walk onto the weather decks underway to use those porta-johns.
Marshall Fukuki/ Navy
Freedom, helicopter. Helicopter, Freedom. Pleasure.
September 29th, 2009 | Photos Ships | Posted by Phil Ewing
An MH-60S Helicopter pulls away from the littoral combat ship Freedom during helicopter qualifications Sept. 28 in the Atlantic Ocean // MC2 Nathan Laird/ Navy
After years of seeing it in PowerPoint presentations and computer-animated videos and on the backs of glossy brochures, there it was at last. Almost. A helicopter almost landed on the flight deck of the Navy’s first littoral combat ship, Freedom. In fact there’s a whole bunch of interesting things about the Navy’s latest photos of the Freedom — of which more in a moment.
Big gun: Boom
September 24th, 2009 | Photos Science and technology Ships Video | Posted by Phil Ewing
An experimental version of the destroyer Zumwalt's Advanced Gun System fired a test round Sept. 16 at Dugway Proving Ground, Utah // Ken Tillges/ Navy
Remember DDG 1000? With all this talk about ballistic missile defense and littoral combat ships these days, it can be easy to lose sight of the Navy’s planned three-ship Zumwalt class, now quietly under construction (on time, on cost) up at Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine.
Here’s a reminder: A prototype of the Zumwalt’s 155mm Advanced Gun System fired a test round out in Utah last week, according to a Navy photograph posted Thursday. Apparently technicians were experimenting with a new coating to lengthen the life of the gun’s barrel.
Here’s another reminder. This movie about the AGS is an oldie but a goodie — and it’s “more than a simple animation. It is a real time engineering-level model:”
A sneak peek at the UK’s new carriers
September 15th, 2009 | Aviation Carriers Photos | Posted by Phil Ewing
The Royal Navy's as-yet unbuilt carrier Queen Elizabeth sets sail -- having apparently craned aboard its entire air wing -- in this artist's conception // MoD
What would one of the Royal Navy’s new Queen Elizabeth-class carriers look like in transit out to sea? Scoop Deck is glad you asked that, because the Ministry of Defence just unveiled a set of images showing what its new flattops will look like in just those kinds of scenes.
Another interesting image shows what the ships would look like when they’re docked at the Royal Navy’s base in Portsmouth, which will require expansions and upgrades to be able to handle them. You can see more on the Royal Navy’s official page here.
The Queen Elizabeth at anchor in Portsmouth, England, in this artist's conception. Scoop Deck notes that this illustration apparently depicts the ship after it has spent some time underway, judging by the scortch marks on the flight deck // MoD
The ship’s artist strikes again
September 14th, 2009 | Life at Sea Photos Ships | Posted by Phil Ewing
ABH1 William Tanner, assisted by a bucket truck, works on an image of the amphibious assault ship Makin Island's ship's seal in the ship's hangar bay // ABH1 Tanner
After its transit around South America, the amphibious assault ship Makin Island is due to arrive Monday in San Diego, and it’s entering its home port with some of the coolest and newest artwork afloat these days. Just in time for the ship’s homecoming, Scoop Deck was delighted to get an email from Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Aircraft Handling) 1st Class William Tanner, Makin Island’s “ship’s artist,” with some images of his latest creations on the Navy’s newest gator.
Even better, Tanner sent pictures of his work in progress, which lets you see what goes into the finished piece on the bulkhead. He hasn’t yet created the pair of AB wings he’s planning for the ship’s island because he was commissioned for three smaller projects during the ship’s transit. But with the ship in port in San Diego, Tanner said he expects to have time to begin work on the wings.