A name for DDG 1002
November 20th, 2009 | Blogs Chiefs Historical Science and technology Ships | Posted by Phil Ewing
What should the third Zumwalt-class destroyer be named? // Northrop Grumman
Maybe it’s that a three-hull class of advanced ships raises the stakes. Maybe it’s that there will be so many Arleigh Burke-class destroyers that they all start to blend together. Or maybe it’s that, with 51 more littoral combat ships that will carry only names of “medium-sized town names” (for now, anyway) people are worried they’re running out of ships to name for heroes.
Whatever the reason, people have been going after the as-yet unnamed third and last Zumwalt-class destroyer, DDG 1002, with name suggestions. Not just any Navy ship — DDG 1002.
An early one was “Robert A. Heinlein,” for the science fiction author. But one Navy Times reader rejected that and instead recommended “Ernest E. Evans,” for the legendary captain of the destroyer Johnston. The latest recommendation, according to an email making the rounds on a particularly salty distribution list, is “Delbert D. Black,” for the first master chief petty officer of the Navy.
Scoop Deck was cc’d on that email, which pointed to this blog post laying out the whole case. The Navy has plenty of ships named for chiefs of naval operations, writes blogger Chris Garett, but it needs to start according the same honor to its MCPONs, starting with Black.
What do you think? Would you pick Heinlein, Evans or Black for DDG 1002, or a different name altogether?
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
Another new LCS mission — BMD picket?
November 17th, 2009 | Ballistic missile defense Blogs Foreign navies Science and technology Ships The Middle East | Posted by Phil Ewing
An international export version of Lockheed's littoral combat ship fired an imaginary missile in this artist's conception. The company is now saying it can augment its Aegis-edition LCSes with ballistic missile defense capability // Lockheed Martin
As Galrahn and Phib discuss the latest news about the littoral combat ship Freedom’s upcoming deployment, one of our senior shipmates at Defense News has some other interesting LCS gouge: This week at the Dubai Air Show, Lockheed Martin is pitching a “Surface Combat Ship” to the navies of the Gulf states — a variant of its Freedom-class LCS modded with Aegis radar and ballistic missile defense capability.
LockMart and its LCS rival, General Dynamics, both have shown off concepts for Aegis-equipped export versions of their designs, but neither of the trade-show fliers just pulled from Scoop Deck’s desk drawer say anything about BMD. They do include the possibility of a Mk 41 Vertical Launch System — which the U.S. Navy’s version doesn’t have — that could carry a battery of SM-3 or SM-6 interceptors. Or, as Defense News’s Pierre Tran wrote, an Aegis BMD LCS could be the eyes for land-based missiles:
Given fears in the region of a possible missile attack from Iran, a deployment of the Surface Combat Ship in the narrow waters of the Gulf would provide early warning of a missile launch and allow early destruction in the upper atmosphere by the SM-3 missile or at lower altitude by the Patriot PAC3 or other weapon.
No word on the price tag for this souped-up “SCS,” but given the cost issues the first two LCSes have had, it could be steep. It could also have implications for the U.S. Navy’s pending mission as the BMD protector of Europe, for which commanders could want as many hulls as possible, maybe including cruisers, destroyers and BMD-LCSes.
Navy’s new missile blows something up
November 17th, 2009 | Maritime operations SEALs Science and technology Ships The Pacific | Posted by Phil Ewing
The cruiser Cape St. George fired an earlier version of the Tomahawk land attack missile in 2003. The Navy says its late-model Block IV is the best one yet // IS1 Kenneth Moll / Navy
Oh, to have been crouching in the mud with the U.S. and British special operators earlier this month when they called in a “time-critical strike” from the cruiser Princeton. It was just an exercise, according to a Navy announcement, but it still must’ve been pretty cool to see them dial in the thunder with their Precision Strike Suite – Special Operations Forces gear (known, of course, as “piss-off” in the teams) and then have that missile sky down and explode.
The thunder in question was provided by the long-awaited Block IV Tomahawk land-attack missile, which is the latest and smartest version of the classic weapon we all remember from “Red Storm Rising.”
“As the only network-enabled, land attack weapon, Tomahawk can re-target, loiter, or provide last minute weapons coverage to deployed forces from on-station naval combatants,” said its program manager, Capt. Dave Davison.
Still to come: Scoop Deck has been told that the Block IV’s improved ability to find and see targets could return anti-ship capability to the Tomahawk family, after the purpose-built ship-killing variant was withdrawn in 1995. We’re looking forward to seeing video of that test, if it happens.
Watch the Coast Guard take down drug smugglers
November 13th, 2009 | Coast Guard Maritime operations Ships Video | Posted by Phil Ewing
It’s been a long, cold, rainy week here at the Center of Excellence, so what better way to wrap things up than by taking a mental vacation to the warm, exotic eastern Pacific? And, since we’re transporting ourselves there anyway, why not imagine some kind of motivational at-sea operations during the trip? No need to tax your brain — check out this video from the Coast Guard.
The national security cutter Bertholf interdicted four high speed vessels suspected of transporting cocaine — or maybe those guys are just dumping fish food overboard — using its MH-65C Dolphin helicopter and its small boats. Of particular delight here on the Deck were the shots of the Bertholf itself, which, as you’ll see at about 1:36, is throwing out an enormous heat plume as it runs its diesels and gas turbine at full CODAG power. Cool.
H/T: Coast Guard Capt. Bruce Baffer, who showed this movie Thursday in a presentation at a Surface Navy Association event outside Washington.
Port visit links
November 13th, 2009 | Ballistic missile defense Carriers Maritime operations Royal Navy Science and technology Ships Submarines | Posted by Phil Ewing
Sailors aboard the carrier Nimitz mustered to get ready to man the rails for a port visit in Japan, much as today's links are mustering to provide you with news and updates // MCSA Robert Winn / Navy
Restricted maneuvering doctrine settin’, ATM cash-withdrawin’, rail mannin’ links, eager to tie up, race down the brow and get into the bars town as quickly as possible:
- After a triumphant visit and commissioning in its namesake city, the amphibious transport dock New York, like so many other newcomers to the Big Apple, is taking refuge in New Jersey.
- The Royal Navy’s newest attack submarine, the Astute, is on its way to the Royal Navy’s famed submarine base in Faslane, Scotland.
- The littoral combat ship Freedom is making a visit to Naval Station Mayport, Fla., the local newspaper reported, nervously pointing out that LCS will “replace” the frigates homeported there.
- Have you heard about this amazing discovery of these World War II Japanese submarines off Hawaii?
- The Missile Defense Agency has announced the next six ships that will be upgraded with ballistic missile defense capability, and, as expected, they’re all East Coast destroyers.
- Remember that movie in which the decommissioned carrier John F. Kennedy inexplicably crushes the White House in a tidal wave? It comes out today.
Coasties get the keys to their brand-new ship
November 9th, 2009 | Coast Guard Maritime operations Ships | Posted by Phil Ewing
Unpronouncable name, fine-looking ship. // Coast Guard
Nothing puts a Coast Guardsman in a better mood than getting a new ship. Navy Times has had the privilege of being around when the Coast Guard showed off new vessels, all the way from the small (a Response Boat-Medium) to the large (the national security cutter Bertholf) and saw how the associated crew members glowed. And although we weren’t there Friday, it’s fair to say that glow was in effect when the lifesaving service accepted its second national security cutter, the Waesche.
Rear Adm. Ron Rabago, the Coast Guard’s top acquisition officer, signed the paperwork in Pascagoula, Miss., to transfer ownership of the Waesche from its Northrop Grumman shipyard to the U.S. government. The ship is set to sail to its new homeport of Alameda, Calif., in January.
Gator swims up, swallows submarine
November 5th, 2009 | Historical Maritime operations Science and technology Ships Submarines | Posted by Phil Ewing
The dock landing ship Carter Hall could be the first amphibious ship to transport a nuclear submarine in its well deck // MCSN Derek Poole / Navy
Have you ever looked down at the well deck of an amphibious ship and thought, wouldn’t it be cool if we tried to put the Oscar Meyer Wienermobile down there, or a Fleetwood Pace Arrow, or a giant mobile Tim Hortons? Admittedly, this is kind of silly — those things would obviously all fit at the same time, with plenty of room for actual green gear.
The dock landing ship Carter Hall actually is getting ready to try out carrying some crazy cargo in its well deck: This week this ship arrived at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine, with the mission of gulping down the decommissioned research submarine NR-1, which is riding on a support barge. Carter Hall will transport the legendary sub to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Washington, where its reactor will be dismantled. Wrote Foster’s Daily Democrat:
The barge and NR-1 will be guided into the well deck of Carter Hall utilizing a combination of tugs and the ship’s capstan system — a rotating machine that is used to lift or pull heavy objects with the assistance of lines or cables.
After that, it’ll be a long, slow trip around the continent. After that — maybe NR-1 will become a museum ship.
Bored in Manhattan? Check out the Navy and Marines
November 4th, 2009 | Life at Sea Maritime operations Ships The greenside | Posted by Phil Ewing
Marine Capt. Anthony Scarcella showed a visitor the controls of his AH-1 Cobra aboard the New York this week. Many aircraft, vehicles and weapons are on display on board // MC1 Corey Lewis/ Navy
NEW YORK — Here’s an old story you’ve heard before: A hot new performer arrives in in this notoriously hard-to-please city and is rewarded with fame and adulation. Here’s the twist: This time the main character is a 25,000-ton Navy warship.
Attention, vandals: Your Navy needs you
November 3rd, 2009 | Life at Sea Ships | Posted by Phil Ewing
About 100,000 people were expected to visit the amphibious transport dock New York during its visit this week, leading up to its commissioning Saturday // Philip Ewing/Staff
ABOARD THE AMPHIBIOUS TRANSPORT DOCK NEW YORK — This ship’s arrival in New York this week is a solemn occasion and a time for reflection and all that, but Scoop Deck was glad to hear that other people were having cognitive trouble connecting New York, the squared-away, brand-new warship, to New York, the megalopolis.
Navy ships are powerful instruments of American influence, operated with discipline and expertise. But the name “New York” conjures up images of the faux-wood paneling in the F Line to Brooklyn; scenesters in tight jeans talking about bands you’ve never heard of; astronomical rents; men sleeping on grates on 8th Avenue; and the aroma of human excrement floating out of the sewer.
Chief Electronics Technician (SW/SCW/EXW) Mike Kerrigan agreed that some grittier elements were missing from the brand-new New York. There are a few touches: The crew’s mess is named the “Skyline Café.” The starboard-side main deck passageway is named “Broadway,” and before the ship leaves New York, it will almost certainly acquire a souvenir (or stolen) Broadway street sign from Manhattan.
But Kerrigan said he thought the ship could do still better. (And for the record, he voted for “Hell’s Kitchen” as the name for the crew’s mess.)
“I told the guys, I’m gonna go into the subway and find some of those kids with spray cans and bring ‘em back on board and have ‘em go to town,” Kerrigan laughed. “We’ve got a lot of white space on the walls in the upper V” — the upper vehicle bay.
The New York wouldn’t be complete without a tasteful, but authentic, wall of graffiti, Kerrigan said.
“It’s not commonplace for a Navy ship to do that, but we’re special anyway,” he said.