The new destroyer honors Adm. George Dewey (1837-1917) who commanded the Asiatic Station from the cruiser Olympia. Shortly after the onset of the Spanish-American War, Dewey led his squadron of warships into Manila Bay on April 30, 1898. The next morning, his squadron destroyed the Spanish fleet in only two hours without a single American loss. A widely popular hero of his day, Dewey was commissioned admiral of the Navy in March 1903. Two previous ships have proudly carried his name.

Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the event's principal speaker, addressed the new ship's crew and called on them to provide leadership and dedication to each other and the mission.

"Let you be guided by that sense of duty which knows not the timidity of those who stay silent when they see something wrong," Mullen said. "And let you be inspired by the strength and the fortitude of your families whose high expectations of your conduct are—or should be—exceeded only by those you hold for yourselves."

Dewey is the 55th Arleigh Burke-class destroyer. The ship will be able to conduct a variety of operations, from peacetime presence and crisis management, to sea control and power projection. Dewey will be capable of fighting air, surface and subsurface battles simultaneously and contains a myriad of offensive and defensive weapons designed to support maritime warfare in keeping with "A Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Seapower," which postures the sea services to apply maritime power to protect U.S. vital interests in an increasingly interconnected and uncertain world.

Mrs. Deborah Mullen, the ship's sponsor, culminated the ceremony with the traditional order to "Man our ship and bring her to life!" emphasizing that the ship is truly alive with the Sailors that are serving now and will serve on Dewey in the future.

Cmdr. Warren Buller, of Concord, Mass., is the first commanding officer of the ship and leads the crew of 276 officers and enlisted personnel. He was proud to see this day come, marking the beginning of the ship's life and pointed to the ship's flag flying from the yardarm with the echoing Adm. Dewey's exhortation "Fight" in Navy blue on a field of gold above four white stars.

"Our command's philosophy; fight the ship, fight for your people and know why you fight for the country," Buller said. "We are ready to join the fleet, we are ready to fight."

The 9,200-ton Dewey was built by Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Miss. The ship is 509 feet in length, has a waterline beam of 59 feet, and a navigational draft of 31 feet. Four gas turbine engines will power the ship to speeds in excess of 30 knots.

Dewey, her crew and their families will call San Diego home after commissioning.

USS Dewey DDG 105 Commissioned at Seal Beach is a post from: DefenceTalk | Defense & Military News - Forums - Pictures - Weapons

The improved E-2C Hawkeye 2000 carries advanced capabilities over its predecessor in the areas of detection, processing, identification, communication and navigation.

Their arrival, along with 24 newer F/A-18E Super Hornets in the past two months, is part of several recent upgrades to Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5 making it the most powerful and capable airwing in the Western Pacific region and the U.S. Navy.

According to Capt. Ross Myers, commanding officer of CVW 5, this upgrade goes beyond increasing just the battle group's efficiency.

"The capability that the Hawkeye 2000 brings to Carrier Air Wing 5 is more than just the squadron," said Myers. "It brings to the entire air wing capabilities that we have never had before and in a greater scope it brings to the joint security cooperation between the United States and the Government of Japan in defense of Japan and Japanese self defense forces a greater capability and lethality for the strike fighters."

Key among the advances is the cooperative engagement capability upgrade which enables the Hawkeye to serve as the fleet's information hub, fusing and distributing information from sources such as satellite and ship-borne radar. This enhanced technology provides better data links to ships conducting ballistic missile defense operations at sea, expanding the reach of U.S. Navy maritime operations in the 7th Fleet area of responsibility.

VAW 115's maintenance officer and naval flight officer Lt. Cmdr. Bill Selk has worked with the E-2C Hawkeye for over a decade and feels this new upgrade will play a vital role in CVW 5's mission.

"From the outside both airplanes look almost identical, but from the inside it brings a whole new level of capability for us," said Selk. "It has a few new displays and a few new systems that will really enhance our situational awareness and will help us convey that to the battle space."

The Hawkeye 2000's arrival was no surprise to the squadron. According to Cmdr. Chris Martin, VAW 115's commanding officer, the squadron had an ample amount of resources to make the transition a simple one.

"We started about six to eight months ago. We started looking at our training requirements and began planning," Martin said. "Also we have maintenance training teams coming from the U.S. and as well as our fleet replacement squadron to help us transition to the new airplane."

As for the maintainers, the transition shouldn't place too much change in how they handle required maintenance.

"Most of the systems are the same with the exceptions of the electricians and avionics technicians," said Selk. "There will be some new systems for them to learn and I know they are excited to get their hands on them and show us what they can do with them."

E-2C Hawkeye 2000 Reinforces US Navy Wing in Japan is a post from: DefenceTalk | Defense & Military News - Forums - Pictures - Weapons

While in Mayport, Freedom will undergo final counter-illicit trafficking and airborne use of force training and certification in preparation for expected missions in the U.S. Southern Command/Commander, U.S. 4th Fleet Area of Responsibility.

Readying for this deployment was a unique process for Freedom's Sailors. Starting in November 2009, Freedom engaged in independent training and certification exercises off the Virginia and Florida coasts, including maritime security surge training for both the Blue and Gold Crews.

After completing a Continuous Maintenance Availability at Colonna's Shipyard in Norfolk, Va., in mid-January 2010, Freedom got underway again for sea trials to verify the integration of the Surface Warfare Mission Package and aviation detachment with the core crew. Upon completion of a successful set of trials and onload of deployment ammunition, Freedom sailed south to Mayport to complete the final certification process and prepare for the mid-February 2010 deployment.

"This deployment comes a full two years ahead of schedule," said Cmdr. Randy Garner, commanding officer of Freedom's Gold Crew. "We are ready and eager to get to sea, head south and show what Freedom and her crew are capable of doing."

Freedom's deployment will be the first for the revolutionary LCS program, whose ships are designed to handle mission sets that do not require the full breadth and depth of capabilities of a traditional surface combatant.

Instead of the wide spectrum of combat capability inherent to those platforms, an LCS will embark tailored mission packages (surface warfare, mine countermeasure, anti-submarine warfare or maritime security) and an aviation detachment to fulfill a specific mission set. These tailored packages allow the LCS to fulfill several niche missions with a much smaller crew and at less cost than larger surface combatants.

Additionally, the shallower draft of the LCS allows it to operate in many areas where larger, deeper-draft combatants cannot venture.

The Sailors of Freedom's Gold Crew, some of whom served aboard the ship before her commissioning, are eagerly anticipating her first operational deployment.

"Absolutely – everyone's looking forward to this deployment," said Command Master Chief Anthony Decker, who will be embarking on his last shipboard deployment. "This is what these men and women get paid to do – not testing, not trials, but actually doing real-world missions."

Freedom's deployment will conclude later this spring when she arrives in her new homeport of San Diego.

LCS 1 Arrives In Mayport, Prepares For Maiden Deployment is a post from: DefenceTalk | Defense & Military News - Forums - Pictures - Weapons

During Sea Trials, the ship's electronics, communication, navigation and other combat systems that were built or modified in the shipyard will be tested.

In addition, an inspection of the ship's catapults and jet blast deflectors will be conducted, as well as inspections of the ship's berthing spaces, demonstrations of search and rescue equipment firefighting capabilities, and an evaluation of food service facilities to determine the ship's overall mission readiness.

Bush's sea trials come after a highly successful Post Shakedown Availability/Selective Restrictive Availability that officially completed the construction of the Navy's newest aircraft carrier.

"In just seven months, the ship experienced an amount of depot and intermediate level work comparable to an 11-month planned incremental availability," said Bush's Chief Engineer, Cmdr. Shannon Terhune.

Work on the ship over the last seven months included finishing the air-wing spaces and combat systems suite, implementation of ship alterations to get the ship on the class maintenance plan, and the completion of the ship's force work package.

Ship's force work saved the Navy more than half a million dollars, according to Bush Engineering Department Leading Chief Petty Officer, Master Chief Machinist's Mate (SW) Al Fuller, and more than 60 percent of the overall ship's force work package fell to Engineering Department Sailors to complete.

One major undertaking was completed by Damage Control division, who exhausted more than 6,800 man hours upgrading the ship's 10 damage control repair stations and 27 damage control unit lockers, saving the Navy more than $680,000.

Another upgrade included Electric division converting the carrier's "77" island lights from incandescent bulbs to light emitting diode, saving the Navy 90 percent of the cost associated with light operation. Terhune credited the teamwork and cooperation between ship's force, Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding, Program Manager for Ships (In-Service Aircraft Carriers), Commander Naval Air Forces Atlantic (Maintenance and Material), Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair (Newport News), and more than 20 separate contractor organizations for an unprecedented level of efficiency in the execution of production work on the ship. He said the ship's crew appreciated the professionalism of all maintenance providers.

Upon completion of sea trials, Bush will return to its homeport of Naval Station Norfolk, Va., to begin the work-up cycle towards deployment and prepare for sustained flight operations at sea.

USS George H.W. Bush Departs for Sea Trials is a post from: DefenceTalk | Defense & Military News - Forums - Pictures - Weapons

LCS is a fast, agile, mission-focused ship that demonstrates the latest in naval warfighting technology. The ship is specifically designed to defeat "anti-access" threats in shallow, coastal water regions, including fast surface craft, quiet diesel submarines, and mines. To meet the combatant commander's increased demand for mission-tailored forces packages, LCS features an interchangeable modular design that allows the ship to be reconfigured to meet mission requirements.

"The ship is large enough and flexible enough to hold just about anything you could think of in terms of coastal and littoral warfare," said Cmdr. Michael Riley, commanding officer, Gold Crew. "If you build modules we could carry them. That's one of the true unique things about Independence. I think we are going to expand way beyond the initial three mission sets the ship was designed to do, and of course do those extremely well."

The Sailors who will bring the ship to life on Jan. 16 are part of an innovative manning reconstruct that reduces crew size, demanding each Sailor maintain high levels of proficiency in multiple fields, and optimizes ship operability with multiple crews. Independence is manned by two rotational crews, "blue" and "gold," of 40 Sailors each. These crews are further augmented by detachment specialists for each of the mission modules.

"We ask every one of our Sailors to be on their game all the time, and in terms of manpower provide a great product," said Cmdr. Curt Renshaw, commanding officer, Blue Crew. "That team has come together, and with this great product and this great ship, we will be ready to take her and do the nation's tasking, hopefully sooner rather than later."

"Both LCS 1 and LCS 2 were designed to meet the same requirements with reduced manning," said Rear Adm. Jim Murdoch, LCS program manager. "In the last several years, we have conducted a great deal of assessment to be sure we implement this shift without any loss of efficiency or increase in vulnerability. Manning of the ship is centered around the question of whether you have enough people to fight it."

"On other ships, Sailors from every department help in the kitchen, and the cooks do just that – they cook," said Renshaw. "On LCS, we have three cooks who can also shoot a gun, fight a fire, manage systems, and stand anti-terrorism watches. Our Sailors have a lot of skills."

"My best machine-gunner is a culinary specialist; my best emergency medical technician is an electronics technician," Riley said. "We've really brought out the best in the Sailors we have on board."

The rotational crew model is already proving effective aboard USS Freedom (LCS 1), Independence's predecessor in the LCS class. Freedom is currently readying for her maiden deployment, accelerated approximately two years. The Navy expects to learn key operational lessons about Freedom in a deployment setting, and to integrate those lessons into the larger LCS fleet, projected to eventually reach 55 ships.

While Freedom prepares for early deployment, Independence looks forward to commissioning. The decision to commission the ship in Mobile, Ala., where construction began nearly four years ago, is testament to the incredible support the community has lent the Navy.

"By commissioning in Mobile, we are also fortunate to have many of the required resources in place to allow for detailed and efficient planning for this exciting occasion," said Renshaw.

"The city of Mobile has really made us feel welcome," Riley said. "I want to extend my gratitude for everything they have been doing and continue to do for us."

Following commissioning, Independence will conduct further testing and evaluation before eventually heading toward its homeport in San Diego.

Revolutionary Ship Readies for Commissioning is a post from: DefenceTalk | Defense & Military News - Forums - Pictures - Weapons

"Today marks a critical milestone in the life of the LCS 2," said Rear Adm. James Murdoch, the LCS program manager in the Navy's Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships. "The Navy and our industry partners have worked diligently to deliver a much-needed capability."

Prior to delivery, the Navy's Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV) conducted Acceptance Trials aboard LCS 2 on Nov. 13-19, and found the ship's propulsion plant, sea-keeping and self-defense performance to be "commendable," and recommended that the chief of naval operations authorize delivery of the ship following the correction or waiver of cited material deficiencies.

Between now and sail away in February 2010, the contractor will correct most of the trial cards received during trials. Any remaining cards will be corrected during scheduled post-delivery maintenance availabilities including the post-shakedown availability scheduled for completion in 2011.

Delivery is the last shipbuilding milestone before commissioning, scheduled for Jan. 16 in Mobile, Ala.

The LCS class is designed from the keel up to deliver efficient capability, capacity, and flexibility to the warfighter. Independence, a high-speed aluminum trimaran, is designed to defeat asymmetric "anti-access" threats such as mines, quiet diesel submarines and fast surface craft. The 417-foot Independence will be outfitted with reconfigurable payloads, called mission packages, which can be changed out quickly. These mission packages focus on three mission areas: mine counter measures, surface warfare and anti-submarine warfare.

PEO Ships is responsible for the development and acquisition of U.S. Navy surface ships and has delivered eight major surface ships to the fleet since the beginning of 2009. PEO Ships is working in conjunction with its industry partners to achieve steady production for all programs to increase production efficiencies and leverage cost savings. Delivering high-quality war fighting assets -- while balancing affordability and capability -- is key to supporting the Navy's Maritime Strategy and building the Navy's 313-ship force structure. PEO Ships is committed to delivering quality ships at an affordable price.

Navy Accepts Delivery of Future USS Independence is a post from: DefenceTalk | Defense & Military News - Forums - Pictures - Weapons

Lt. Roger Stanton had the privilege of being the first Navy test pilot to fly the P-8A Poseidon in October.

“It felt awesome,” Stanton said. “The first time you fly a new airplane it’s just a great experience. This is what test pilots are trained to do, so getting this rare opportunity was really amazing.”

Stanton, along with Boeing pilot Doug Benjamin, flew the first Poseidon, designated T1, over the Puget Sound in Washington, kicking off the formal Navy flight test program.

“It was a good day - a really good day,” Stanton said. “All the training I received was great. We rehearsed the flight profile many times so we came into the flight very well prepared, but it was still fun.”

Stanton began T1 flight preparation in 2008 with Boeing 737 training in Seattle, consisting of classroom courses, computer-based training and a mixture of commercial 737 simulators as well as time in an actual 737 aircraft. He also spent approximately 250 hours in the Weapon System Integration Lab, located in Kent, Wash.

The WSIL is a non-motion based simulator designed to help the test team integrate aircraft and mission systems, as well as, test aircraft components.

“For the baseline P-8, it certainly flies like a 737,” he said. “They did a nice job of building the airplane. The interesting flying for the P-8 really will come when we have to emulate the P-3 mission – high bank angle, low altitude, autopilot integrated into our mission with missiles on the wings. It will get interesting.”

That type of flying will come later in the test program. T1 actually made three flights in October, prior to undergoing more instrumentation installation in the factory. The first flight was to check the airworthiness, or how well the modified 737 aircraft flies with all the test instrumentation.

The second two flights practiced instrument approaches with a visual restrictive device. Stanton said one of the things the Navy closely monitors is whether or not the pilots are capable of safely flying the plane if they can’t look out the window for visual reference.

Initial testing of T1 is being conducted in Seattle. It will transfer to Pax in early 2010, where flight and operational testing will be completed by the integrated test team (ITT).

The Poseidon ITT, comprised of Navy test squadrons -- Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 20 and Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 1 -- and Boeing, will spend the next 36 months flying and evaluating three aircraft, designated T1, T2 and T3. The evaluation will include extensive mission systems testing, operational effectiveness and ability to carry out the anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations in accordance with Naval Air Systems Command requirements.

Stanton said the maritime patrol and reconnaissance community needs a new aircraft and needs it badly. He said the Fleet needs an airframe that’s capable of meeting the requirements set forth by the Navy and that support the maritime strategy.

“Our job here is to test that capability on the Poseidon,” he said. “As an operational P-3 pilot, I am fully aware of the challenges facing the [MPRA] community as they try and execute their high demand mission with a dwindling number of aging assets. Testing the P-8 and getting it to the [MPRA] community as soon as possible will help alleviate some of those challenges.”

First Navy Test Pilot Flies P-8A Poseidon is a post from: DefenceTalk | Defense & Military News - Forums - Pictures - Weapons

The electric fuel cell propulsion system on board the Ion Tiger has the low noise and signature of a battery-powered UAV, while taking advantage of hydrogen, a high-energy fuel. Fuel cells create an electrical current when they convert hydrogen and oxygen into water and heat.

The 550-watt (0.75 horsepower) fuel cell on board the Ion Tiger has about four times the efficiency of a comparable internal combustion engine and the system provides seven times the energy in the equivalent weight of batteries. The Ion Tiger weighs approximately 37 pounds and carries a 4- to 5-pound payload.

The Ion Tiger fuel cell system development team is led by NRL and includes Protonex Technology Corporation, HyperComp Engineering, and Arcturus UAV. The program is sponsored by the Office of Naval Research.

This latest flight test improves on Ion Tiger's previous unofficial flight endurance record of 23 hours and 17 minutes that took place on Oct. 9-10.

NRL has now demonstrated that PEM fuel cell technology can meet or surpass the performance of traditional power systems, providing reliable, quiet operation and extremely high efficiency. Next steps will focus on increasing the power of the fuel cell to 1.5 kW, or 2 HP, to enable tactical flights and extending flight times to three days while powering tactical payloads.

Ion Tiger Fuel Cell UAV Sets Flight Endurance Record is a post from: DefenceTalk | Defense & Military News - Forums - Pictures - Weapons

Carl Vinson immediately went to sea to conduct Sea Trials in preparation for its homeport transfer to San Diego.

Carl Vinson's Commanding Officer Capt. Bruce Lindsey said he thinks the crew did a great job bringing the ship out of the shipyard ahead of schedule.

"The crew did a fantastic job," said Lindsey. "Not only did we deliver during PSA, but we caught up on training we missed during RCOH and became the first carrier in 16 years to leave a commercial shipyard early."

Carl Vinson Sailors were relieved to have their ship become operational again, as some have been aboard for most of the time while in the shipyard. Vinson is the third nuclear aircraft carrier to have successfully completed 25 years of service and to undergo RCOH.

Interior Communications Electrician 2nd Class (SW) Jaymes Linenkohl, the Engineering Interior Communications leading petty officer, came aboard Vinson at the very beginning of RCOH.

"When RCOH started there was nothing. The ship was completely gutted. It looked like bare metal with compartments," said Linenkohl. "Now it doesn't even look like the same ship. I'm very proud of all the work I put into getting this ship ready to go underway."

Lt. Eugene Osborn, who has been aboard the ship since Feb. 2008, says the opportunity to bring a ship out of the shipyard and into the fleet doesn't happen often.

"It'll be good to have the ship be fully operational again," said Osborn. "It'll be a once-in-a-lifetime experience; it's not every day you get to sail the Atlantic, visit foreign ports, and pull into San Diego."

Carl Vinson's move to Norfolk is one step in her move to San Diego, which will be her homeport.

"It's going to be really nice to finally get out of the shipyards and get a chance to do our jobs," said Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Handling) Airman James Hullender, who has been aboard the ship since May. "I'll be a shellback, and I'll get to see new countries I've never seen before. It'll be a really fun trip."

The short underway ended on Saturday, Dec. 5 with the ship pulling into Naval Station Norfolk. Carl Vinson is scheduled to transit around the Horn of South America and ultimately homeport in San Diego during the spring of 2010.

Carl Vinson Leaves Shipyard Ahead of Schedule is a post from: DefenceTalk | Defense & Military News - Forums - Pictures - Weapons

A year ago, U.S. Marines operating in the Arabian Desert only viewed the sun as the source of the region's relentless heat. Today, the sun fuels the Ground Renewable Expeditionary ENergy System (GREENS), a 300-watt, photovoltaic/battery system that provides continuous power to Marines in the field.

ONR began exploring the GREENS idea in fall 2008 in response to a Marine Corps requirement from Iraq for an expeditionary renewable power system.

"It's vitally important to have power in the battlefield especially these days in an irregular warfare environment," said Marine Col. Thomas Williams, a senior officer at ONR. "There's a high demand for computing devices, targeting systems and communications devices in the field. Small tactical Marine units are widely dispersed, and they require power and resupply."

By reducing the logistical supply chain for fuel, GREENS, and other projects like it, will help cut fuel use, cost and the associated threats to vehicle resupply convoys in Afghanistan and Iraq.

"There are two pieces to the program," said Dr. Michele Anderson, ONR's program officer responsible for the effort. "One is a hardware demonstrator that is a hybrid photovoltaic battery system to enable the Marine Corps to use solar energy."

"The other piece is a tool kit," Anderson continued. "In other words, a Marine can enter into the GREENS computer what their expected mission profile is, and it will tell them which components of the GREENS system to pull out and take with them in order to provide their renewable power needs."

Approval for the GREENS project was expedited through the ONR Future Naval Capability process and technical execution took less than six months, resulting in test of the first unit in July 2009. The entire project, from concept to transition, took just over a year, culminating in a contract solicitation announcement to industry to produce and field GREENS for the Marine Corps.

Justin Govar, a chemical engineer for the Expeditionary Power Systems Office at Marine Corps Systems Command, agreed.

"Within the Marine Corps, we are fighting in areas that are remote, and require very difficult logistical convoys to get to," Govar said. "And there is a lot of fuel and other types of batteries and power systems that have a heavy logistical burden."

The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division (NSWCCD), developed and tested the GREENS prototype. "Providing reliable AC and DC power to remote outposts is what GREENS is all about," said Eric Shields, a mechanical engineer for the Battery Technology Group at NSWCCD. "Marines will not have to rely on fuel resupplies as much for generators to ensure their radio equipment and batteries have power."

The GREENS system has undergone continuous power testing at Naval Air Warfare Center, China Lake, Calif., where ambient temperatures exceeded 116 degrees Fahrenheit. Even under the extreme temperatures, the system provided 85 percent of the rated energy. This performance exceeded expectations, prompting rapid development and accelerating procurement of the final design.

GREENS was a featured program at the ONR-sponsored Naval Energy Forum and is just one of the many innovative ways the future battlefield will be powered. The deployment of this technology will equip the Marine Corps with new capability and knowledge of how renewable energy can make a difference.

The Department of the Navy's Office of Naval Research provides the science and technology necessary to maintain the Navy and Marine Corps' technological advantage. Through its affiliates, ONR is a leader in science and technology with engagement in 50 states, 70 countries, 1,035 institutions of higher learning, and 914 industry partners. ONR employs approximately 1,400 people, comprising uniformed, civilian and contract personnel.

Solar Energy Powers Marines on Battlefield is a post from: DefenceTalk | Defense & Military News - Forums - Pictures - Weapons