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PORTLAND, Maine (AP) _ The Navy has changed course and decided to push for construction of a third DDG-1000 destroyer that would be built at Bath Iron Works, Sen. Susan Collins said Monday. The Maine Republican said Navy Secretary Donald Winter informed her of the decision that comes one month after the Navy said it was scrapping the Zumwalt destroyer program once the first two are built. The Navy said at the time that it was opting instead to build more of the current-generation DDG-51, or Arleigh Burke, destroyers. Collins quoted Winter as saying that in addition to seeking...

The Navy’s next-generation destroyer is caught in a tug of war between House members who want to scuttle the newest version of the ship in favor of the old and senators who want full funding for the new one. Rep. Gene Taylor, a Blue Dog Democrat from Mississippi, and Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, a Republican from Maryland, led the effort in the House Armed Services Committee to cut more than $2 billion from the appropriation request for the new DDG-1000. That’s a clear challenge to the Republican senators from Maine, Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe, and Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.)...

The Navy's newest guided missile destroyer was christened Saturday with the name of a fighter pilot who spent 7 1/2 years in captivity in North Vietnam, received the Medal of Honor and served as presidential candidate Ross Perot's running mate. Four Medal of Honor recipients and seven former prisoners of war attended the ceremony at Bath Iron Works that marked a milestone in construction of the 9,200-ton ship named for Vice Adm. James Stockdale. Stockdale's widow, Sybil, who suffers from Parkinson's disease and uses a wheelchair, let loose a champagne bottle propelled by rope that swung across the Stockdale's bow....

Secretary of the Navy, Donald C. Winter announced on May 7 at a ceremony in Lake Ronkonkoma, N.Y., the name of the newest Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer will be USS Michael Murphy. Designated as DDG 112, the name honors Lt. Michael Murphy who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions during Operation Red Wing, in Afghanistan on June 28, 2005. "Michael Murphy's name which will be forever synonymous with astonishing courage under fire will now be associated with one of the U.S. Navy's most technologically advanced, most powerful and most capable warships," Winter said. Michael Murphy's...

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class (AW) Kevin S. O’Brien, Office of the Secretary of the Navy, Public Affairs LAKE RONKONKOMA, N.Y. (NNS) -- Secretary of the Navy, Donald C. Winter announced on May 7 at a ceremony in Lake Ronkonkoma, N.Y., the name of the newest Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer will be USS Michael Murphy. Designated as DDG 112, the name honors Lt. Michael Murphy who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions during Operation Red Wing, in Afghanistan on June 28, 2005. "Michael Murphy's name which will be forever synonymous with astonishing courage under...

Iran to Launch Home-Made Submarine, Destroyer TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- Iranian army's naval commander said that the country is due to launch a home-made destroyer and a submarine on Wednesday. Speaking to reporters in a press conference here on Saturday, Admiral Habib Sayyari further pointed to the production of missile-launching PT boats by the navy, and added, "A home-made destroyer called 'Jamaran' and a (home-made) submarine of 'Ghadir' class will launch operation on November 28." He further stressed that his troops are closely monitoring military moves of trans-regional powers in the region, and said, "No move in the Sea of...

Arleigh Burke-class destroyers 'buckling' under stress, admits USN By Tara Copp Serious structural defects have been identified throughout the United States Navy's fleet of Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, Jane's can reveal. The navy (USN) has admitted that many of the 51 ships currently in service are buckling under the stress of higher-than-anticipated loads at sea. The impact of rough-sea slamming on the bow has led to warping of main transverse bulkhead beams and some of the cribbing, a source said. Repairs and strengthening work is already being carried out on the latest Flight IIA ships as well as vessels from the...

Excerpts - HONOLULU (AP) - The US military intercepted a mid-range target missile in a test off Hawaii today. ~ snip ~ It hit the mid-range target's simulated warhead 100 miles above the Earth. The target separated mid-flight, meaning the interceptor missile had to distinguish between the warhead and booster rocket for the kill. The test marked the first time a Navy destroyer intercepted a target missile. Previously only Navy cruisers had done so. ~ snip ~

Sometimes it’s the little things that suggest a campaign has, at least for now, weathered the Obama storm and is moving smoothly into the summer. Hillary Clinton’s Tuesday morning press conference, announcing her endorsement by Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey, had a multitude of those little omens. 1. Few if any defections of consequence. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, and opportunism hath no representative like a New Jersey politician. (Think of former Sen. Bob Torricelli, creator of the Torricelli rule that limited the use of CIA sources with checkered human-rights records, ripping into the Central Intelligence...

                                            

Canadian Destroyer To Go Down In Blaze Of Artillery In Pacific by Michel Comte Ottawa (AFP) April 09, 2007 Environmentalists have lamented plans to sink a Canadian destroyer during a military training exercise in the Pacific next month, saying the navy is "treating the ocean like a garbage dump." The decommissioned HMCS Huron will be struck by a barrage of Canadian and US missiles, aircraft machine guns, naval cannons and torpedoes until it sinks two kilometers (1.2 miles) to the ocean floor off the west coast of Vancouver Island, the navy said. Environment Canada has approved the disposal plan. But...

SCIO, N.Y., March 26, 2007 ? The Navy honored Marine Cpl. Jason L. Dunham March 24 by naming a guided missile destroyer after the fallen Marine hero during a ceremony here. Hundreds of students, teachers and veterans packed the gym of Scio Central High School as Navy Secretary Donald C. Winter announced that the name of the Navy?s newest Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyer would honor the memory of the Marine Corps? most recent Medal of Honor recipient. Dunham is the Marine Corps? first Medal of Honor recipient for actions in Operation Iraqi Freedom. He earned the Medal...

BAE Systems and VT Group set for 2 bln stg Saudi destroyer deal - report 03.09.07, 3:33 AM ET LONDON (AFX) - Britain is aiming to win a 2 bln stg order from Saudi Arabia for the world's most advanced naval destroyer, which would be built by BAE Systems PLC and VT Group PLC, The Independent newspaper reported. The proposed deal comes just three months after the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) was forced to drop an investigation into claims BAE Systems (other-otc: BAESF.PK - news - people ) bribed Saudi officials to secure the Al Yamamah arms-for-oil contract. The report...

Spain leads for $7bn navy contract Patrick Walters, National security editor March 01, 2007 SPAIN is poised to win the contest to design the navy's new air warfare destroyers, destined to be the biggest and most advanced warships in its fleet. As the race to win the contract to design the three vessels enters its final weeks, state-owned Spanish naval builder Navantia is heading its US rival on price and delivery time. The $7 billion program will be Australia's second-biggest defence project in the coming decade, after the $14 billion joint strike fighter for the air force. Long regarded as...

ran builds new naval destroyer MIL-IRAN-DESTROYER Iran builds new naval destroyer TEHRAN, Feb 22 (KUNA) -- Iran on Thursday launched a naval destroyer production line in a factory at the Anzali port in the northern part of the country. The Islamic Iranian News Agency (IRNA) said the Minister of Defense General Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar attended the ceremonial inauguration of the plant. The destroyer wieghs 1.4 tons and powered by a 20,000 horse-power engine with a 30 knots speed capability. The destroyer is equipped with surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles, anti-air defenses and sophisticated electronic war systems, IRNA noted. (end) mw. bz (unclear...

At last count, Florida attorney Willie Gary raked in roughly $1 million a month. Featured on the TV show "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous," the 59-year-old lives in a sprawling, $6 million waterfront home in Stuart, Fla. His law firm, which recently employed former Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell, has three posh offices and owns two jets, including a 32-passenger Boeing 737 outfitted with an 18-karat gold sink and a $1.2 million sound system. But just how much money is too much money to pay in child support? Atlanta resident Diana Gowins — the mother of twins fathered by Gary...

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Navy to Launch 6th Stealth Destroyer The Navy will launch its sixth 4,500-ton destroyer with radar-evading stealth technology today as part of its force improvement program, Navy officials said yesterday. The 4,500-ton ship, equipped with a range of sophisticated weapons systems, will be launched at a shipyard in Ulsan, South Kyongsang Province, the Navy said in a press release. The ship has been named the Choi Yong, after a general of the Koryo Kingdom (918-1392). The ship is the sixth and last 4,500-ton destroyer ordered by the South Korean Navy under a program code-named KDX-II. The new destroyer, which has...

For an event that would turn a page in American history, former president Jimmy Carter has agreed in principle to host former Iranian president Mohammad Khatami for talks during his visit to the United States starting this week. Carter's term as president was dominated by the rupture in relations after the 1979 Iranian revolution and the takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, where 52 Americans were held hostage for 444 days until the day he left office. Iranians made the overture for the meeting, and the Carter Center in Atlanta is working on the possible timing, said Phil Wise,...

Evolved Design Unveiled for Australia's Next Generation Air Warfare Destroyer Gibbs & Cox Tue, 8 Aug 2006, 12:43 ADELAIDE, Australia: The first images of the Evolved Design for Australia's Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD) project were unveiled by the Minister of Defence Brendan Nelson in Adelaide at the opening of the new AWD Systems Centre. Three-dimensional animated vision has been released showing the advanced capabilities of the Evolved Design, with 360-degree protection for Australian troops against threats of air, underwater or missile attack. A series of detailed images of the Evolved Design from different angles has also been released. The Evolved...

(CBS News) TOKYO A new top-of-the-line U.S. guided missile destroyer with missile-tracking radar was deployed to Japan on Saturday, as tensions mounted over neighboring North Korea's recent missile tests. The USS Mustin arrived Saturday at Yokosuka, homeport to the U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet, with its crew of 300 sailors for permanent assignment to the region, said 7th Fleet spokeswoman Hanako Tomizuka. The move comes as the United States restructures its regional defenses amid growing concern about the nuclear ambitions of North Korea, which stunned northeastern Asia on Wednesday by test-firing seven missiles. In August, Yokosuka will also welcome the USS...

The United States can take a punch, dust itself off and get right back up to do its duty. A stirring reminder of that came Thursday, when the guided-missile destroyer USS Cole and its crew of 320 departed Norfolk, Va., and headed to the Middle East as part of a strike force centered on the helicopter assault ship USS Iwo Jima to assist in ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Six years ago, Cole was the target of what should become known as the last unanswered terrorist attack on American property before 9/11. On Oct. 12, 2000, suicide bombers...

SINGAPORE, June 4, 2006 – On the 64th anniversary of the Battle of Midway, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld today met with sailors in another South Pacific port and lauded them for recent service in the Persian Gulf. Rumsfeld was in Singapore for a meeting of defense ministers from Asian and Pacific countries. The USS McCampbell was in Singapore for a liberty call. Four other Navy ships and a Coast Guard cutter were also in port here as part of Exercise CARAT, for Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training. Sailors from each of the other ships and several Coast Guardsmen were...

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The Navy has announced April 7 that the first DD(X) destroyer will be designated DDG 1000. As the lead ship in the class, it will also be named in honor of former Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Elmo R. “Bud” Zumwalt, Jr. Developed under the DD(X) destroyer program, Zumwalt is the lead ship in a class of next-generation, multimission surface combatants tailored for land attack and littoral dominance, with capabilities designed to defeat current and projected threats as well as improve battle force defense. Zumwalt was appointed Chief of Naval Operations in 1970. As the youngest...

The most powerful frontline warship since the Second World War was launched by the Countess of Wessex yesterday, marking a resurgence of British naval ship building. The first Type 45 destroyer is launched yesterday The first of Britain's new Type 45 destroyers took to the waters of the Clyde as the world's most advanced air defence ship. Daring will be able to track and destroy a target the size of a cricket ball travelling at more than three times the speed of sound, a "quantum leap forward in the Navy's capabilities", according the Royal Navy. The boat's defensive system, combining...

December 8, 2005: In a good news for Pakistan Navy United States House of Representatives has given its final approval for providing USS Fletcher to Pakistan and other ships to Turkey, Egypt, India and Greece. This bill has been sent to President George Bush for signing after the parliamentary approval. The US senate has earlier passed the bill that will become a law after the president’s signs. United States will provide a Spruance class destroyer USS Fletcher in military aid to Pakistan after President Bush’s approval. USS Fletcher is currently docked on Pearl Harbor. Ship can carry a crew of...

December 30, 2005: China has received a third Sovremenny class destroyer from Russia. The first two were taken out of Russian navy service and sold to China. These next two are newly built, and improved versions. These ships, displacing about 8,800 tons each, are equipped to defend itself with anti-aircraft missiles, and attack enemy ships with eight large ("Shipwreck"), supersonic anti-ship missiles. Each ship has an anti-submarine helicopter, 48 anti-aircraft missiles, four torpedo tube, mines, depth charges, sonar, two 130mm (5 inch) guns and a modern electronic warfare system. These ships cost $700 million each, about half what their American...

On December 7, future U.S. President George H.W. Bush was a 17-year-old student and captain of the baseball team at Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts. "I remember it well," he says. "We had just left church and started to walk across campus when someone shouted out, 'Pearl Harbor's been bombed.'" On his 18th birthday, the following June, Bush signed up to become a Naval aviator. He completed flight school and earned his commission a few days before his 19th birthday making him the youngest aviator in the Navy at that time.

ABOARD USS CLEVELAND, Arabian Sea (NNS) -- Members of Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 1 are currently leading a group of six coalition ships conducting maritime security operations (MSO) in the North Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman. The strike group’s flagship, USS Tarawa (LHA 1) and the amphibious transport dock USS Cleveland (LPD 7) are joined by the guided-missile destroyer USS Oscar Austin (DDG 79). The French ships Var (FS 608) and Lafayette (FS 710), and the Pakistani frigate Badr (PNS 181) round out the coalition task group. MSO are part of ESG-1’s regularly scheduled deployment to the U.S. 5th...

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The newest Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, Bainbridge (DDG 96), will be commissioned Nov. 12 in an 11 a.m. EST ceremony at Port Everglades, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Rep. E. Clay Shaw, 22nd District, state of Florida, will deliver the ceremony's principal address. Susan Bainbridge Hay will serve as sponsor of the ship named for her great-great-great-grandfather. In a time-honored Navy tradition, she will give the first order to "man our ship and bring her to life!" The new guided-missile destroyer honors the outstanding and heroic service of Commodore William Bainbridge, who served in the Navy from 1789 to...

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The U.S. Navy successfully achieved a significant milestone for the multimission DD(X) destroyer with the completion of a system-wide Critical Design Review (CDR) Sept. 14. The review represents the culmination of years of design effort that encompassed the ship, mission system, human and shore designs that now comprise DD(X). DD(X) is the Navy’s planned next-generation destroyer, tailored for land attack and inland support of joint and coalition forces. It is designed to meet Marine Corps, Army and special operations requirements for precision strike ashore, but also be able to outmatch current and projected threats in the air,...

The Navy's newest destroyer brings stealth to the high seas--and may mark the return of the gun to naval combat. A conceptual drawing of the Navy's new DD(X) class destroyer. Image courtesy of Raytheon.   "The situation was an answer to the prayers of a War College strategist or a gunnery tactician. The enemy column, now reduced to one battleship, one heavy cruiser, and one destroyer, was steaming into a trap. It was a very short vertical to a very broad T, but Oldendorf was about to cap it, as Togo had done to Rozhdestvensky in 1905 at the Battle...

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- The Navy commissioned its newest Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Halsey (DDG 97) July 30 in a ceremony at Pier J, Naval Air Station North Island, Coronado, Calif. Arizona Sen. John McCain, former naval officer, was the key speaker for the event. In his speech, he paid special tribute to his grandfather Adm. John McCain and Fleet Adm. William F. “Bull” Halsey. “My family owes a great debt of gratitude to Adm. Halsey, who personally ordered my grandfather be present on the deck of the USS Missouri when the Japanese formally surrendered,” said Sen. McCain. “For...

The Navy will commission the newest Arleigh Burke class guided-missile destroyer, Halsey, Saturday, July 30, 2005, during an 11 a.m. PDT ceremony at Pier J, Naval Air Station, Coronado, Calif. Sen. John McCain of Arizona will deliver the ceremony's principal address. Heidi Cooke Halsey, Anne Halsey-Smith, and Alice “Missy” Spruance Talbot will serve as sponsors of the ship named for their grandfather. In a time-honored Navy tradition, they will give the first order to "man our ship and bring her to life!" Halsey honors U.S. Naval Academy graduate Fleet Adm. William F. Halsey Jr. (1882-1959). During World War I, Cmdr....

Testifying before the House Armed Services Committee's Projection Forces Subcommittee July 19, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Vern Clark strongly urged Congress to fully fund the Navy's next generation destroyer, DD(X). Clark testified along with the Honorable Kenneth J. Kreig, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics; Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition John Young; and Rear Adm. Charles Hamilton, program executive officer for Ships. The CNO began his opening statement by thanking those House members in attendance for their support. "Thank you for the chance to be here, and I appreciate the...

China's new destroyers feature Aegis tech copied from U.S. Special to World Tribune.comEAST-ASIA-INTEL.COM Thursday, July 21, 2005 China's military put its new guided missile destroyers on display last week, disclosing its two new warships that are equipped with Aegis-type battle management systems. Two new Luyang II guided missile destroyers are part of China's naval builduup. The two Luyang II guided missile destroyers are Beijing's first Aegis-type ships. The ships are currently undergoing sea trials. U.S. intelligence officials say China stole the technology for the Aegis battle management system by setting up a front company in the United States that became...

ABOARD USS PATRIOT, At Sea (NNS) -- Three U.S. 7th Fleet ships took part in the first minesweeping countermeasures operation exercise between the U.S. and Russian navies July 5. USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54), commanded by Cmdr. John T. Lauer III, with USS Patriot (MCM 7) and USS Guardian (MCM 5) under Mine Countermeasures Division (MCD) 11 Commodore, Cmdr. Kurt E. Hedberg, participated in the bilateral training exercise between the two nations, and to observe the paving out and retrieving of the large magnetic cable used to neutralize assorted types of explosive mine ordnance. “It is a privilege for me...

My husband has been in Iraq for 7 months so far with 3-116 CAV. Does anyone have any suggestions about good books to send to him and the guys who work with him in the communications shop on base? Not many of the young guys like to read, so we're looking for suggestions of humorous books or shorter high-interest books. I'm trying to find used copies of the Destroyer series featuring Remo Williams. I think they already have lots of Zane Gray novels. Tempers are getting short about now and some humor will go a long way to lighten things...

"... the next-generation destroyer, DD(X), with its two fully automated 155mm guns capable of firing 10 Global Positioning System-guided rounds per minute up to 83 nautical miles from an expandable 920-round magazine..." Passionate advocates of returning our Nation's two battleships to service maintain that these two ships could be brought back into service quickly, safely and economically to meet Marine Corps requirements for long-range, precise firepower ashore...we should not confuse our fondness for those ships with an assumption of their appropriateness for the task at hand. ...If reactivated, the battleships would not be able to fire munitions "as far as...

NORFOLK, Va. (NNS) -- The Navy commissioned its most advanced guided-missile destroyer to date, USS Nitze (DDG 94), in a ceremony at Naval Station Norfolk, Va., March 5. Cmdr. Michael Hegarty took command of Nitze in a ceremony that included remarks from former Secretary of the Navy John Lehman, Undersecretary of the Navy Dionel Aviles, Rear Adm. Charles Hamilton II, program executive officer - ships, and Rear Adm. Michael Nowakowski, commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet. U.S. Reps. Bobby Scott, 3rd District of Virginia, and Randy Forbes, 4th District, were among the honored guests. Lehman congratulated Nitze’s inaugural crew,...

Now, this was posted on another thread I frequent, and since an admittedly half-hearted search didn't turn up anything on the subject, I'm posting it for your eyes.The Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force has been noted for a couple of things. One of those has been it's capability. Most pundits rate it as the #2 navy in the world. Now Japan also has a rather colorful history in terms of military expansionism, so one of the things that tends to freak out the neighbors is any time the Japanese say the words "Aircraft Carrier". This has become a phrase not...

The USS Mason, the Navy's newest ship, will cruise into port past Jetty Park in what will likely be the public's best opportunity to see the vessel, according to WKMG News partner Florida Today. ** More than 4,000 people have been invited to the ceremony, among them legislative and civic leaders. The private event will be held April 12 at the Navy's Trident Pier at Port Canaveral, across the channel from Jetty Park. It is not open to the public.

No. 008-03 (703)697-5131(media) IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 8, 2003 (703)428-0711(public/industry) NAVY TO CHRISTEN NEW GUIDED-MISSILE DESTROYER The Chung-Hoon, the Navy's newest Arleigh Burke class guided-missile destroyer, will be christened Jan. 11, 2003, during a 10 a.m. CDT ceremony at Northrop Grumman Ship Systems in Pascagoula, Miss. The ship honors Navy Rear Adm. Gordon P. Chung-Hoon, born in Honolulu, July 10, 1910. Chung-Hoon attended the U.S. Naval Academy and graduated in May 1934. He is a recipient of the Navy Cross and Silver Star for conspicuous gallantry and extraordinary heroism as commanding officer for USS Sigsbee (DD 502) from May 1944 to...

Secretary of the Navy Gordon R. England has selected the name Bainbridge for its newest destroyer, DDG 96. As the U.S. Navy continues to recognize the 100th anniversary of the development of the destroyer type of warship (1902-2002) the Bainbridge will be a state of the art warship built at Bath Iron Works, a General Dynamics Company in Maine. In 1902 the Navy introduced its first destroyer DD-1, also named Bainbridge. The new ship will honor the outstanding and heroic service of Commodore William Bainbridge who served in the Navy from 1789-1833. The U.S. Navy has previously named four ships...

<p>In a ceremony combining the oldest traditions afloat with the realities of a changed world, the U.S. Navy commissioned its newest warship, the destroyer McCampbell, on the San Francisco waterfront Saturday.</p> <p>The McCampbell took two years to build and has been running trials and training the crew for months, but it did not become an American warship until it was officially commissioned.</p>

U.S. Navy Selects Northrop Grumman-Led Gold Team For DD(X) System Design Contract $2.9 Billion, Four-Year Program Will Produce Designs for Next-Generation, Transformational Surface Combatants LOS ANGELES, April 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC - news) announced today that the U.S. Navy has selected a team led by the company to complete the system design for the Navy's advanced, 21st century surface combatant, DD(X). Northrop Grumman's Ship Systems sector will lead the system design, engineering prototype development and testing of the DD(X) System under a $265 million contract awarded today by the Navy. The team includes Raytheon Company (NYSE:...