U.S.S. America (LHA-6) and Global Hawks in the news

Discovered the news that Northrop-Grumman won the contract to do the replacement to the Tarawa class Amphib. Did a Google search and found images of the LHA-6 U.S.S. America. Also Cdr Salamander's blog that gave more details about the ship than the corporate website (kinda odd I thought).

Any way, it appears the island on the starboard side is at least as long as the other amphibs in the U.S. Navy. From the CGI images, I'm guessing its slightly narrower than before.

The ship is designed to transport 20+ F-35s (if that program doesn't crash and burn!). Also carries V-22 and CH-53 helicopters. With this ship, the well deck is gone-so no hovercraft like the LCACs.

And like Cdr Salamander, this is basically a baby escort carrier for the 21st century. He wrote down the general characteristics of both the LHA-6 and the old Midway class aircraft carrier.

(Quote)

And yes, I could call it a small CV or CVS - it is the right size.

General Characteristics: LHA-6

Displacement:-Approximately 44,971 long tons full load

Length:-------844 feet (257.3 meters)

Beam:---------106 feet (32.3 meters)

Draft:--------23 feet

Propulsion:---Two marine gas turbines, two shafts, 70,000 total brake horsepower, two 5,000 horsepower auxiliary propulsion motors

Speed:--------20+ knots

Crew:---------1,059 (65 officers)

Load:---------1,687 troops (plus 184 surge)

Armament:-----Two RAM launchers; two NATO Sea Sparrow launchers (with Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM)); two 20mm Phalanx CIWS mounts; seven twin .50 cal. machine guns

Aircraft:-----A mix of: F-35B Joint Strike Fighters (JSF) STOVL aircraft; MV-22 Osprey VTOL tiltrotors; CH-53E Sea Stallion helicopters; UH-1Y Huey helicopters; AH-1Z Super Cobra helicopters; MH-60S Seahawk helicopters

Just to compare, remember the USS CORAL SEA (CV-43)?

General characteristics: Midway-class aircraft carrier

Displacement:-45,000 tons

Length:-------968 ft (295 m)

Beam: --------113 ft (34 m) waterline

Draft:--------35 ft (11 m)

Propulsion:---Geared steam turbines 212,000 shp

Speed:--------33 knots (61 km/h)

Crew:---------4,104 officers and men

Armament:-----Original armament:

----------------84 × Bofors 40 mm guns,

----------------68 × Oerlikon 20 mm cannon

----------------18 × 5"/54 caliber Mark 16 guns

--------------Refit armament:

----------------16 Sea Sparrow

----------------2 close-in weapons systems

Armor:--------Belt: 7.6 inch

Deck:---------3.5 inch

Aircraft carried: Up to 130 (World War II)

45-55 (1980s)

(end Quote).

He then went off on a side-note about naming the following on ships of this class. I personaly like his choices. But I'm still worried that one of the big Ford class nuclear CVNs may not be named after U.S.S. Enterprise. I'm in fact a bit worried that that name will somehow appear on one of these smaller hulls of the America class.

I have also dug into my archives for the blog postings I did on the U.S.S. Enterprise and on the Japanese Helicopter deck destroyers (i.e. Carriers). Both links are below. But I do want to quote part of that article here:

Currently, the 18,000-ton, 610 foot long, Hyuga (DDH 181) is jointed by sister ship Ise. A third ship of this class is still planned. The next carrier will be longer with a flight deck of 763 feet long. It will weigh in at about 25,000 tons. Currently these ships will operate the SH-60s of which 10 to 11 can be carried by the Hyuga class. Crew size is in the 350 personnel range.

Checking out Wikipedia, DDH-181(Hyuga) and sister DDH-182 (Ise), will be able to operate Harriers and F-35 Lightning IIs when they become operational. The ships will then be equipped with a 12 degree ski-jump.

Smaller carriers-they may be named something else to get the funding needed to get them built, but they are coming no matter what. Anyway, links below.

As an aside, also on the Northrop-Grumman website, was this little bit of news about testing of two Global Hawks doing mid-air refueling! Check out that news release as well!

___

Cdr Salamander blog (http://cdrsalamander.blogspot.com/2008/07/uss-america-returns.html).

Northrop-Grumman website (http://www.northropgrumman.com/) & press release for LHA-6 (http://www.irconnect.com/noc/press/pages/news_releases.html?d=195497).

Two Global Hawk UAVs Will Conduct mid-air refueling oepration test. (http://www.irconnect.com/noc/press/pages/news_releases.html?d=195525).

Link to my post about naming a future carrier U.S.S. Enterprise (http://aerospacedreams.blogspot.com/2009/08/there-shall-always-be-uss-enterprise.html).

This is my post about Japan's Helicopter Destroyer class Ise (http://aerospacedreams.blogspot.com/2009/09/japan-is-gettin-back-into-carriers.html).

North Korea and Recent Gulf of Mexico Oil Rig Sinking Theory

In the rush of news items this past weekend dealing with the Times Square Bomber being captured, the recent Deepwater Horizon sinking and the conspiracy theory that somehow a North Korean merchant vessel delivered a mini submarine to the Gulf of Mexico to sink a South Korean built oil rig in the ongoing Korean War.

Yes, I said ON Going Korean War.

The fighting might have ended in 1953, but recently, the North Koreans stated that they still consider themselves to be at war with South Korea and the United States of America.

I have been following this interesting bit of theory over on my other blog, The Shanks Dimension and here is the links to the three articles that I blogged about.

1. April 21, 2010. (http://www.theshanksdimension.com/2010/04/north-korea-sunk-south-koreas-ship-last-month/).

2. April 23, 2010. (http://www.theshanksdimension.com/2010/04/interesting-theory-oil-rig-was-attacked-not-an-accident/).

3. May 1, 2010. (http://www.theshanksdimension.com/2010/05/deepwater-horizon-target-of-north-korea-special-ops-service/). This last link is the one that I have begun to update with new information that I can dig up whenever possible. It also includes information that has not been included in other reports such as I found a picture of the supposed mothership. Also, I looked into the possibility of a Iranian/terror link. This is only my theory right now-no other evidence to support it yet.

Let me also state right now. While this possible attack has I admit, grabbed my attention like nothing else this year; it is still possible that this is just a tragic industrial accident - pure and simple. Eleven people died in this accident. But this conspiracy theory is also a warning to all nations who operate off shore oil rigs. Terrorists view them as targets. Better protection in the form of off shore naval patrols. Of undersea patrols by our own navy will be needed in the future.

While I have never been a serving member of our military, I have been a follower of policy, tactics, and hardware for all of our military branches. Our Navy has Cold War blinders on and the only submarines they want to operate is Nuclear power. There has been a small minority that has expressed a desired for 'conventional' power subs for littoral operations.

May I suggest that this is now the time for the U.S. Navy to have its own version of the Sang-o class mini submarine. A mini sub with a crew of 12-20, four torpedoes externally loaded since the purpose of this design is only close to shore patrol to protect our sea lanes of communication and oil rigs in this example.

If you have the time to click over and read them, and thank you.

UPDATE (May 7, 2010): Articles by Terrence Aym, Shelly Barclay, and Bruce Tyson on Helium.com-

(http://www.helium.com/items/1822086-possible-north-korean-attack-on-deepwater-horizon-oil-rig).

(http://www.helium.com/items/1826209-bps-emergency-oil-dome-may-save-gulf-of-mexico).

Timeline of events by Shelly Barclay-(http://www.helium.com/items/1824652-gulf-of-mexico-oil-spill).

Possible North Korea target: Deepwater Horizon oil platform by Bruce Tyson (http://www.helium.com/items/1822296-possible-north-korea-target-deepwater-horizon-oil-platform).

US Navy intercepts another test missile

U.S. Navy officials say that two short-range ballistic missiles that were launched from Hawaii in a defense system test program in a story released November 2, 2008. One of the missiles was hit by a interceptor missile fired from the USS Paul Hamilton. Another interceptor missile from the USS Hopper, failed to hit its target. The SM-3 (Standard Missile-3) is what the interceptor missile is known as.

Vice Admiral Samuel J. Locklear said that Saturday's trail marked the first time that the Navy – rather than the Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency – oversaw the firing of a SM-3 against a ballistic missile target. The target missiles were launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility on Kauai island. The mission was controlled from the San Diego-based US Third Fleet facilities.

HONOLULU AP/Yahoo (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081102/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/missile_defense_test_2 )