U.S. Navy To Commission 60th Arleigh Burke-class destroyer (USS William P. Lawrence)

[Someoneforyou]

UNITED STATES - 1 JUNE 2011

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Navy will commission the newest Arleigh Burke class guided-missile destroyer, William P. Lawrence, Saturday, June 4, 2011, during an 11 a.m. CDT ceremony at Pier 2, Alabama State Docks, Mobile, Ala.

Designated DDG 110, the new destroyer honors the late Vice Adm. William P. Lawrence. During the Vietnam War, as commanding officer of Fighter Squadron 143, Lawrence earned the Silver Star for a strike against a heavily defended target in North Vietnam. He completed his mission, but was captured after his aircraft went down in June 1967 and he remained a POW until March 1973. He earned the Distinguished Service Medal for his leadership to fellow POWs.

Adm. James A. Winnefeld Jr., commander, U.S. Northern Command will deliver the ceremony's principal address. Diane Lawrence, widow of the ship's namesake and Vice Adm. Lawrence's daughters, Dr. Laurie Lawrence, and retired Navy Capt. Wendy Lawrence, will serve as sponsors of the ship.

William P. Lawrence,the 60th Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, will be able to conduct a variety of operations, from peacetime presence and crisis management to sea control and power projection. William P. Lawrence will be capable of fighting air, surface and subsurface battles simultaneously and will contain myriad offensive and defensive weapons designed to support maritime warfare.

Cmdr. Thomas R. Williams II will become the first commanding officer of the ship. The 9,200-ton William P. Lawrence was built by Huntington Ingalls Industries 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.

GULF OF MEXICO (Jan. 21, 2011) The Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) William P. Lawrence (DDG 110) conducts steering and propulsion systems tests during combined super trials in the Gulf of Mexico. Super trials are the final milestone before the ship's delivery.

General characteristics:

Class and type: Arleigh Burke class destroyer

Displacement: 9,200 tons

Length: 509 ft 6 in (155.30 m)

Beam: 66 ft (20 m)

Draft: 31 ft (9.4 m)

Propulsion: 4 × General Electric LM2500-30 gas turbines, 2 shafts, 100,000 shp (75 MW)

Speed: 30+ knots

Complement: 380 officers and enlisted

Armament: 1 × 32 cell, 1 × 64 cell Mk 41 vertical launch systems;
96 × RIM-66 SM-2, BGM-109 long-range Tomahawk or RUM-139 VL-Asroc missiles

1 × 5 in (127 mm)/62, 2 × 25 mm,
4 × 12.7 mm guns
2 × Mk 46 triple torpedo tubes

Aircraft carried: 2 × SH-60 Sea Hawk helicopters

 

[Someoneforyou]

U.S. Navy Welcomes USS William P. Lawrence to the Fleet
4 June 2011

MOBILE, Ala. -- The U.S. Navy welcomed guided-missile destroyer USS William P. Lawrence (DDG 110) into the fleet during a commissioning ceremony in Mobile, Ala., June 4.

The newest Arleigh Burke-class ship, the 60th of its class, is named in honor of the late Vice Adm. William P. Lawrence, a highly-decorated Naval aviator and Vietname prisoner of war.

Lawrence began his naval career as an academic scholar and athlete at the U.S. Naval Academy, where he later returned to occupy the Chair of Naval Leadership after retiring from active duty, Feb. 1, 1986.

His aircraft was shot down over North Vietnam in June 1967 and he was held captive until March 1973. His dedication and perseverance during that period inspired the ship to claim the motto, "Never Give In."

"[Lawrence] and many others were heroes among heroes by leading a resistance of our prisoners in Vietnam," said Adm. James Winnefeld, commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command and Commander, United States Northern Command. "Indeed we should recognize those men that are with us today because consistent with our ship's motto, they never gave in."

"I assure you we will be ready," said Cmdr. Tom Williams, commanding officer, USS William P. Lawrence (DDG 110). "Whatever challenge may be ahead for this crew, we have set a good course and the only course I will accept is toward excellence."

An audience of more than 3,000 attended the ceremony, held at the Alabama State Docks. The crowd consisted of family and friends of USS William P. Lawrence crew members, a host of U.S. military veterans and many others associated with the Lawrence family.

The ship was christened by three women important to Lawrence, his widow, Diane Wilcox Lawrence, and daughters, Dr. Laurie Macpherson Lawrence and U.S. Navy Capt. (ret.) Wendy B. Lawrence, the ship's sponsor.

The ceremony concluded when the Lawrence family said, bring our ship to life!" The Sailors then manned the rails.

"I look at this as a spring board to much greater things, it's my first command and I couldn't be happier," said Sonar Technician Seaman Apprentice Scott Peterson. "I am very proud to be a part of the most technologically advanced warship in the world."

During the ship's brief stop in Mobile, the crew of William P. Lawrence was heartily welcomed by the local community. The city's minor league baseball team hosted a Navy night, during which Williams threw the first pitch. Crew members also donated many service hours to Habitat for Humanities community relations projects.

"The Sailors on this ship has taken [Lawrence's] spirit and his character to heart and they're the real secret to making this the best ship in the fleet, said Williams. "We're named for a modern naval hero who was known as the Sailor's Admiral, and he really took care of people."

 

[Someoneforyou]

UNITED STATES - 4 JUNE 2011

Photos of USS William P. Lawrence (DDG 110) commissioning ceremony. The U.S. Navy's newest Arleigh Burke-class Aegis guided missile destroyer:

 

[Someoneforyou]

U.S. Navy's Newest Destroyer To Arrive In San Diego
UNITED STATES - 28 JUNE 2011

San Diego - Sailors on the Navy's newest destroyer are scheduled to arrive with their ship at Naval Base San Diego, July 1.

The guided-missile destroyer USS William P. Lawrence (DDG 110), the 60th Arleigh Burke class destroyer, was built in Pascagoula, Miss. and commissioned during a ceremony at the Alabama State Docks in Mobile, Ala. June 4.

After commissioning, the ship departed Mobile and sailed through the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea and Panama Canal into the Pacific Ocean on its voyage to its homeport of San Diego.

Cmdr. Thomas R. Williams II is the first commanding officer of the 9,200-ton warship's 280-person crew.

"It is wonderful to celebrate our homecoming on the 4th of July weekend with our families," said Williams. "Our goal as a command for the past year was to make it home by the 4th, and I'm very proud of the Lawrence warriors who worked so hard to make it possible."

The new destroyer honors the late Vice Adm. William P. Lawrence, an accomplished leader and the first naval aviator to fly twice the speed of sound. During the Vietnam War, as commanding officer of Fighter Squadron 143, Lawrence was awarded the Silver Star for a strike against a heavily defended target in North Vietnam. He completed his mission, but was captured after his aircraft went down in June 1967 and remained a prisoner of war (POW) until March 1973. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal for his leadership to fellow POWs.

While a POW, Vice Adm. Lawrence composed a poem entitled "Oh Tennessee, My Tennessee," which was subsequently designated as the official poem of the State of Tennessee by the state legislature.

The ship is capable of carrying Tomahawk missiles, anti-submarine torpedoes, surface-to-air missiles, as well as a five-inch gun and two SH-60 helicopters.

William P. Lawrence helps provide deterrence, promote peace and security, preserve freedom of the sea and humanitarian/disaster response within 3rd Fleet's 50-million square mile area of responsibility in the Eastern Pacific, as well as supporting the Navy's Maritime Strategy when forward deployed.

 

[Someoneforyou]

Lockheed Martin's Multi-Mission Signal Processor Completes Tracking Test
UNITED STATES - 25 JULY 2011

MOORESTOWN, N.J., July 25th, 2011 -- The Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] Aegis SPY-1 radar successfully identified, tracked and conducted simulated engagements against live aircraft in a stressing electronic attack environment during a test of the Multi-Mission Signal Processor (MMSP).

The MMSP is developed and fielded as part of the U.S. Navy's Aegis system, which combines next-generation Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) and anti-air warfare capability in an open combat-system architecture.

During the test, live aircraft conducted simulated attacks at the U.S. Navy's Vice Admiral James H. Doyle Combat Systems Engineering Development Site. The Aegis SPY-1 radar, equipped with MMSP, tracked the aircraft and successfully executed all attack scenarios.

"By combining the proven SPY-1 radar and Aegis BMD signal processing into a single open architecture platform, we can provide a cost-effective technical solution with unprecedented future growth to the U.S. Navy," said Brad Hicks, vice president of naval radar programs at Lockheed Martin's Mission Systems & Sensors business. "The success of this test confirms the system is on track for deployment to the fleet next year."

As part of the Aegis Modernization Program, MMSP is scheduled for installation on guided missile destroyers currently equipped with the Aegis Weapon System, starting in 2012.

The Aegis BMD element of the nation's ballistic missile defense system provides the capability to use hit-to-kill technology to intercept and destroy short- and medium-range ballistic missiles. Additionally, Aegis BMD-equipped ships provide surveillance and tracking of intercontinental ballistic missiles and work with other elements of the nation's missile defense systems to provide advance warning for the defense of the nation, deployed U.S. forces and allies.


Source: Lockheed Martin

 

[asianobserve]

That's a lot of AEGIS destroyers. Just imagine of all these 60 destroyers on worldwide patrols are networked together... Talking about situational awareness.

 

[Someoneforyou]

SAN DIEGO (July 1, 2011) Friends and family members greet Sailors aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS William P. Lawrence (DDG 110) at Naval Base San Diego. USS William P. Lawrence, the 60th Arleigh Burke class destroyer, was commissioned June 4 and will be homeported in San Diego.

SAN DIEGO (July 1, 2011) The guided-missile destroyer USS William P. Lawrence (DDG 110) arrives at homeport at Naval Base San Diego. USS William P. Lawrence, the 60th Arleigh Burke class destroyer, was commissioned June 4.

 

[agentperry]

extreme firepower........
i just imagine when will india make destroyers or frigates on sucha large scale. means even half of them say 30 patrolling in indian ocean not even far away will make pakistan navy back to shipyards.

 

[Someoneforyou]

Lockheed Martin Awarded Naval Air Systems Command Contract To Support Tactical Tomahawk Weapons Control System
UNITED STATES - 9 AUGUST 2011

Philadelphia, Pa., August 9th, 2011 -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] will continue to maintain the Tactical Tomahawk Weapons Control System (TTWCS), a critical system that integrates the launch hardware and software to provide weapon control for variants of the Tomahawk Land Attack Missile. The Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) exercised an option valued at $13 million on an existing software development contract to sustain TTWCS. The total contract value could reach $50.2 million if the three remaining options are exercised.

"Lockheed Martin has a long history of technical excellence and will continue to be a key partner in supporting the Tomahawk Weapons System and our fleet warfighters," said Captain Chris Flood, Tomahawk Program Manager.

"Over the decades, Lockheed Martin has worked closely with the Tomahawk Weapons System program office in the evolution of Tomahawk, often the first weapon employed when our nation goes to combat," said Jim Quinn, vice president of C4ISR Systems with Lockheed Martin's IS&GS-Defense. "We will continue to apply our systems, software, and hardware engineering expertise to ensure that Tomahawk remains a viable and responsive weapon system."

Under this contract, Lockheed Martin will continue to maintain and sustain TTWCS, one of three major components that comprise the Tomahawk Weapons System. Lockheed Martin will also provide the software development, systems engineering, software and hardware deployment support needed to upgrade TTWCS, as well as any management required to continue the system upgrades to address significant hardware, software, and interoperability obsolescence issues. The work will be performed at the Corporation's Valley Forge, Pa., facility.

Ship classes programmed for the Tomahawk capability include all Navy cruisers, all Navy destroyers and all attack and guided missiles class submarines. Integration of the Tomahawk Weapons System with these various launch platforms provides the fleet with an enhanced capability to satisfy the Navy's vision elicited in Sea Power 21, specifically the Sea Strike pillar. Additionally, the Tomahawk Weapons System provides the United Kingdom's Royal Navy the same firepower capability to its Astute and Trafalgar class submarines under a Foreign Military Sales program.


Source: Lockheed Martin