LOCATIONS

LAND

19 Sep 11. Northrop Grumman Corporation’s green commitment begins at home. The company designed and renovated its new corporate headquarters building to meet the requirements for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Commercial Interiors Gold level. LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification system.Quality American-made, high-efficiency cooling and heating equipment and layers of automated operational controls were incorporated into the design to maximize efficiency and reduce environmental energy use by as much as 30 percent. Additionally, Northrop Grumman expects the technologically advanced lighting control systems and highly efficient lighting used throughout the building to reduce energy consumption by 15 percent. Other key environmentally-friendly design elements include plumbing fixtures that reduce water consumption by over 35 percent, the use of recycled and locally extracted and manufactured materials, and addressing indoor air quality with low-chemical-emitting paints, sealants, carpeting and adhesives.

MARITIME

19 Sep 11. The Arleigh Burke (DDG 51), namesake of all current U.S. destroyers, was berthed earlier this month just opposite one of the newest of the breed, the Jason Dunham (DDG 109). The Burke’s smart outward appearance belied its 20-plus years in the fleet, and inside, courtesy of a major modernization, the ship now boasts major upgrades that rival many of the new systems in its 1-year-old fleet mate. The 20-year old destroyer Arleigh Burke now features many of the system upgrades found on the newer U.S. Navy DDG. (Christopher P. Cavas / Staff) “I was worried about regaining our proficiency after nine months in the shipyard,” said Cmdr. Corey Keniston, the Burke’s commanding officer. “But the VMS (Voyage Management System) has helped a lot.” (Source: Defense News)

14 Sep 11. Navy to Christen Joint High Speed Vessel Spearhead. The Navy will christen the joint high speed vessel (JHSV) Spearhead Sept. 17, at 10 a.m. CDTin Mobile, Ala. Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabamawill deliver the commissioning ceremony’s principal address. Retired Army Chief Warrant Officer Kenneth Wahlman, will serve as the ship’s sponsor. His daughter Catherine, a staff sergeant in the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps at Virginia Tech University, will assist her father in the christening. The 338 foot-long aluminum catamaran is being constructed by Austal USA in Mobile, Ala. Spearhead and the nine other JHSVs under contract allow intra-theater transportation of troops, military vehicles, supplies and equipment. They are capable of transporting 600 short tons 1,200 nautical miles at an average speed of 35 knots and can operate in shallow-draft ports and waterways, providing U.S. forces added mobility and flexibility. Joint high speed vessels’ aviation flight decks can support day and night air vehicle launch and recovery operations. This platform can berth up to 146 personnel and provides airline-style seating for up to 312. Military commanders will have the flexibility to use the JHSV in a variety of roles, including supporting overseas contingency operations, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief efforts and special operations forces and maintaining emerging joint sea-basing concepts. Upon delivery to the U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command (MSC), Spearhead will be designated as a United States naval ship. It will have a core crew of 21 civilian mariners who will operate and navigate the ship. The first four JHSVs including Spearhead will be crewed by federally employed civil service mariners, and the remaining six will be crewed by civilian contract mariners working for private shipping companies under contract to MSC. Military mission personnel will embark as required by the mission sponsors.

14 Sep 11. Astute Class Submarines: Names. The Defence Secretary confirmed (14 Sep 11) that the Astute SSN were to be a Class of seven, with Boat 5 to be n