thedrifter
01-20-06, 09:45 AM
S.A. namesake joins Navy
Web Posted: 01/15/2006 12:00 AM CST
Sig Christenson
Express-News Military Writer
"She's a revolutionary ship," said the USS San Antonio's skipper, Capt. Jonathan M. Padfield. "Just one look at her shows you that we're leading the Navy into the 21st century."
Five years and one month after her keel was laid in a New Orleans shipyard, the first Navy warship named for the city of San Antonio was commissioned Saturday in a 1-hour, 20-minute ceremony at Naval Station Ingleside that featured former President Bush.
"Executive officer, set first watch," Padfield ordered.
"Aye, aye, sir!" replied Lt. Cmdr. Jon E. Haydel.
It was a long-awaited moment for the San Antonio, the first in a new class of amphibious transport dock ships the Navy bills as the most advanced and sailor — and Marine — friendly ever built.
The ship's design, including the masts and a cargo crane, aims to give it a smaller radar signature — making it much harder for the enemy to detect.
The San Antonio is made to survive the intense air pressure generated by a nuclear blast, and protect its sailors from radioactive fallout and biological weapons.
It is the first warship designed by computer and the first to give women what the Navy calls "equal facilities" — heads without urinals.
The ship, built by Northrop Grumman Ship Systems and designed to put up to 800 Marines into battle, made it to this sunny day after years of delays, shoddy work, Hurricane Katrina and a $1.76 billion price tag that is nearly three times its projected cost.
Critics have lambasted the cost overrun, the largest of eight ships in President Bush's 2005 defense budget, and the Navy conceded it was unhappy with the San Antonio's progress.
Northrop Grumman Ship Systems President Philip A. Teel told the crowd that "the challenges in building this class vessel are a matter of record," but thanked leaders for sticking with the project. Supporters, in turn, have insisted the ship's problems weren't all that unusual or unexpected.
"Of course it is a lot of money," Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas and the ship's sponsor, told the Express-News. "This also is the first ship in its class, which is routinely more costly and takes longer than the succeeding ships in a class.
"It has more technology and more new systems than any amphibious ship has ever had, and working those kinks out did take longer than they had hoped it would, but it has more growth and capabilities than ships normally have because of the technology, the stealth capabilities."
Bush said in an interview after the ceremony that he was unaware of the ship's cost woes but added, "That's certainly not the run-of-the mill situation."
Standing next to Bush, Undersecretary of Defense Gordon R. England, formerly the Navy's top civilian, said, "There was a lot of learning on this ship, but that learning will pay off in successive ships."
Eight other San Antonio-class ships will follow her, replacing four different types of amphibious vessels. They'll be faster and better than the older ships, and the first to field two new systems — the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle and MV-22 Osprey, a plane that can also fly like a helicopter.
The San Antonio looks different for a reason: It uses 17, 17-degree angles to create the illusion of a smaller ship when enemy radar strikes it. The Advanced Enclosed Mast/Sensor System, to be part of each San Antonio-class ship, also increases the ship's survivability by reducing her profile. The ship's program manager, Capt. Bill Galinis, has said the San Antonio will be recognized as a vessel but not one of its "immense size."
At 684 feet, the San Antonio is longer than the Tower of the Americas, minus the antenna, is tall. Its two 30 mm close-in guns, used to ward off surface attackers, are fired remotely from two fire control consoles one deck under the bridge. The ship's two Rolling Airframe Missile launchers are for air defense.
The interior of the San Antonio looks like most other ships. Exposed pipes and tubing are everywhere, as are orange fire hoses and heavy brass chains used to tie down vehicles. Steep stairs bridge the ship's 12 decks. Tight corners and low clearance are the rule, and woe to any tall sailor who forgets to duck his head.
But subtle differences emerge — one of them the sit-up berths. The sleeping areas on other vessels, among them submarines, are shaped like coffins and have about as much room. The ones on this ship allow sailors and Marines to sit up and read or write.
But the ship still isn't ready to fight. The San Antonio faces a lengthy shakedown and training period before deployment sometime in 2008. Padfield, who soon will move on to the Pentagon, won't be with them.
"We have been through a lot together, my crew and I, and it's been one of the greatest joys of my life to work with this group of people," he said. "It's going to be one of the saddest things for me to have to leave them."
As the ceremony wound down, Hutchison, who christened the ship in New Orleans 21/2 years ago, reminded the crew of how the last stand of 189 defenders at the Alamo changed history.
"The freedom of your children and grandchildren depend upon you, your skill, your bravery, your sacrifice," she said. "Officers and crew of the USS San Antonio, man our ship and bring it to life."
A loud "aye-aye!" went up from 300 sailors and Marines standing in formation. They ran single file onto the ship as a single Osprey in airplane mode flew overhead.
Then a horn blew, symbolizing that that ship was now running.
sigc@express-news.net
The traditional ceremony marks the Navy's acceptance of the ship and goes back more than 300 years.
The Navy got to business after a jovial Bush wrapped a brief speech. The commissioning pennant rose to the top of one of San Antonio's masts, officially bringing the ship into the fleet.
Ellie
Web Posted: 01/15/2006 12:00 AM CST
Sig Christenson
Express-News Military Writer
"She's a revolutionary ship," said the USS San Antonio's skipper, Capt. Jonathan M. Padfield. "Just one look at her shows you that we're leading the Navy into the 21st century."
Five years and one month after her keel was laid in a New Orleans shipyard, the first Navy warship named for the city of San Antonio was commissioned Saturday in a 1-hour, 20-minute ceremony at Naval Station Ingleside that featured former President Bush.
"Executive officer, set first watch," Padfield ordered.
"Aye, aye, sir!" replied Lt. Cmdr. Jon E. Haydel.
It was a long-awaited moment for the San Antonio, the first in a new class of amphibious transport dock ships the Navy bills as the most advanced and sailor — and Marine — friendly ever built.
The ship's design, including the masts and a cargo crane, aims to give it a smaller radar signature — making it much harder for the enemy to detect.
The San Antonio is made to survive the intense air pressure generated by a nuclear blast, and protect its sailors from radioactive fallout and biological weapons.
It is the first warship designed by computer and the first to give women what the Navy calls "equal facilities" — heads without urinals.
The ship, built by Northrop Grumman Ship Systems and designed to put up to 800 Marines into battle, made it to this sunny day after years of delays, shoddy work, Hurricane Katrina and a $1.76 billion price tag that is nearly three times its projected cost.
Critics have lambasted the cost overrun, the largest of eight ships in President Bush's 2005 defense budget, and the Navy conceded it was unhappy with the San Antonio's progress.
Northrop Grumman Ship Systems President Philip A. Teel told the crowd that "the challenges in building this class vessel are a matter of record," but thanked leaders for sticking with the project. Supporters, in turn, have insisted the ship's problems weren't all that unusual or unexpected.
"Of course it is a lot of money," Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas and the ship's sponsor, told the Express-News. "This also is the first ship in its class, which is routinely more costly and takes longer than the succeeding ships in a class.
"It has more technology and more new systems than any amphibious ship has ever had, and working those kinks out did take longer than they had hoped it would, but it has more growth and capabilities than ships normally have because of the technology, the stealth capabilities."
Bush said in an interview after the ceremony that he was unaware of the ship's cost woes but added, "That's certainly not the run-of-the mill situation."
Standing next to Bush, Undersecretary of Defense Gordon R. England, formerly the Navy's top civilian, said, "There was a lot of learning on this ship, but that learning will pay off in successive ships."
Eight other San Antonio-class ships will follow her, replacing four different types of amphibious vessels. They'll be faster and better than the older ships, and the first to field two new systems — the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle and MV-22 Osprey, a plane that can also fly like a helicopter.
The San Antonio looks different for a reason: It uses 17, 17-degree angles to create the illusion of a smaller ship when enemy radar strikes it. The Advanced Enclosed Mast/Sensor System, to be part of each San Antonio-class ship, also increases the ship's survivability by reducing her profile. The ship's program manager, Capt. Bill Galinis, has said the San Antonio will be recognized as a vessel but not one of its "immense size."
At 684 feet, the San Antonio is longer than the Tower of the Americas, minus the antenna, is tall. Its two 30 mm close-in guns, used to ward off surface attackers, are fired remotely from two fire control consoles one deck under the bridge. The ship's two Rolling Airframe Missile launchers are for air defense.
The interior of the San Antonio looks like most other ships. Exposed pipes and tubing are everywhere, as are orange fire hoses and heavy brass chains used to tie down vehicles. Steep stairs bridge the ship's 12 decks. Tight corners and low clearance are the rule, and woe to any tall sailor who forgets to duck his head.
But subtle differences emerge — one of them the sit-up berths. The sleeping areas on other vessels, among them submarines, are shaped like coffins and have about as much room. The ones on this ship allow sailors and Marines to sit up and read or write.
But the ship still isn't ready to fight. The San Antonio faces a lengthy shakedown and training period before deployment sometime in 2008. Padfield, who soon will move on to the Pentagon, won't be with them.
"We have been through a lot together, my crew and I, and it's been one of the greatest joys of my life to work with this group of people," he said. "It's going to be one of the saddest things for me to have to leave them."
As the ceremony wound down, Hutchison, who christened the ship in New Orleans 21/2 years ago, reminded the crew of how the last stand of 189 defenders at the Alamo changed history.
"The freedom of your children and grandchildren depend upon you, your skill, your bravery, your sacrifice," she said. "Officers and crew of the USS San Antonio, man our ship and bring it to life."
A loud "aye-aye!" went up from 300 sailors and Marines standing in formation. They ran single file onto the ship as a single Osprey in airplane mode flew overhead.
Then a horn blew, symbolizing that that ship was now running.
sigc@express-news.net
The traditional ceremony marks the Navy's acceptance of the ship and goes back more than 300 years.
The Navy got to business after a jovial Bush wrapped a brief speech. The commissioning pennant rose to the top of one of San Antonio's masts, officially bringing the ship into the fleet.
Ellie