This image comes via Information Dissemination and shows TAVTS in action. What is TAVTS? The US Navy’s Team Ships program tells us:

The Test Article Vehicle Transfer System (TAVTS) will demonstrate the transfer of vehicles between a surrogate Maritime Pre-positioning Force (Future) (MPF(F)) Mobile Landing Platform (MLP) ship and a side port platform on a large medium-speed roll-on/roll-off (LMSR) ship.

The two primary components of TAVTS are a self-deploying ramp system that will be mounted to a surrogate MLP and a self-deploying sideport platform system that will be mounted to an existing LMSR ship. The TAVTS system is intended to operate through sea-state 3 conditions.

The Navy expects TAVTS to be delivered and begin testing in FY09. Testing is scheduled to last for approximately two months.

Also keep you eye on the company Thrustmaster for commercial applications of this technology.

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The new amphibius assault ship USS New York, built with 7.5 tons of steel from the fallen World Trade Center, arriving in New York Harbor on November 2, 2009, en route to Pier 88.

Read More about the USS New York HERE or HERE

(Image Source – AP)

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A test article ship-to-ship vehicle transfer system from Cargotec is on its way to the US Navy; the test article uses MacGregor-based technology and can transfer US Marine Corps vehicles and personnel from a large medium-speed RO/RO to a mobile landing platform in sea state 3

As part of a development project Cargotec is delivering a test article ship-to-ship vehicle transfer system to the US Navy using MacGregor-based technology. The test article vehicle transfer system (TAVTS) has been built as part of the US Navy’s ‘Sea Base’ plan to support Army and Marine Corps land forces.

The two primary components of the transfer system are a self-deploying ramp that will be mounted to the float-on/float-off ship, Mighty Servant 3, and a self-deploying sideport platform system fitted to the large medium-speed roll-on/roll-off (RO/RO) (LMSR) ship, USNS Soderman.

Installation of the ramp system on Mighty Servant 3 will simulate the basic configuration envisioned for the future mobile landing platform (MLP). The surrogate MLP will be fitted with a dynamic positioning (DP) system that will allow it to hold a specified position and orientation alongside the LMSR while underway, within a defined tolerance. [Continue Reading →]

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ASTORIA, Ore. The Coast Guard medically evacuated a crewmember from a U.S. Navy submarine off the coast of Wash., Tuesday. The Navy contacted the Coast Guard at 5:50 p.m. to request assistance in transferring a crewmember to a hospital from a submarine. Coast Guard Air Station Astoria, Ore., launched an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew to assist. The rescue helicopter arrived on scene at 7:12 p.m. and hoisted the crewmember by basket from the sail of the submarine. The crewmember was transferred to Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, Ore. (U.S. Coast Guard video/Air Station Astoria)

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Earlier this week the USS New York, the the fifth ship in the LPD 17 San Antonio class of amphibious transport dock ships, took off on it’s maiden voyage from Northrop Grumman Ship Systems in the greater New Orleans area, Louisiana en route to it’s namesake city, New York. What makes the USS New York especially interesting is that the vessel was constructed with 7.5 tons of steel salvaged from the World Trade Center wreckage that were incorporated into the bow stem of the vessel.

New York’s keel was laid on 10 September 2004 and the ship will be commissioned USS New York in New York City in 2009. Mrs Dotty England, wife of Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England, is the sponsor.

For more information, the USS New York has a great website with in depth information on the construction and history HERE. The USS New York also has it’s own Flickr page HERE

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After seven months in dry dock and $40 million in repairs, the cruiser USS Port Royal is back in the water in Pearl Harbor following the embarrassing February 5th grounding near Honolulu International Airport’s reef runway.  Here is look back at gCaptain’s full coverage of this incident. [Continue Reading →]

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Somali pirates aboard a hijacked ship fired at a U.S. Navy helicopter yesterday, Navy officials said.

According to the Navy, the helicopter from the USS Chancellorsville was not hit, there were no injuries and the helicopter did not return fire.

The chopper received fire while on a surveillance flight over a Taiwanese-flagged vessel that pirates had captured in April. Footage taken from the SH-60B helicopter shows at least one pirate opening fire with what appears to be “a large-caliber weapon,” officials said.

Somali pirates hijacked the Taiwanese-flagged Win Far vessel April 6, and since have used it as a “mother ship” to conduct attacks, most notably on the U.S.-flagged Maersk-Alabama in April. The incident occurred in the Indian Ocean south of Garacad, Somalia, where the Win Far is anchored.

During the flight, the aircrew members observed pirate activity, but did not confirm they were fired on until their return to Chancellorsville and review of the infrared surveillance footage. The helicopter was about 3,000 yards from Win Far when it happened.

Luckily for the pirates, the aircrew members were not able to confirm they were fired on until a review was done of the infrared surveillance footage captured of the incident (shown above). The helicopter was about 3,000 yards from Win Far when it happened.

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Saturday, a Lockheed Martin led team held a keel-laying ceremony at Marinette Marine’s shipyard for the USS Fort Worth, marking the start of construction for the U.S. Navy’s third Littoral Combat Ship (LCS). The future USS Fort Worth, named in honor of the Texas city, will be 378 feet in length, have a waterline beam of 57 feet, displace approximately 3,000 tons and will make speed in excess of 40 knots.

LCS is a new breed of agile warships that are designed to operate in the world’s coastal waters and provide the Navy with fast, maneuverable and shallow-draft ships aimed at maximizing mission flexibility. [Continue Reading →]

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We have covered many maritime LEGO creations in the past, including a rather impressive Aircraft Carrier, and have even been told of a mystical all LEGO port in Carlsbad California but none have reached the size and sheer complexity of the LEGO Battleship Yamato. The blog Brothers Brick tells us: [Continue Reading →]

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Click image for high-resolution

October 4 2008, the guided-missile destroyer USS Halsey (DDG 97) steams through rough seas off the coast of Southern Australia while enroute to the Indian Ocean. Halsey is part of the Peleliu Expeditionary Strike Group deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility.

On arrival, part of HALSEY’s contribution was training the Seychelles Coast Guard in VBSS (Visit, Board, Search & Seizure) tactics.  The Seychelles Coasties put those tactics to use on Sunday when they arrested three pirates found in a skiff in the republic’s vast Exclusive Economic Zone.

U.S. Navy photo by Interior Communications Electrician 2nd Class Justin Fifer.

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