Setting sail for New York Harbor 2009 by Michael Lamendola – February 13, 2008

For Scott Koen, just as it had been for the nation as a whole, the events that unfolded on the sunny Tuesday morning of September 11, 2001 would be etched in his mind forever. A resident of Rutherford and at the time, a director of operations at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, the terrorist attacks and the loss of innocent lives weighed heavily on his conscience. Add in the mix that he’s a volunteer fire fighter and the mood gets a little more somber knowing many that died that day were brothers in a way. His father was also a 20-year military veteran, so patriotism also ran through his veins.

His basement is a mini archive to the military. On the walls hang pictures of fallen soldiers, plans for naval ships and articles documenting the demise of the Twin Towers. There’s clay shavings sitting on a well-lit desk that he frequents often, working on a bald eagle, the symbol of American pride.

Memorials were being planned in nearly every town on both sides of the Hudson where 9/11 impacted most, but having a job on the Intrepid gave Koen a unique idea as how to memorialize those lost; this time, a sea worthy memorial.

“When it happened, I could tell you right off that it was something that was going to change the world,” said Koen. “In the days after, my first thoughts were anger, but I’ve always been artistic, so I started to design a memorial.”
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NOAA’s “air gap” technology received the ultimate test on the morning of June 27. The technology passed with flying colors as the new U.S. Navy LPD ship, the USS New York, sailed down the Mississippi River, clearing the underside of the Huey P. Long Bridge just north of downtown New Orleans by 64 centimeters (2.1 feet). The San Antonio-class $1 billion naval vessel, built in part from steel salvaged from the World Trade Center towers, sailed downriver, heading out for a month of sea trials.

The air gap sensor is part of the installation of NOAA’s Physical Oceanographic Real Time System (PORTS ™) for the port of New Orleans. NOAA, in the process of completing the installation of real-time air gap sensors on the Huey P. Long Bridge, has been conducting data-testing trials for the past several weeks and contacted Northrop Grumman to offer the technology to assist in the USS New York’s passage. The system, when complete, will also include current meters, a water-level gauge, and air gap sensors at the Crescent City Connection Bridge. The New Orleans PORTS™ is expected to be completed by the end of the summer and will be fully operational this fall.

Built in part from steel from the World Trade Center towers, the U.S. Navy LPD ship the USS New York travels down the Mississippi River, heading out for a month of sea trials.

The challenge facing the Northrop Grumman ship builders and the Navy was making sure that, despite high water levels in the Mississippi River due to spring runoff, the vessel could clear the bridge by at least 60.7 centimeters (2.0 feet). The NOAA air gap technology measures the distance between the bottom of the bridge and the surface of the water flowing underneath. Using both the National Ocean Service air gap measurements and river surge forecasts from the National Weather Service River Forecast Office, NOAA’s Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS), the U.S. Coast Guard, Northrop Grumman, the Navy, and local port authorities determined that the morning of June 27 would be the best time to make the attempt.

The calculations forecast a possible clearance under the bridge of about 64 centimeters (2.1 feet). Given roughly 42.6 meters (140 feet) of clearance under the bridge, this would mean the ship would occupy about 98.5 percent of the available clearance as it passed under the bridge.

With a 3 a.m. Saturday final check from the bridge deck, NOAA signaled the ship would clear, and, at 6 a.m., the USS New York set sail under tug boat guidance for the middle of the channel. With the CO-OPS Director and PORTS Program Manager on the bridge of the ship, at 6:51 a.m., and just as predicted by NOAA experts, the ship’s two mast towers slipped under the bridge signaling by a margin of approximate 64 centimeters (2.1 feet)…a safe transit!

AVONDALE, La., July 2, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) – The Northrop Grumman Corporation-built (NYSE:NOC) New York (LPD 21) successfully accomplished builder’s sea trials this week in the Gulf of Mexico. The ship’s bow stem contains seven-and-a-half tons of steel recovered from the World Trade Center following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. LPD 21 is under construction at the company’s Avondale facility in Louisiana.

A photo accompanying this news release is available at:

http://media.globenewswire.com/noc/

A video accompanying this news release is available at:

http://www.sb.northropgrumman.com/media/video/assets/2009/lpd21_384k.wmv

“This ship is a symbol of American patriotism at its finest, not only for the steel in the bow stem cutting through the water, but also for the committed shipbuilders who constructed her with a focus on quality,” Tim Farrell, vice president and program manager, LPD program, Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding – Gulf Coast.

“This ship will perform many different missions for our sailors and Marines and our shipbuilding workforce continues to instill their sense of pride into every part of this ship. We understand how sending this ship to the Fleet honors the heroes and victims of that terrible day in our Nation’s history.”

Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding’s test and trials group tested LPD 21’s main propulsion, communications, steering, navigational, radar and other systems. Other exercises included anchor handling, flight operations, compartment air balancing and ballasting/de-ballasting of the well deck, where amphibious landing craft will be launched.

“I’ve been very pleased across the board with everything I’ve seen on this builder’s trials,” said U.S. Navy Cmdr. F. Curtis Jones of Binghamton, N.Y., the prospective commanding officer of the ship who will lead the crew of 360 officers and enlisted personnel.

“It’s a huge undertaking and the level of effort, pride and attention to detail by the shipbuilders is extraordinarily apparent. Between the individual crafts and all the workers, it’s clear a lot of extra hard work went into getting the ship to this point. I’m very excited and happy with the way the ship has performed. I’m looking forward to being able to call this ship our own.”

New York is the fifth amphibious transport dock ship in the San Antonio class. The LPD 17 San Antonio class is the newest addition to the Navy’s 21st-Century amphibious assault force.

LPD 21 is the fifth ship to bear the name New York. Previous ships include the battleship USS New York (BB 34), which served as a flagship in World War I. In World War II, the battleship participated in a pre-invasion bombardment of Iwo Jima and in the invasion of Okinawa and was grazed by a kamikaze. USS New York earned three battle stars for its World War II service.

The 684-foot, 105-foot-wide LPD transport dock ships are used to transport and land U.S. Marines, their equipment and supplies by embarked air cushioned or conventional landing craft, expeditionary fighting vehicles, amphibious assault vehicles, helicopters, and vertical take off and landing aircraft such as the Osprey. The ships will support amphibious assault special operations, or expeditionary warfare missions throughout the first half of the 21st century.

Northrop Grumman Corporation is a leading global security company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, shipbuilding and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide.

CONTACT: Bill Glenn, Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding (228) 935-3972