Norton Sound (AVM 1) - Naval Cruise Book

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iW WW Among the several scientific projects She engaged ln the late 40s and 50s, probably the most important, lf one project can be singled out, was Project ARGUS, which was actually the culminatlon of effort expended ln Projects SKYHOOK lfree balloon capable of reaching 85,000 feetl, AERODEE lRocket capable of reaching 71 mlles of altltudel. and REACH lvlklhb Rocket No. A launched on 12 May 1950 from NORTON SOUND reached an altitude of 106.4 miles: a world recordl. As part of the US Navy's contrlbutlon to the International Geophysical Year and as flagship for Task Force 88, NORTON SOUND led a group of US Navy shlps to a point south of the Falkland Islands and on 27 and 30 August and 6 September 1958 She laun- ched three X-17A Rockets bearing low yield explosive nuclear devices to an altitude of 300 miles. At altitude they were detonated. Among other thlngs, these tests demonstrated that a belt of radlatlon, which had been theorized, actually existed: it was named after Or. James A. Van Allen, who led the scientific party onboard NORTON SOUND as he had during previous experiments. lt also created an lmpresslve lman lnducedl aurora borealls Tnorthern llghtsl, and provlded worldwide condltlons whlch were monitored and measured all around the world by sclentlsts partlclpatlng in geophysical year activities. Project Argus was therefore a sclentlflc achievement of a high order of magnitude. This cruise involved the clrcumnavigatlon of the South American Continent, which is not often accomplished by US Navy ships. Having been homeported at Port Hueneme, Callfornla since 30 November 1948: NORTON SOUND stood out to sea ln June of 1962 bound for Norfolk, Vlrglnla and ultimately to Baltimore, Maryland. She arrived at Norfolk, Virginia and was decommissioned on 10 August 1962: and was later towed to Baltimore to enter the Maryland Shipbuilding and Drydock Co. shipyard for installation of major portions of the prototype TYPHON weapons System, which consisted of the ANISPG-59 Radar and its associated control system. TYPHON was a radlcal step ln the evolution of naval surface weapons systems, being the first system capable of simul- taneously taking multiple targets under fire and tracking many more. Unfortunately, the electronic state of the art at that time was not capable of providing the necessary com- ponents in the size required to build a system deployable ln a destroyer. The TYPHON Program was cancelled on 7 January 1964 by Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara. There- fore. it was decided that the installation ln NORTON SOUND would be used to gather data which would help advance the state of the art, and prepare the way for development of a serviceable small ship system at a later date. Completing the conversion, USS NORTON SOUND CAVM-11 was re-commissioned on 20 June 1964, and homeported in Baltimore to conduct tests of the system in and around the Chesapeake Bay. Her homeport was again COHOQGU to Port Hueneme, California: She arrived there on 7 July 1965. Testing of the TYPHON System was continued out of Port Hueneme for a time and then most of the system was removed, including the 190 ton radar tower, at Long Beach Naval Shipyard, with work being completed on 30 September 1966. Although TYPHON did not survive to serve in the fleet, many of the lessons learned were applied to the development of the AEGIS weapon System, which would later make the grade - - - ln a big way, with NORTON SOUND's help.

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In Her new mission, She served and continues to serve as a floating laboratory and laun- ching platform for an incredible number of high priority projects and programsg including many of prime historical significance. To name the most important of these: Operation Nanook lArtic exploration and researchlg Projects SKYHDOK lfree balloonl, AERDBEE lRocketl, REACH lVlKlNG Rocketl, ARGUS iX17A three stage rockets fitted with low yield nuclear devices and P060 sounding rocketsl, NIKE-HYDAK, HYDRA-IRIS and HYDRA-SANDHANK, lcosmlc ray and upper atmosphere researchl: Operations REDNING, DOMINIC and others lAtmo- spheric testing of nuclear weaponsl: LODN, LARK, REGULUS l, TERRIER, TARTAR, TALDS, SEASPARRDH QBPDSMSJ, Navy REDEYE, STANDARD QMRJ, and TOMAHAHK surface launched guided missile development projects and entire programs: SN 54 Caliber Gun Mount Mk 45 Mod 0: Rocket and Guided missile launchers lGMLl and launching systems lGMLSl including TERRIERITARTAR experimental GNL X-5 and GML MK 5, SEASPARROH Prototype launcher and GMLS Mk 25, prototype CHAFFROC Launcher, the mixed missile capability systems GMLS Mk 26 and the current Vertical Launching System GMLS EX-413 Weapon and fire control systems and auxiliary equipments associated with these and other weapons and systems up to today's AEGIS Combat system, which is light years ahead of the jury-rigged modification of the Gun Fire Control System Mk 37's Mk 25 Mod 2 Radar, used in the early days of the LARKILOON Programs, and the SPO-2 and -5 used in the TERRIERITARTAR Programs. ln fact, She has had some level of participation in virtually every surface launched guided missile development program of the US Navy, from the first experiments and launches of guided missiles lwhlch now seem quite primitive,. but were then on the leading edge of the state of the artl. She logged the first launch of a tactical guided missile from the deck of any ship in the world on 26 January 1949, when an engineering model LTV-N-2 LO0N Guided Missile was laun- ched off the coast of Point Mugu, California. There has also been involvement in the RDTSE of any number of minor systems and equipments development programs: which perhaps. if not spectacular in their contribution to fleet readiness, provide an essential contribution to the fundamental strength of the more glamorous systems. Her RDTXE career ln the late 405 and through the 50s and early 60s was primarily, but Cefidlflll' D0t 9XCUSiVGly. involved with the development and refinement of the TERRIER. TARTARuand TALDS Guided Missile Systems, which resulted in the 3T Surface Missile Systems 'Fleet - ,The SDUJS C0mPf'1SlDQ.thls fleet have been a major component ln the defensive 3uiEldUwhlC? has increasingly guarded our fleet and helped to protect our Nation, starting ie ' ID PGUUCUOD lvecommigssionlngl of USS BOSTON CAG-1 1 N b 1955 d U55 GYATT KDDG-ll on 31 December i956g a period of 31 years. J on Ovem er an

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' qw. g .W W v .gm A -W, .'xk.m,,,,v vu ,Lyn-e .fa W .. V , , ,,,, ,A .W dll., -ve. ' .W --V' 'lf I .,,,,,.,,, Y V W 1,7 x We 'sr '5'Hv --.snwauvlw , . ...Q -Q WMM.. . ' - - After TYPHON testing activity died down, NORTON'SOUND's manning level was greatly re- duced, permitting only llmlted operations at sea. At this time She was assigned to assist in the development of the SEASPARRON 1Basic Point Defense Surface Missile System lBPDSMSll continuing this program until many production systems and even second generation systems had been installed in fleet units. Following BPDSMS activity. SDE Cdffled OUT 6 Vide V6- rlety of weapon and weapons systems improvement testing. as well as the test of a number of developmental shipboard equipments. This varied schedule of activity was continued through July 1968, and intermittently thereafter throughout Her career. From July 1968 until 1 November 1972 the ship was primarily EDQGQQU in the t9?t and eval' uation of the 50 54 Caliber Gun Mount Mk 45 Mod O and the Missile 8 Gun Fire Control System Mk 86. During this time She also began planning and preparation for participation in the development of the AEGIS Combat System. The AEGIS System, like most complex weapons systems, was installed in increments. On the 17th of November 1972 NORTON SOUND entered Long Beach Naval Shipyard to commence the AEGIS System Installation, with the new deckhouse 105, O6 and O7 deck levelsl being set onboard on 16 February 1973. Installation of AEGIS Engineering Development Model 1 IEDM-ll equipment was started on 20 February 1973. Between the 15th and 25th of March the first GMLS MK 26 to be installed on any ship was installed ln NORTON SOUND. She completed this the first of many'shipyard availabilltles for AEGIS and associated systems installation and modification on 21 July 1973 and returned to Port Hueneme. From this .time to 15 February 1974 various tests were conducted on the GMLS MK26, and more of the major mod- ules and subsystems of the AEGIS System were installed and checked out, until on 15 February the system was ready to commence the main portion of systems testing. On 5 March 1974 the power was brought up and applied to the ANISPY-i Radar, lthe detection and track- log, eyes of AEGlSl and for the flrst time AEGIS became partially operational in a ship. Two days later the first automatic detection and track of an airborne target occurred. On the 14th of March installation of AEGIS was completed when the Missile Fire Control System Mk 99 1CN Illuminatorl installation was completed. The system reached full opera- tional capability with the MFCS Mk 99, and proved it between the 15th and 17th of May 1974, when two STANDARD Missiles 1 1Medium Rangel CSM-1 MRD RIM 668-3 were launched and guided to close proximity to their targets - - - both constructive hits! lnterspacing work on AEGIS with other short term assignments, NORTON SOUND continued the testing of AEGIS: launching Her first STANDARD Missile 2 Medium Range 15M-2 MRD on 10 December 1976. She continued AEGIS Systems operations both inport and underway. Sunday 17 April 1977 was dubbed uSuper Sundayn because on that day NORTON SOUND's AEGIS system engaged two aerial targets simultaneously with STANDARD 2 lMRl Guided Missiles launched from the GMLS Mk 26. The missiles hit the closest target and closed to well within lethal proximity of ine more distant target ia constructive hitl. The longer range missile flight was a record range for SM 2 MR missiles up to that time. Super Sunday marked the attainment of an ages Old 9001 and the Promise of TYPNON - - - the age of one shot, for one target, by one wea- pons system, at one time had been ended forever! 0D 13 AUQUSY 1977. in Long Beach, California inear the original site at San Pedro. California. but Separated by almost 34 years of timel a reenactment of the ship's christening was conducted jointly by the Ship and the USS NORTON SOUND Association. Mrs. E- L- 1Helen St- Goarl GUNTNER the Shlp's sponsor ln 1943, again did the honors, breaklh9 the 'traditional bottle of champagne on NORTON SOUND's jackstaff while repeating her original blessing and wishes for success in all NORTON SOUND would attempt ln the future. The event was witnessed by the Commanding Officer. CDR THOMAS J. LOFTUS. USN: the ship'S commissioning Commanding Officer, RADM ilhen CDRJ BEN SCOTT CUSTER, USN lRetiredl: and a group of currently serving and former NORTON SOUNDERS.