Norton Sound (AVM 1) - Naval Cruise Book

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NORTON SOUND's RDTSE activity over the years has caused the development of a ncorporate knowledgeu of surface weapons and weapons system testing and safety philosophy and method- ology unparalleled in the US Navy. Her effort in prosecuting each of Her RDTXE programs or projects is always the same. it Ls comprised of the repetitive cycle of: analysis and evaluation of requirements: installation and operational planning: installation of sys- tem's equipment: system's checkout: test preparation: test 'dry runsu: all-up uno-flren tests: all-up ufiringu tests: data collection and reduction: data review and analysis: de- feciency definition: system or procedure modification andlor adjustment: and retest, until such time as the system reaches a point where deficiencies are reduced to the point where fleet introduction is justified, or the system is judged to be unsuitable for fleet service. Each of these steps ln the testing formula represent an investment of: public funds ranging up to hundreds of millions of dollars: the time and effort of NORTON SOUNOERS ranging from hundreds to thousands of manhours hours of preparatory and post op- erational activity for the weaponeers, and thousands to tens of thousands of manhours of non-stationu time for testing for the entire crew, as they perform the multitude of rou- tine and only occasionally spectacular tasks which comprise weapons RDTGE. To this day NORTON SOUND continues to apply these lessons learned lthe hard wayl. to en- sure that systems and equipments bearing Her mark, which are delivered to the fleet are recognized as being the very best that NORTON SOUND could make them, and far better than they would have been if another less experienced test ship had done the RDTGE. During periods of both Nhotn and Ncoldu war, and the condition of tottering close to the edge of war - - - that state of continual uneasiness which we have come to accept as npeaceu, NORTON SOUND has been faithful to Her commission. She has made contributions of remarkable significance, materially effecting the structure and operational capability of the entire U.S. Fleet, for the past thirty years, and will effect it for at least the next twenty years. ' NORTON SOUND's effort during Her career has never been formally recognized: nor is it fully appreciated, because of the quiet way NORTON SOUND has conducted Her business with- out fanfare, and usually Outside the limelight, where very few people saw Her at work. This was also due to the fact that through most of Her career She was an administrative and operational orphan without visibility and presence ln Nashlngton in the form of con- tinuing advocacy, as ships in the mainstream of fleet activity are. Oh well, they say that virtue is its own reward: don't they? WORD U55 NURTUN SOUND CAV-ll I AVM-il finally slips off into the deepening shadows of history after having made history for so many decades, it will indeed be a sad day. not only for all NORTON SOUNOERS and Her friends ashore ln the ROTGE Community, but for the Navy and the Nation as well. Only through the contact relief of NORTON SOUND by a new ship with equal capabilities lUSS NORTON SOUND lil and the crossdeck transfer of test core personnel, will all She has gained for the fleet be fully preserved for future benefit.

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Another demonstration of the power of AEGIS Iforeshowlng the potential power of the TICONDEROGA Class Guided Mlsslle Cruiser, which was then abornlngl occurred on 14 and 15 December when under AEGIS control and engaging simulated targets, the GMLS MK 26 success- fuly launched 7 two-round salvos of Improved TARTAR IITl Guided Missiles on the 14th, and on the following day launched 9 IT Guided Mlsslles ln rapid continuous fire from the UAH Rall ln less than ninety seconds, followed Immediately by a dud jettlson test of an inert IT. Hoe to the aggressor who would challenge one of our ships armed with the AEGISIGMLS NK 26 comblnatlonl The first woman assigned to duty ln the NORTON SOUND. ENS CHARLENE ALBRIGHT, USN report- ed aboard for duty on 1 November 1978. AEGIS testing contlnued with tests of almost infinite variety being conducted to explore the operational envelope of AEGIS, and to test various modifications and improvements. NORTON SOUND paused ln the test program from 16 June through 24 April 1979 to prepare for Installation of the Vertical Launching System IVLSD EX 41 and the Imminent arrival of 4 women officers and 70 women enlisted crewmembers. This availability also provided a much needed major overhaul for the engineering plant and the installation of modern waste hold- Inn and disposal facilities. AEGIS testing was resumed upon completion of this shipyard availability. Tragedy struck the ship on 27 September 1979, when FN MURIEL MCBRIOE, USN was lost over- board. She was the first woman crewmember of a Navy ship to be lost at sea. Normal test and training operations were resumed and contlnued until the night of 415 May 1981, when tragedy struck again. On this night, while the shlp'was enroute to Pascagoula, Mississippi for a shipyard availability. and after departing from Rodman, Panama Canal Zone, IC 2 MICHAEL J. LOCKNOOO, USN was lost at sea during heavy weather. May God grant our Ship- mates eternal rest. L while at Ingalls Shipbuilding ln Pascagoula. a preproduction model of the VLS EX 41 was installed between 19 May and 27 July 1981. The addition of the VLS to the AEGIS Combat System was cause for a shift ln emphasis from operations with the GMLS Mk 26 to the VLS EX 41 because of the need to prove the VLS for active service ln later model TICONOEROGA Class Guided Missile Cruisers, the ARLETGH BURKE Class Guided Missile Destroyers. and probably it or a derivative of the VLS MK 41 ln other future classes of ship as well. The first shipboard launch from the VLS Ia launch test vehicle CLTVJJ occurred on 29 September 1981. From that time to the present, AEGIS System test activity using both the GMLS Mk 26 and the VLS EX 41 at various times, has continued and should be completed in mid 1986. At the time of this writing the ship ls scheduled for de-commissioning after completion of AEGIS testing.

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