Latest news with #WallySchirra
South China Morning Post
23-05-2025
- Science
- South China Morning Post
Style Edit: The latest Omega Speedmaster blends modern design and mechanics with the watch's enduring space legacy – recalling a time when courage and curiosity took humanity to new heights
When space was still a dream for most, Omega was already ticking among the stars. In 1962, Nasa astronaut Wally Schirra strapped an Omega Speedmaster CK2998 to his wrist for the Sigma 7 mission, unknowingly launching Omega's legacy into the cosmos. Nasa took notice. By 1964, engineers were searching for a timepiece tough enough for the Gemini and Apollo missions. Cue James Ragan, a Nasa engineer who tested contenders from top watchmakers under extreme conditions: crushing pressure, cosmic-level heat, bone-chilling cold, high-G shocks, and more. Only one survived – Omega's Speedmaster ST 105.003. On March 23, 1965, the Speedmaster ST 105.003 made its first journey into space on the wrists of astronauts Virgil 'Gus' Grissom and John Young during the Gemini 3 mission – marking its debut as Nasa's official chronograph for manned missions. Just a few months later, Ed White wore the same model during America's first spacewalk. Advertisement Omega Speedmaster 310.30.42.50.01.001. Photo: Handout When the original Omega Speedmaster was introduced in 1957, it was built with advanced protective technologies of the time – such as the sealing power of O-ring gaskets and the innovative 'Naiad' crown. These features made it a remarkably robust chronograph, hermetically sealed against the elements and water-resistant to a depth of 200 feet. Its Hesalite crystal also offered a crucial benefit: shatter resistance. In the high-stakes environment of space, the last thing an astronaut needs is shards of glass floating inside a spacecraft. Durability wasn't just a feature – it was a necessity. To become Nasa's official space chronograph, contenders were tested under extreme conditions: crushing pressure, cosmic-level heat, bone-chilling cold, high-G shocks and more. Photo: Handout Today's Speedmaster Moonwatch, Ref. 310.30.42.50.01.001, continues that legacy. Its asymmetrical case design – first seen in the fourth-generation Speedmaster – adds extra protection for the crown and pushers, while the twisted lugs offer a distinctive and elegant silhouette. The watch retains the iconic black anodised aluminium bezel with its heritage 'Dot over 90' detail, a tribute to the second generation design. Its black step dial features the 'Professional' inscription, Luminova for visibility, and a classic logo. The caseback proudly states its Nasa flight qualification and Moon legacy, now updated with 'Co-Axial Master Chronometer' since 2021.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Top US figures visit Seoul to meet defense industry leaders
May 3 (UPI) -- South Korea's defense industry is gaining global interest, as demonstrated by high-profile visits from U.S. figures like Donald Trump Jr., who met with business leaders in Seoul Tuesday. Reportedly, among them was Hanwha Group Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan. Vice Chairman Kim also hosted US Navy Secretary John Phelan Wednesday at Hanwha's shipyard in Geoje, roughly 200miles southeast of Seoul. "Working with leading shipyards like Hanwha Ocean Shipbuilding and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries is essential to ensuring deployed U.S. ships and systems remain fully operational in the Indo-Pacific," Secretary Phelan said. "Leveraging the expertise of these highly capable shipyards enables timely maintenance and repairs for our vessels to operate at peak performance. This level of large-scale repair and maintenance capability strengthens our combat readiness, sustains forward deployed operational presence, and reinforces regional stability," he stated Observers point out that such visits reflect growing global recognition of South Korea's defense capabilities. Hanwha Group operates such subsidiaries as Hanwha Aerospace, known for the K9 self-propelled howitzers, and Hanwha Ocean, a manufacturer of warships and submarines. As the eldest son of Chairman Kim Seung-youn, Vice Chairman Kim is regarded as the heir apparent of South Korea's seventh-largest conglomerate. "For the United States, South Korea is indispensable to reviving its shipbuilding industry, as President Donald Trump has stressed," Seoul-based consultancy Leaders Index CEO Park Ju-gun told UPI. "Washington is likely to seek South Korea's capital and technology as the country is a global leader in naval vessel construction. Hanwha Ocean is well-positioned, having already invested in the U.S. last year," he said. In June 2024, Hanwha Ocean and its sister company channeled $100 million to acquire Philly Shipyard, which has delivered about half of the large U.S. Jones Act commercial ships since 2000. Hanwha Ocean was soon awarded a maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) contract for the U.S. Navy's dry cargo and ammunition ship Wally Schirra. The task was completedin Geoje and Hanwha Ocean is now working on another MRO deal for USNS Yukon, a replenishment oiler assigned to the Navy's 7th Fleet. Beyond the U.S., the traditional weapons of South Korea gained popularity after the war between Russia and Ukraine started in early 2022. According to South Korea's defense ministry, arms exports more than doubled from $7.73 billion in 2021 to $17.3 billion in 2022. The figure dropped to $13 billion in 2023 and $9.5 billion last year, but is projected to rebound to $24 billion this year in consideration of ongoing negotiations with multiple countries. In addition to Hanwha, several other South Korean defense corporations have proactively entered the global market, including Hyundai Rotem, Korea Aerospace Industries, LIG Nex1, and HD Hyundai. "South Korean firms are favored by global buyers for their quick delivery and cost-effectiveness, the advantages shaped by the country's continued weapons production amid North Korean threats," Jeonbuk National University professor Jang Won-joon said in a phone interview. "Their international rivals are also trying to expand facilities to better meet demand. Against this backdrop, South Korean players will need to innovate to maintain their edge in the long run," he commented. However, some critics take issue with the Seoul administration's lack of transparency in arms exports. "The Korean government vows to become one of the world's top four arms exporters. Yet, it does not disclose related information transparently," attorney Lim Jae-sung noted in a local newspaper column.
Korea Herald
01-05-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
US Navy secretary eyes ties with Korea's top shipbuilders
US Navy Secretary John Phelan and top executives at Korea's major shipbuilding companies explored opportunities for bilateral collaboration during his tour of key Korean shipyards. On Wednesday, Secretary Phelan visited the shipyards of HD Hyundai in Ulsan and Hanwha Ocean in Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province, and met with senior executives from both companies. 'The relationship between the US Navy and the Republic of Korea's maritime industrial base goes far beyond ship maintenance,' said Secretary Phelan, after completing his tours. 'It is a cornerstone of our shared commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific and strengthens the overall bond between our nations.' As the first US Navy Secretary under the second Donald Trump administration, Phelan had emphasized during his confirmation hearings the importance of partnering with the shipbuilding industries of key US allies. Following a meeting with South Korea's acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo in Seoul, Secretary Phelan traveled over 300 kilometers southeast to HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' shipyard in Ulsan. There, he toured facilities where a wide range of vessels are manufactured, including both commercial ships and warships. During the visit, he inspected Korea's first domestically developed Aegis destroyer, currently at the shipyard for maintenance, as well as another Aegis destroyer under construction. He also discussed with HD Hyundai Vice Chair Chung Ki-sun ways to enhance the US Navy's shipbuilding capabilities through collaboration. Later that day, Phelan traveled another 100 kilometers to the Hanwha Ocean shipyard in Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province. He toured the company's docks, including those for submarine facilities. Phelan was also shown the Yukon, a US Navy 7th Fleet replenishment oiler currently undergoing repairs at the yard, alongside Kim Dong-kwan, vice chair of Hanwha Group. The Yukon is the second US Navy vessel to undergo maintenance at Hanwha Ocean. The first, fleet replenishment ship Wally Schirra, completed repairs in March. The two shipbuilders have sought to align with the Trump administration's initiative to reinvigorate the US shipbuilding industry, particularly in the naval sector. Hanwha Ocean acquired the Philly Shipyard in Philadelphia with plans to use it as a base for potential US Navy maintenance, overhaul and repair operations. Additionally, Hanwha is working to increase its influence over Austal, an Australian shipyard that builds and maintains US Navy warships. HD Hyundai partnered with the US' largest defense shipbuilding company, Huntington Ingalls Industries, to collaborate in shipbuilding capacity improvement and developing cutting-edge shipbuilding technology in April.
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
A US Navy supply ship just finished up major maintenance work at a South Korean shipyard for the first time
South Korea completed major maintenance on a US Navy supply vessel for the first time. Doing maintenance in the region reduces downtime and costs, US Naval Forces Korea said. Officials and experts have said that South Korea may have some answers to US shipbuilding woes. In a strategically significant first as the US military looks for options to repair and maintain ships in the priority Indo-Pacific theater, a South Korean shipyard has completed large-scale maintenance work on a US Navy supply ship. Earlier this week, South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean finished up repairs on USNS Wally Schirra, a Military Sealift Command Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ship. The regular overhaul (ROH) took seven months. Per Military Sealift Command, this is the first time a South Korean shipyard has bid on and won an ROH contract of this scale for this type of vessel. Smaller voyage repairs take place regularly at allied yards. It's "a landmark achievement," Rear. Admiral. Neil Koprowski, Commander, US Naval Forces Korea, said, noting that "maintenance in theater reduces downtime and costs, while enhancing operational readiness." The maintenance included addressing "extensive deterioration and damage to the hull, propeller, rudder, and rudder post/steering gear," Cmdr. Patrick J. Moore, commanding office, MSC Office-Korea, said. The Wally Schirra is part of the US Navy's Combat Logistic Force, vessels that keep US Navy vessels supplied with fuel, food, spare parts, and other critical needs. "Notably, Hanwha engineers reverse-engineered the damaged rudder, completely replacing the unit when blueprint were not available," Moore said. "This saved significant time and resources in getting Wally Schirra back to sea, a testament to their resilient supply chains, advanced automations, and skilled workforce." The repairs come as leaders in Washington are addressing American shipbuilding problems, and some officials and experts have indicated South Korea and other Pacific allies may have some solutions. South Korea boasts the second largest shipbuilding industry in the world behind China and has been identified by US officials and naval affairs experts as an example for how to fix some problems in American shipbuilding. Earlier this week, a House Armed Services Committee's Seapower and Projection Forces subcommittee hearing included discussions on what lessons the US could take from South Korea and Japan's shipbuilders. Some bigger takeaways included adopting their approaches to in-house worker training, certain ways of addressing capability, operations, and material management issues, and the design and construction processes. Ronald O'Rourke, a naval affairs specialist and longtime Congressional Research Service analyst, pointed specifically to South Korea's ship designs. The country tends to construct larger sections that improve worker access and straighter, less convoluted pipes "with a strong focus on reducing the labor hours needed to produce them." O'Rourke noted that South Korea and Japan's shipbuilding models feature many practices for world-class shipbuilding standards and efficient shipyard operations. Past US Navy leadership has praised these two US allies for their shipbuilding prowess. The last Navy secretary was particularly impressed by the digitization and real-time monitoring for timely deliveries at South Korean shipyards. More broadly, the recent hearing focused on what Congress and the Navy needed to do to address dire US shipbuilding problems and the Navy's top programs running overtime and over budget. Fixing those issues has become as a top priority for the Trump administration, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and President Donald Trump's pick for secretary of the navy. But experts, analysts, and officials have noted that many of the US' shipbuilding woes are decades-old challenges that won't be fixed overnight. Read the original article on Business Insider
