Badly mounted weapons prompt inspections

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Aviation Ordnanceman 2nd Class Justin Beals mans a .50 caliber machine gun during a general quarters drill aboard the amphibious assault ship Peleliu in May. Fleet Forces Command has ordered all warships to inspect their crew-served gun mounts after reports that nearly two-thirds of surface ships inspected in fiscal 2007 had at least one weapon mounted incorrectly.


Badly mounted weapons prompt inspections
By Philip Ewing - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Jun 14, 2008 7:02:19 EDT

Surface leaders have ordered all warships to inspect their crew-served gun mounts after reports that nearly two-thirds of surface ships inspected in fiscal 2007 had at least one weapon mounted incorrectly, according to spokesmen with Fleet Forces Command.

A June 5 message from that command stated that incorrectly mounted crew-served weapons could allow the weapons to swing inward and point at crew members or ship structures. Every ship in the fleet has been ordered to minimize using the guns until the mounts have passed inspection.

Commanders haven’t ordered a standdown, Fleet Forces Command spokesman Jim Brantley said, but ships have been “advised that these weapons be used cautiously” until commanders have ensured their safeguards have been set.

Teams from the Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey looked over 31 ships between October 2006 and September 2007, and 20 of them had at least one problem with a crew-served gun mount, said Ted Brown, another spokesman for the command.

The message includes inspection instructions for crews to follow and orders ships, including those on deployment, to confirm that they have examined or repaired the gear. The problem cut-outs found on the original 20 ships were repaired as they were discovered, Brown said.


Rest of article at: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/06/navy_gunmounts_061308w/