Briefs

Advertiser Staff

NAVY

Pearl Harbor sub test-fires missile

The USS Tucson continued its role in a series of successful tests of the Navy's new tactical Tomahawk cruise missile by firing the first live missile from a submarine July 20 off the southern coast of California.

It was the second launch of a tactical Tomahawk by the Pearl Harbor-based attack submarine.

While in flight, the missile's route was altered, and it zeroed in on a simulated military radio facility after making a 720-nautical-mile flight to a target impact area on San Clemente Island.

On July 9, the tactical or Block IV Tomahawk was launched from the Tucson without a live warhead.

The new missile, an improved version of the Tomahawk first used in Operation Desert Storm, is expected to be operational in 2004.

USS O'Kane expected back

The Pearl Harbor-based destroyer USS O'Kane is expected to return home today after taking part in Operation Iraqi Freedom in the Arabian Gulf and Red Sea.

O'Kane launched Tomahawk cruise missiles, acted as a "theater ballistic defense ship" and provided humanitarian aid in the port of Umm Qasar in Iraq.

O'Kane, Pearl Harbor's newest surface ship, has 30 officers and 205 enlisted personnel. The crew spent 191 days at sea, 109 of which were consecutive days without a port visit.

The guided missile destroyer was in Townsville, Australia, on July 9 for five days of liberty.

K-9s get new home at Pearl Harbor

Navy Region Hawai'i Security Department's K-9 unit has a new home with the opening of the first kennel built at Pearl Harbor.

Since 1985 the dogs have been kept at Hickam Air Force Base's kennel facility, which could house eight dogs.

The new Pearl Harbor facility can hold up to 12 K-9s.

Senior Chief Master-at-Arms Chris Ray said the new kennel will save transit time.

"It took about an hour to go to the kennels at Hickam and pick up the dogs, and now that time is cut down to minutes," Ray said.

The more than $500,000 project was started in November of 2002.