MC-Pong
March 9th, 2010 | Chiefs Photos Sports Submarines | Posted by Phil Ewing
MC1 Jennifer Villalovos / Navy
“All right, shipmate, let me show you how we do in the submarine force — maybe I’ll come atcha up high — just like a Tomahawk we can launch through the vertical launch tubes, son — or maybe I’ll sneak ‘er over the net real low, just like we might use a torpedo, get me?”
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (SS/SW) Rick West stood ready for a game of table tennis with a friend Monday at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash. Will his asymmetric ping-ping prove as controversial as his rock-oriented greeting style?
Report: No more nuke Tomahawks after all
February 22nd, 2010 | Submarines Washington nuclear weapons | Posted by Phil Ewing
STS1 Joseph Halikman inspected a training Tomahawk aboard the fast attack sub Newport News. The nuclear versions, already withdrawn from the fleet, are going away completely, according to a report. // EM2 Xander Gamble / Navy
Japan’s Kyodo News Service is reporting that the U.S. has “informally” notified the government of Japan that it’s going to retire the nuclear-capable variant of the Tomahawk cruise missile, “in line with President Barack Obama’s policy to pursue a world free of nuclear weapons, Japanese government sources said Monday.”
As we discussed back in December, this move won’t take much. According to the Pentagon’s nuke-programs report, the Navy — which is responsible for the U.S. nuke-Tomahawk arsenal — decided on its own initiative not to maintain the TLAM-Ns, because it decided on its own it didn’t want them anymore.
Our phriend Ol’ Phib, however, whence came this story, sees a downside:
TLAM-N has certain advantages over a [submarine launched ballistic missile] when it comes to not scaring the vodka out of our Russian friends when you launch it – in addition to other things that the crazy people behind the cypher door can talk to you about.
How about you? Does a world without nuke Tomahawks make you want to break out in a round of Kumbaya, or should the U.S. keep the ball peen hammer next to the sledge in its strategic toolkit?
The Navy’s unmanned (war)ship
February 3rd, 2010 | Maritime operations Science and technology Ships Submarines The deckplates | Posted by Phil Ewing
DARPA's unmanned "robo-frigate" will be designed to track quiet diesel-electric subs, like this Russian Kilo-class boat, while providing continuous updates of their location // NATO
In keeping with the long-term trends in the fleet, this was only a matter of time: The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is looking to build a completely unmanned surface ship that will cruise the oceans looking for submarines. DARPA has a request for proposal out this week on an “Anti-Submarine Warfare Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel” — or as The Register succinctly termed it, a “robo-frigate” — with some of the following characteristics:
A towed array for LCS?
January 25th, 2010 | Mine warfare Science and technology Ships Submarines | Posted by Phil Ewing
Sailors in the littoral combat ships' mission control centers -- where FC1 Ronila Ivory stood ready to fire Freedom's 57mm gun in November -- could begin listening for submarines if the ships get a towed array sonar // Lt. Ed Early / Navy
The littoral combat ships weren’t designed with an onboard sonar because the Navy wanted LCS to use the sensors aboard its unmanned vehicles — including a remotely operated boat and submarine — but that, apparently, could be changing: Naval Sea Systems Command’s Underwater Warfare Center at Newport, R.I. has a request for proposal (pdf) out this month seeking ideas from contractors about a variable depth sonar for LCS with a towed array, like the ones carried on cruisers and early Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.
(Navy officials said that one reason they canceled DDG 1000 in favor of more DDG 51s was the Burkes’ better anti-submarine capabilities (pdf), even though the newer ones don’t have a towed array. Funny, that.)
As Scoop Deck waits for Navy officials to respond to requests for comment on this, it’s worth thinking through how an onboard sonar could change the way LCS could operate.
When finite funds meet infinite needs
January 19th, 2010 | Aviation Ballistic missile defense Carriers Maritime operations Mine warfare Navy Pirates Ships Submarines leadership | Posted by Lance Bacon
It’s no secret the naval fleet has more gaps than O.J.’s alibi.
The Navy is lacking surface vessels, especially amphibs. Submarine and aviation gaps are on the horizon. Even the carrier fleet will drop below requirements for at least three years beginning in 2012.
Adding the crushing blow on this already sizable dog pile is the fact that SSBN(X) will cost $80 billion — which the Navy doesn’t have. Unless Congress coughs up the cash, the shipbuilding budget will be cut by half for a whopping 14 years.
Ouch.
Since it’s very unlikely the Navy will get everything it needs, the question of priorities comes into play. So what tops that list? Depends who you ask.
What might have been: CVB(N)s, BBBs and T-ABs?
January 4th, 2010 | Books Historical Science and technology Ships Submarines nuclear weapons | Posted by Phil Ewing
The ballistic missile sub George Washington, commissioned 50 years ago on Dec. 31, would have been only the first of many types of warships to carry ballistic missiles in the Navy's original plan // Navy
A few days ago we observed the 50th anniversary of the commissioning of the ballistic missile sub George Washington, the Navy’s first boomer and the culmination of its bid to grasp its share of the U.S. strategic deterrence mission. Did you know, however, that submarines were originally only one slice of a Navy plan to field nuclear ballistic missiles throughout the fleet?
In their excellent history “Cold War Submarines,” authors Norman Polmar and K.J. Moore write that the Navy considered spreading Polaris missiles all over the place. Carriers, battleships, cruisers and even specially built, disguised “merchant ships” would sail with missiles aimed at vital targets in the Soviet Union:
Lest we forget …
December 31st, 2009 | Blogs Historical Navy Submarines nuclear weapons ordnance | Posted by Lance Bacon
Thanks to Joel “Bubblehead” Kennedy, who reminds us of the 50th anniversary of the commissioning of USS George Washington (SSBN 598), the first ballistic missile submarine. What must it have been like to be there July 20 1960, when the skipper sent a burner 1,100 miles downrange, then sent President Eisenhower the message: POLARIS — FROM OUT OF THE DEEP TO TARGET. PERFECT.
I think Bubblehead says it best:
Service in SSBNs might not be as glamorous and exciting as being on an attack boat, but the bottom line is that our strategic capability is the cornerstone of our national security, and as the most survivable leg of our nuclear triad, SSBNs play an unmatched role in our defense. I’m thankful there are men out there on strategic patrol during this holiday season so that my family can sleep soundly at night.”
Check out his post(s) at bubbleheads.blogspot.com
And you thought your duty was tough
December 31st, 2009 | Foreign navies Life at Sea Maritime operations Morale Navy Submarines The Pacific | Posted by Lance Bacon
The INS Rustoleum, aka Nerpa, is the pride of India’s nuclear Navy. (In fairness, they have busted the rust and given her a new coat of paint since this photo.)
If it seems like U.S. ship builders are spitting out subs at breakneck speed, it is with good reason.
They are.
Lawmakers put the Navy on a 60-month construction span by the end of the Block II contract, which calls for two $2 billion submarines each year starting in 2011. Basically, they want subs better and cheaper … and delivered yesterday.
India seems to be taking a slightly different approach.
The country is planning a 10-year lease of a Russian nuke, the Nerpa. Not sure if that lease has an option to buy. For the crew’s sake, I hope not.
Construction began in the early 1990s, back when our Navy still had non-nuclear carriers. Russia’s financial collapse put Nerpa on hold until India visited the bargain basement and dropped $650 million to get the screw turning once more. Things were looking up when Nerpa started sea trials in November 2008, but a toxic gas leak killed 20 sailors and technicians. Then to add insult to injury painful death, the sub’s cost went from $974 million to $2.5 billion.
But India won’t let a little thing like a dangerous, poorly designed, over-priced, cursed boat stop them! In fact, defense leaders have come up with the ultimate solution for putting this storied past behind their new boat. They are going to rename it the “Chakra,” which roughly translated means “Mayday! Mayday! May …,” or something like that.
Makes a few misaligned bolts in the torpedo room seem rather minor, eh?
Back in action
December 28th, 2009 | Foreign navies Life at Sea Maritime operations Pirates Science and technology Ships Submarines | Posted by Phil Ewing
Not everyone got to spend part or all of last week off work for the Christmas holiday. Even Santa himself, having secured from present-delivery operations the night before, helped launch aircraft on the carrier Nimitz on Christmas Day // MC1 David Mercil / Navy
You can almost hear the metaphorical gas turbines starting back up here at the Center of Excellence, where people are eager to get back to work after the holiday. First, though, a quick run-through of some of the noteworthy things you might have missed amid yule-tiding last week:
- It looks like India will finally take delivery of a Russian Akula-class attack submarine this spring — March, to be precise — but India and Russia have a poor history of completing such deals as originally planned.
- The Chinese navy completed 150 missions as part of the international force that patrols the pirate-ridden Gulf of Aden off Somalia.
- An ex-Navy officer can walk again after his stroke thanks to some high-speed new technology.
- The fleet is apparently worried about the effect a new manatee habitat on ships and submarines operating off the East Coast.
- Check out Galrahn’s motivational video about the littoral combat ship Independence, and get ready to RAWK!
- If you haven’t been checking Bubblehead’s post and comments about the captain of the attack sub Buffalo, who was fired Dec. 20, take a look.
Santa Claus loves the Navy, and vice versa
December 18th, 2009 | Aviation Life at Sea Maritime operations Photos SEALs Submarines | Posted by Phil Ewing
MC1 Todd A. Schaffer / Navy
Although this might rankle some people down in Millington, there are other global forces for good on this planet besides the Navy. There is, for one, Santa Claus, the one-man international, integrated present-transport and joy-delivery enterprise, whose operational tempo usually peaks around this time of year. Being separate global forces for good, however, doesn’t mean being adversaries: The Navy and Santa actually have a lot in common.
For example, like the Navy, no one understands Santa’s budget process. Like the Navy and Marine Corps, Santa makes his headquarters at a highly austere maritime location — FOB North Pole. Like Navy fighter jets, Santa flies through the night sky at tremendous speeds, although instead of Joint Direct Attack Munitions, Santa’s ordnance payload consists of toys and gifts.
It’s appropriate, then, that the paths of these global goodness-delivery forces often intersect. Santa likes to hitch rides on submarines returning from deployment — presumably because they picked him up on the Arctic ice pack
Navy
and shows he understands the importance of a culture of fitness by training with SEAL special operators
MC3 Christopher Menzie / Navy
and even trapped aboard a carrier a few years ago in support of his optimized joy-dissemination strategy
PH2 Class Felix Garza Jr. / Navy
Who knew you could equip a reindeer sleigh with an arrestor hook?