Quantcast

my US Navy budget for 2010-2014

2 x LHA = $8B
10 x DDG-51 = $20B

the remaining $7B into developing long-range variants of the X-47 UCASB.

Information Dissemination
Given Huntington’s advice, the Navy’s existing plan, the operational considerations, the Maritime Strategy, and $35 billion over 5 years… what would be your shipbuilding plan, and why? The FY09-1FY13 plan the Navy released in this budget year can be found here for comparison. Remember, we are talking about 5 years from FY10 – FY14 here, but it should be part of a larger strategy.

Targeting the DF-21 carrier killer

Good detail from StrategyPage:

International Assessment and Strategy Center > Research > New Chinese Missiles Target the Greater Asian Region

With the April 2006 launch of the Jianbing-5/YaoGan-1, China�s first dedicated military synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite, and a related new high-resolution digital imaging satellite Jianbing-6/YaoGan-2 last May 25[1], China�s new ASBM may be close to achieving an initial operational status. Russian technology SAR and electro-optical satellites dedicated to counter-naval missions may be launched later this year. These satellites can join existing Chinese long-range Over-the-Horizon radar and land-based electronic intelligence sensors, aircraft and even ships to provide composite targeting data for ASBMs. China will also use its future “Compass” navigation satellite constellation to provide precision guidance for this and other missiles.

Cause of the fire aboard CVN-73 George Washington

The CO and Exec of George Washington got the chop for this.

God, fires aboard ship are terrifying.

Two top Navy officers fired over $70 million carrier blaze | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com

…the Navy said it concluded that the fire likely was caused by “unauthorized smoking that ignited flammable liquids and other combustible material improperly stored in an adjacent space.”

The fire and its intensity “were the result of a series of human acts that could have been prevented,” the Navy summary added. It cited “the storage of 90 gallons of refrigerant compressor oil in an unauthorized space” as a factor in the fire’s severity.

The summary said the fire began in a boiler exhaust and supply area and spread quickly because of a “chimney effect” in nearby spaces and duct work. The 12-hour battle to extinguish the fire injured 37 sailors, one of whom received first- and second-degree burns.

[asa]1934840246[/asa]

Russians building 5-6 new aircraft carriers (beginning 2012 …)

This will be significant if it happens.

Part of what’s going on here is jostling for position in a warming Arctic Ocean. A few Russian carriers in an unfrozen Arctic Ocean would make a difficult challenge for the U.S. and Canada. We would struggle to extend carrier power into an ocean that is literally surrounded by Russian airbases.

Russia to rejuvenate its navy – International Herald Tribune

Russia will build five or six aircraft carrier battle groups in the near future, the RIA news agency quoted a navy commander, Vladimir Vysotsky, as saying at Navy Day festivities in St Petersburg.

“We call this a sea-borne aircraft carrier system that will be based on the Northern and Pacific fleets,” Vysotsky said. “The creation of such systems will begin after 2012.”

a fundamental purpose of destroyers

in carrier warfare is to man the perimeter of the carrier battle group and absorb heavy losses. While it may not be true that you can never have enough surface combatants, 84 is only 7.5 escorts per 11 carrier groups. An aditional 25 combatants, or ten escorts per carrier, would be a good thing. Maybe at 12 or 15 escorts per carrier they start getting in each other’s way.

Ares Homepage

Collins and Senate colleagues had added $2.6 billion to the 2008 defense bill for the third DDG-1000, which was to have been built by her constituents at Bath Iron Works. She is now advocating for the construction of nine more DDG-51s at BIW, in order to maintain the shipyard’s employment level and turnover. This is apparently more important than any military need for the DDG-51s, which is not discussed in Collins’ release.

It is now time to revisit future Navy fleet requirements: here’s a link to some recommended reading from Bob Work at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, who has suggested ways of defining a new surface combatant

Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System for CVN-78 Gerald Ford

A brand new launch technology for CVN-78 Gerald Ford.

Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) is a system under development by the United States Navy to launch aircraft from carriers using a linear motor drive instead of steam pistons, used in conventional aircraft catapults. This technology has the advantage of gradually increasing the aircraft’s speed, thus reducing the stress the plane’s airframe has to support. The EMALS is currently being developed for the U.S. Navy’s newest Ford class aircraft carriers. It was also being considered for the Royal Navy’s new Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers (CVF), however the Royal Navy opted for a Vertical/Short Takeoff and Landing (VSTOL) configuration.

Small surface combatants = airplanes

ARMED FORCES JOURNAL – Think small – July 2008

The U.S. Navy already has a fleet of thousands of small surface combatants that can carry surface to surface missiles or antisubmarine weapons. These small surface combatants are fast, flexible, and all-weather-capable. They are called aircraft.

The Navy needs a credible force of multipurpose corvettes plus a modest number of missile combat craft to effectively bridge the existing gap in its surface warfare capabilities in the littoral waters. As many as 32 multipurpose corvettes organized in eight squadrons of four ships each should be acquired. They should be forward-deployed in similar manner as are surface MCM ships. In addition, a force of perhaps 12 missile combat craft could be deployed within a striking distance of selected choke points. The most critical deployment areas are the Persian Gulf/Strait of Hormuz, Horn of Africa/Bab-el Mandeb Strait, the Strait of Malacca and the Caribbean.

CVN killer warhead?

Strategic Weapons: Carrier Killer Warhead

2008: Rumors continue to come out of China that the DF-21 ballistic missile is being equipped with a high-explosive warhead and a guidance system that can find and hit a aircraft carrier at sea. The DF-21 has a range of 1800 kilometers and normally hauls a 300 kiloton nuclear warhead. It’s a two stage, 15 ton, solid fuel rocket that could carry a half ton penetrating, high-explosive warhead, along with the special guidance system (a radar and image recognition system).

As the remainder of the article explains, it’s more complicated than just firing off the missile … there are countermeasures, and the carriers are still hard to find.

About SSN-23 JIMMY CARTER, U.S. Navy Submarine

Dear readers,

I am very pleased to bring you this beautiful book in our new "nimble" format:

  SSN-23 JIMMY CARTER, U.S. Navy Submarine (Seawolf class)
 
with the stunning orange cover photo and full color interior.  The contents of the book are:



Introduction


Buy This Book If:


Acknowledgements


Key Facts


Specifications


Ships in the Seawolf Class


Remarks at the Naming Ceremony
in 1998


Figure 1.  SSN-23 incorporates new design features for
an “expeditionary” future.


Figure 2. Positive thinking
about Carter’s role.  Interestingly, none of these missions look
much like the cable tapping missions that made Carter’s predecessor Parche the most decorated sub in U.S.
naval history.


Figure 3.  President Carter being given a model of the
future Jimmy Carter at the naming ceremony. 
Personally, I’d have held out for the bigger one.


Figure 4.  A full-length view of the model, courtesy
Motionmodels.com.  Note the conceptual
representation of the additional maneuvering units fore and aft.  These below-waterline fixtures  will most likely never be seen in public
while Jimmy Carter is in active
service.


Figure 5.  Ship’s crest.


Figure 6.  A detailed view of the propeller, rudder, and
aft maneuvering units (courtesy Motion Models). 
The actual appearance of the maneuvering units may be somewhat
different.


Figure 5.  Moving her outdoors for the first time, June
24, 2004.


Figure 6. Sneaking out a little
early.


Figure 7.  The Multi-Mission Platform that makes Jimmy Carter unique.


Figure 8. Inserting the forward
upper module in the MMP.


Figure 9.  Leaving Electric Boat to begin Alpha Sea
Trials, November 2004.


Figure 10.  During sea trials, February 2005.


Figure 11.  The commissioning ceremony, February 19,
2005.


Figure 12.  The crew manning the ship during the
commissioning ceremony.


Figure 13.  Carter being "depermed", or
demagnetized, to reduce her vulnerability to weapons that detect magnetic
signatures.


Figure 14. Jimmy Carter and
Rosalynn about to set off on an overnight trip, August 12, 2005.


Figure 15.  Departing Kings Bay, Georgia with the Carters
on board.


Figure 16.  Carter on Carter.  This is the boat’s mess room.


Figure 17.  Returning to Kings Bay after taking Jimmy
Carter on an overnight.


An Appropriate Name


Why SSN-23 Jimmy Carter Matters
Today


References


Colophon


I found some terrific AP photos taken inside JIMMY CARTER–I wish I had been able to use them!  but the book is pretty nice.

If you like this sort of thing, you may want to take a look at a couple of other titles in our "Cool Ships" series:

BB-67 MONTANA, U.S. Navy Battleship: Why She Matters Today 

 CVN-78 GERALD R. FORD, U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier 

Relative sales of these titles will determine whether we do more subs next, or return to the old-fashioned targets capital ships. ;-)

Very cordially yours,

Fred Zimmerman
Publisher, Nimble Books LLC

Welcome to CVN-77 George H.W. Bush

Dear readers,

I hope you will enjoy this book with its 32 pages of beautifully printed images of the latest U.S. Navy aircraft carrier, CVN-77 George H.W. Bush.  I’ve read a lot of books about ships over the years, and one thing that I like about this one is that the cover picture shows an unfinished ship under construction.   Even though the ship is unfinished, I hope y0u’ll agree it looks pretty damned cool. 

In this book you’ll get a lot of "candids" of CVN-77 as she moves towards completion.  If you are a member of CVN-77’s PCU, I hope you’ll send me some more hi-res photos!  This book is printed on demand so it’s very easy to revise and update with new information.

I am proud to bring forth this book, which I think is a fitting tribute to a great American.  And if you’re thinking about buying anything else — think again!  It wouldn’t be prudent to miss out on this book!

Cordially,

Fred Zimmerman
Publisher, Nimble Books LLC