CVN

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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

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.

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.

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.

After much experimentation with formats, page lengths, and styles over the past few years, we think we have found a “sweet spot” that delivers good value for money.

This new format for “nimble” books is color interior, 32 to 120 pages long, 8 x 10. For examples, visit the Nimble Books store. (I should add that we are entirely willing to entertain proposals for “traditional” format books.)

The price to the customer varies with page length, but we use a pricing algorithm that results in author compensation of about $3 per book. (Here is our standard contract).  Of course, sales vary from book to book, so  royalties do too.

The manuscript should be 7,000 to 40,000 words long minus approximately 400 words for each image. Excluding the front and back matter, that works out to 23 to 111 pages for the body of the manuscript (including images, which are typically presented in full-page format). The sad truth is that many (if not) most full-length books today are padded. Sometimes it can be more artistically effective to work within constraints.

Images must be 72dpi resolution or greater; color, if at all possible; and provided with either explicit permission to use from the owner or with a strong “no copyright” rationale.

To be clear, the availability of color images is not a requirement; it’s a nice-to-have. This format does work with straight text or with B&W illustrations, but color helps differentiate the book and add value for the customer.

The “content package” that seems to motivate purchase best is a substantial number of beautiful images plus pointed, insightful commentary on a topic that is attractive to enthusiasts.

These are some of our series and titles (current and planned):

• COOL AIRCRAFT — the X-47
• COOL MAPS — Afghanistan, Baghdad, Cuba, France, France’s Overseas Territories, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq …
• COOL SCIENCE — Our Colorful Moon, Our Splendid Sun
• COOL SHIPS — CVN-68 Nimitz, CVN-69 Dwight D. Eisenhower, CVN-70 Carl Vinson, CVN-76 Ronald Reagan, CVN-77 George H.W. Bush, CVN-78 Gerald R. Ford, DDG-81 Winston S. Churchill, SSN-23 Jimmy Carter
• CURRENT AFFAIRS – Sovereign Wealth Funds, Should Barack Obama Be President?
• MILITARY HISTORY — Borodino: Why It Matters Today; BB-67 MONTANA, U.S. Navy Battleship: Why She Matters Today
• POPULAR CULTURE– The Solomon Key and Beyond, Reread THE DEATHLY HALLOWS Today, The New Harry Potter Quiz Book
• TECH FUN — Cool Web Graphics

Ideas for other topics are quite welcome.

The important thing to understand about the financial side is that this is micropublishing. I will be quite happy with a book that sells 10 copies a month. This is not a way to get rich; I would suggest that you think about it more like adding a revenue stream to your blog. By that measure this approach stacks up pretty well. Each book purchased (anywhere in the world) is like a $3 ad click. There are no fees to the author, ever, and we bear all costs of publication.

Incidentally, I have no objection if you wish to compose your book as a series of blog entries, then turn a manuscript over to me for “nimble” publication. Our standard contract gives Nimble exclusive rights to publication in book form, but all other rights are reserved to the author.

This format should work for you if:

• You have pointed, interesting text in hand that you want to “repurpose” or try out in print, or
• You have beautiful color photos or art in hand, or
• You pick a topic that is easily illustrated with high-quality public domain images (e.g. space, navy ships, history before 1922)

and …

• You have a blog or some sort of platform that gives you the ability to drive traffic or…
• You pick a topic that is keyword-friendly or …
• You pick a topic that is beloved by enthusiasts.

Our Nimble Books Marketing Playbook provides advice on how to maximize your online sales.

Submit a Proposal for a Nimble Book

1. Your Name(required)
2. Email(valid email required)
3. Website
4. Proposal Title
5. Book Series Cool Aircraft Cool Maps Cool Science Cool Ships Current Affairs Military History Popular Culture Tech Fun Other
6. Message
7. Sample chapters or book proposal

 

cforms contact form by delicious:days

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