Trump wants 'goddamned steam’ catapults on new aircraft carriers

[ranzino]

Its 5 of the most powerful European navies. Most of Europe has little to no blue water fleet.

well, we can tick off a lot of innercontinental countries already. San Marino, Andorra, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, Vatican, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia, Macedonia, Kosovo, Luxemburg, Moldava, Belarus, Kazakhstan (because western part)

btw: 43 countries in europe only.

[Kellhound]

well, we can tick off a lot of innercontinental countries already. San Marino, Andorra, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, Vatican, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia, Macedonia, Kosovo, Luxemburg, Moldava, Belarus, Kazakhstan (because western part)

btw: 43 countries in europe only.

Depends on how you count, I have seen as high as 51 when including transcontinental ones.

[Noomz]

Is the digital launcher kind of like the idea of the rail gun? Using an electro magnetic field to help launch the plane?

Why the fuck would we want to name anything after Gerald ford? What did he do that was so great? Pardon Nixon?

Instead of using steam from the nuclear generator they use electrical currents directly instead, apparently. On paper it sounds safer, smarter and more versatile, as I read it. But it's a fresh technology and it's got issues along with being a new, untested technology. But you won't learn or improve anything if you don't work with it.

That said, refitting a steam system into the Ford ship would cost even more. Just fucking go with what you've made and deal with that.

[ringpriest]

And on the flip side, they made the DDG-51s (76 planned) and the Virginias (48 planned). Thus the backbone of the USN is made up of proven systems. The Navy hates unique test ships because they are logistical nightmares.

Having a unique test ship seemed to work out quite well for the Virgina-class you laud, and certainly seems like a better idea than $12 billion and counting on a useless supercarrier. As I said above, penny-wise, pound-foolish - something that the decision to go whole-hog on purchasing Burkes and Virginas demonstrates, along with the complete lack of sane CONOPS, or anything like it; why does the USN need so many guided missile destroyers (circa 1995) and cheap fast-attack nukes (circa 1999)? (Thank you for reinforcing my point that the USN can't design decent ships anymore.) What operational need, in service to which strategic goal do they fill? Or is the USN just buying warships for the sake of warships? Because that last is sure what it looks like. How many new Military Sealift Command ships has the USN bought lately? Maybe it can make like the IJN and just assume resupply will be available - just look at how well that worked out for them!

Actually, the Ford is fully manned with a USN crew already. And unlike Russia, the USN actually trains its sailors to maintain the equipment.

LOL. The United States Navy is reliant on contractors for it's major repair work and maintenance of complex systems, now more than ever something that began back in Vietnam, continued through AEGIS, and on into the present day - for example,
"BAE Systems gets post shakedown contract for two US Navy destroyers" (April 13, 2017)

The U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command has awarded BAE Systems San Diego Ship Repair a $19.4 million contract to perform post shakedown availability (PSA) work on the U.S. Navy’s two new Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers.

The contract will see BAE Systems perform maintenance and eventual repairs and alterations found following the ships’ shakedown cruises.

"Military Sealift Command awards Guam ship repair contract" (April 29, 2017)

Cabras Marine Corp., Piti, Guam (N3220517D4904); Guam Shipyard, Agat, Guam (N3220517D4905); and Seafix Inc., Tamuning, Guam (N3220517D4906), are being awarded a not-to-exceed $18,095,000 combined indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award contract for a one-year requirement to provide ship repair services to Military Sealift Command, the Navy, as well as the Coast Guard on the island of Guam.

Services will include pier side ship general ship repair services. The contract includes option years which, if exercised, would bring the total contract maximum value to $96,068,812.

Military Sealift Command is utterly dependent on contractors - the Navy literally could not function without them; if you had actually served in the Navy, you'd know this (unless you were a completely unobservant idiot).

[Kellhound]

Having a unique test ship seemed to work out quite well for the Virgina-class you laud, and certainly seems like a better idea than $12 billion and counting on a useless supercarrier. As I said above, penny-wise, pound-foolish - something that the decision to go whole-hog on purchasing Burkes and Virginas demonstrates, along with the complete lack of sane CONOPS, or anything like it; why does the USN need so many guided missile destroyers (circa 1995) and cheap fast-attack nukes (circa 1999)? (Thank you for reinforcing my point that the USN can't design decent ships anymore.) What operational need, in service to which strategic goal do they fill? Or is the USN just buying warships for the sake of warships? Because that last is sure what it looks like. How many new Military Sealift Command ships has the USN bought lately? Maybe it can make like the IJN and just assume resupply will be available - just look at how well that worked out for them!





LOL. The United States Navy is reliant on contractors for it's major repair work and maintenance of complex systems, now more than ever something that began back in Vietnam, continued through AEGIS, and on into the present day - for example,
"BAE Systems gets post shakedown contract for two US Navy destroyers" (April 13, 2017)


"Military Sealift Command awards Guam ship repair contract" (April 29, 2017)

Military Sealift Command is utterly dependent on contractors - the Navy literally could not function without them; if you had actually served in the Navy, you'd know this (unless you were a completely unobservant idiot).

The USN has built miniature mockups of hull designs for decades, that doesnt make them an experiential class like the Tullibee.

Lets see, the 62 Burkes replaced 30 Spruance DDs, 4 Kidd DDGs, 23 Charles F Adams DDGs, 5 Ticonderoga CGs, 9 Leahy CGs, and 9 Belknap CGs at a minimum. Basically we have enough to only assign 3 to each carrier and large amphib. The Burkes are general purpose destroyers capable of performing all of the operations of DD, DDG and CG ships built before them as well or better. They are well armed, with excellent radar and EW systems, ABM, SAM, ASW, and ASuW missile capability in good numbers. They have good endurance, speed and seakeeping. The Virginias are not even keeping pace with the retirements of the 688s and predecessors. Even the 4 Ohio SSGNs are nearing the end of the road. What we are missing is FFGs, which honestly could be easily resolved by building new Long Hull Perrys with Mk41s replacing the Mk13s.

Depends on what you consider recently for a freighter. The Spearhead class is less than 7 years old, and the Bob Hope, Watson, and Lewis & Clark classes are all 1990s-2000s. 32 fleet supply ships, 32 prepositioning ships, plus numerous ready reserve, RORO, and chartered vessels. The MSC is larger than most countries entire navy, and they do not wear out as fast as combatants.

I know you love to attack the US military, but I will point out that I never said the Navy didnt use contractors, just that sailors are trained to repair the fleet, which they are, especially compared to the Russian Navy. Contractors have long been part of maintenance (especially on shore), its nothing new or shocking.

[Docturphil]

This seems too stupid even for Trump.

[Yvaelle]

Well if anything this gives me hope he wouldn't even know how to use the nuclear launch codes, it's all digital.

Not once Trump's done with it - it'll all be goddamn steampowered nuclear footballs.

There'll be wizzbangs, springloaded levers, and erlynmeyer flasks, everyone will have cool goggles on, and tophats, people don't think about tophats anymore.

Plus, this guy will be the new aide in charge of the nuclear football:

[Verdugo]

He is becoming Mr. Burns.