USN in General

[Pelican]

2 reasons navies keep building aircraft carriers even as it gets easier to attack them

Proliferating threats to aircraft carriers have stoked debate about their future viability.
Amid that debate, navies are still building and operating flattops.
Despite the threats, carriers still have utility and are a source of prestige for their operators.


If aircraft carriers are obsolete, then why do so many countries continue to build and buy them? The question goes to the core of modern naval procurement, and not just in the United States.

The People's Liberation Army has assembled a vast array of systems designed to destroy aircraft carriers and thus deter them from entering contested waters. At the same time, the PLAN is in the process of fitting out its third (and largest) carrier, with additional vessels apparently on the way.

And China is hardly alone; in the last decade, the United Kingdom has built and commissioned two large carriers, Japan has modified two existing flat-decked aviation ships to operate modern fighters, and India has acquired a refurbished Russian carrier and built one of its own. South Korea is strongly considering its own carrier program, despite living in a neighborhood with plenty of terrestrial threats.

Continues at - https://www.businessinsider.com/why-nav ... ?r=US&IR=T

[Pelican]

HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding Awarded DDG(X) Design Engineering Contract

HII announced that its Ingalls Shipbuilding division has been awarded a cost-plus-incentive-fee contract for engineering and design from the U.S. Navy for the next-generation guided-missile destroyer (DDG(X)) program.

See - https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/20 ... rettyPhoto

Link from Tim.

Also see - https://www.navaltoday.com/2022/07/25/h ... ring-deal/ - Link from Tim.

[Pelican]

US Navy Tests Upgraded 3D Printer at Sea on USS Essex

The USS Essex, a Wasp-class Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD), recently loaded a new 15,000-pound 3D printer, just prior to departing to participate in the multinational Rim of the Pacific exercise underway at Hawaii and California. The amphibious assault ship will be the first to test the new 3D printer during underway conditions at sea.

Unlike previous 3D printers tested by the Navy that print objects using polymers or metal powders, the Xerox ElemX 3D printer uses aluminum wire to create parts and tools.

Lt. Cmdr. Nicolas Batista, the Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Department (AIMD) officer aboard Essex stated that the new 3D printer is one of the fastest printers on the market, capable of fabricating and printing aluminum up to 10” by 10”. Many common components may be created on the ship to include heat sinks, housings, fuel adapters, bleed air valves, valve covers and more.

Continues at - http://www.oldsaltblog.com/2022/07/us-n ... more-59480

[Pelican]

Today: The Air Force’s Other Birthday
July 26, 2022
While the Air Force’s “birthday” is generally celebrated Sept. 18—the day it officially became active as one of the U.S. armed services—an equal case could be made for July 26, the day President Harry Truman signed into law the National Security Act of 1947, which created the service.

Seventy-five years ago today, aboard the VC-54 presidential transport Truman had dubbed Sacred Cow, he signed the Act, which also organized the new Department of Defense out of the old War Department and Navy Department. The legislation additionally created the position of Secretary of Defense from the old post of Secretary of War; codified the Joint Chiefs of Staff; established the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Council; and in many other ways set the framework for the modern U.S. national security establishment.

Originally part of the Signal Corps, the Air Service had become the Army Air Corps in 1939 and the Army Air Forces in 1942. After the Air Force was established by the Act, Gen. H.H. Arnold, commander of the USAAF, became the Chief of Staff of the Air Force in September 1947.

The 1947 law was meant to define and streamline the chain of command within the U.S. military establishment and to codify the responsibilities of various intelligence agencies under a single director of central intelligence.

The military organizational changes were deemed necessary because, although the U.S. had won WWII, it now needed to efficiently maintain large standing forces and conduct large-scale intelligence collection with the new Cold War. An independent Air Force was deemed necessary to organize for the mission of nuclear deterrence along with furtherance of the science and technology of military aviation.

The Navy resisted the creation of a co-equal service for Air, believing it would be out-voted by the Air Force and Army and because it wanted to retain its status as the nation’s first line of defense. After ordering the branches to work out their differences—and not getting results—Truman laid out legislation interleaving drafts written by all the services.

Truman proposed the legislation to Congress in February 1947. During congressional hearings, then-Army Chief of Staff Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Chester Nimitz testified in favor of the changes, as did James Forrestal, Secretary of the Navy. Truman would later appoint Forrestal the first Secretary of Defense.

After it passed both houses of Congress, the Act went to Truman for signature, and he signed it July 26, 1947. The following April, Forrestal convened senior service leaders to hammer out and divide their military responsibilities in what would become known as the Key West agreement.

While the 1947 National Security Act resolved many of the World War II problems of dissimilar bureaucracies and priorities, the chronic issues of duplication of effort and operational confusion persisted through the Korean and Vietnam conflicts, coming to a head in the 1983 U.S. invasion of Grenada, which lessons-learned reports characterized as poorly coordinated among the services.

In 1986, some of the structure laid out in the 1947 National Security Act was revised when President Ronald Reagan signed the Goldwater-Nichols Act. It reorganized the wartime chain of command from the Secretary of Defense down through a new system of regional, joint commanders, taking the service chiefs and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff out of the chain of command and making the “man, train, equip” mission their top priority. The new system was tested only four years later in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, when Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, the head of U.S. Central Command, led air, naval, and land component commanders from all services in the first Gulf War, to great success.

Truman signed the National Security Act of 1947 aboard the Sacred Cow because he was about to fly to the bedside of his ill mother, but he delayed the takeoff until the document could be couriered to the aircraft.

Some pieces of the Sacred Cow flew in space aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia, which orbited in April 1997 for mission STS-83 to mark the 50th anniversary of the National Security Act of 1947—and the “other” birthday of the Air Force. The aircraft is part of the collection of the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.

Source - https://www.airforcemag.com/today-the-a ... -birthday/
Link from Tim.

[Pelican]

US Navy's Virginia class program of nuclear powered submarines in trouble

According to a report published by the US Congressional Research Service on July 27, 2022, the Virginia class program experienced cost growth in its early years and delays relative to targeted delivery dates. What will Australia decide next?

This comes after Australia's previous defense minister, Mr Dutton, said on 13 June 2022 that his plan was to buy two Virginia-class submarines from the US by 2030.

In September 2021 Australia scraped its French contract of Barracuda-class submarines to sign a trilateral security pact called AUKUS with the United Kingdom and the United States.

Under the pact, the United States and the United Kingdom agree to help Australia to develop and deploy nuclear-powered submarines. The other option for the Royal Australian Navy is the future British Astute class submarine.

About the Virginia class submarines

The Virginia class, also known as the SSN-774 class, is a class of nuclear-powered cruise missile fast-attack submarines, in service in the United States Navy.

They are designed to excel in anti-submarine warfare, anti-ship warfare, strike warfare, special operations, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, irregular warfare, and mine warfare. Fast-attack submarines project power ashore with special operations forces and Tomahawk cruise missiles in the prevention or preparation of regional crises.

The Virginia-class submarine has a length of 114.8 m, and a beam of 10.36 m. The submarine can reach a top speed of 28 miles per hour (45 km/h). She has a crew of 132 people including 15 officers and 117 enlisted.

The Virginia Class is equipped with twelve Vertical Launch System (VLS) tubes and four torpedo tubes (starting with SSN 784 North Dakota [Block II], the 12 VLS tubes are replaced by 2 large-diameter payload tubes).

The submarines also carry Mk 48 ADCAP Torpedoes, UGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missiles, Mk 60 CAPTOR mines, advanced mobile mines, and unmanned underwater vehicles.

From - https://www.navyrecognition.com/index.p ... ouble.html

Link from Tim.

[Pelican]

U.S. NAVY NEWS - https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/20 ... eet-oiler/

See - https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/20 ... stem-uiss/

Link from Tim.

[Pelican]

US Navy may only get desired N-attack submarine fleet by 2052: Report flags ‘counter-China hurdle’


Congressional Research Service report highlights challenges in expanding fleet. Schedule could derail regional plans to counter Beijing’s growing power over Indian & Pacific Oceans.

The production of new nuclear-powered attack submarines to meet the United States Navy’s target of operating a fleet of between 66 and 72 may be completed only by 2052 under the navy’s plan, a new report by the official Congressional Research Service has said. The schedule could hurt Australia’s plans to acquire its own nuclear-powered submarines and retard regional efforts to counter China’s growing power in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific.

Last year’s Australia-United Kingdom-United States partnership, or AUKUS, had led Canberra to scrap its plans to build twelve French-designed conventional submarines, and announce it would instead acquire nuclear-powered attack submarines.

The speed, stealth, and endurance of nuclear-powered attack submarines, or SSNs — limited by the crew’s need for supplies — mean they are considered among the most lethal elements of modern naval arsenals. In, 2019, India had signed an agreement with Russia to lease an SSN. It also plans to build six SSNs.

Australia is expected to announce its submarine acquisition plans early next year but defence minister Richard Marles said last week that hopes that nuclear-powered boats would become available by the end of the decade “would be extremely optimistic.”

Continues at - https://theprint.in/india/us-navy-may-o ... e/1059380/

Link from Tim.

[Pelican]

US Navy developing water-based drones to combat China 'pacing challenge' but wary of 'unproven technology'

The U.S. has started working on new types of weapons to help keep pace with China’s military development and continue to deter a potential invasion of Taiwan.

U.S. military officials have repeatedly stressed that they consider China the main "pacing challenge" for development and engagement — meaning Beijing is a competitor making significant progress toward challenging U.S. defense strategy.

One way that the Navy has identified water-born drones as an affordable but effective means of delaying that challenge: the Navy’s 5th Fleet has already deployed smaller drones of this nature in waters off the Middle East.

Four of the largest drones currently deployed will take part in a multi-nation naval exercise in the Pacific Ocean during the summer.

The drones would allow the Navy to maintain fleet size in comparison to China’s own growing fleet while hitting three targets: weapons range, scouting, and command and control. The technology also would avoid costly mistakes that have arisen with traditional ships in recent years.

Several combat ships found after deployment that they had propulsion problems, leading to early retirement; the ammo for a stealth destroyer’s "Advanced Gun System" proved too costly to maintain; and a new aircraft carrier showed issues with its launch system.

Critics say the Navy rushed to add too much new technology to its vessels, but Cmdr. Jeremiah Daley told The Associated Press that it’s a matter of "moving the technology forward and having confidence in the capability."

The Navy’s budget for the new fiscal year includes $433 million for "crewless surface vessels."

Continues at - https://news.yahoo.com/us-navy-developi ... ccounter=1

Link from Tim.

[Pelican]

ST PETERSBURG, Russia, July 31 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin on Sunday signed a new naval doctrine which cast the United States as Russia's main rival and set out Russia's global maritime ambitions for crucial areas such as the Arctic and in the Black Sea.

Speaking on Russia's Navy Day in the former imperial capital of St Petersburg founded by Tsar Peter the Great, Putin praised Peter for making Russia a great sea power and increasing the global standing of the Russian state.

After inspecting the navy, Putin made a short speech in which he promised that what he touted as Russia's unique Zircon hypersonic cruise missiles, cautioning that Russia had the military clout to defeat any potential aggressors.

Shortly before the speech, he signed a new 55-page naval doctrine, which sets out the broad strategic aims of Russia's navy, including its ambitions as a "great maritime power" which extend over the entire world.

The main threat to Russia, the doctrine says, is "the strategic policy of the USA to dominate the world's oceans" and the movement of the NATO military alliance closer towards Russia's borders.

Russia may use its military force appropriately to the situation in the world's oceans should other soft powers, such as diplomatic and economic tools, be exhausted, the doctrine says, acknowledging that Russia does not have enough navy bases globally.

Russia's priority was to develop strategic and naval cooperation with India as well as wider cooperation with Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and other states in the region, according to the doctrine.

"Guided by this doctrine, the Russian Federation will firmly and resolutely defend its national interests in the world's oceans, and having sufficient maritime power will guarantee their security and protection," the document said.

Putin's speech did not mention the conflict in Ukraine, but the military doctrine envisages a "comprehensive strengthening of Russia's geopolitical position" in the Black and Azov seas.

Relations between Russia and the West have undergone deepening strain during the five months of the Ukraine conflict.

The doctrine also sets out the Arctic Ocean, which the United States has repeatedly said Russia is trying to militarise, as an area of particular importance for Russia.

Russia's vast 37,650 km (23,400 mile) coastline, which stretches from the Sea of Japan to the White Sea, also includes the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea.

Putin said the delivery of Zircon hypersonic cruise missiles to the Admiral Gorshkov frigate would begin within months. The location of their deployment would depend on Russian interests, he said.

"The key thing here is the capability of the Russian navy... It is able to respond with lightning speed to all who decides to infringe on our sovereignty and freedom."

Hypersonic weapons can travel at nine times the speed of sound, and Russia has conducted previous test-launches of the Zircon from warships and submarines over the past year.

In Crimea, Sevastopol governor Mikhail Razvozhayev said Ukrainian forces struck the headquarters of Russia's Black Sea Fleet in the Russian-held port city early on Sunday, wounding five members of staff. read more

Attached photo - "The Russian corvette Aleksin fires missiles during a parade marking Navy Day in Baltiysk in the Kaliningrad region, Russia July 31, 2022"

6 More photos within article at - https://www.reuters.com/business/aerosp ... 022-07-31/

[Pelican]

Momentous Changes in the U.S. Marine Corps’ Force Organization Deserve Debate

Retired generals raise telling questions about the current commandant’s radical new ideas.

Deference to senior command is a hard-wired tradition in elite military organizations, and nowhere is that tradition more honored than in the U.S. Marine Corps. But what happens if a policy coming from the top of the chain of command is insufficiently tested or intrinsically flawed? Where is it written that a subordinate or former commander can set aside deference and demand a second look?

For more than two years many of the Marine Corps’ finest former leaders have struggled with this dilemma as they quietly discussed a series of fundamental changes ordered, and in some cases already implemented, by Gen. David Berger, the current commandant. Among Marines there are serious questions about the wisdom and long-term risk of dramatic reductions in force structure, weapon systems and manpower levels in units that would take steady casualties in most combat scenarios. And it is unclear to just about everyone with experience in military planning what formal review and coordination was required before Gen. Berger unilaterally announced a policy that would alter so many time-honored contributions of the Marine Corps.

Continues at - https://www.wsj.com/articles/momentous- ... 1648217667


Marine Corps Sees Initial Successes with Restructure Despite Critics

The Marine Corps is making strides toward achieving Commandant Gen. David Berger’s controversial vision for transforming the force, as it prepares for great power competition and expeditionary warfare operations.

In 2020, Berger unveiled his Force Design 2030 blueprint as a way to ready the service to deter China and prepare for potential conflict in the Indo-Pacific region. The strategy laid out an ambitious plan to cut end strength, divest from legacy systems and procure new platforms needed for extra operational flexibility.

“We’re two years into it, largely successful so far in the leadership here in Congress allowing us to keep those [freed up] resources and plow them back into the Marine Corps of the future,” Berger said at an event sponsored by the Center for a New American Security.

Continues at - https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org ... te-critics



New U.S. Marine Corps Force Design Initiative - CRS Reports

The above is in pdf format, screen shots of it are attached.