W*****B
发帖数: 4796 | 1 军舰潜艇三天两头出事儿
Navy Faces Prospect That Crash Will Force USS Connecticut Out Of Service
Craig Hooper
Senior Contributor
Aerospace & Defense
I evaluate national security threats and propose solutions.
USS San Francisco Sits In Dry Dock
The Los Angeles-class U.S Navy submarine USS San [+]
GETTY IMAGES
Despite a virtual news blackout, information on America’s damaged Seawolf
Class attack submarine, USS Connecticut (SSN-22), is starting to leak out.
While details are scarce, the Pacific Fleet’s latest operational debacle
has left the U.S. without a key undersea combatant. At a minimum, the USS
Connecticut will be out of service for years, and there is a creeping
realization that the damage may be significant enough to force the USS
Connecticut into a premature retirement.
It is time for the Navy to start talking. Regardless of the outcome, the
fate of the USS Connecticut has enormous ramifications for virtually every
facet of America’s maritime industrial base. Given the extended news
blackout and the fact that the submarine hasn’t budged from Guam yet,
indications suggest the USS Connecticut is badly hurt.
This is no time to smother a potentially uncomfortable debate under an over-
classified blanket; the USS Connecticut’s mishap is a big deal and no
longer a cozy internal Navy matter.
With the Command Investigation nearing completion, the Navy’s continued
silence is doing more harm than good. China is gleefully hammering away at
America’s sullen silence. And every day spent keeping the USS Connecticut
under wraps is one less day for America to debate and prepare a viable path
forward. Geopolitics aside, the United States needs to know just how the USS
Connecticut’s accident is likely to stress America’s undersea industrial
base. And if this mishap is a self-inflicted wound, stemming from
longstanding but long-unfixed problems within the Navy, then real changes
must be made.
There is no more time for the Navy to indulge in a long, leisurely study
into root causes before deciding on the way ahead. Somebody, somewhere in
the Navy Department needs to take what data is available today and use it to
lead. Decisions on the stricken sub need to be made quickly,
dispassionately, and with a rigor that an emotional Navy will be loathe to
deliver.
This crisis is now the defining challenge for Carlos Del Toro, the new Navy
Secretary. America can only hope he is stern enough for the task ahead.
It Doesn’t Sound Good
While the “silent service” is living up to its name, information on the
submarine’s condition is gradually leaking out. Over at the U.S. Naval
Institute (USNI), the indefatigable Sam LaGrone is hearing whispers of
damage. Two defense officials told USNI that the impact “damaged the
submarine’s forward ballast tanks.” Others told USNI News that the
submarine had hit and grounded upon an uncharted seamount in the South China
Sea.
The last time the Navy publicly reported a submarine had damaged their
forward ballast tanks was in 2005, when the USS San Francisco (SSN-711)
suffered a catastrophic collision with a seamount. While nobody is saying
that the USS Connecticut suffered as extensive damage in the current
incident, the USS Connecticut likely won’t be returning to service anytime
soon.
Submarine repairs take a lot of time. The USS San Francisco was stuck at
Guam for seven months and needed four years of work before returning to
service.
To get the USS San Francisco’s back in a timely fashion, the Navy resorted
to cannibalism, taking a bow from the retiring USS Honolulu (SSN-718)—a
similarly-aged sub that, due to budget cuts, was being prematurely retired.
The “nose job” was complex enough, requiring 285,000 worker days to
complete, but the task of appropriating the old bow and aligning and mating
internal systems was a whole lot easier than repairing and restoring damaged
external hull structures from scratch.
Working from scratch is what the Navy will likely need to do if it wants to
repair the USS Connecticut. As the Navy has little in the way of spare
Seawolf Class parts sitting around—and no older boats to cannibalize—
rehabilitating and re-certifying the USS Connecticut may be a far more time-
consuming and expensive engineering challenge than either the U.S. Navy or U
.S. taxpayers expect.
In these situations, the Navy’s instinctual bias is almost always slanted
towards saving the damaged craft—regardless of whether it makes fiscal or
operational sense. In the USS San Francisco’s case, the Navy had two
obvious options—either repair the newly-refueled USS San Francisco or
retire the USS San Francisco and refuel a similarly—aged submarine, USS
Honolulu. To support the decision the Navy estimated that the repairs would
cost $79 million, about half the $170 million needed to refuel the Honolulu.
But the Navy’s initial repair estimate was inaccurate, and the fix became
a relative “wash,” with the final bill for the USS San Francisco clocking
in at $134 million—barely a 20% difference.
Neither option is available today—the choice is either to retire the sub or
try to fix it. But again, the bias will be towards saving the sub. For the
Navy, the political cost of losing the USS Connecticut will be enormous, and
, frankly, Congress may expect naval leadership—from the Chief of Naval
Operations on down—to pay for it with their careers. But with few spares
and no prior hulls to cannibalize, repairing the USS Connecticut risks
becoming a complex, sprawling affair that the Navy simply cannot afford to
endure. There are no good options.
Is the Juice Worth The Squeeze?
Depending upon the damage, retiring the USS Connecticut early and turning it
into a “parts barn” for the USS Seawolf (SSN-21) and USS Jimmy Carter (
SSN-23) may well be the only sensible path.
The USS Connecticut is a unique “Cold War” fighter, endowed with enviable
capabilities, but it is—to put it bluntly—also a middle-aged
representative of a boutique and hard-to-maintain three-submarine class.
Presently 23 years old, and with an expected service life of about 40 years,
a pricey, four to five-year availability may not be worth the total cost—
not just in repair dollars necessary for the USS Connecticut itself, but in
the toll deferred maintenance on other platforms will inflict upon the rest
of the Navy.
Time is the enemy here. Submarines have a finite lifespan. In the case of
the USS San Francisco, the years spent inactive in the repair yard didn’t
translate into extra service life. The USS San Francisco ultimately retired
after 40 years while the submarine’s undamaged but similarly-aged peers
left the service at 38 years.
The same will be true with the USS Connecticut. Even if repaired, the USS
Connecticut may emerge with numerous operational restrictions and only
enough formal service life to offer America a mere handful of patrols. The
long refit may leave the sub’s reactor with an enormous amount of energy
left to offer, but, to leverage that power, the USS Connecticut’s hull and
associated structures would need very thorough—and expensive—analyses to
keep the boat safe and certified for operations. Once operational, added
maintenance and safety checks would eat away the boat’s remaining time
forward.
Again, the unique nature of the Seawolf Class—a thicker hull built with
harder steel—is a problem. The Navy’s 62 Los Angeles Class attack
submarines offered numerous opportunities to harvest condition-related data
collection and conduct hull performance studies. But the three Seawolf boats
(and a few Los Angeles Class subs that trialed the high-strength steel)
just cannot generate the necessary data in an efficient fashion.
It is unfortunate that the USS Connecticut suffered the maritime equivalent
of a controlled flight into terrain after being, in effect, conserved for
just the type of challenge China presents. But the faster the Navy and
Congress realize that the USS Connecticut, if repaired, will never be a true
Seawolf again, the faster America can move forward—either by buying more
subs, accelerating the development of a new attack submarine design or by
repairing the USS Connecticut and shunting it into a less demanding support
role, serving as, say, a battery pack and test platform for undersea systems
.
The Navy Is At Crush Depth
Deciding the fate of the USS San Francisco was hard enough. But this time,
with the USS Connecticut, the trade-offs will be far tougher to map out. The
strategic challenge with China, coupled with the Navy’s fiscal,
operational, and maintenance crises at home make the path forward far more
challenging.
But this is where Del Toro can make a difference. It is the Secretary of the
Navy’s job to hold the institution’s feet to the fire, and Congress has
empowered Del Toro to make hard decisions on accountability and on the way
forward. Hopefully he is up to the task.
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Craig Hooper
I offer blunt, uncompromising guidance on national security solutions,
bringing complex security issues and oft-neglected defense topics to the
attention of interested…Read More
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发帖数: 9616 | | g**********s
发帖数: 1 | 3 啥叫三天两头出事？里根号从今年五月到上个月中间开到印度洋参与阿富汗撤侨，一共
开了将近八万公里，舰载机飞行时间超过一万两千小时，屁事没有。英国女王号，也开
了四五万公里，参加了n场军演。我党航母最远到海南，还趴窝了好几天。
: 水面舰艇舰长和第七舰队的军部军头被撤职的也不少
【在 e*******e 的大作中提到】
: 水面舰艇舰长和第七舰队的军部军头被撤职的也不少
| p*a
发帖数: 7676 | | q****5
发帖数: 1660 | 5 他的那个康涅迪格在水下挨了一棍子之后， 恐怕也不太敢来了吧 | g****s
发帖数: 1 | 6 核鱼就这么total了
over-
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【在 W*****B 的大作中提到】
: 军舰潜艇三天两头出事儿
: Navy Faces Prospect That Crash Will Force USS Connecticut Out Of Service
: Craig Hooper
: Senior Contributor
: Aerospace & Defense
: I evaluate national security threats and propose solutions.
: USS San Francisco Sits In Dry Dock
: The Los Angeles-class U.S Navy submarine USS San [+]
: GETTY IMAGES
: Despite a virtual news blackout, information on America’s damaged Seawolf
| c***T
发帖数: 4990 | 7 你丫的消息一定是从大纪元看来的。
【在 g**********s 的大作中提到】
: 啥叫三天两头出事？里根号从今年五月到上个月中间开到印度洋参与阿富汗撤侨，一共
: 开了将近八万公里，舰载机飞行时间超过一万两千小时，屁事没有。英国女王号，也开
: 了四五万公里，参加了n场军演。我党航母最远到海南，还趴窝了好几天。
:
:
: 水面舰艇舰长和第七舰队的军部军头被撤职的也不少
:
| c********6
发帖数: 370 | 8 这个老轮子嘴里全是谎
【在 g**********s 的大作中提到】
: 啥叫三天两头出事？里根号从今年五月到上个月中间开到印度洋参与阿富汗撤侨，一共
: 开了将近八万公里，舰载机飞行时间超过一万两千小时，屁事没有。英国女王号，也开
: 了四五万公里，参加了n场军演。我党航母最远到海南，还趴窝了好几天。
:
:
: 水面舰艇舰长和第七舰队的军部军头被撤职的也不少
:
| g**********s
发帖数: 1 | 9 你自己看！我说得好像少了，部署期间开了43000海里，相当于8万公里，舰载机飞了
14820小时
https://www.cpf.navy.mil/News/Article/2812745/uss-ronald-reagan-returns-to-
japan-following-5th-and-7th-fleet-deployment/
YOKOSUKA, Japan - The U.S. Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier
USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) returned to Yokosuka, Oct. 16, following a five-
month deployment across 5th and 7th Fleet.
During Ronald Reagan’s deployment, the embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5
flew more than 14,820 flight hours, and the ship transited nearly 43,000
nautical miles. The strike group departed Yokosuka, May 19 and conducted
passing exercises with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) and the
Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) in May and June. The ship transited
through the Strait of Malacca on June 18 and participated in joint,
simultaneous multi-domain operations with the Indian Navy and Air Force from
June 23-24. This marked the first naval integration event off the West
Coast of India since MALABAR 2020.
: 这个老轮子嘴里全是谎
【在 c********6 的大作中提到】
: 这个老轮子嘴里全是谎
| g**********s
发帖数: 1 | 10 你吓尿了没有？美军舰载机飞行员比我党的多好几个数量级
: 这个老轮子嘴里全是谎
【在 c********6 的大作中提到】
: 这个老轮子嘴里全是谎
| U**s
发帖数: 3390 | 11 最大的撤职是16年南海对峙时候那个傻X日裔太平洋舰队司令
【在 e*******e 的大作中提到】
: 水面舰艇舰长和第七舰队的军部军头被撤职的也不少
| g**********s
发帖数: 1 | 12 部署时间一共5个月。我党的二手货一年能开5000公里？
: 你吓尿了没有？美军舰载机飞行员比我党的多好几个数量级
【在 g**********s 的大作中提到】
: 你吓尿了没有？美军舰载机飞行员比我党的多好几个数量级
:
:
: 这个老轮子嘴里全是谎
:
| S********1
发帖数: 7 | 13 你这是哪壶不开提哪壶，还敢说英国航母来南海？他航母是自己来的么？护航的钻石号
哪去了？
我鳖航母在海南趴窝你能不能给点证据？大纪元的和台巴子的就算了，一种不能算人，
一种都是骗子。
来，跟我一起说拿钱发帖死全家，李洪志是王八蛋
【在 g**********s 的大作中提到】
: 啥叫三天两头出事？里根号从今年五月到上个月中间开到印度洋参与阿富汗撤侨，一共
: 开了将近八万公里，舰载机飞行时间超过一万两千小时，屁事没有。英国女王号，也开
: 了四五万公里，参加了n场军演。我党航母最远到海南，还趴窝了好几天。
:
:
: 水面舰艇舰长和第七舰队的军部军头被撤职的也不少
:
| g**********s
发帖数: 1 | 14 跟我一起说拿钱发帖死全家，死光光，李洪志是不是和高丽一样欺男霸女的王八蛋我不
知道，但骗子是肯定的。如何？
: 你这是哪壶不开提哪壶，还敢说英国航母来南海？他航母是自己来的么？护航的
钻石号
: 哪去了？
: 我鳖航母在海南趴窝你能不能给点证据？大纪元的和台巴子的就算了，一种不能
算人，
: 一种都是骗子。
: 来，跟我一起说拿钱发帖死全家，李洪志是王八蛋
【在 S********1 的大作中提到】
: 你这是哪壶不开提哪壶，还敢说英国航母来南海？他航母是自己来的么？护航的钻石号
: 哪去了？
: 我鳖航母在海南趴窝你能不能给点证据？大纪元的和台巴子的就算了，一种不能算人，
: 一种都是骗子。
: 来，跟我一起说拿钱发帖死全家，李洪志是王八蛋
| d*********8
发帖数: 2192 | | S********1
发帖数: 7 | 16 说就说，有什么的，高丽的事情如果是真的，就是欺男霸女。
你个不学无术的文盲，要不要查查英帝来南海的驱逐舰两次趴窝的事情再给人家舔屁眼。
【在 g**********s 的大作中提到】
: 跟我一起说拿钱发帖死全家，死光光，李洪志是不是和高丽一样欺男霸女的王八蛋我不
: 知道，但骗子是肯定的。如何？
:
:
: 你这是哪壶不开提哪壶，还敢说英国航母来南海？他航母是自己来的么？护航的
: 钻石号
:
: 哪去了？
:
: 我鳖航母在海南趴窝你能不能给点证据？大纪元的和台巴子的就算了，一种不能
: 算人，
:
: 一种都是骗子。
:
: 来，跟我一起说拿钱发帖死全家，李洪志是王八蛋
| k****r
发帖数: 421 | 17 可以整体报废整个海军，这得创造多少新工作岗位，得增加多少GDP啊，说不定，30万亿
国债都能填平了 | A******y
发帖数: 1 | |
|
