February Photos in RI

A short Coastal Southern Rhode Island photo essay to give my new digital camera a test run.

I found that only working people are on the water at the end of February. Temp was hovering around 30F with a NW wind at 15 knots and a clear blue sky. Made for some clean shots without over indulgent tourists from NY, NJ, Boston and Providence clogging the view in oversexed stinkpots and plastic blow boats. (Click on each photo for larger view)

Trawlers docked in the port of Galilee RI.


Converted this shot to B/W - thought it was a nice effect with the rigging.


Beavertail Light with frozen groundwater coming from the cliff.


Solitary Trawler working inshore.


Tug and Tow off Point Judith RI heading south in Block Island Sound.


Lobster boats in upper Galilee harbor.


The R/V Endeavor docked at the URI Narragansett Bay Campus.


Stern shot of the Research Vessel R/V Endeavor.

Some people love looking at city skylines and others fields of corn but give me a broad blue horizon and a ship designed to work at sea any day.

Happy Anniversity - The Sub Report

Happy Annniversity to TheSubReport.

Congrats on a 4.0 job in your first year of service. - LL

Channel Surf - Recommendations Sunday 2/26

Couple of recommendations for TV watching tonight Sunday 2/26.

At 20:00 EST, that's 8:00 pm to Junior Officers, National Geographic Channel presents Explorer: “Super Sub” (Hat tip - thesubreport.com) Also airs: 2/26 -11pm, 2/27 - 3pm

There is a submarine - part sub killer, part terrorist hunter and part spy - that is so unparalleled in its capability to impact world events that the Navy has kept it a secret. Until now. Join NGC as Explorer travels the globe to classified facilities, foreign navies, and top secret labs to bring viewers the story of the newest and most advanced member of the U.S. nuclear-powered submarine force - the USS Texas. Get an unprecedented look at the future of naval warfare: Unmanned Undersea Vehicles (UUVs).

At 21:00 EST, again that's 9:00 pm, The History Channel presents "Titanic's Final Moments - missing pieces" . History Channel preview video available here.

In August 2005, John Chatterton and Richie Kohler, hosts of Deep Sea Detectives, led an expedition to the wreck of RMS Titanic. Diving two and a half miles down in Russian submersibles, they searched outside the known debris field for new evidence. On their final dive they made an extraordinary find: two large intact sections of the bottom hull of the Titanic in pristine condition with the red bottom paint still on them.

For four months, a team of historians, marine architects, and engineers has been conducting a forensic analysis of this find. All agree that it's the most significant new discovery since the wreck was located in 1985. Analysis is ongoing, but preliminary indications are that these bottom sections will change our understanding of how the ship broke apart, and rewrite the story of the final moments of the Titanic.

I meet Richie Kohler one of the show's hosts about a month ago while he was promoting the book "Shadow Divers" about the discovery and identification of a lost WWII German U-Boat. Richie discussed this season's premier episode of "Deep Sea Detectives" about the Titanic. Because of the wreck's depth he made two excursions on the Russian MIR deep diving submersible for the show. As the brief description above indicates he felt the analysis of what they found may become controversial.

Check you local listing to confirm airing dates and times.

Shark Roundup

I don't have much right now so here is a short Photo essay of sharks.

A collection of US Navy steel Sharks.

USS Shark SS-8 (Source: US Navy, Naval Historical Center)
1903 -1922 decommissioned and later sunk as target.


USS Shark SS-174 (Source: US Navy, Naval Historical Center)
1936-1942 Lost with all hands off Menado, Celebes, on 11 February 1942.


USS Shark SS-314 (Source: US Navy)
1943 -1944 Lost with all hands October 1944 in the Luzon Strait.


USS Shark SSN-591 (Source: US Navy)
1960-1990 decommissioned and scrapped.

Fake sharks digital and rubber.


Fake shark photo from Internet (Source: National Geographic)


Holy Sardine Batman!

China - IFF?

IFF = Identification Friend or Foe

When I think of China, I end up falling into one of two mindsets. On the one hand, I tend think of both the ancient and modern Chinese civilizations their contributions to the worlds of art, science and trade. I also see China’s current economic growth as a sign of prosperity for the Chinese people, a change from an isolationist past and possibly a catalyst to a more democratic government. Then I think of the other China, the one of Tiananmen Square oppression, political executions, millions dead in purges and a history of confrontation and friction with its immediate neighbors. Like most communist nations China has a terrible history when it comes to human rights.

The recent disclosure of an underground submarine facility at the Jianggezhuang Submarine Base in China had me pondering my two China paradox. What exactly is China a political friend or foe, an economic competitor or trading partner? For those who discuss such things there is debate and disagreement on China’s exact relationship with the United States. This is the case even within the Bush administration.

One school of thought is that direct armed conflict with China is impossible. The logic here is that economic interdependence and globalization makes direct conflict too costly for either party and therefore the most serious problems will be resolved through dialog. This theory is called commercial liberalism (pdf).

Thomas P.M. Barnett author of the book “The Pentagon’s New Map” wrote an article for Esquire titled “The Chinese Are Our Friends” last November that comes close to the commercial liberalism position. But Mr. Barnett’s chief and continuing complaint seems to be with what he calls “proponents of Big War“ the Navy and Air Force leadership that advocate large and expensive weapon systems. He implies that this “Big War” crowd is self motivated and is using inflated China threat claims to justify big ticket weapons procurement. From October 2001 to June 2003 Thomas Barnett served as Assistant for Strategic Futures in the Office of Force Transformations, Office of the Secretary of Defense.

The opposing opinion comes directly from the recently released Pentagon's 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) which states that China has the "greatest potential" to overtake the present U.S. supremacy unless the United States acts to counter that by developing new capabilities of its own. (Listen to the NPR report with a brief summary on the QDR from Feb 9 here.) The QDR cites expanding Chinese military capabilities and modernization, recommending the positioning of six aircraft carriers and 60% of the attack submarines in the Pacific. From the QDR on China:

Chinese military modernization has accelerated since the mid-to-late 1990s in response to central leadership demands to develop military options against Taiwan scenarios. The pace and scope of China’s military build-up already puts regional military balances at risk. China is likely to continue making large investments in high-end, asymmetric military capabilities, emphasizing electronic and cyber-warfare; counter-space operations; ballistic and cruise missiles; advanced integrated air defense systems; next generation torpedoes; advanced submarines; strategic nuclear strike from modern, sophisticated land and sea-based systems; and theater unmanned aerial vehicles for employment by the Chinese military and for global export. These capabilities, the vast distances of the Asian theater, China’s continental depth, and the challenge of en route and in-theater U.S. basing place a premium on forces capable of sustained operations at great distances into denied areas.

Is the Pentagon overstating a China’s threat? I’m of the opinion that they maybe overstating China’s current capabilities, particularly when it comes to SSBN submarines, but they are also trying to read the tea leaves by evaluating trends within the Peoples Liberation Army and Navy (PLAN). Planning for the "what ifs" is what the Pentagon does, so they're asking themselves what is the PLAN’s long term plan? China may not be able to challenge the U.S. military today but we would be foolish to let a still communist and oppressive government do so tomorrow. The QDR recommends the right force restructuring, hopefully the PLAN will continue to stumble in their modernization plans.

Shadows of the Past

P3 overflight (Source: US Navy)

Top Gun II - Brokeback Squadron

Who knew?


And they make jokes about submariners! Geees....

Sorry, it may be a little adolescent but I thought it was funny.

Didn't we hear this before?

The news.telegraph.co.uk has two news articles up "10,000 would die' in A-plant attack on Iran" and "US prepares military blitz against Iran's nuclear sites". Those headlines sound almost like they could have been written before the Iraq war in 2003. Just substitute Iraq for Iran and WMD for Nuclear and you get the idea. The hand wringing has started in the European press over possible American preemptive plans (the Bush doctrine) over the Iranian nuclear weapon aspirations.

The first news report quotes a study done by the Oxford Research Group titled "Consequences of a War (pdf link)" which was written in October of 2002 by Professor Paul Rogers is Professor of Peace Studies at the University of Bradford, about .... (insert drum roll).... you guessed it "Iraq" and then rehashed for a possible conflict with "Iran". Here are some excerpt for the telegraph Iran news piece and the 2002 Iraq paper:

Expanded confrontation.
(The Telegraph - on the 2006 Iran report)The attack would result in "a protracted military confrontation" involving Israel, Lebanon and some Gulf states.

(Oxford Research Group - on Iraq in 2002 ) In such circumstances, and given that Hezbollah militia in Southern Lebanon have recently received some thousands of short-range missiles from Iran via Damascus, Israel might suddenly find its northern cities under attack and would respond with forceful counteraction against militias and Syrian forces in Lebanon.

It's all about oil.
(The Telegraph - on the 2006 Iran report) Iran could still retaliate with suicide speedboats, possibly leading to crippling rises in the price of oil.

(Oxford Research Group - on Iraq in 2002 )Attacks against oil tankers and other aspects of the oil and gas supply chain may be mounted, possibly using surrogate paramilitaries, with the hope of affecting the price of oil.

The rise of anti-American hostility
(The Telegraph - on the 2006 Iran report) Prof Rogers, professor of peace studies at Bradford University, says that American military action would also have a unifying effect on the rule of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and exacerbate anti-American hostility in the Islamic world.

(Oxford Research Group - on Iraq in 2002 )Taken with the current and very widespread perception in the region of Israel as a client state armed largely by the United States, and of Saudi Arabia controlled by an excessively wasteful and wealthy neo-feudal elite, a further increase in the anti-American mood in the region and consequent support for oppositional paramilitaries such as al-Qaida is likely to be the longer term consequences of an enforced regime change and possibly even a military occupation of Iraq.

The Telegraph ends the article by trying to credit the Oxford Research Group with predicting the Iraq insugency by saying "In a similar briefing before the invasion of Iraq in 2003, the Oxford group predicted that Saddam Hussein's regime could easily be overwhelmed but that the country would become a hotbed of insurgency." (emphasis added). But the actual report in 2002 was a little more ambiguous:

(Oxford Research Group - on Iraq in 2002 )It is also possible that a paramilitary movement could develop from within Iraq. While there is abundant evidence of the unpopularity of the Saddam Hussein regime, it is certainly possible that internal opposition to US occupation and the subsequent installing of a client regime would result in an evolving insurgency. Internal opposition to the current regime does not equate with the future acceptance of foreign occupation.

So here we are again with a rerun of the old predictions (wider regional conflict, oil crisis, and greater anti-American feelings) without a single printed word on any of the positive results (no regional war, free elections and constitution in Iraq, a greater movement toward freedom across the broader middle east, the lives of millions changed for the better without fear and intimidation from their government) with the overthrow of Saddam. Obviously the Islamofacists who use religion to obtain power and control followers are threatened with recent changes in Iraq and are lashing back with terror tactics.

The Iranian terror state is also threatened with internal descent and the external rising demand of democracy. Iran, like the old Soviet Union, can be put down internal descent for a time with police state tactics, and like Iraq before stall, intimidate and deceive the IAEA and UN over it's nuclear weapons program. However, what the European press needs to understand is that nuclear weapons in the hands of a government that sees terrorism and the killing of innocents as a political tool is likely to use it once they have it. All the hand wringing over American military contingency plans including, the use of Trident SSBNs armed with conventional warheads as stated in the news.telegraph's second news piece, isn't going to change that.

Time is running out and the Iranian terror state knows it, they will become more belligerent just as Saddam did before them.

Crazy Ivan not just for submarines

If you thought the Crazy Ivan maneuver was just something that only the old Soviet Subs did check out this video link. Truly impressive super manoeuvrable airshow - recommend watching in full screen.

My guess a Sukhoi Su-37 Super Flanker or earlier variant. The maneuvers demonstrated are called "Kulbit", "Bell" and "Cobra". I would have to say whoever tried them first had to be a little crazy and may have been named Ivan.

My first Meme - The Fours

I've never participated in a meme before but I thought I'd give it a try after I saw a couple of the UltraQuietNoMore crew Gus and Alex do it. So here's my shot.

Four Jobs I've Had in My Life

Machinist
Navigation Electronic Tech
Software Programmer
Computer Systems Administrator

Four Movies I Could Watch Over and Over, and Have

Top Gun
The Hunt for Red October
The African Queen
Classic Mel Brooks Comedies (Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, etc)

Four Places I Have Lived

Navy Brat (Yokosuka Japan, Port Hueneme CA, Keflavik Iceland ,Nantucket MA) all before age 10
Charleston, SC
Bangor, WA
Wakefield, RI - Now


Four TV Shows I Love to Watch

Sienfeld - last show I watched on a regular basis
The History Channel
CSPANs -BookTV
Jay Leno and the Tonight Show - on occasion


Four Places I Have Been on Vacation

Ireland
Key West, FL
Montego Bay, Jamaica
Toronto, Canada


Four Websites I Visit Daily

Google News
The Sub Report
WSJ - Opinion Journal
Wired News


Four Favorite Foods

Italian any style
Traditional New England Seafood (Cod, Flounder, Tuna Steak, Lobster, Clams, Chowder)
Chinese takeout
Stick to your ribs southern cooking (Buttermilk Biscuits, Chicken and dumplings, black eyed peas)

Four Favorite Beers

Guinness
Corona Extra (with lime of course)
Sam Adams Ale
New Amsterdam Ale

Four Places I Would Rather Be Right Now

Dublin Ireland
Bridgetown Barbados
The Island of Bora Bora
Rome

Four Cars I Have Owned

1976 Ford Ranchro
1984 Ford Escort Diesel - 50+ mpg wish I had it now
1987 Mustang 5.0 GT Black with T-Roof
2001 Ford F-150 4X4 Supercrew


Four People I Tag With This Meme
Like Alex and Gus I prefer not to tag anyone. Hope I did this meme thing right!

Giant Octopus Attacks ROV

Giant Pacific octopus weighing about 100 pounds attacks a SubOceanic Sciences Canada ROV off the west coast of Vancouver Island.

Google Video

Taiwanese Submarine Video

Google Video

Strange what you can find on the web.

Enlisted Naval Aviator - Pilot Program

The US Navy has started a test program to place applicants from the enlisted ranks into aircraft cockpits as pilots and naval flight officers. It's a Pilot program in both senses of the word, only 30 sailors will be selected for the program and commissioned as Chief Warrant Officers (CWO) Naval Aviators.

The primary intent is to create flying specialists unencumbered by the traditional career paths of the unrestricted line (URL) community. A secondly goal of the program would be to provide another avenue of opportunity for the enlisted community.

P-3 (Source: US Navy)

There are some restrictions to the program, CWO's will be limited to the Patrol (VP), Electronic Attack (VQ(P) and VQ(T)) and the HSC and HSL helicopter working aviation communities, no Topgun fighter slots. Enlisted Sailors from the Nuclear, Naval Special Warfare(SEAL/SWCC), Naval Special Operations (EOD/Diver) and the Master-at-Arms communities are not eligible.

Helo Transfer (Source: US Navy)

The program is open to enlisted grades E-5 through E-7 who if selected would have to be commissioned before their 27th birthday, have obtained at least an Associate degree, are physically fit and pass the Standard Aviation Battery test.

Once the CWO's receive their wings they are obligated to 8 years of service for pilots or 6 for naval flight officers.

It has been sixty five years since the Navy had an enlisted to pilot program with the last enlisted naval aviator retiring Jan 31, 1981.

If you're not a submarine nuke maybe you can get your wings as well as dolphins. Applications are due to Navy Personnel Command (PERS-432M) no later than March 31.

The QDR and China's Submarines

The Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) is due out on Feb 6 and it looks from initial press reports (here and here) the Pentagon has decided move more Navy assets to the western Pacific.

Jan. 25 (Bloomberg) -- The Pentagon has directed the Navy to assume a ``greater presence'' in the western Pacific by adding at least one aircraft carrier and five nuclear submarines over the next decade, according to a draft of the Pentagon's review of strategy and forces.

The increase will put half the Navy's aircraft carriers and 60 percent of its submarine fleet in the Pacific and is largely driven by the Pentagon's concern over China's increased military might, according to a congressional defense analyst.

But QDR recommendations also look to increase submarine production, also reported in (Bloomberg):

As part of the increased presence, the review recommends that the Pentagon in 2012 increase production of the General Dynamics Corp.-Northrop Grumman Corp. Virginia-class attack submarine to two annually from the current rate of one a year.

I read (here) that China's military buildup is hollow when it comes to submarine capabilities. However, if the QDR recommended submarine production increases are true then the Pentagon sees a challenge coming over the procurement horizon.

The Chinese in the meantime have started to take delivery on the approximately $3.4 Billion worth of Russian built Sovremenny-class missile destroyers and eight Kilo-class submarines ordered in 2002. Both a brand new Kilo diesel-electric submarine and a Sovremenny missile destroyer were delivered in December.

Of course the best anti-submarine platform is another submarine, but in the interim I guess one of these will fill the gap until 688i's and Virginia's can make their way to Pearl, Guam and points west.

Update 01/26/06 10:00 : DOD 1/25/06 press release - QDR Dominated by Uncertain, Unpredictable World

Docent Duty

Docent

• A lecturer or tour guide in a museum.

Back last spring I posted an entry called Volunteer for the Soviet Submarine Service!!! where I solicited help in restoring an old cold war adversary the K-77 in Providence, RI. I haven't blogged any about my experience at the Juliett, affectionately known as the "Rusty Rusky", but I thought it was about time I added some thoughts and observations.

Juliett 484 (K-77) Museum dock Providence, RI

What I'm interested in describing is my impromptu enlistment as docent and submarine artifact, the people I've meet and the friends I've made while volunteering during the spring and summer.

First is the Rhode Island Base of the USSVI Submarine veterans organization. After visiting the Juliett museum last year I found this group of brothers of the phin and joined their organization. I feel like a n.u.b. being the only T-hull sailor amongst men with experience going back to WWII but I'm also honored to be a part of such fine group of people. Our January meeting is coming up tomorrow and it's on the Juliett. Should be like being in the shipyard again, meeting in a construction trailer while it's cold as a witch's tit outside. All before going down to the boat to talk about repairs and maintenance.

During the spring and summer I put in a small part of my weekends volunteering on the Juliett. That's when I met Ric Hedman, the manager of the Juliett museum during the summer season. Ric is a submariner, past USSVI base Commander of Seattle base and author of the best collection of 1900 to 1940 submarine photos on the web Through The Looking Glass. Ric also helped restore the Foxtrot Class Russian boat now a museum in San Diego. He taught me a lot about the way the Russians designed and built their boats.

I volunteered to get my hands dirty and learn what I could about the Russian sub. It's been a kick to have free run on something that was so mysterious when I was on active duty twenty five years ago. Even though Ric wanted to get things cleaned and fixed on the "Rusty Rusky" he always emphasized that it was a museum and most customers were looking to tour a submarine despite the lineage, hence my enlistment as occasional docent.

Most of the time I would be working on board when someone on a tour, guided or self guided, would stop by and start asking me questions. The usual tourist questions about the sub, how big, how deep, how fast, at sea how long, crew complement, weapons, etc. But occasionally the first question would be "What boats were you on?" - Alert One, Alert One another bubblehead or submarine enthusiast is on board - this pushbutton's bilge therapy session is done for at lease an hour! Don't get me wrong I found these to be the most enjoyable conversations.

There's a rundown of the people that fit the submarine enthusiast category:

Former enlisted sailors from a variety of 41 for freedom Boomers, 637 and 688 Fast Attacks. A-Gangers, NavETs and Sonar Techs always looking at the little details and shaking their heads in disbeilef at the way the Russians did things.

A former Officer who was an XO on a T-AG ship and worked on the SOSUS system back in the 70's. For some reason he was interested in the sonar shack and the sub's propulsion system.

Yardbird on loan to EB from NNS looking for the reduction gears (his bailiwick). Sad to say the Juliett has a direct drive system, although he wasn't disappointed and was bringing back a co-worker the next day.

A former mustang Navigator who served on two Boomers and started as a NavET.

A military family of a former Sub driver dad, F-14 Tomcat driver son and two DOD employed daughters.

A family of boat sailors, father was a retired A-Ganger, son number 2 was attending sub school and son number one was a Sonar Tech (SS) who had recently returned from the Russian AS-28 mini-sub rescue on the Kamchatka peninsula. Would have been interesting to have had a longer conversation with him about his Kamchatka adventure. All I remember him relating to me was he got some souvenirs and saw an Akula putting to sea.

Now for a couple of non-military tourist observations:

One interesting group was three of the crew from the schooner Amistad, sailing ship of the movie fame. They were interested in the historical aspects of the Juliett, where it had served, how it was acquired, etc. All but one old salt, he was busy reading all the Russian equipment labels. Turns out he was Bulgarian and I think the Engineer of the Amistad. I now know where the Kingston valve actuators are in the engine room.

I saw a number of young American men bringing Russian girls on dates to the "Rusty Rusky", what is up with that? Most of those Russian girls look fairly disinterested in the sub. I'm thinking if the tables were turned these guys would be thinking WTF if she dragged him off to a Russian beauty parlor filled with 1960's vintage American manufactured hair dryers.

I agree with what Ric the museum manager said to me once or twice, that having someone who had been there adds color and depth to the visitors experience. Since early November I've taken a break from being a Soviet Navy weekend warrior but plan on going back soon.

The Docent thing will be happening soon down the coast at the U.S. Navy Submarine Museum at the New London Sub Base as well. Currently all parts the Navy's Submarine Museum are self guided.

USS Nautilus (SSN 571) Museum dock Submarine Base New London, CT

People who have been to the U.S. Navy Submarine Museum before coming to the Russian Juliett have commented that the quality of the Museum was excellent but it lacked the personal touch the docents gave the Juliett. This from last weeks New London Day article "U.S. Navy Submarine Museum To Do The Docent Thing"(registration now required view):

One of the most noticeable things about walking through the
U.S. Navy Submarine Force Museum is a layout designed to invite a
self-navigated tour of submarine history.

Which is fine — until visitors have a question.

And then the realization sets in that, outside of the employees in the
museum store, there really isn't anybody around to supply any answers.
It's a concern that retired Capt. Mike Reigal, the museum's executive
director, hopes to remedy with the implementation of a volunteer docent
program.

“It puts a real human face on the museum,” Reigal said. “There are times
one can walk into the museum and not see anybody, except for other
visitors. It kind of depersonalizes the whole thing.”

The Groton base of the U.S. Submarine Veterans has about 20 members volunteering for this new docent program. Looks like an opportunity to defect or maybe become a double agent?
нет, камрад!

What's with the Enlisted Uniforms?

Been diving deep into the Lubber's Line archives to find this one.

Pushbutton NavETs at Damn Neck, VA circa 1981

Which one of these NEC 3322 NavETs in training is Lubber's Line?

Hint: I'm NOT the E3 or E7 on the end - their port side your starboard.
Please no comments about short, long or crooked gig lines, the wife could read this.

P.S. If I had joined for the uniform I would have volunteered for the Marines and not Submarines. Blame the sea cadet look on Z-Gram numbers 34 or 87 in the linked list.

Snap Rolls Above Sea Level

Love a good plane ride? Take a Magic Carpet ride on an Navy F-18

Courtesy Google Video

Omer5 Human Powered Sub - Video

Human Powered Submarines at the 8th International Submarine Races.

World Record Set on July 1, 2005 at the Naval Surface Warfare Center's Carderock Division David Taylor Model Basin in Bethesda, Maryland.
ABSOLUTE SPEED -- "Omer 5," Ecole de Technologie Superieure, University of Quebec, Montreal, Canada, 7.061 knots

Second place went to "Wasub," Technical University of Delft, Netherlands, 6.903 knots.

Yardbird War

The draw down of submarine construction and repair work and the Brac decision to keep Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNS) open has created an interesting fight between shipyards. The not hiring and maybe firing of shipyard workers or (Yardbirds), from Seacoastonline.com Yard banned from hiring more workers excerpt:

PORTSMOUTH - The Navy has placed a hiring freeze on Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, according to shipyard union president Paul O'Connor.

O'Connor said the freeze was put into effect last month after lawmakers from Connecticut had a "knee-jerk" reaction to the news that Portsmouth would receive a $59 million contract that was originally scheduled to go to the privately owned Electric Boat in Groton, Conn.

The contract in question is for the scheduled overhaul of the USS Philadelphia (SSN-690).

Electric Boat (EB) had announced the layoff of 150 workers and PNS the need for 330 more workers just prior to the Philadelphia's overhaul work being shifted to PNS. Subsequently EB in the beginning of December announced that as many as 2,400 jobs could be cut in 2006 due to the loss of repair work and the Navy's procurement of only one Virginia Class submarine per year in the foreseeable future.

Add to the above, the fight that has been churning over the ASDS program and you just hit the equivalent of a east coast shipbuilders trifecta including the Navy PNS yard, Electric Boat and a smaller Northrop Grumman contract.

The yardbirds are fighting over the crumbs (overhaul work and not new construction) compared to the cold war shipyard boom times. I still feel that the capacity and experience offered by PNS is still a valuable asset to our national defense. However, when you build one type product for only one customer the lean times can kill the complacent. Look for any other shifts in contracts relating to submarine overhaul and repair to meet with lots of resistance that probably wouldn't have been there 20 years ago.

Update 01/10/06 20:00 - Looks like EB is now getting a slice of Northrop Grumman's work on the USS Texas - Electric Boat Wins $85 Million Contract for Sub Work (hat tip: TheSubReport). Could this be to quite the noise generated from the above stated contacts or just that they're doing good work now a days as Bubblehead has cited recently?

Unauthorized Absence from Blogosphere

I've turned myself in, been UA from the blog for 17 days.

A Weaponette was checking up on me and I was afraid the Snipes and 'O' Gangers were next. I'm not a "Admin Warfare Specialist" so hopefully I filled out the proper paperwork below and can get back to blog duty soon.

Unauthorized Absence (click on form for a larger version)

The reason for the absence is not that I "float tested" my PC or anything. Just been going through a change of command at work (Corporate Merger) and decommissioning of my office (Layoff). Not to worry though, I was asked to "ship over" to the new command but decided to go TAD (Contracting) instead. I guess there's too many "strikers" left and they need this former NavET to keep her in the channel.

OK, that was my Navy slang attempt to sound like a "Sea lawyer": an argumentative, cantankerous or know-it-all former sailor.

Thanks for checking up on me and I'll be back posting soon. - LL