Torpedo in the Water!

This is a video of an Australian submarine test firing a torpedo at a abandoned Navy ship. For those of you who do not know, a torpedo does not actually strike the ship. They are designed to detonate underneath a ship and vaporize the water supporting the hull. The ship then breaks in two and sinks. This process is clearly seen in the video. Check it out:

Interesting story

Discovered this news story today and thought it was pretty interesting. I reprinted it below for your convenience.

India this week is to begin assembling Franco-Spanish Scorpene attack submarines as part of plan to boost its naval power and military-industrial know-how.

Indian navy Vice Admiral S.K.K. Krishnan, the head of Mumbai's Mazagaon Dock naval shipyard, said production is slated to begin on Thursday, with Defence Minister A.K. Antony set to formally inaugurate the project the following day.

The 2.4 billion euro deal to build an initial six diesel submarines was signed in October 2005 with Armaris, a subsidiary of France's Thales group and Direction des Constructions Navales (DCN).

The agreement also includes the sale of 36 Exocet-type anti-submarine and anti-ship missiles.

"We hope we can commence the production of the Scorpene on the 14th of December. But this is only phase one. We plan to build 18 more indigenous submarines," Krishnan told reporters.

The Scorpene, jointly developed by DCN and Spain's Navantia, is a 67-metre-long (220 feet) craft designed for attack and interception. Malaysia and Chile have also placed orders.

India's contract covers a 12-year period, and the first craft is scheduled to enter into service in 2012, with an additional submarine following each year.

India's navy currently has 16 submarines, but these are mainly ageing Russian and German models. With the Scorpene, India is hoping to bring its fleet up to date to match challenges from rivals Pakistan and China.

The contract also includes the transfer of key technology, with just the first two submarines being built under French and Spanish supervision. The arrangement has been presented as a win-win deal giving new technology to India and a major foothold in the country's huge defence market to the foreign firms.

"It's an innovative technology transfer, with the indigenisation of sub-systems, equipment and components," said Amaris' project director Xavier Marchal.

"In the future there will be good deals to be made in India. This serves as a foundation for DCN's industrial relations at a moment when India's defence economy is transforming," he said.

India is the largest arms purchaser among emerging nations and said last month that it will not prune defence spending because of the growing threat from terrorism and ongoing regional tensions.

India annually spends 14 billion dollars, or 2.34 percent of its gross domestic product, on its military. Since 2004 it has either spent or committed billions of dollars in modernisation projects planned until 2010.

But the Scorpene deal has been marred by corruption allegations.

The main opposition party, the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), alleged that around four percent of the contract amount -- or around 100 million dollars -- was paid to Indian intermediaries, one of whom is said to be close to the ruling Congress party.

The charges came after weekly magazine Outlook published a series of articles alleging that French defence giant Thales paid the commission to Indian middlemen to clinch the deal.

Thales as well as the French and Indian governments have denied the allegations.

How to Simulate Life on a Submarine at Home

Here are some things you can do to see what it would be like to live on a submarine without actually having to join the Navy:

1. Obtain a dumpster. Paint it black, weld all the covers shut except one which can be bolted closed from the inside. Hitch it to the back of your wife's mini van. Gather 12 friends and bolt yourselves inside and let your wife pull it around for several weeks while she does the errands.

2. Sleep on the shelf in your closet. Replace the closet door with a curtain. Six hours after you go to sleep, have your wife whip open the curtain. shine a flashlight in your eyes, and mumble "Sorry, wrong rack".

3. Don't eat any food that you don't get out of a can or have to add water to.

4. Paint all the windows on your car black. Drive around town at high speeds with your wife standing up in the sunroof shouting course and speed directions to you.

5. Renovate your bathroom. Build a wall across the middle of your bathtub and move the shower head down to chest level. When you take showers, make sure you shut off the water while soaping.

6. Repeat back everything anyone says to you.

7. Sit in your car for six hours a day with your hands on the wheel and the motor running, but don't go anywhere.

8. Put lube oil in your humidifier instead of water and set it to "High".

9. Don't watch T.V. except movies in the middle of the night. Also, have your family vote on which movie to watch, then show a different one. Record The Sound of Music and show it at least every other night.

10. Don't do your wash at home. Gather your neighbors clothes along with yours, pick the most crowded laundromat you can find, and do the neighborhood laundry in a single washer and dryer. Make sure that 12% of the laundry is lost and 20% of the finished laundry is incorrectly distributed to the wrong neighbor.

11. Leave lawnmower running in your living room six hours a day for proper noise level. (For Engineering Divisions)

12. Have the paperboy give you a haircut.

13. Take hourly readings on your electric and water meters.

14. Sleep with your dirty laundry.

15. Invite guests, but don't have enough food for them.

16. Buy a broken exercise bicycle and strap it down to the floor in your kitchen.

17. Buy a trash compactor and use it once a week. Store up garbage in the other side of your bathtub.

18. Wake up every night at midnight and have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on stale bread, if anything. (Optional--canned ravioli, cold soup, or cherry peppers)

19. Make up your family menu a week ahead of time without looking in your food cabinets or refrigerator.

20. Set your alarm clock to go off at random times during the night. When it goes off, jump out of bed and get dressed as fast as you can, then run out into your yard and break out the garden hose.

21. Once a month take every major appliance completely apart and then put them back together.

22. Use 18 scoops of coffee per pot and allow it to sit for 5 or 6 hours before drinking.

23. Invite at least 85 people you don't really like to come and visit for a couple of months.

24. Store your eggs in your garage for two months and then cook a dozen each morning.

25. Have a fluorescent lamp installed on the bottom of your coffee table and lie under it to read books.

26. Periodically check your refrigerator compressor for "sound shorts".

27. Put a complicated lock on your basement door and wear the key on a lanyard around your neck.

28. Lockwire the lugnuts on your car.

29. When making cakes, prop up one side of the pan while it is baking. Then spread icing really thick on one side to level off the top.

30. Every so often, yell "Emergency Deep", run into the kitchen, and sweep all pots/pans/dishes off of the counter onto the floor. Then, yell at your wife for not having the place "stowed for sea".

31. Put on the headphones from your stereo (don't plug them in). Go and stand in front of your stove. Say (to nobody in particular) "Stove manned and ready". Stand there for 3 or 4 hours. Say (once again to nobody in particular) "Stove secured". Roll up the headphone cord and put them away.

32. Write a controlled work package to change the oil on your car.

Reinforcements

The USS Dwight D Eisenhower, a nuclear powered Aircraft Carrier, commissioned in 1977, has arrived in the Persian Gulf. The linked news story states that it is accompanied by a guided missile cruiser, the USS Anzio on a regular deployment to the Gulf. A Carrier always goes out accompanied by several ships in it's Carrier Strike Group (CSG). Along with these two is Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 7, and embarked Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 28; guided-missile destroyers USS Ramage (DDG 61) and USS Mason (DDG 87); and the fast-attack submarine USS Newport News (SSN 750). The CSG will be assisting with missions in Iraq. That is a bunch of firepower available to assist troops on the ground in Iraq! As a former submariner, I usually pay attention when one is mentioned in the news. The Newport News is a Los Angeles class, fast attack submarine that carries, tomahawk missiles, with vertical launch capability as well as the standard MK-48 torpedoes. Just the fact that this Silent Hunter is in the area means it will be difficult to sneak weapons and such from the Gulf into Iraq.

A quote from Dwight D Eisenhower: "There is no victory at bargain basement prices."

Update on the USPS Navy Gallery Blog!

I wrote an article about the commemorative gallery that was being sold by the US Postal Service last week. I found out that American Stamp Collectibles are the ones that actually produce the Artwork. Since someone already contacted the USPS and got a response, I decided that today I would contact ASC and see what they have to say. Within about 20 minutes or so, I already received the following courteous response:

Matt, Thank you for trying to bring this to our attention. We actually realized this about 2 weeks ago when one of your fellow submariners (a Bubblehead I believe :) ) informed us. We got the original images from the Navy and they approved the product. We are now in the process of destroying over 2000 prints and even more finished product. We found a wonderful replacement "American" Sub and are printing them as we speak. I will replace the image on the website as soon as it is done. If you or anyone you know has already purchased one please let us know so that we can replace it immediately. Thank you again for taking time to let us know.

Lisa (According to the email, Lisa is the VP of sales)

As you can see, I was a little late in contacting them, but they are already taking action to correct the picture. Apparently someone in the Navy provided and approved the incorrect image. It obviously was not a submariner!

December 7, 1941

"Rest easy, sleep well my brothers.
Know the line has held, your job is done.
Rest easy, sleep well . . . "

As you know, today is the 65th anniversary of the Attack on Pearl Harbor. Over 2,400 Americans were killed in the attack on "Battleship Row" which led to the US entering World War II. The intent of the attack was to destroy 3 aircraft carriers, none of which were in the harbor that day and were spared, leading to the US victory in the Pacific. In spite of the attack being a surprise, many servicemen fought bravely to defend their country. Almost half of the casualties were from the explosion and sinking of the USS Arizona, which today serves as an undersea grave and memorial. A total of 18 ships were sunk that day including 5 battleships. Of the other 4 battleships, all but the USS Oklahoma were repaired and returned to service. Let's remember this day "that will live in infamy" (President F.D.Roosevelt) and honor those who fought bravely and lost their lives to defend our country.

Life on a "Boomer"

I posted some facts about the USS Louisiana a couple of weeks ago, so I thought I would follow up on what it was like to call the SSBN 743 home for a few months. The picture to the left is a cutaway view of an Ohio Class submarine, so called because the USS Ohio was the first one. The Louisiana was slightly different than the one pictured, but it still gives you an idea of the way the inside looked. Do you see where the crew sleeps? Yep, right there with the giant nuclear missiles! Every submariner goes through typically the same experiences, but they can vary some. Some Captains drill more than others. Sometimes when you are underway, you have an ORSE (Operational Reactor Safeguard Exam) to get ready for. My Capt. liked to drill, so everyday M-F at 6 am or so, the entire ship would be awakened by a "General Alarm" usually signifying a fire of some sort, or sometimes a call to "Battle-stations". Most of us were on an 18 hour day which means we were on watch for 6 hours and off for 12 before going back on. During that 12 hours, you had to do any co-lateral duties, study for quals or assist with any maintenance as well as get some sleep. I was in the Engineering Department, so I spent alot of time in the Engine Room. Most of my Battle-station assignments were there as well. An ORSE is really a way of testing the Engineering department so they know we will not cause a meltdown or something with the Nuclear reactor. The rest of the ship is really not involved much. I spent a total of 36 hours with no sleep (basically from the time the ORSE team arrived until they left). They drill you, test you, observe you, and watch while you are being trained. It is a very stressfull time. On a boomer, if you are not getting ready for an ORSE, then you are most likely on patrol. When on patrol, you are not allowed to be very loud. We ran "ultra quiet" most of the time and rarely ran drills as to not give away our position. Overall it was a good experience for me and I do not regret it. I have plenty more about life on a "Boomer" but I will save some for another time. I am just getting started!

Look out North Korea!

Now that Russian submarines are not really considered much of a threat anymore, because of their lack of funding and their incessant need to compromise safety in order to stay in the game, US submarines are taking on a whole new focus. Terrorism! The Pacific Ocean is becoming a good hiding place for Fast Attack subs, and Guided Missile subs for the new war on terrorism. During the Cold War, we needed to keep an eye on our Russian friends, but now they are pretty much doing the job for us. They sink more of their own subs than anyone else does. I can't even imagine now how many "Silent Hunters" are out there in the Pacific with watchful eyes on The Korean Peninsula. I am sure that there is more than one with the North on their list of targets.

The United States Postal Service Salutes the ..... South Korean Navy?

The USPS has a commemorative gallery at Post Offices around the US to honor service members of the US Navy. Sounds like a good idea to me. The only problem is... well at least one of the pictures is not exactly part of the US Navy. Click on the posted picture for a better view. You see the submarine in the lower right hand corner? Well it is a picture of a South Korean Submarine! A special thanks to Submariner John (Jack) Sandy for catching this. I did not even know the USPS had a picture gallery until I stumbled across it. Be sure to scroll down on that link to see his message and response from the USPS.


What the heck is going on? You would think that having something to honor the US Navy would contain a picture of an actual US submarine! Someone needs to do some research!

Keeping up with the Joneses

If anyone needs submarine escape training it is the Russian Navy. Over the years the Russian Navy has compromised safety in order to get ahead of its rivals. In order to create a faster torpedo, the Russian Navy used a hydrogen peroxide fuel to power their torpedoes. In doing so, the highly corrosive and explosive fuel is what caused the Kursk to sink in 2000, killing 118 crewmembers. Remember Harrison Ford in K-19 the Widowmaker? The movie was based on the actual accident that took place in 1961. Some of the crewmembers died when the nuclear reactor sprung a major leak and the temperature almost caused a meltdown. There was no back-up coolant system and the crew did not have the proper gear to help protect them. Not to mention there was only one shield between the reactor and the crew space. Even the captain of the K-19 stated that it was not fit for combat. There are more disasters that I could go into, and yes, even the US has had its share of submarine casualties. The reason I am pointing out the Russian Navy is because of its carelessness for the safety of its personnel. I am not sure how they do it in the Soviet Union, but when a US sub is finished, several shipyard members ride it out with the crew on the first run and during several testing phases. Just one way to ensure that the submarine is of quality workmanship! I am not saying that the Russian Navy in general is not capable, the "upper management" just seems to rush and take too many short-cuts in order to keep from falling behind.

Navy to commission USS North Carolina...in Wilmington?

No, I am not talking about the battleship that is in Wilmington. The Navy is finishing up its 4th Virginia Class submarine, the SSN 777, USS North Carolina. Efforts are being made to have the commissioning ceremony in Wilmington in 2008. The problem is that the Cape Fear River is too shallow. When a submarine is surfaced, about 2/3 of it is still under water, which would mean any river or waterway would have to be pretty deep for a surfaced sub to transit. It is possible to bring the sub in but it would not make it to the downtown area. If the North Carolina is commissioned here, it would have to be at the port closest to the Atlantic. As of right now the SSN 777 is the 4th of 6 new Virginia class subs. These are attack subs, but are larger than their predecessors. They are armed to the teeth with Tomahawk Missiles, and MK-48 ADCAP (Advanced Capability) torpedoes making them very deadly to any targets.

Navy Honor Guard Drill Team

This is pretty awesome. I have seen performances by Navy Drill Teams in the past, but this is by far the best I have seen.

In the words of Forest Gump...

"That's my boat!"

For those of you who are wondering... I was on the SSBN 743, USS Louisiana. It is one of the "boomer" subs that are made to carry trident missiles. It's purpose is nuclear deterrence. With 24 missile tubes, we could do some serious damage if need be. We carried some MK-48 torpedoes, but they were for defense of our sub only if we were ever attacked. My homeport was in Kings Bay, GA, but the 743 has since moved to the west coast to Bangor, WA. Some statistics on the USS Louisiana (No I won't tell you how deep it can go!):

USS LOUISIANA is the fourth U.S. Naval vessel to be named in honor of the eighteenth state admitted into the union, and eighteenth and last Trident Submarine to be commissioned.


General Characteristics:

Keel Laid: December 19, 1990

Launched: July 27, 1996

Commissioned: September 6, 1997

Builder: General Dynamics Electric Boat Division, Groton, Conn.

Propulsion system: one nuclear reactor

Propellers: one

Length: 560 feet (171 meters)

Beam: 42 feet (12.8 meters)

Draft: 36,5 feet (11.1 meters)

Displacement:
Surfaced: approx. 16,765 tons
Submerged: approx. 18,750 tons

Speed: 20+ knots

Armament: 24 tubes for Trident I and II, Mk-48 torpedoes, four torpedo tubes

Crew: 17 Officers, 15 Chief Petty Officers and 122 Enlisted (2 crews)

Boldly going...

The USS Enterprise came home this weekend from a 6 month deployment in the fight against terrorism. I know they are all glad to be home. When I was deployed it was during a time of relative peace and we were never involved in any combat. Of course on a Ballistic Missile sub, if we ever fired the weapons we carried it would be because WW3 was going on. Being deployed is stressful enough when nothing is going on, but to be actively involved in battle can be exhausting. I am sure that the Enterprise was far from harm's way and well protected, but tensions were probably high. Welcome back "Big E"!

Don't Forget these guys!

The Navy NewsStand has an article about how the (M)orale, (W)elfare and (R)ecreation department has organized an effort to send care packages to Navy and Marine personnel for the upcoming Holidays. I cannot stress how important this is to them. It may not seem like alot but when you are in a steel tube somewhere under the ocean it can be a little comforting to have a package to open from someone who supports you. Before you ask, yes submarines surface occasionally and they try to either bring the packages onboard then from a tugboat, or as in my case, the packages were stored onboard before we left port and we got them on Christmas morning. If you have never done this, I highly recommend it. I am not sure if it is too late for this year or not. I can look into it and post an update. If it is too late, try to have a reminder for next year and send a care package to someone who has to spend the holidays without their family!

Good News!

As far as I am concerned, the US Navy has very advanced submarines out there protecting us. I know that just about everything can be improved somehow and this story is good news not only for the sub fleet but also US citizens. More advanced subs will not only help the Navy in its objectives but will help the rest of us sleep a little easier at night! New technologies and improvements are nothing but Good News!

Just another Celebrity Stalker!

This story in the Washington Times about the Chinese submarine that "stalked" the USS Kitty Hawk is nothing to be concerned about. The media always tends to make more of a story like this than it should. The diesel sub surfaced about 5 miles from the Kitty Hawk. Seeing how diesel subs can only stay submerged for so long before they have to fire up their diesel engines to recharge the batteries, it seems to me that this was a desperate attempt to be noticed by the US, by trying to see how far out into deep waters they can go without having to surface. This is not the first time a Chinese sub has intruded into military exercises and probably won't be the last. Let's just say that I know for a fact that it is very difficult for any sub out there to sneak up on us without being noticed, especially if there are any of our subs in the area as there typically are when a Carrier Group is out. Looks like another Celebrity Stalker made some headlines!

Happy Veteran's Day!

I want to send out a simple "Thank You!" to all my fellow Veterans and also to those currently serving our country.