Here you go.
Jumping the shark.
ht to martin_fierro
Posted on 08/26/2006 8:42:31 AM PDT by george76
The Navy debuted its newest nuclear-powered submarine Friday in an Atlantic Ocean swing off the Florida coast, the second in the latest fast-attack class that marks a broad departure from the Cold War-era deterrence boats.
The Texas, which will officially earn a "USS" designator in a commissioning ceremony in two weeks, weighs 7,800 tons, measures 377 feet long and can remain submerged on covert surveillance up to three months. It travels faster than 25 knots underwater and dives farther than 800 feet.
"It's much more effective than any ship I've been on before," said Capt. John Litherland, who has been on more than 50.
"It's not the fastest, but the difference is that it's quiet even at its top speed."
Perhaps the biggest improvement is the ability to travel with a small special forces submarine, nine commandos and their gear. Previous subs would have carried only three Navy SEALS.
That kind of space is premium on a vessel designed to hide and spend most of its life underwater.
Its maximum time submerged is limited only by the amount of food it can carry, because the boat generates its own power and oxygen.
Sailors sleep twelve to a room, on 6 1/2-foot beds with about 3 feet of top-to-bottom sleeping space, the 4-inch deep compartment under it the only place to stow belongings.
That's why they spent four weeks in basic training learning how to fold, crew members joke.
And they've grown to carry less stuff, after training to spend up to six months at a time in the middle of the ocean.
(Excerpt) Read more at examiner.com ...
Seems like they would have the christening ceremony just before they let the boat slide down the rails into the water for the first time. The boat wouldn't be complete then. Later they could have a commissioning when the boat is outfittted and crewed.
Wasn't the (formerly named) Confederate Air Force based out of Texas? That's the last thing I'd need . . . strafed by a P-51 on the way to work.
Not at all. If somebody has that inclination he won't be there to begin with. And the interior is very clean like the kitchen of a good restaurant. It's not unpleasant.
No, the Navy in it's wisdom cut short the SSN-21 class at only 3 boats because it said they were too expensive. So their solution was replacing it with an even more expensive SSN-744 class. Although I heard that by the time they got done with the Carter it's sticker price was in the $3.5 to $4 billion range.
The Texas SSN 775 (not quite USS Texas yet :) is the 2nd of the Virginia Class.
God Speed, but don't cavitate!
I saw a special on the U-212 a german diesel super quiet for use in litoral waters. We need more boats like these, but the common sense has disappeared at the top of the Chain. The Israeli's have 3 I believe, but we should have 20 for a similar role.
Looks to be ~1.5 years between christening (naming ceremony w/ the bubbly :) / launching, and the commissioning, for these boats anyway. This was just the first time that I had noticed that the commissioning ceremony was happening so far away from the shipyard (my ignorance here).
Speed isn't the key in submarines, it's stealth and detection. If you're doing 45 knots then every submarine within 100 miles will hear you and you will be blind because at that speed the noise from the water flowing past your hull will be so loud that your passive sonar will be useless. And just because your hull can take the pressure of 3000 feet doesn't mean you can shoot your torpedoes. Opening up your tubes exposes them to that same water pressure as on the hull, and tube hatches aren't designed for that. I'd take a slower and quieter sub with better sonar over a Soviet Alpha any day.
Here you go.
Jumping the shark.
ht to martin_fierro
Hey, who photoshopped Mountain Dew Man?
When the boat is launched there aren't a lot of Navy in sight and the hull is watertight but not much else. Gradually as systems are installed some Navy will show up to accept this or that system. Eventually the Captain shows up to formally accept the key to the door, to meet his crew, either the Blue crew or the Gold crew, and away they go.
Yes, the now politically correct wimps are based out of Midland, as I recall.
I've heard the old Soviet Navy issued a lead cup to each seaman that went aboard its nuclear subs.
Not just a southern thing! Massachusetts has the USS Constitution in Boston, and Battleship Cove in Fall River.
New York has several, including an aircraft carrier museum in NYC and some old coast guard boat (it was NAVY in WWII) up the Hudson in Albany.
It amazes me that some folks have a complete absence of claustrophobia and acrophobia. No prob, I've got enough of both so others don't have to!! ;>)
There are learned skills involved in moving through a boat so you don't brain yourself on every hatch and even more important so you can ascend or descend a ladder properly and expeditiously.
Yes, the now politically correct wimps are based out of Midland, as I recall.
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