Posted on 04/25/2023 4:26:13 AM PDT by Hootowl99
Longish article. Several embedded videos. Good stuff. Excerpts below.
“The latest incident to befall the U.S. Navy’s troubled Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) was an embarrassingly public one, and one that left the brand-new USS Cleveland (LCS-31) damaged in the process of being launched, in front of around 3,000 people, including members of the media. The Navy has now issued a statement providing more details of the collision between the Cleveland — which is the last of the 16-strong Freedom class — and a tugboat involved during the warship’s recent christening.”
“No personnel injuries occurred, but there was limited damage” to the Cleveland, the Navy said, of the April 14 incident. “The damaged area is well above the waterline and no flooding occurred.”
“Using a side-launch process, the sled-mounted Cleveland is then pulled into the Menominee River by the tugboat William C. Gaynor, attached to it with a bow line. On entering the water, the LCS immediately strikes the tugboat, which was very obviously in much closer proximity to the warship than it should have been at this point. The warship engulfs the tug with an enormous wave and then lurches back and forth before coming to rest in the water.“
“The reason for the tug being too close to the Cleveland, according to the Navy, was a simple miscommunication. The Navy and shipbuilder are now investigating further to see how that happened.“
(Excerpt) Read more at thedrive.com ...
First, a side launch is not uncommon. It’s typically used when launching into a narrow body of water. Far larger ships than the LCS are routinely side launched into narrower channels.
My opinions follow…
Why was the tug positioned in a high risk location close in and amidships of the LCS? Dumb dumb dumb.
This incident is going to be a career ender for a number of people. Idiots were involved at multilevels. A guess…. Tug captain, pilot, shipyard and launch supervisors, safety officers, navy officers. There were a number of key persons that individually could have called a delay to the launch pending a repositioning of the tug to the proper location well forward of the bow.
I hope the Board of Inquiry is via the US Coast Guard and not the Navy. My amateur level read is that this was not a commissioned Navy ship yet and thus it’s a civilian issue. Not sure if this is right though. I trust USCG investigations more than a Navy investigation. YMMV.
Ship-to-ship collisions are becoming a frequent occurrence in this version of the Navy. Usually they wait till after the ship is launched, however.
Unserious people, aka woke children, now run the world.
Not a Navy issue!?
Everyone involved is paid by the Navy, overseen by the Navy!
I just hope the correct pronouns for everyone were used!
Someone’s career is over.
No one’s career is over! This is DEI. This is an opportunity for promotion, (again)!
I hope, I pray that our enemies do not start building a fleet of tug boats…… we would be in trouble….. 🤣🤣🤣🤣
"Simple miscommunication" from whom to whom?!?
And what, simply, was the miscommunication?!?
I am not a navy dude.
But the first time I watched that video I thought, that tug seems awful close.
Imagine what a real navy dude could have thunk.
“Did they say ‘GO!’ or ‘NO!’...?”
Oooops
...and that everyone had completed their required CRT, DEI, ESG, and LGBTQIA+/-@÷%$* training.
Exactly!
The most important things are that everyone got their Jim Jones Jab and were using the correct pronouns.
“Someone’s career is over.”
In the Navy that swept the mighty Imperial Japanese Navy from the seas, that helped to make careers iffy for German U boat personnel, sure. Heads would be rolling all over the world.
BUT this is the new and “improved” Navy.
The Navy where proper pronouns are more important than actually being able to do your job.
The Navy of dykes, trannys and rump rangers.
A strongly worded letter at most. If that.
This is gospel. Remember the wonderful Afghanistan withdrawal? The woman in charge received another star and
promoted in the hierarchy.
Good point; sadly.
Technical this isn’t the NAVY’s fault as they haven’t taken delivery of the Cleveland as of yet. Allot of these contractors are former NAVY and basic seamenship and common sense are a must. Now the taxpayers must foot the bill for repairs to a ship that might at most see 8-10 years of service at best before being sold off to another allies nation.
Tugboat or launch persons probably got a text or tried to take a video selfie??!!!!!!!!
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