U.S.S. John F. Kennedy repair cost 3 times higher that planned(Clinton Era Military Alert)

GlobalSecurity.org ^ | 13 June 2003 | trueblackman

[Eric in the Ozarks]

My familiarity with N6 is from bunkering boats on the Great Lakes. Black oil is still popular in the iron ore, coal and stone trade, even in the newer 1000 footers, which used French-made Pielstick V-16 medium-speed diesels, burning 320 and 280 Centistoke fuel (yes, they are piston engines that burn this tar). Bethlehem Steel and Columbia Steamship built their 1000 footers with EMD (railroad locomotive) V-16s. But these boats feature four of these motors running two screws, versus just two Pielsticks in US Steel and Interlake Steamship "footers."

[illumini]

After the work is done, ~this should be the last heavy check accomplished on the old JFK before retirement. We could donate it to the French, who would go broke fixing it again.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

What a great idea !

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Interesting history. Was the JFK supposed to burn N6FO or N2FO ?

[SevenDaysInMay]

$200-$300 million?

Our sailors are among our best and we put them at unneccessary risk serving in "battle worthy" rust buckets.

The Democrats only started with "Tail Hook".

[gwmoore]

Bookmarked and Bumped.

[Blood of Tyrants]

The Constitution's guns were replaced with plastic guns because the originals weighed more than 2,000 lbs each and were causing her to hog (sag at the stern).

[Eric in the Ozarks]

US Navy history is really fascinating. One of the battleship books I have discusses the two Iowa class BBs planned after the Missouri was built. They were the Illinois and the Kentucky. The Illinois' keel was laid, then broken up in place. A piece of the Kentucky survives as the bow of the Wisconsin, after she was involved in a collision in 1956.
Five more larger BBs were proposed, known as the Montana class. These were wider and heavier battleships with 12 guns. Plans were drawn up in 1940 but they were never built.

[Ford Fairlane]

I'm not sure the designation of the fuel, as far as I know the only fuel the JFK ever used was standard navy jet fuel (now NATO standard jet fuel)

Standardising fuel is a really good idea if you can do it, but I've had some real problems on some land based (Army & Marine) vehicles I've had to help design. Switching fuels isn't so much of a problem in boilers or turbines, but piston engines can be real finnicky about fuel

[Ford Fairlane]

It was technically probaly #1, as jet fuel is about the same as kerosene - I worked for a grain processing plant for a while when the design business was slow, the boilers all ran on natural gas, every winter UE would cut off our gas & we would have to burn oil from the storage tanks. Corporate told the EPA it was # 2, in reality one tank was a mix of diesel & kerosene (# 1 1/2?), ALL of the others were # 6 that they had bought cheap somewhere.

You couldnt light those boilers on #6, we had steam heaters just to get it hot enough to burn, we had to light it on the diesel/kerosene mix & then switch over if the plant was down when the gas was shut off

The neighbors always bitched because the 200' stack had been lowered to 50' when they switched to gas, in that cold winter weather the black smoke would just blanket the ground for miles

[Eric in the Ozarks]

I am still peddling N6 in rail cars and I know all about how gummy this stuff can be. The pour point on some of this can be 75 F, which really means about 180 before you can pump it and 250 to light it off. The old Navy girls, like the Arizona, ran on US Navy spec N6, which was 10 API gravity and 100 SSF viscosity, or about 400 Centistokes. Great Lakes steamers like a 380 cSt and the Pielstick V-16 piston engines use 320 or 280. This light N6 is becomming hard to find as refineries pull harder on the residual oil. Many refineries are producing negative gravity black oil, which can weigh 9.2 pounds/gallon. 10 gravity N6 is about 8.5 pounds/gallon.

[jfksailor]

As a current JFK sailor, I can say this. Yes our ship has ALOT of work that needs to be done to it, yes it probably should be decommisioned first before some of the other carriers, but the truth of the matter is, money talks. I am in agreement that the main reason they're holding on to it for so long is because of the namesake. The truth is, lots of people and places LOVE the JFK. I know the city of Jacksonville loves us, they do NOT want to get rid of us. Yeah there's a rumor about us taking over the Kittyhawks homeport of Japan when they get decommissioned. The only reason for that rumor was because at the time, Japan did not want ANY nuclear powered vessels in their country. However, now Japan has reconsidered and it's very well possible that a Nuclear carrier will go there. The other place that LOVES our ship is New York. For some reason, there's a really big love between our ship and New York. I'm sure because of the namesake. As well as on Sept. 11th, the Big John was the first ship to arrive in the general area of New York launching aircraft and protecting New York after the towers fell. We have a long relationship with that city and it's one that just can't be broken. For proof, just wait for Fleet Week 2004. The Big John will more than likely be there. Now, as a sailor, I can honestly say that aside from all the political bull crap, I still love my ship. Yes it's old, yes it's rusty, dirty, and has it's problems. However, it still keeps ticking and we are literally busting our butts to keep her running. During this current ESRA, Ship force is doing WAYYY more than any other carriers ships force does during a normal ESRA. We do not get off early everyday, we work 0600-1500 every weekday, come july, it may be Monday - Saturday. We want to prove to the world that our ship is still a good ship and that we can get the job done in the time given. We are also under alot of pressure with this. It's the biggest ever ESRA performed in a ships homeport. You would be amazed at all the work that is going on. All I can say is watch out. Because come the end of September, you will see how well the JFK really is. We've done so much that it's just going to be unbelievable. We are aiming for the Battle E, we are aiming for Meritorious Unit, we are aiming for any type of award we can. Why? Because for once, there's alot of hard working SAILORS onboard one ship.

[Paul Ross]

Ping. It probably would be smarter to just deploy a new nuclear carrier. This one sounds like it has been neglected to death...probably from the Brass's expectation it would be retired due to continued Navy shrinkage under Clinton.

[Light Speed]

This could actually turn out to be a great success story....so too..the possible progenitor for taking other ships in MARADS[Reserve..or Mothballed]..gutting them..and going automated.

USS John F. Kennedy Comes to Life
Story Number: NNS030805-02
Release Date: 8/5/2003 11:12:00 AM

By Journalist 2nd Class Leah N. Smith, USS John F. Kennedy Public Affairs

ABOARD USS JOHN F. KENNEDY (NNS) -- USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) reached a benchmark in its maintenance project Aug. 4, as the carrier’s combat systems department resurrected Kennedy’s pulse.

For the first time in eight months, radars came to life in front of a cheering crowd of contractors and Sailors. The team worked hand-in-hand during Kennedy’s extended selected restricted availability (ESRA) to ensure all systems were go.

“This light-off represents the culmination of work by ship’s force and contractor personnel that included numerous new installations, as well as the overhaul or refurbishment of virtually every piece of combat systems equipment aboard 'Big John,'” said Cmdr. Rich Soucie, combat systems officer.

According to Lt. j.g. Steven James of combat systems, the ESRA installations and refurbishments make Kennedy one of the most technologically advanced aircraft carriers in the fleet.

“This places us at the cutting edge of carrier improvements in the arena,” said James. “The repairs make us more capable in communications and surveillance.”

Some of the system’s upgrades include computer network defense-intrusion detection system, used to detect unauthorized personnel attempting to access shipboard computer systems; an integrated bridge, which facilitates digital navigation and integrates a new commercial radar, a voyage management computer and an electronic charting and display information system; and the Rolling Airframe Missile, or RAM, which adds new capabilities to the ship’s self defense suite. Kennedy is the first east coast aircraft carrier to receive the RAM upgrade.

Commanding Officer Capt. Ronald H. Henderson Jr. said the light-off puts "Big John" one step closer to wrapping up maintenance so “we can get back where we belong – underway.

“The important thing right now is that, in the end, JFK will be a better carrier – for Jacksonville, the Navy and the nation – and ready to serve where the president directs,” Henderson said.

Kennedy’s availability is the most extensive one ever conducted outside of a naval shipyard promoting the Navy’s one shipyard concept.

Edited by - rickusn on Aug 05 2003 4:15 PM

[Paul Ross]

Indeed, it does sound like she will be a restored, renewed and effective additional complement to the fleet, but still operating with the smoke-stack and jury-rig issues. This could be her last go-round for upgrades and rehab. I wasn't advocating that she be immediately mothballed, just that it be planned for now with the commencement of her replacement's planning...the new CV-X which Rummy has been sitting on.