Delays must be contagious
It seems ours is not the only Navy that must contend with shipbuilding delays. New Zealand today took possession of its offshore patrol vessel Otago – two years late. A range of issues delayed...
View ArticleSeven in Seven
The Navy kicked off the month by kicking pirate butt in three foiled attacks. The stories that nabbed most other headlines this week included the Nuclear Posture Review, which was all the talk in the...
View ArticleIn their own words: LCS 1 refueling at sea
Cmdr. Randy Garner, captain of the littoral combat ship Freedom, had a conference-call chat on Monday with a few defense hacks, and he touched on many interesting points of the ship’s “trial...
View ArticleWhen the admiral doesn’t care to elaborate
Instructions for torturing Pentagon reporters: 1. Bring in four-star admiral — say, Naval Forces Europe commander Adm. Mark Fitzgerald, for a very rare sit-down with the Puzzle Palace hackoisie. 2....
View ArticleSeven in Seven
The Navy nabbed a lot of headlines again this week. Leading the way is news that the Navy’s 10th San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock will be named for Rep. John Murtha – a story first reported...
View ArticleZumwalt’s rich, Russian cousin
At Scoop Deck, we don’t need many luxuries underway: As long as CS3 sets out the chocolate cheesecake in the chow line, there’s a good diverting movie on like “Punisher: War Zone” or “Behind Enemy...
View ArticleRoyal Navy to the rescue in Dunkirk 2: Electric Boogaloo
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has sortied the fleet — three Royal Navy ships are on their way to rescue the throngs of Britons trapped in Europe by Mount Doom Eyjafjallajokull, which, as you’ve...
View ArticleFreedom comes home to a home it’s never seen
Like Odysseus returning to Ithaca, the littoral combat ship Freedom is scheduled to tie up for the first time this week in San Diego, which has been the intellectual and spiritual — but not physical —...
View ArticleFrigate patrol links
Smuggler chasin’, Coast Guard law enforcement detachment carryin’, unmanned aerial vehicle testin’, submarine huntin’ links, which can survive anything you throw at them — from a mine to an Exocet...
View ArticleThe intersection of past and future
Friday was a day when hope and history shared the same waters at Naval Submarine Base New London, in Groton, Conn. The day opened as sailors assigned to the Pre-Commissioning Unit Missouri raised...
View ArticleGeek Squad takes on whole new meaning
As further evidence that the Geek Squad provides the best pickings for tomorrow’s Navy, we turn to the latest news out of the Naval Academy. For the Class of 2015, cyberwarfare and cybersecurity will...
View ArticleThe softer side of seapower
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s critics have called it a publicity stunt, Britain’s ferry operators have complained it cuts into their business, but it’s happening — Dunkirk 2 is on. The Royal...
View ArticleHunting subs in shallow water is difficult
In these strange times of ours, when everybody’s talking about “irregular warfare”; and teaching small navies how to launch boats; and sailors getting duty in land-locked Afghanistan — isn’t it...
View ArticleSeven in Seven
The Navy nabbed a lot of headlines again this week. Leading the way is news that the Green Hornet on Thursday took to flight – the fighter jet, not the super hero. The F/A-18E/F Super Hornet was...
View ArticleA hand from your friendly neighborhood gator
Good thing the people of the United States pay hundreds of billions of dollars for the greatest fleet of warships in the world, and the skilled professionals who sail them — or these two guys would’ve...
View ArticleSEALs tighten ties with India
Earlier this month, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead visited the naval forces of India to strengthen the maritime partnership. Now, the SEALs are getting in on that action. The Indian...
View ArticleIn their own words: Fire Scout on the hunt
Earlier this month, a Fire Scout unmanned helicopter flying from the frigate McInerney helped with its first real-life drug bust at sea. You read the official version of events and you saw the video...
View ArticleHot-dogging in the Chinese fleet?
Back in the bad old days, Soviet pilots used to tease American carrier battle groups — that’s what we called ‘em — by edging close to their airspace, flying attack-style dives toward the carrier and...
View ArticleEyeball to eyeball
As recently as Monday, we were asking which navy was going to take the place of Russia as the world’s aggressive high-seas bad boy — China is a contender, and now Iran wants to play, too. An Iranian...
View ArticleSeven in Seven
The Navy nabbed a lot of headlines again this week. Leading the way is news that subs are now officially open to women. In other career news, the active duty master chiefs list was released. The Coast...
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