Navy Sets Ambitious Shipbuilding Goal

[Michael H. Standart]

From Forbes:

Electric Boat hires hundreds of new workers

quote:

GROTON, Conn. -- The U.S. Navy's primary contractor for submarines is hiring hundreds of employees and putting up new buildings as it doubles production of fast-attack submarines and ramps up design work for a new generation of ballistic missile vessels, company officials said Wednesday.

More at http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2011/07/06/general-ct-electric-boat_8552391.html

 

[Michael H. Standart]

From Aviation Week:

DDG-51 Restart Raises Questions

quote:

As requirements grow for the proposed DDG-51 Arleigh Burke Flight III-class destroyers, so does concern that the U.S. Navy may try to pack too much into the ships and end up with a program that is behind schedule and over budget.

Two page story begins at http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_generic.jsp?channel=dti&id=news/dti/2011/07/01/DT_07_01_2011_p19-338990.xml&headline=DDG-51%20Restart%20R aises%20Questions

 

[Michael H. Standart]

From The Daily Press:

Navy considering delay of John F. Kennedy aircraft carrier purchase

quote:

NEWPORT NEWS – Amid a tightening defense budget, the U.S. Navy is weighing an option to delay the purchase of the Newport News-built John F. Kennedy aircraft carrier by as much as two years, a source familiar with the discussions told the Daily Press on Monday.

More at http://www.dailypress.com/business/ports/dp-nws-carrier-funding-20110711,0,3077995.story

 

[Michael H. Standart]

From Defence News:

Huntington-Ingalls Yard Gets New Amphib Order

quote:

Huntington-Ingalls Industries' shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss., got a boost July 13 when the U.S. Navy awarded a $98.6 million advanced procurement contract to buy long-lead items for a new amphibious ship.

More at http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=7089522&c=AME&s=SEA

 

[Michael H. Standart]

From The Daily Press:

Defense Department official says cuts to aircraft carriers, subs are on the table

quote:

A top Defense Department official said Thursday that the Navy is considering delaying a future aircraft carrier and cancelling a new class of ballistic missile submarines, two crucial shipbuilding programs for the Newport News shipyard.

More at http://www.dailypress.com/business/ports/dp-nws-carrier-sub-cuts-20110714,0,3086040.story

Comment: I don't think either the boomers or the carriers will be canceled outright. They're too important. However I do believe there will be a massive rethink in how many are required and along with that...hopefully...greater accountability in the event of any screwups.

The times they are a changing.

 

[Michael H. Standart]

From Stratagy Page:

Why The U.S. Navy Is Falling Apart

quote:

July 15, 2011: Three years ago, the U.S. Navy began to realize that the readiness of warships was deteriorating to an alarming degree. Some eight percent of them were failing inspections. Since then, it's gotten worse. Now, 24 percent are failing inspections. Currently, about 20 percent of navy ships have failed readiness inspections or are unfit for combat. About 40 percent of ships at sea have one major system broken. About half of combat aircraft and helicopters at sea are not fully functional.

More at http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htsurf/articles/20110715.aspx

 

[Michael H. Standart]

From Defence Professional:

Before We Gut The Navy, Think

quote:

15:09 GMT, July 21, 2011 Proposals for deep cuts in military forces are swirling through Washington. Among the ideas being put forward just for the Sea Services are to reduce the number of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers from 11 to 9 and delay the start of the next Ford class aircraft carrier, cancel the next generation ballistic missile submarines, reduce the planned production rate for nuclear attack submarines from two to one, eliminate a large portion of the amphibious warfare fleet and cancel both the Navy and Marine Corps variants of the advanced, stealthy F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

Full OpEd at http://www.defpro.com/news/details/26509/?SID=d5779a8d465674a667ba664c43296a6c

 

[Michael H. Standart]

From The Navy Newsstand:

USS Kearsarge Starts Planned Maintenance Availability

quote:

NORFOLK, Va. (NNS) -- Amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) officially began its planned maintenance availability (PMA) period at BAE Systems shipyard in Norfolk, Va., July 20.

More at http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=61741

 

[Michael H. Standart]

From The Navy Times:

Lawmakers grill Navy over maintenance funding

quote:

As the surface fleet’s material readiness languishes for the third straight year, ship repairs “came out short a few hundred million dollars,”￾ a Navy logistics official said in testimony before Congress on July 12.

At that hearing, data showed that the number of ships receiving a grade of “degraded”￾ during material inspections has doubled, from four in 2009 to eight in 2010.

More at http://www.navytimes.com/news/2011/07/navy-lawmakers-grill-navy-surface-fleet-readiness-072411w/

Comment: Uhhhh....Congress....Hello....funding with what??? There's no money, the Navy is being required to cut back and all while being run into the ground fighting two different wars. What did you expect?

Wake up!!!!

 

[Michael H. Standart]

From Brahmand:

General Dynamics to modernise USS Harpers Ferry

quote:

SAN DIEGO (BNS): The US Navy awarded General Dynamics NASSCO $24.4 million in contract modifications to support an extensive renovation and modernization of the USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49), including alterations and repairs, as part of the fiscal year 2011 Extended Docking Phased Maintenance Availability (EDPMA).

More at http://www.brahmand.com/news/General-Dynamics-to-modernise-USS-Harpers-Ferry/7606/1/24.html

 

[Michael H. Standart]

From The Pacific Stars and Stripes:

McCain to Navy: Get shipshape or face severe cuts

quote:

WASHINGTON — Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., warned Thursday that the Navy could see the most severe budget cuts of all the services, especially if it doesn’t get its act together on two major weapons systems that Congress has put under hot lamps: the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and the Littoral Combat Ship.

More at http://www.stripes.com/blogs/stripes-central/stripes-central-1.8040/mccain-to-navy-get-shipshape-or-face-severe-cuts-1.150432

 

[Michael H. Standart]

From The Navy Newsstand:

Cape St. George Sailors Give Ship Makeover, Enhance Combat Readiness

quote:

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- The Sailors of guided-missile cruiser USS Cape St. George (CG 71) are giving the ship an extreme makeover during the Ship's Restricted Availability (SRA) maintenance period at the shipyards in San Diego, July 28.

More at http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=61852

Comment: With money getting tight and the not entirely unrealistic prospect that these ships service lives will have to be extended beyond 30 years, don't be too surprised if larger portions of a ship's refit is done by the crew.

 

[Michael H. Standart]

From The Sun Herald:

USS Mississippi to be commissioned in Gulfport

quote:

GULFPORT -- The $2 billion USS Mississippi submarine will be commissioned in the Gulfport Small Craft Harbor in May, Mayor George Schloegel said Tuesday.

More at http://www.sunherald.com/2011/08/02/3320607/uss-mississippi-to-be-commissioned.html

 

[Michael H. Standart]

From The Navy Times:

New sub California delivered to Navy

quote:

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarine California has been delivered to the Navy.

More at http://www.navytimes.com/news/2011/08/ap-navy-delivered-sub-california-080811/

 

[Michael H. Standart]

From Canada Business:

Electric Boat to lay off 65 Conn. workers

quote:

GROTON, Conn. (AP) – Submarine maker Electric Boat says it will lay off 65 workers in October.

Spokesman Robert Hamilton said Tuesday the Groton-based company regularly reviews its work force requirements. He says Electric Boat informed workers on Monday.

More at http://www.canadianbusiness.com/article/38968--electric-boat-to-lay-off-65-conn-workers

Comment: Don'cha just luvs the economy???

 

[Michael H. Standart]

From Aviation Week:

U.S. Navy Still Struggles To Maintain Ships

quote:

The U.S. Navy has taken concrete steps to address the litany of surface-ship maintenance shortfalls explicitly detailed in a report last year, but service officials say they still have a long way to go to alter the decades-long course of poor decisions and neglect that crippled those vessels.

More at http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_generic.jsp?channel=aerospacedaily&id=news/asd/2011/08/10/01.xml&headline=U.S.%20Navy%20Still%20Struggles %20To%20Maintain%20Ships

Comment: Ten years of combat operations and deferred maintainance makes for a tired and worn out fleet.

 

[Michael H. Standart]

From The Navy Newsstand:

Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Undocks San Juan Early

quote:

KITTERY, Maine (NNS) -- Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY) undocked USS San Juan (SSN 751) one day ahead of schedule Aug. 4.

San Juan and its crew of 13 officers and 121 enlisted personnel arrived at PNSY Apr. 8, 2010. While at the shipyard, the sub is undergoing an engineered overhaul consisting of various maintenance work and several system upgrades.

More at http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=62115

 

[Michael H. Standart]

From The Navy Newsstand:

USS Pennsylvania Departs Dry Dock

quote:

BREMERTON, Wash. (NNS) -- Trident-class ballistic missile submarine USS Pennsylvania (SSBN 735) completed a major step in its 27-month, engineered refueling overhaul (ERO) when it departed Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PNS & IMF) Aug. 5.

More at http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=62151

 

[Michael H. Standart]

From The Navy Newsstand:

Naval Reservists Assist with USS Florida Maintenance

quote:

KINGS BAY, Ga. (NNS) -- A component of 21 naval reservists temporarily assigned to Submarine Group 10 completed their assistance in the maintenance of USS Florida (SSGN 728) Aug. 12 while the Ohio-class guided-missile submarine is in dry dock.

Trident Refit Facility (TRF) requested the reserve component to help in submarine maintenance and preservation.

More at http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=62187

 

[Michael H. Standart]

From The Navy Newsstand:

PCU Mississippi Receives Visit from Ship's Sponsor

quote:

GROTON, Conn. (NNS) -- Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) Mississippi (SSN 782) ship's sponsor visited with the commanding officer and crew, Aug. 18.

More at http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=62245