Todays United States Navy

[alphaxion]

The pic was snapped on the 26th of August, 2004, and is of the resolution of 2048x1536 (flickr scaled it down).

The boat on the far left doesn't have the prominant white lines of the other two when I zoom in and appears to be a bit thinner in width too.

[desertswo]

Originally Posted by alphaxion

The pic was snapped on the 26th of August, 2004, and is of the resolution of 2048x1536 (flickr scaled it down).

The boat on the far left doesn't have the prominant white lines of the other two when I zoom in and appears to be a bit thinner in width too.

That settles it with regard to Kennedy; she deployed in April and wasn't seen again until November. I think the "thinner" appearance might be a bit of an optical illusion, because now I'm beginning to think that it is one of the Nimitz hulls in a maintenance availability. That would be the other reason for the oil booms; in case of chemical spills. No lines because she's having her flight deck non-skid surface refurbished. It is possible that she appears thinner because they've filled floodable voids (think ballast tank, only for stability) to get her to heel to port a bit so that painting may be done a bit closer to the waterline on the starboard side. We do that sort of crazy stuff all the time.

[skit_uk]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

a very good point, but even a very small ramp that would get the aircraft moving positive on the vertical axis would still be a help according to the pilots that have to fly STOVL aircraft off of USN gators.

the following is an exercpt from an article about US marine harrier pilots operating their aircraft in a joint exercise off of the RN's HMS Illustrious:


Another philosophical difference is that the British are open to ideas that to Americans seem goofy, but work, such as the 12-degree ramp at the bow of the ship that dramatically improves Harrier operations. Senior U.S. naval officers over the decades have vetoed the idea, saying they don’t like how it looks and that it takes up three helicopter landing spots. British and Marine officers say only one deck spot is lost to the “ski jump.”

To a man, Marine pilots want the ramps installed on their ships to improve operational flexibility and safety.

“We’re all in love with the ski ramp because when you come off that ramp, you’re flying,” Bradicich said. “From our ships, if you’re fully loaded, you need 750 feet, and even then you’ve got some sink once you clear the deck. Here, you can do the same thing in 450 feet and you’re climbing.”

But the ramp is intimidating at first sight, pilots said.
“I expected it to be violent, but when you take off, it’s almost a non-event,” said Maj. Grant “Postal” Pennington, a pilot with VMA-513 at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz. “Up you go, and you’re climbing. It’s a great experience.”

Can you link the article SteelyDan? Wouldnt mind reading that.

I guess then it comes down to politics like someone mentioned previously and the ramp not being quite as important to the US as it is to the UK. Sounds like some scary stuff taking off a flat deck and still having sink :O

[skit_uk]

Originally Posted by desertswo

It is possible that she appears thinner because they've filled floodable voids (think ballast tank, only for stability) to get her to heel to port a bit so that painting may be done a bit closer to the waterline on the starboard side. We do that sort of crazy stuff all the time.

Or to clean and paint the Port side that would normally be below the waterline? I'm always been giving that job, in a dingy tender with the rough side of a sponge lol. Makes the boat go faster after though you know ;-)

[desertswo]

Originally Posted by skit_uk

Or to clean and paint the Port side that would normally be below the waterline? I'm always been giving that job, in a dingy tender with the rough side of a sponge lol. Makes the boat go faster after though you know ;-)

Not port; starboard. If she's listing to port, then more of the starboard side would be exposed, and yes, some hull cleaning without the need for divers can be done, but I doubt they'd heel her over to that degree. For one reason, guys wearing stars are always wandering about those piers just to see what they can see, and maintenance or not, they consider a ship listing like that to be "lubberly."

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by skit_uk

Can you link the article SteelyDan? Wouldnt mind reading that.

i lost the link to the original article, but it was several years old, so here's hoping there's no copyright infringement posting it in full here.

___________________________________________________________________

Marines experience Brit style on ‘Lusty’
By Vago Muradian - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Aug 8, 2007 5:41:53 EDT

ABOARD THE HMS ILLUSTRIOUS — What’s the definition of heaven if you’re a Marine Harrier pilot? Why, spending two weeks on one of Britain’s aircraft carriers, of course.

“What’s not to like? The flying’s awesome, the food and quarters are great, and you can get a drink at the end of the day,” said Maj. Stephan “Poppy” Bradicich, the executive officer of Marine Attack Squadron 542 who helped plan the unprecedented embarkation of 16 Harriers and 200 Marines aboard HMS Illustrious, known as “Lusty” to its crew.

The largest-ever embark of Marine personnel and aircraft aboard a foreign warship July 15-31 was part of Joint Task Force Exercise Operation Bold Step 07-02 that included the Harry S. Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower strike groups, to prepare Truman for its upcoming deployment.

The accommodations and food drew high marks from the Marines. They enjoyed everything from curry night to such traditional Royal Navy dishes as “hammy eggy cheesy” — toast layered with shredded ham, an egg and covered with melted cheese — and kippered herrings along with eggs, bacon and beans for breakfast, or haggis and bashed neeps — mashed turnips — for dinner. The ship even features “Chips at Six” — fresh french fries served in the bar before dinner.

Other pluses? A roomy, teak quarterdeck aft to take a quiet break or take in a sunset, beautifully varnished wooden ladders and generous carpeting — which are stripped when the ship goes into battle — and Internet connectivity that works every time.

But one of the most satisfying things is that the ship is a strike carrier where Harriers, not helicopters, are the priority.
“This is the Royal Navy’s A team, and they live and breathe strike,” said Col. Eric “Beans” Van Camp, the commanding officer of Marine Aircraft Group 14, who also commanded the U.S. air group aboard Illustrious. “On a gator, the Harriers are secondary to the amphibious and helicopter mission.”

Then there is the piece de resistance, the 20-foot-long blond oak bar that is the centerpiece of a spacious lounge, part of the wardroom annex where off-duty officers can draw a pint, dram, cocktail, coffee or tea and reflect on the day and prepare for tomorrow.
“Everyone’s working really hard, but it’s also OK to relax afterward with a beer, within the rules we live by,” Van Camp said. “The challenge is maintaining that balance between mission and safety.”

If you’re flying the next day, you’re not drinking, nor are you staying up late, Bradicich said as he sipped a soft drink.
“It’s a great tool that we don’t have,” Bradicich said. “On our ships, there’s no place where you can really unwind, get to know your shipmates on a personal level, and solve disagreements. Our view is that if you have free time, you should be doing something other than hanging around. Here, everyone works just as hard, but they also know how to unwind. It’s a huge philosophical difference.”

That philosophical difference manifests in the relaxed atmosphere aboard the ship, including the relationship between officers and ratings — British for enlisted personnel.
Case in point? Expect a cheery “good morning” as you make your way down the passage or an offer for help if you look lost. And in a welcome relief for the American contingent, the 1MC system doesn’t crackle with announcements 24 hours a day, and the officers don’t carry radios to contact one another or the captain.

“When you have a third of the ship asleep at any given time, it doesn’t make much sense to be waking them by blaring unnecessary announcements every few minutes,” one British officer said.
In fact, the only announcement is from the operations center that details the day’s plan and tests important alarms. The only other time you hear the loudspeaker is when there’s a problem, such as a fire or engineering casualty.

And why don’t the officers carry radios like their American counterparts? “What the bloody hell do you need a radio for?” the British officer asked. “You know the plan, what the captain’s intentions and expectations are. As an officer, your job is to lead, and if you need to talk to the captain all the time, then you’re not doing your job or letting him do his.”

Another philosophical difference is that the British are open to ideas that to Americans seem goofy, but work, such as the 12-degree ramp at the bow of the ship that dramatically improves Harrier operations. Senior U.S. naval officers over the decades have vetoed the idea, saying they don’t like how it looks and that it takes up three helicopter landing spots. British and Marine officers say only one deck spot is lost to the “ski jump.”

To a man, Marine pilots want the ramps installed on their ships to improve operational flexibility and safety.
“We’re all in love with the ski ramp because when you come off that ramp, you’re flying,” Bradicich said. “From our ships, if you’re fully loaded, you need 750 feet, and even then you’ve got some sink once you clear the deck. Here, you can do the same thing in 450 feet and you’re climbing.”

But the ramp is intimidating at first sight, pilots said.
“I expected it to be violent, but when you take off, it’s almost a non-event,” said Maj. Grant “Postal” Pennington, a pilot with VMA-513 at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz. “Up you go, and you’re climbing. It’s a great experience.”

Equally important is the ship that’s bolted to the ramp, pilots said.
“Some of our younger guys who haven’t flown from our ships yet are in for a big surprise when they do,” Bradicich said. “This is probably the best ship you could possibly fly a Harrier from. It’s not very big, but it’s really stable, no roll, just a little pitch, not like the flat-bottom gators that roll so much. You’ve got the island moving 30 feet in each direction when you’re trying to land. That tends to get your attention.”

The combination of ski ramp, stability and dedicated crew contributed to a breakneck operational pace. The Marines proudly logged a ship record 79 takeoffs and landings in one day.
“These guys are great. We’ve qualed 28 guys in three days, most with eight landings and takeoffs, so even though we said that we were going to crawl, walk, run, our pace has been tremendous, even with different procedures,” Pennington said. “We like to approach the ship at 45 degrees and hit one of the spots, but they approach from dead astern, come to a hover abeam, slide over, then drop down to the deck. It’s different, but you get the hang of it.”

The only downside? “The thought that we’re going to have to get off,” Bradicich said.

A ROYAL NAVY WELCOME

To welcome the Marines aboard, the ship’s company invited their American guests to an evening of traditional Royal Navy tomfoolery, Horse Racing Night. Outlandish costumes were encouraged, and the event, held in the ship’s hangar deck July 21 because of choppy weather, was hosted by an Elvis impersonator in full polyester regalia as the ship’s band played.

The next day, an athletic competition was held on Illustrious’ flight deck, pitting the Royal Navy against the Marine Corps in six events: rowing; weightlifting; tractor pull; the standard Royal Navy physical fitness, or “beep,” test; shuttle run with two 40-pound sandbag weights; and a tug of war.

To the Marines’ chagrin, the Brits won all the events except for weightlifting.

In a more military contest, the Marine aircraft dropped dummy bombs and fired 20mm rounds against a target towed by Illustrious that produces a geyser of water and serves as an aim point.
Sailors expressed confidence that the Marines wouldn’t hit the target, and despite several close calls — including a mock bomb attack by one of the youngest pilots, 1st Lt. Douglas “Rosie” Rosenstock — that lifted it out of the water, the target escaped unscathed.

[desertswo]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

i lost the link to the original article, but it was several years old, so here's hoping there's no copyright infringement posting it in full here.

___________________________________________________________________

Marines experience Brit style on ‘Lusty’
By Vago Muradian - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Aug 8, 2007 5:41:53 EDT

ABOARD THE HMS ILLUSTRIOUS — What’s the definition of heaven if you’re a Marine Harrier pilot? Why, spending two weeks on one of Britain’s aircraft carriers, of course.

“What’s not to like? The flying’s awesome, the food and quarters are great, and you can get a drink at the end of the day,” said Maj. Stephan “Poppy” Bradicich, the executive officer of Marine Attack Squadron 542 who helped plan the unprecedented embarkation of 16 Harriers and 200 Marines aboard HMS Illustrious, known as “Lusty” to its crew.

The largest-ever embark of Marine personnel and aircraft aboard a foreign warship July 15-31 was part of Joint Task Force Exercise Operation Bold Step 07-02 that included the Harry S. Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower strike groups, to prepare Truman for its upcoming deployment.

The accommodations and food drew high marks from the Marines. They enjoyed everything from curry night to such traditional Royal Navy dishes as “hammy eggy cheesy” — toast layered with shredded ham, an egg and covered with melted cheese — and kippered herrings along with eggs, bacon and beans for breakfast, or haggis and bashed neeps — mashed turnips — for dinner. The ship even features “Chips at Six” — fresh french fries served in the bar before dinner.

Other pluses? A roomy, teak quarterdeck aft to take a quiet break or take in a sunset, beautifully varnished wooden ladders and generous carpeting — which are stripped when the ship goes into battle — and Internet connectivity that works every time.

But one of the most satisfying things is that the ship is a strike carrier where Harriers, not helicopters, are the priority.
“This is the Royal Navy’s A team, and they live and breathe strike,” said Col. Eric “Beans” Van Camp, the commanding officer of Marine Aircraft Group 14, who also commanded the U.S. air group aboard Illustrious. “On a gator, the Harriers are secondary to the amphibious and helicopter mission.”

Then there is the piece de resistance, the 20-foot-long blond oak bar that is the centerpiece of a spacious lounge, part of the wardroom annex where off-duty officers can draw a pint, dram, cocktail, coffee or tea and reflect on the day and prepare for tomorrow.
“Everyone’s working really hard, but it’s also OK to relax afterward with a beer, within the rules we live by,” Van Camp said. “The challenge is maintaining that balance between mission and safety.”

If you’re flying the next day, you’re not drinking, nor are you staying up late, Bradicich said as he sipped a soft drink.
“It’s a great tool that we don’t have,” Bradicich said. “On our ships, there’s no place where you can really unwind, get to know your shipmates on a personal level, and solve disagreements. Our view is that if you have free time, you should be doing something other than hanging around. Here, everyone works just as hard, but they also know how to unwind. It’s a huge philosophical difference.”

That philosophical difference manifests in the relaxed atmosphere aboard the ship, including the relationship between officers and ratings — British for enlisted personnel.
Case in point? Expect a cheery “good morning” as you make your way down the passage or an offer for help if you look lost. And in a welcome relief for the American contingent, the 1MC system doesn’t crackle with announcements 24 hours a day, and the officers don’t carry radios to contact one another or the captain.

“When you have a third of the ship asleep at any given time, it doesn’t make much sense to be waking them by blaring unnecessary announcements every few minutes,” one British officer said.
In fact, the only announcement is from the operations center that details the day’s plan and tests important alarms. The only other time you hear the loudspeaker is when there’s a problem, such as a fire or engineering casualty.

And why don’t the officers carry radios like their American counterparts? “What the bloody hell do you need a radio for?” the British officer asked. “You know the plan, what the captain’s intentions and expectations are. As an officer, your job is to lead, and if you need to talk to the captain all the time, then you’re not doing your job or letting him do his.”

Another philosophical difference is that the British are open to ideas that to Americans seem goofy, but work, such as the 12-degree ramp at the bow of the ship that dramatically improves Harrier operations. Senior U.S. naval officers over the decades have vetoed the idea, saying they don’t like how it looks and that it takes up three helicopter landing spots. British and Marine officers say only one deck spot is lost to the “ski jump.”

To a man, Marine pilots want the ramps installed on their ships to improve operational flexibility and safety.
“We’re all in love with the ski ramp because when you come off that ramp, you’re flying,” Bradicich said. “From our ships, if you’re fully loaded, you need 750 feet, and even then you’ve got some sink once you clear the deck. Here, you can do the same thing in 450 feet and you’re climbing.”

But the ramp is intimidating at first sight, pilots said.
“I expected it to be violent, but when you take off, it’s almost a non-event,” said Maj. Grant “Postal” Pennington, a pilot with VMA-513 at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz. “Up you go, and you’re climbing. It’s a great experience.”

Equally important is the ship that’s bolted to the ramp, pilots said.
“Some of our younger guys who haven’t flown from our ships yet are in for a big surprise when they do,” Bradicich said. “This is probably the best ship you could possibly fly a Harrier from. It’s not very big, but it’s really stable, no roll, just a little pitch, not like the flat-bottom gators that roll so much. You’ve got the island moving 30 feet in each direction when you’re trying to land. That tends to get your attention.”

The combination of ski ramp, stability and dedicated crew contributed to a breakneck operational pace. The Marines proudly logged a ship record 79 takeoffs and landings in one day.
“These guys are great. We’ve qualed 28 guys in three days, most with eight landings and takeoffs, so even though we said that we were going to crawl, walk, run, our pace has been tremendous, even with different procedures,” Pennington said. “We like to approach the ship at 45 degrees and hit one of the spots, but they approach from dead astern, come to a hover abeam, slide over, then drop down to the deck. It’s different, but you get the hang of it.”

The only downside? “The thought that we’re going to have to get off,” Bradicich said.

A ROYAL NAVY WELCOME

To welcome the Marines aboard, the ship’s company invited their American guests to an evening of traditional Royal Navy tomfoolery, Horse Racing Night. Outlandish costumes were encouraged, and the event, held in the ship’s hangar deck July 21 because of choppy weather, was hosted by an Elvis impersonator in full polyester regalia as the ship’s band played.

The next day, an athletic competition was held on Illustrious’ flight deck, pitting the Royal Navy against the Marine Corps in six events: rowing; weightlifting; tractor pull; the standard Royal Navy physical fitness, or “beep,” test; shuttle run with two 40-pound sandbag weights; and a tug of war.

To the Marines’ chagrin, the Brits won all the events except for weightlifting.

In a more military contest, the Marine aircraft dropped dummy bombs and fired 20mm rounds against a target towed by Illustrious that produces a geyser of water and serves as an aim point.
Sailors expressed confidence that the Marines wouldn’t hit the target, and despite several close calls — including a mock bomb attack by one of the youngest pilots, 1st Lt. Douglas “Rosie” Rosenstock — that lifted it out of the water, the target escaped unscathed.

So the moral of the story is that the Marines are weak, and can't hit the broad side of a barn. Man, we must really suck balls. Well, Marines or no, they are considered by the Department of the Navy to be "naval aviators" with "wings of gold," so they would be weak sisters compared to "mud Marines." Those are the guys I'd want by my side for that proverbial march into hell. They are true believers in the warrior mythos.

On the subject of the 1MC system droning out announcements all day, I definitely concur with that one. It's a problem however, that is endemic only to the aviation world. For some damn reason "Airedale" COs just love the sound of their voices over that freaking thing. In the cruiser-destroyer world, you'd better have a damn good reason for getting on that thing. In my command ride I promised them that I'd rip their freaking heads off and shit down their windpipes if that thing was used for other than announcements by me, or the XO with my permission, during emergency or general quarters drills, or to ring the ship's bell with the changing of the watch. That may still sound like a lot but it really isn't.

Back to the Airedale COs and their penchant for "chatting" on the 1MC, my second CO in Constellation was a great American called Leon "Bud" Edney. He was Naval Academy and all that, and would go on to wear four stars and be SACLANT for NATO, and Vice-CNO. Anyway, for all his good traits, and he helped me a lot in my career, he still loved to get on that damn box and drone on and on. After a while we just tuned him out and that's not a good thing. Anyway, he started announcing things like, "LCDR Steve Chokesondick just made the 5000th arrested landing in his career; Bravo Zulu Steve!" He'd ask for people to send him more great events he could announce. After awhile it came to our notice that it was always air wing guys that were getting those kudos. So, asshole non-Naval Academy irreverent birk that I was, I organized a bit of a revolt, and we started sending up anonymous notes saying things like "MM3 Bafumatta just watched number four main shaft turn for the one-billionth time," or Seaman Dickweed just completed his 300th hour of accident free head cleaning." Captain Edney was not amused but he did get the message. He also figured out who the ring leader was and got even. Every day for the remainder of that deployment, he had me, a hole snipe who rarely saw the Sun, lead the 1900 FOD (foreign object damage) walk down of the flight deck. So I'm up there on the flight deck in my coveralls surrounded by all these "shirts" (the multicolored shirts the flight deck guys wear), organizing them in a line that goes deck edge to deck edge port to starboard, and that was like herding fucking cats, and then leading them slowly the length of the flight deck, picking up the bits of stuff that can get sucked up by a jet engine, turning it into a very expensive paper weight. Captain Edney would always come up on the flight deck announcing system and say, "How you doing down there Mike?" I'd just wave rather pathetically. One learns that you don't fuck with the boss; he can always fuck harder!

[CharlieP]

Originally Posted by desertswo

So the moral of the story is that the Marines are weak, and can't hit the broad side of a barn.

More like: can't hit something the size and shape of a child's toboggan - there was a documentary on our TV screens recently about Lusty's sister Ark Royal, in which a USMC AV-8B squadron also embarked for a joint exercise, including live target practice. One cheerful matelot happily informed the camera crew pre-towing that nobody had ever managed to hit it, and true to form it was winched back on board intact.

So, asshole non-Naval Academy irreverent birk that I was

Begging the Captain's pardon, that should be "berk". Rhyming slang abbreviation of Berkeley Hunt, you see.

[desertswo]

Originally Posted by CharlieP

More like: can't hit something the size and shape of a child's toboggan - there was a documentary on our TV screens recently about Lusty's sister Ark Royal, in which a USMC AV-8B squadron also embarked for a joint exercise, including live target practice. One cheerful matelot happily informed the camera crew pre-towing that nobody had ever managed to hit it, and true to form it was winched back on board intact.



Begging the Captain's pardon, that should be "berk". Rhyming slang abbreviation of Berkeley Hunt, you see.

Thanks Charlie. I actually picked up that one watching the movie, "A Fish Called Wanda." John Cleese calls Kevin Klein a berk, which his character indeed was, and the way he said it pretty much told the story of what a berk is. I've used it off and on every since.

You know, speaking as an American with family on that side of the pond, people from the UK and Erin have a way of saying some words that would be otherwise inoffensive, such as "bloody," with such absolute venom that one can be taken aback; and I mean that as a complement. Altering the words of former Pink Floyd bassist and lyricist Roger Waters, "Hanging on in quiet desperation IS NOT ALWAYS the English way," while the song Time says that it is. I've seen a couple of RN officers go off with some colorful epithets. I've always found the experience to be rather perversely pleasant.

As regards target practice, we often use the dreaded "Killer Tomato" as seen below;

image hosted on flickr


We put one over the side and then slip off ideally about five to six miles away and commence shooting, first with the 5" gun, and then working our way in to take it with 25MM Chain gun, the .50 Cal machine guns, and then finally the Mk-19 grenade launcher, the M-60 machine guns in NATO 7.62 MM and the M-14 rifles in the same caliber. The thing can usually take a lot of abuse and remain afloat. Below you see a Perry-class frigate going at it with the 76MM Oto Malera.



I judge that distance over water to be about two miles; maybe a bit more. It's a lot of fun.

[skit_uk]

Thanks Steely Dan. interesting read.

[alphaxion]

Back in 1989 in Florida, my dad was sporting a tshirt with "sod off" printed on it. One time during the day while in a queue, he got this tap on his shoulder and a cheery American asked "what does sod off mean?".

Reciprocating the cheery mood, my dad responded "it means this" and showed them his middle finger in an explanatory way (he wasn't trying to insult the guy, just trying to explain it in terms they would understand).

The next 20 mins in the queue were filled with a ripple of American voices saying sod off to each other, to which my dad was left in hysterics at the situation.

The sheer range of insults and curse words used in our little scepter'd isle still stuns my friends American gf, even after over 5 years of living here.

[CharlieP]

I remember an American manager at a company in London telling a group of new arrivals that his favourite English word was "wanker". Apparently "jerkoff artist" isn't as pithy or to-the-point.

[desertswo]

Originally Posted by CharlieP

I remember an American manager at a company in London telling a group of new arrivals that his favourite English word was "wanker". Apparently "jerkoff artist" isn't as pithy or to-the-point.

I was once called a wanker in Fremantle, Australia. I disabused the person of doing it again.

[SO143]

PHILIPPINE SEA Two Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) P-3C Orion patrol aircraft fly over a group of 19 American and Japanese naval ships at the end of ANNUALEX 19G, the maritime component of the U.S.-Japan exercise Keen Sword '08. The exercise was designed to increase interoperability between the United States and JMSDF and increase their ability to effectively and mutually respond to a regional crisis situation. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Kyle D. Gahlau (Released)

[yoladeuche]

Originally Posted by desertswo

On the subject of the 1MC system droning out announcements all day, I definitely concur with that one.

It (1MC) was known as "tannoy" in the RN, I have been wondering about the origin of the name, and now it's crystal-clear: the system was designed "to annoy".

(I'm really sorry, I couldn't resist making the pun)

[southseasteve]

Tannoy was the make of the speakers lol.

I'm glad officers in the Royal Navy don't feel the need to chat on it like their USN counterparts. At sea the OOW would give out a short sit rep in the morning, and the XO would do the same in the evening.

[desertswo]

Originally Posted by southseasteve

Tannoy was the make of the speakers lol.

I'm glad officers in the Royal Navy don't feel the need to chat on it like their USN counterparts. At sea the OOW would give out a short sit rep in the morning, and the XO would do the same in the evening.

Like I said, that sickness is found only in the Naval Aviator ranks. We in the surface Navy firmly believe that less is more in those situations.

[WatcherZero]

Well the expected shift in focus to Asia-Pacific and downsizing of military size while winding up counter terrorism/insurgency units and resources has been announced. Increased resources will be allocated to countering China.

[desertswo]

Originally Posted by WatcherZero

Well the expected shift in focus to Asia-Pacific and downsizing of military size while winding up counter terrorism/insurgency units and resources has been announced. Increased resources will be allocated to countering China.

It will be interesting to see what shape the force will take in this regard. Guam will be a much busier place; and look for continued efforts at rapprochement with Vietnam as Cam Ranh Bay and Hai Phong would be great ports to stage out of. Likewise, the Republic of the Philippines may well welcome us back to Subic Bay, at least on a temporary basis. Who knows what will happen, but it may well be that we will yet live in interesting times.

[AdmiralAnthony]

Originally Posted by desertswo

It will be interesting to see what shape the force will take in this regard. Guam will be a much busier place; and look for continued efforts at rapprochement with Vietnam as Cam Ranh Bay and Hai Phong would be great ports to stage out of. Likewise, the Republic of the Philippines may well welcome us back to Subic Bay, at least on a temporary basis. Who knows what will happen, but it may well be that we will yet live in interesting times.

http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/...on-guam-03011/