US military vessel collides with merchant ship

a reply to: Zelun

Good luck defeating it. It has enough power to brute force through any existing jamming system. It's not an easy system to defeat.

a reply to: carewemust

He was probably only finding out about it. He tweeted a statement later about it.

Navy ships have at least 3 ways to turn there rudders.

One from the bridge and a powered backup system in after steering.

Last they have a non powered manual system that one or two sailors can turn by hand in after steering.

The problem is did they regain steering from the bridge or were they still using the non powered manual system or the powered backup system to steer the ship while repairing/resetting the system to the bridge.

Both the after steering backup systems are slower as it takes time to relay the orders from the bridge to after steering by sound powered phones and it takes time if they are on the non powered manual system to turn the rudders.

I know this because i was for a time assigned to after steering as a electrician during GQ on a navy mine sweep.

a reply to: carewemust

I don't like this either. It really IS too bad. It's "too bad" is an old-timey expression meaning that it "sucks." It really does. It means that US Sailors are dead and there's nothing we can do about it because it looks like an accident. Maybe it really is an accident, who knows. I think the Navy has been targeted before in this manner, "innocent trade vessels" mowed down by the careless warmongers from the west. If I were a radical I would definitely try to encourage terrible "accidents." Saves on armed fighters. It's pure economics people, and the invisible hand can be a real bitch.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: carewemust

He was probably only finding out about it. He tweeted a statement later about it.

I feel uncomfortable that the news media knows about a military-related accident before the Commander-in-Chief does.

a reply to: carewemust

good point. Seems like an off-the-cuff response, no?

a reply to: Zelun

My son was kicked out of the Navy last year for turning in a fighter pilot who was flying his missions drunk. The Navy culture is certainly "unique".

a reply to: carewemust

He had just returned to the White House when he was asked that. You don't get a full briefing on a situation like this in the car on the way back to the White House. It would have been something along the lines of "there's been a collision with one of our destroyers". After getting back he would have gotten a more detailed briefing.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Zelun

Good luck defeating it. It has enough power to brute force through any existing jamming system. It's not an easy system to defeat.

Unless you can reposition the whole platform by smashing an oil tanker into it. Think about it. The low-tech solution. Find a way to disable the platform, not the weapon.

originally posted by: Zelun
a reply to: carewemust

good point. Seems like an off-the-cuff response, no?

I think many of those Trump Administration positions that remain unfilled, are important for relaying small, but important, information to the President. Looks like a bunch of them are not staffed yet: www.nytimes.com...

a reply to: Zelun

They still have radar though. They might not have full power right away, but they'd be able to make repairs fairly quickly to get full power back to the radar in a war situation.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: carewemust

He had just returned to the White House when he was asked that. You don't get a full briefing on a situation like this in the car on the way back to the White House. It would have been something along the lines of "there's been a collision with one of our destroyers". After getting back he would have gotten a more detailed briefing.

Understood.. it just seems like his inbound communications are inadequate. The seriousness of Charlottsville clashes weren't relayed to the President quickly either. That's OK in 1965. But...

a reply to: carewemust

I don't know how that relates to the OP, I can kind of speculate but I won't. I'm sorry your son was dismissed for trying to do the right thing. That said, there is more to the story. This pilot's conduct wouldn't have reflected upon your son's military bearing. But here I go speculating again.

originally posted by: Zelun
a reply to: carewemust

I don't know how that relates to the OP, I can kind of speculate but I won't. I'm sorry your son was dismissed for trying to do the right thing. That said, there is more to the story. This pilot's conduct wouldn't have reflected upon your son's military bearing. But here I go speculating again.

The U.S. military is at it's best when fighting enemies. We conduct complex operations and missions flawlessly. But things can get pretty lax, and petty, outside of those times.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Zelun

They still have radar though. They might not have full power right away, but they'd be able to make repairs fairly quickly to get full power back to the radar in a war situation.

But what do you trust? The modern GPS or the old-timey radar? I don't know what happened in that wheelhouse. The damage to the McCain was upon the port quarter. What caused them to run for clear seas at the last minute?

EDIT: I originally said the Porter was struck upon the port quarter. This is incorrect. It was the McCain.

a reply to: Zelun

The Porter? The damage to the Porter was on the Starbord side. But what does that have to do with this?

a reply to: Zaphod58

Sorry. The McCain. Completely my fault. Was thinking about the whole region.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Zelun

The Porter? The damage to the Porter was on the Starbord side. But what does that have to do with this?

The McCain was struck port aft, you are correct the Porter was struck Starboard amidships. The McCain apparently corrected some steering malfunction and tried to get clear before being struck by the Alnic. Almost made it too, considering it was a port quarter hit. A couple seconds and they would have been clear.

originally posted by: vonclod
a reply to: roadgravel

Wrong link, other than that ..WTF is going on in the Navy?

2 collisions in as many months and all come after the US performs freedom of navigation exercises in the S. China sea.

Two of the flooded compartments were berthing areas. It also damaged the area the prop shafts run through.