Recently in Naval Category

While some people are wondering why and how this crash happened, I think it is simple - these subs are designed to be as silent as possible and roam an area. In this case, they seem to have overlapped and found each other. Things happen when you are trying to hide in the dark. Duh!

I commend the skippers and crews of both ships for being so stealthy that the two ships collided! That is theoretically impossible because of the passive sonar technology that can identify almost any sound that is found under the sea. I also congratulate the scientists and engineers who designed these ships and systems for making them so well. Good job!

Sorry to hear about the accident. Better luck next time!

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,494085,00.html

"The crash could have been a coincidence -- some people win the lottery -- but it's much more possible that one vessel was chasing the other, trying to figure out what it was."

I love to learn and this story is about a little thought of aspect of war. I hope you read the full article and enjoy it as much as I have.

http://www.eaglespeak.us/2009/02/sunday-ship-history.html

"AOGs- gas pipeline at sea"
Napoleon said, "An army travels on its stomach," referring to the need to keep an army in the field fed so it can keep moving. By World War Two the saying had expanded to include the "beans, bullets and black oil" needed to keep a fleet at sea. The logistics work behind keeping thousands of ships, hundreds of thousands of men and tens of thousands of aircraft fueled and supplied is, perhaps, not as exciting a tale as the landings at Iwo Jima, but it is an important story. A tiny portion of that tale should be carved out for the men who sailed and worked on the ships known as "AOGs"- or gasoline tankers.

Unlike the big fleet oilers designed to replenish carrier task forces at sea, the AOG was designed to transfer fuel to shore stations, though some could conduct replenishment at sea.

Not generally considered "front line" duty, the role of AOGs during wartime has been underreported. For example, off Iwo Jima, some AOGs carried potable water for use by the Marines ashore, a job which required the AOG to close the beach in close proximity of the fighting.

I know that the Marines aren't really needed on the LPD for this mission, but I would love to know that at least a company of them was available to attack pirate and Iranian ships. Having them available to make assault landings and scare the snot out of the pirates would be great! The pirates are winning because they are not scared. Someone needs to scare them.

Would the Kenyan President scare them? I doubt it.

http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htamph/articles/20090120.aspx

The U.S. amphibious ship USS San Antonio has arrived off the coast of Somalia, to serve as the flagship of the anti-piracy Task Force 151. The San Antonio is an LPD 17 type vessel. It displaces 24,900 tons and is 684 feet long. It has a crew of 360, and normally 720 marines and all their equipment are carried. For the anti piracy mission, there are only a few hundred specialist personnel embarked, including a platoon of American marines and a platoon of army military police. There is 25,000 square feet for vehicle storage and a 24 bed hospital, with two operating rooms and the ability to set up another hundred beds in an emergency.

US anti-piracy task force to intercept Iran's Hamas arms ship

DEBKAfile Exclusive Report

January 21, 2009, 9:23 AM (GMT+02:00)
USS San Antonio patrols Gulf of Aden

USS San Antonio patrols Gulf of Aden

The USS San Antonio amphibian warship, heading the Combined Task Force (CTF) 151 patrolling the Gulf of Aden for pirates, has been assigned with hunting down the Iranian cargo vessel carrying 60 tons of rockets and other arms for smuggling into Gaza.

This is revealed by DEBKAfile's exclusive military sources. CTF 151 is a new American force, announced in Washington Saturday Jan. 17, for fighting the Somali pirates plaguing the Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean and Red Sea, under the command of Rear Adm. Terry McKnight. These are the very waterways plied by Iranian arms smugglers for Hamas, often in conjunction with Somali pirates and Sinai Bedouin militias.

Massed on the San Antonio 's decks now cruising in the Gulf of Aden is a helicopter detachment, a "surgical team" for dealing with small speedboats trying to hem the ship in and boarding teams with their own small boats and helicopters. US marine and coast guard units make up the interception force.

Israel's foreign minister Tzipi Livni flew to Brussels Wednesday, Jan. 21, to discuss adding the European Union to the understanding she signed with the US last Friday for ending the flow of smuggled Iranian weapons to Gaza. Washington and Jerusalem hope to bring European governments aboard this understanding, capitalizing on the momentum generated by Israel's unilateral ceasefire and the support shown by six European leaders when they visited Egypt's Sharm el Sheik and Jerusalem Sunday Jan. 18.

Egypt and Israel are negotiating Cairo's end of the operation for stifling the influx of smuggled arms to Gaza. Livni is after undertakings by as many European governments as possible to allow their anti-piracy patrols with the CTF 151 to double for missions to intercept Iranian arms smuggling vessels. Our sources in Brussels report that she cannot count on getting all them all to join because some EU members willing to combat piracy may hold back from attack Iranian shipping.

http://www.sunnewspapers.net/articles/tsnews.aspx?ArticleID=429300&pubdate=1/3/2009

Roy Boehm of Punta Gorda, a cantankerous retired U.S. Navy lieutenant commander who fought three wars, started the Navy's first SEAL team and shared his harrowing adventures --and his battles against military bureaucracy --in an autobiography, has completed his last mission.

Roy Boehm, who had struggled with health problems for many years, died at home Tuesday night. He was 84.

His widow, Susan Boehm, declined to be interviewed about her husband. In fact, she pleaded that no story be written.

Susan said she was trying to carry out her husband's last wish, that his death not be publicized.

He wanted no obituary, no funeral service and no fanfare over his death, Susan said.

"He just wanted to go in peace," she said.

Boehm, however, had become a legend nationally for the historic role he played in pioneering unconventional warfare tactics.

My Army friends can all blow me today. Sorry guys! Sort of. I know you like to blow guys, just don't talk about it. Today is the day to celebrate the Navy, not something I do often.

Army goes three and out, losers. I hope that can conduct a war with better skills than they control the battle in this arena.

Navy scores just by touching the ball. Ok, someone had to carry the ball into the end zone, but the Army just stood by and watched. 7-0 in the opening minutes!

The Navy center messed up the long snap to the punter, who chased the ball into the end zone! Good training allowed him to requickly recover and punt the ball over 50 yards out of the danger zone. Too bad he will only get official credit for 13 yards. The entire Army team went the way the ball was supposed to go before the snap was flubbed. HA! If they had been watching, they might have got the ball in perfect position for a score.

Now some playing around. Army has lame ideas for their supportive ads, but I do kind of like their new uniforms. The camo and black is a good look! I still prefer the Navy Blue and Gold.

Fumble! Army recovers it, but they are lucky to still have the ball. Sounds like a typical Army strategy. Notice that the Marines don't lose it.

End of the quarter.

AH! It was almost an Army interception! Thank the Lord for the poor players on the Army team.

Navy runs, runs, runs. Then slips in a pass and gets huge yards and scores! 17-0!!

Army gets a good run back! Too bad the guy is a tank fighting against more mobile forces.

Two minute warning... letting the Army be warned that they are getting whipped! Shun White is a wild runner, but what is with his beard? That is out of uniform!

Army fakes the kick on Fourth down and messes up! HAHAHAHA! You guys have to practice your tactics more.

That's the half. Is Army going to call the Air Force for some air strikes to stop the Navy?

The game restarted, but I was not sure I needed to gloat some more. If I was in the Army, I might ask for a transfer to a new service.

What will Navy do on 4th and 2? I say go! Army sucks anyway.
They did it! Go Navy!!

Touchdown! Again. Poor Army. 24-0. I thought the army know about land tactics? Can't prove it by their football team.

Well, the beating is finally over. First shut out in this game since Carter was President! I am not sure that any of these kids were even alive when that beatdown happened. Final score? Well, with a Navy interception with under a minute left it became 34-0.

Go Navy! Army sucks. Even the Air Force gave a better fight. What a waste of cool uniforms.

These are links to the annual fun:

http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/004680.html

http://www.blackfive.net/main/2008/12/go-army-beat-na.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbj06iEYGHc

Very Very cool Video!

I think that it is time for a mercenary company to form in international waters that can operate for whom ever needs the help. The limits on Blackwater by working out of the US is good most of the time, but to fight against pirates in international waters takes special capabilities that the International Community refuses to use anymore.

If not Blackwater, then who?

Foreign navies have begun patrolling the Gulf of Aden to rein in the pirate gangs off the coast of northern Somalia, but they have had only limited success. As a result, ship owners have seen insurance premiums for coverage of passage through the Straits of Aden climb from an average of $900 to $9,000.

In Pictures: The World's Most Dangerous Waters

It's bad news for shippers, but an opportunity for Blackwater Worldwide, the North Carolina-based private military contractor. Last week, the company announced plans to dispatch the MV MacArthur, a 183-foot vessel with a crew of 14 and a helicopter pad, to the Gulf of Aden to provide escort services for ships in need of security.

"Billions of dollars of goods move through the Gulf of Aden each year," said Bill Matthews, executive vice president of Blackwater Worldwide, in a press release. "We have been contacted by ship owners who say they need our help in making sure those goods get to their destination safely. The McArthur can help us accomplish that."