Still Looking for Light at the End of the Tunnel

Tim Colton has the LPD-18 INSURV report, and it isn't pretty.

The Board of Inspection and Survey conducted the final contract trial of USS "New Orleans", (LPD 18), last week. This ship was "delivered" on December 22, 2006, 20 months ago, and its warranty has expired. Attached are the INSURV team's report - here - and a "Stoplight" summary - here. Note the opening sentence: "USS NEW ORLEANS WAS DEGRADED IN HER ABILITY TO CONDUCT SUSTAINED COMBAT OPERATIONS." Please read the whole thing. It's very depressing stuff. It's as if nothing on this ship works properly. The Marine Corps should raise hell.

This week the USS San Antonio (LPD 17) will be making its first deployment, and the expectation was the USS New Orleans (LPD 18) would be making her first deployment in the beginning of 2009, although this could change those plans. We have recently seen some positive news with USS Mesa Verde (LPD 19) and USS Green Bay (LPD 20), but we note these ships were built on budget and on scheduled, while the first two were not.

Just in case you think we are approaching the bottom and there is no where to go but up, lets take a quick review. LCS-1 and LCS-2 are both brand new classes of ships. DDG-1000 and DDG-1001 will be dual first classes of ships, so no lessons learned there, and GAO suggests lessons won't be learned by the time any DDG-1002 is built either (PDF). The MLPs for the Sea Base concept is a new class of ship. Both the Navy and the Army versions of the JHSV will be new classes of ship. The T-AKRs for the Sea Base will probably be a new class of ship.

There are also some new classes based on evolution, for example LHD-8 is an evolved version of LHD 1-7. LHA6 will be a new class based on an evolution from LHD-8, and there is talk LHA 7 will be different than LHA 6. CVN 78 will be an evolution from the Nimitz class. The T-AKEs for the Sea Base are supposedly evolutions of existing T-AKEs. Any new DDG-51s would be very slight evolutions of existing DDG-51 Flight IIAs.

Of all the ships in the current shipbuilding plan, only the Virginia class submarines and T-AKEs are the only programs that have reached maturity with a proven design.

If you think we have reached a low point in shipbuilding, your nuts. It is going to get a lot worse before it gets better, because even all those 'evolutionary' designs are relatively new.

Moskva Returns to Sevastopol

I don't see any noticeable damage in these pictures. Whatever damage the Georgian's supposedly did was superficial at best. These are very high resolution so click for a better look. All in all though, these are some of the best close ups I've seen of the Moskva in a long time.


There are persistent rumors that Moskva has spent the last several days in port at Novorossiysk rather than at sea. No way to confirm, I've seen pictures of Moskva said to be docked at Novorossiysk and implied as current, but I note those pictures were taken during the exercises in July, because I saw the same pictures back in July.

With the bulk of the Black Sea Fleet back in Sevastopol, the possibility of an incident between Russia and NATO is very low. Navy Times is reporting that the USS McFaul (DDG 74) has dropped anchor in the Georgian port of Batumi. The destroyer is reportedly carrying 80 pallets containing 55 tons of humanitarian assistance. Noteworthy in the report is that it reports the Georgian Embassy as suggesting five US ships are expected to deliver aid to Batumi this week Begs the question, if two are USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) and USCGC Dallas (WHBC 716), what are the other two ships?

You can see pics here of cheering Russians from the shoreline, however I want to put a disclaimer up, the last photo on the other side of that link should be criminal... as some women should not be allowed to wear bikini's.

5th Fleet Focus: Groundhog Day Off Somalia

About a month ago, the US Navy had a press conference in Bahrain and suggested the Navy would be increasing its presence off Somalia. We don't know what happened with that, but when news broke yesterday that a German Tanker was hijacked by pirates, it became the sixth ship to be hijacked since that announcement.

Eagle1 has been tracking all of the piracy activities, including the four tankers hijacked this week. Responding to the increase in piracy, Bloomberg is reporting the Navy is going to deploy more ships and aircraft off Somalia.

Western coalition warships and aircraft will conduct patrols to boost security in the Gulf of Aden, the U.S. Navy said, after pirates hijacked a German ship off Somalia's coast -- the sixth such seizure this month.

"The idea is to counter and deter destabilizing activity in the area," Lieutenant Stephanie Murdock, spokeswoman for the U.S. Fifth Fleet, said in a telephone interview today from Bahrain. "It's part of the plan to help with regional security in the area. This is an area which we're keeping an eye on."

Bottom line, coalition naval forces aren't able to aid victims and nobody is stepping up to stop it. often with coalition warships passing right next to hijacked ships. There is no political will in the west to stop piracy, and the rules of engagement are so restrictive that even when pirates are identified at sea, coalition forces simply scare them away.

We have not seen any evidence that Somalian pirates are linked to global jihad movements, however we do note that if things continue without action on the part of coalition Navies, the jihad will soon be able to go to sea, and that can lead to serious trouble.

Islamist rebels seized control of a port in southern Somalia on Friday after 70 people died in fighting, the worst in months, that started Wednesday night, residents said. The last two days were particularly bloody, with the insurgents battling a pro-government militia in the southern port of Kismayu and similar clashes breaking out in the capital, Mogadishu. "Kismayu is under our control. We overpowered them and concluded the fighting," said Sheik Mukhtar Robow, an Islamist spokesman.

Al Qaeda has been calling for Naval Terror Cells for the last three months. Maybe we are mistaken, but it seems to us that by taking a port, that capability has been enabled. The US Navy could very soon find itself doing some shooting, but it won't be near Georgia or Iran.

Photo of the Day: Special Boat Team 22 (SBT-22)

Description: Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen assigned to Special Boat Team 22 (SBT-22) conduct live-fire immediate action drills.

Check out more photos of riverine operations.

Photo Caption: FORT KNOX, Ky. (Aug. 11, 2008) Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen assigned to Special Boat Team 22 (SBT-22) conduct live-fire immediate action drills at the riverine training range at Ft. Knox. SBT-22 operates the special operations craft-riverine and is the only U.S. special operations command dedicated to operating in the riverine environment. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Kathryn Whittenberger/Released)

Global Naval Operations: Order of Battle

Blog note: This post substitutes for our usual weekend 5th Fleet Order of Battle.

With naval forces deployed in Georgia, the Persian Gulf, the Pacific, and South America, and with so much disinformation being put out on the internet regarding US Navy activities, we thought we would give a general update of global Navy operations. Forgive me if I don't cover your ship.

In South America the US Navy is currently involved in two operations. The first is PANAMAX 2008, an annual exercise that simulates the protection of the Panama canal against attack. Participating in PANAMAX 2008 is the USS Tarawa (LHA 1) , USS Farragut (DDG 99), USS Forrest Sherman (DDG 98), USS Kauffman (FFG 59), USS Devastator (MCM 6), USS Chief (MCM 14), and the USCGC Harriet Lane (WMEC 903).

The second current operation in South America is Operation Continuing Promise involving the USS Kearsarge (LHD 3).

In the Pacific the Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike group has departed Malaysia. If we were guessing we would say the Ronald Reagan CSG is on its way to the 5th Fleet to relieve the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group that has been operating there for the last four months. That is a guess, but the Lincoln CSG deployed in March and is rapidly approaching the end of its deployment, and will be heading back soon. With no US carrier currently deployed in the Atlantic the Reagan makes the most likely replacement in the 5th Fleet to support operations in both theaters of war. The Reagan CSG consists of the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), USS Chancellorsville (CG 62), USS Gridley (DDG 101), USS Decatur (DDG 73), USS Thach (FFG 43), and the USS Springfield (SSN 761).

The Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group consists of USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), USS Mobile Bay (CG 53), USS Russell (DDG 59), USS Shoup (DDG 86), USS Momsen (DDG 92), and USS Curts (FFG 38).

The USS George Washington (CVN 73) has departed San Diego and is on its way to her new home port in Japan. This deployment would allow the Reagan to redeploy to the 5th Fleet.

The Peleliu Expeditionary Strike Group is still in the 5th Fleet, but may soon be getting relieved by the Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group. The Peleliu ESG deployed in early May, so they are only about half way through their deployment, but news today is that the Iwo Jima ESG will deploy next week. Given the time overlap, the Iwo Jima ESG may operate either in the Med or around Africa before relieving the Peleliu ESG, although that is purely speculation.

The Peleliu ESG consists of the USS Peleliu (LHA 5), USS Dubuque (LPD 8), USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52), USS Cape St. George (CG 71), USS Benfold (DDG 65), and USS Halsey (DDG 97).

The Iwo Jima ESG consists of the USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7), USS San Antonio (LPD 17), USS Carter Hall (LSD 50), USS Vella Gulf (CG 72), USS Roosevelt (DDG 80), and USS Ramage (DDG 61).

Already forward deployed in the 6th fleet, by now you are no doubt aware that the USS McFaul (DDG 74) and USCGC Dallas (WHBC 716) are in the Black Sea on a humanitarian deployment to Georgia.

Also deploying into the Black Sea is Standing NATO Maritime Group ONE consisting of the Spanish frigate SPS Juan de Borbon (F102), the Polish frigate ORP General K. Pulaski (272), the German frigate FGS Lubeck (F214), and the US frigate USS Nicholas (FFG 47). These ships will visit the ports of Constanza in Romania and Varna in Bulgaria in the west Black Sea where they will do exercises with both Navies. SNMG-1 is also scheduled to make port in İstanbul for training during its Black Sea tour. These ships are not expected to visit Georgia and these activities had been scheduled and approved with Turkey back in October of 2007.

USS Barry (DDG 52) deployed two weeks ago and will do a tour with Standing NATO Maritime Group TWO. It is worth noting that usually SNMG-1 operates in the northern Atlantic and SNMG-2 operates in the Mediterranean Sea, but with SNMG-1 in the Black Sea it is unclear where SNMG-1 will be operating.

Other naval news. INS Delhi (D61), INS Talwar (F40), INS Godavari (F20) and INS Aditya (A59) are currently deployed off east Africa and are expected to make port in Mombasa, Kenya followed by Darasalam, Nigeria and other ports including Madagascar. Some of these ships are expected to participate in Malabar 08 in October.

FGS Pegnitz (M1091) and FGS Laboe (M1097) and FGS Main (A515) have taken up UNIFIL duties off of Lebanon.

HMS Lancaster (F229) departed Portsmouth yesterday and will be replacing HMS Montrose (F236) currently operating in the Persian Gulf. HMS Portland (F79) is reportedly preparing for deployment, and is suspected of relieving HMS Kent (F78) currently on a Far East deployment.

HDMS Absalon (L16) has a port visit scheduled in Malta on August 26-28, after which she is expected to operate with Task Force 150. HMCS Iroquois (DDH 280) and HMCS Calgary (FFH 335) are operating in Task Force 150, while HMCS Ville de Quebec (FFH 332) is escorting ships for the World Food Program instead of participating with SNMG-1 in the Black Sea.