Date: 31 Dec 2020
WWW.isausa.org
The Board of directors of the ISA/USA wishes you all over our Submariners world a very Happy 2021 New Year
Bud Cunnally, ETC (SS) USN Ret. President, Budcunnally@verizon.net
Timothy Fredrickson, Vice President, tim@tfcinsurance.com
Ouida Ashmeade-Cunnally, Secretary, oashmeadecunnally@verizon.net
Jack Messersmith, TNCS (SS) Messerj109@gmail.com
Swedish Congress Rescheduled for 2022- Greece 2023- Montenegro 2024
The Swedish Congress website
www.57isc.com
Join 31 Other Nation's Submariners for fun and travel; once this Virus is gone.
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Consider becoming a member of the ISA-USA; you will benefit in many ways.
- Be part of a 50-year tradition of international friendships of submarine sailors. Check out www.submariners.org for the history of the International Association
- Travel to foreign countries to participate in conventions that usually include thirty-one states in attendance.
- Establish friendships with submariners from other nations.
- Contribute your Submarine history and experience in our World Wide e-mail blast.
- We Cheerfully accept members that have not served but are interested in worldwide submarine activities
Lifetime membership only $50.00.
ISA/USA Membership Application. All new ISA/USA members receive a Membership card, ISA/USA Patch, and a new larger Vest Pin. On our weblink below and print an application:
https://nebula.wsimg.com/a06e11df9dcf28c2ae0ec803786d400d?AccessKeyId=4BBB4A7A11A45D3E3BF9&disposition=0&alloworigin=1
Send completed form and membership fee to:
John Bud Cunnally E.T.C. (SS) Ret. USN – President
International Submariners Association of the USA (ISA/USA)
4704 Coppola Drive
Mount Dora, Fl 32757-8069
Bud Cunnally is inviting all you to a scheduled World Wide ISA/USA Zoom meeting. We had a great one in December.
International Submariners-When did your country establish a Navy, and when did it begin Submarining? Any good sea stories?
Topic: International Submariners Association
Time: Jan 09, 2021, 10:00 AM Eastern Time (the US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting link
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81334828011?pwd=blFLNEFqRXNmNTdYKzZNNFRuTmxmUT09
Hey Iran: Israeli Sub Heads To the Persian Gulf With Egypt’s OK
The Dolphin submarines are armed with a mix of very advanced weapons, including long-range ballistic missiles armed with nuclear warheads.
By ARIE EGOZIon December 23, 2020 at 4:15 AM
Israeli Dolphin sub Credit: IDF spokesperson’s unit
TEL AVIV: An Israeli Dolphin submarine possibly carrying nuclear weapons crossed the Suez Canal last week on its way to the Persian Gulf, sources here confirmed on Dec 22. The submarine crossed the Suez Canal with Egyptian approval and sailed on the surface. A source said, “sending a clear warning to Teheran.”
Last week, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, visited Israel to coordinate joint actions against Iran to attack Israeli targets.
According to foreign press sources, the Dolphin submarines are armed with a mix of very advanced weapons, including long-range ballistic missiles armed with nuclear warheads.
Israeli intelligence point to possible military action by Iran against the US and Israel as the Jan 3 anniversary of the death of Qassem Soleimani, commander of the Iranian Quds Force, approaches. He was killed when a US drone launched missiles that obliterated his car near Baghdad International Airport.
In a parallel development, the Israeli government instructed the IDF to prepare for American action against Iran, according to a report by senior reporter Barak Ravid at the Israeli Walla News outlet
This report said the IDF was instructed: “to prepare for a scenario of a US action against Iran before President Donald Trump leaves the White House on Jan 20.” It also says Israeli Defense Secretary Benny Gantz has spoken twice in the past two weeks with Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller.
Earlier this month, the New York Times reported that President Trump had discussed attacking Iran’s central uranium enrichment facility in Natanz during an Oval Office meeting. Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and other senior government officials convinced the president it would lead to regional escalation, and the matter was dropped.
A few days after the New York Times report, Pompeo visited Israel and the Gulf states. While Pompeo was in the Gulf, Central Command announced a surprise exercise in which B-52 strategic bombers were launched. A CentCom statement said, “the exercise aimed to deter aggressive elements” and to express support for the United States’ allies in the Middle East. The B-52s can carry the giant deep-penetrating bombs designed to destroy buried and protected sites such as those the Iranians have reportedly built to protect their facilities.
Charlie Thompkins sends this: The ten most Dangerous things on a Submarine
10. AN A-GANGER THAT CAN READ
9. AN ENGINEMAN WITH ANYTHING ELECTRICAL
8. THE 3” LAUNCHER AND ANYTHING THAT GOES IN IT.
7. THE COB
6. ANY TIME, A LT SAYS, “I WAS JUST THINKING.”
5. AN ENSIGN WHO SAYS, “BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE.”
4. ANY OF THE UNENLIGHTENED GROUP KNOWN AS NONQUALS.
3. A SONARMAN WHO SAYS, “TRUST ME, IT’S BIOLOGICS.”
2. A SKINNY COOK
1. ANYBODY SAYING “HEY WATCH THIS SHIT !”
And
To understand a Veteran, you may have to know....
We left home as teenagers or in our early teens or twenties for an unknown adventure.
We loved our country enough to defend it and protect it with our own lives.
We said goodbye to friends and family and everything we knew.
We learned the basics and then we scattered in the wind to the far corners of the Earth.
We found new friends and new family.
We became brothers and sisters regardless of color, race or creed.
We had plenty of good times, and plenty of bad times.
We didn't get enough sleep.
We smoked and drank too much.
We picked up both good and bad habits.
We worked hard and played harder.
We didn't earn a great wage.
We experienced the happiness of mail call and the sadness of missing important events.
We didn't know when, or even if, we were ever going to see home again.
We grew up fast, and yet somehow, we never grew up at all.
We fought for our freedom, as well as the freedom of others.
Some of us saw actual combat, and some of us didn't.
Some of us saw the world, and some of us didn't.
Some of us dealt with physical warfare, most of us dealt with psychological warfare.
We have seen and experienced and dealt with things that we can't fully describe or explain, as not all of our sacrifices were physical.
We participated in time honored ceremonies and rituals with each other, strengthening our bonds and camaraderie.
We counted on each other to get our job done and sometimes to survive it at all.
We have dealt with victory and tragedy.
We have celebrated and mourned.
We lost a few along the way.
When our adventure was over, some of us went back home, some of us started somewhere new and some of us never came home at all.
We have told amazing and hilarious stories of our exploits and adventures.
We share an unspoken bond with each other, that most people don't experience, and few will understand.
We speak highly of our own branch of service, and poke fun at the other branches.
We know however, that, if needed, we will be there for our brothers and sisters and stand together as one, in a heartbeat.
Being a Veteran is something that had to be earned, and it can never be taken away.
It has no monetary value, but at the same time it is a priceless gift.
People see a Veteran and then thank them for their service.
When we see each other, we give that little upwards head nod, or a slight smile, knowing that we have shared and experienced things that most people have not.
So, from myself to the rest of the veterans out there, I commend and thank you for all that you have done and sacrificed for our country.
Try to remember the good times and make peace with the bad times.
Share your stories.
But most importantly, stand tall and proud, for you have earned the right to be called a VETERAN.
I'M PROUD TO BE A VETERAN!
Please share with all your Veterans and friends.
Top Stories 2020: US Navy Operations
By: Mallory Shelbourne
December 22, 2020 8:42 AM • Updated: December 23, 2020 11:31 AM
Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) Airman Oliver Aguirre Torres, from Bloomington, Calif., left, mans the rails as the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) arrives at Naval Air Station North Island, Calif., on Jul 9, 2020. US Navy Photo
This post is part of a series of stories looking back at the top naval news from 2020.
As the US continues to recalculate its strategy to counter Russia and China, naval operations this year focused on maintaining a presence in multiple theaters during a global pandemic.
While the Navy continued its sustained carrier presence in the Middle East, the service also conducted operations and exercises throughout the Indo-Pacific region.
Despite a push for the Defense Department to posture itself for the Chinese and Russian threat, this year saw a persistent US Navy presence in the Middle East as a hedge against Iran.
Meanwhile, the service was forced to balance naval operations with the COVID-19 pandemic. The surface force faced strain after losing an aircraft carrier for almost two months due to a virus outbreak onboard.
The Navy also suffered the high-profile loss of an amphibious warship following a pier-side fire that questioned the service’s maintenance practices.
The Navy spent much of the year trying to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 onboard its ships while still working to meet its deployment schedules. Navy Secretary Ken Braithwaite recently called for several fleet organizational changes to recalculate the service’s efforts to counter Russia and China.
Middle East
Naval Aircrewman (Helicopter) 2nd Class Philip Johnson flies in an MH-60S Knight Hawk, attached to the ‘Dusty Dogs’ of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 7, from the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) on Jul 23, 2020. US Navy Photo
The year began with amplified tensions between the US and Iran after the Pentagon struck and killed Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force Commander Qasem Suleimani in an early January drone strike.
Shortly after the strike, the Navy dispatched USS Bataan (LHD-5), and the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit embarked onboard the amphibious assault ship, which was about to drill with Moroccan forces, to the Middle East.
As tensions remained high throughout the year, the Navy kept a consistent carrier presence within US 5th Fleet, as it has done since May 2019.
USS Bataan (LHD-5) transits the Strait of Gibraltar on Jun 27, 2020. US Navy Photo
USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69), which spent nearly seven months at sea without any port calls due to the pandemic, operated in the North Arabian Sea for much of its deployment earlier this year. Meanwhile, USS Nimitz (CVN-68) moved into the Middle East at the end of July to continue the sustained carrier presence as Ike began its trip home.
While Nimitz briefly left 5th Fleet last month to drill with the Indian Navy for the Malabar 2020 exercise, the carrier has been operating in the Middle East for most of the last five months.
As of Dec 22, the US has had 370 days worth of carrier presence in the Middle East – up from 290 days in 2019, according to USNI News carrier deployment data.
The Navy’s continued operations in the Middle East come as the Pentagon seeks to retool its military strategy, emphasizing the Indo-Pacific region. While the strained relationship between the US and Iran kept the US Navy operating within the 5th Fleet throughout 2020, the service also conducted operations meant to hedge against China.
Indo-Pacific
Capt. Michael Langbehn, deputy commander, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 11, makes his 1,000th arresting gear landing while piloting a F/A-18E Super Hornet, assigned to the “Golden Warriors” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 87, on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) onMay 27, 2020. US Navy Photo
Much of this year’s naval operations saw the service working to maintain deployment schedules while monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic that brought major lockdowns and economic slowdowns to countries across the globe.
As international lockdowns took place, the Navy experienced its fatal COVID-19 outbreak at the end of March. When aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) was forced to sit pier side in Guam for almost two months, the crew worked to rid the virus’s ship.
One sailor – Aviation Ordnanceman Chief Petty Officer Charles Robert Thacker Jr. – died from the virus. More than 1,200 sailors aboard the carrier tested positive for COVID-19.
An F-35B Lightning II fighter aircraft with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 265 (Reinforced), 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), prepares to take off from the flight deck of amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA-6) on Apr 18, 2020. US Navy Photo
A Navy amphibious ship helped fill the Indo-Pacific region’s operational void while the carrier was stuck in Guam. In mid-April, as the carrier sought to purge the virus, amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA-6) was operating in the Philippine Sea.
While Theodore Roosevelt battled coronavirus at the pier, Malaysia and China were involved in a standoff in the South China Sea for several weeks over natural resources. Multiple Chinese ships spent weeks following a drillship as it worked for the Malaysian government in the South China Sea.
During the standoff, multiple American warships conducted operations near the drillship, which carried a Panamanian flag. USS Montgomery (LCS-8), USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS-10), and USNS Cesar Chavez (T-AKE-14) sailed near West Capella for presence operations. Meanwhile, several other American warships – USS Bunker Hill (CG-52), USS Barry (DDG-52), and USS America (LHA-6) – moved through the same waters with the Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Parramatta (FFH-154).
The Navy also continued to perform Freedom of Navigation Operations in the South China Sea, as the US sought to maintain a consistent presence in the waters amid tension with China over the COVID-19 pandemic and the Trump administration’s continued criticism of Beijing.
Despite the pandemic, the US Navy and partner nations still participated in the Pacific 2020 exercise’s biennial Rim. Still, they scaled the exercise down to a shorter and smaller version because of COVID-19.
Maintenance
Fire aboard USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) at Naval Base San Diego on Jul 12, 2020. US Navy Photo
Just days after Theodore Roosevelt returned to San Diego following the COVID-19 outbreak, the Navy experienced another headline-making incident in mid-July, when USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) caught fire during a maintenance phase at the pier in San Diego, Calif. Part of the maintenance period included updating the ship’s systems to accommodate F-35B Joint Strike Fighter Lightning II operations.
The inside of the amphibious assault ship burned for almost five days, leading the Navy to launch several investigations into what caused the fire. Nearly 60 percent of Bonhomme Richard was destroyed during the fire, Rear Adm. Eric Ver Hage, the Navy Regional Maintenance Center commander and the director of the surface ship maintenance and modernization, said last month.
Sailors line up firefighting gear for incoming sailors to don and fight a fire onboard the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) at Naval Base San Diego on Jul 14, 2020. US Navy Photo
After deciding it would be too costly to repair the ship, the Navy announced plans to scrap the amphib.
The incident raised questions about the risks ships face during maintenance periods, including potential fires, USNI News reported this year. During ship maintenance phases, fewer sailors work onboard, and hot work conducted during maintenance means there is a more significant potential for fires.
Speaking to reporters about the service’s decision to decommission Bonhomme Richard, Ver Hage would not comment on Navy acquisition’s implications but emphasized the current production line at Ingalls Shipbuilding, which builds the America-class amphibious assault ships.
Fleets of the Future
Secretary of the Navy Kenneth Braithwaite visiting HMS Queen Elizabeth at sea off Flamborough, the United Kingdom on Oct 1, 2020. US Navy Photo
Several years after the Pentagon unveiled a strategy focused on countering Russia and China, the Navy this year forecasted several organizational moves meant to adjust to this policy shift.
Testifying to Congress earlier this month, Braithwaite disclosed the Navy’s plans to change the name of U.S. Fleet Forces Command to US Atlantic Fleet to emphasize operations in the northern Atlantic and the Russian threat.
“To meet the unique maritime challenges of the Atlantic theater, we will rename Fleet Forces Command as the US Atlantic Fleet, and we will refocus our naval forces in this important region on their original mission: controlling the maritime approaches to the United States and those of our allies,” Braithwaite told the Senate Armed Services readiness subcommittee.
“The Atlantic Fleet will confront the assertive Russian Navy, which has been deployed closer and closer to our East Coast, with a tailored maritime presence capability and lethality.”
The move comes as the Navy works to counter the increased Russian presence in the northern Atlantic. In the Navy in 2018 revived the US 2nd Fleet amid ongoing concern over Russia’s undersea activities.
Canadian Navy Halifax-class frigate HMCS Ville de Quebec (FFH 332), right, the Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Montpelier (SSN-765), Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75), and the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG-60) transit in formation onMay 31, 2020. US Navy Photo
In addition to combatting the Russian threat, the Navy is also looking for new ways to counter the Indo-Pacific Chinese.
Last month, Braithwaite called for a new numbered fleet, US 1st Fleet, responsible for the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
Speaking about a 1st Fleet stand-up, Braithwaite emphasized that the US needed to work with regional allies like India to deter China both militarily and economically.
“[T]he Chinese have shown their aggressiveness around the globe. Having just come from the High North (where he previously served as US Ambassador to Norway), Chinese presence in the Arctic is unprecedented,” Braithwaite said last month.
“Most recently, I was on a trip to the Far East: every single one of our allies and partners is concerned about how aggressive the Chinese have been. I would argue with anybody that not since the War of 1812 has the United States and our sovereignty been under the kind of pressures that we see today.”
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Navy Releases Final RFP for Large Displacement Unmanned Underwater Vehicle Program
By: Megan Eckstein
December 24, 2020 3:11 PM
A surrogate Large Displacement Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (LDUUV) is submerged in the water in preparation for a test to demonstrate the capability of the Navy’s Common Control System (CCS) at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Keyport in Puget Sound, Wash. in December 2015. US Navy Photo.
The Navy released the final request for proposals (RFP) for its Snakehead Large Displacement Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (LDUUV) Phase 2 program, the largest of its submarine-launched unmanned systems.
The service is already in fabrication on its Phase 1 LDUUV, which will deliver next year to begin test and evaluation activities. The vehicles delivered under this Phase 2 LDUUV contract will be the first ones used operationally.
The RFP covers the design, development, and fabrication of two prototype vehicles, which will be competitively awarded to a single vendor, according to a news release from Naval Sea Systems Command. Proposals are expected early in 2021, and an award would be made by the fall.
“Snakehead is a long-endurance, multi-mission UUV, deployed from submarine large ocean interfaces, with the capability to deploy reconfigurable payloads. The LDUUV will provide guidance and control, navigation, autonomy, situational awareness, core communications, power distribution, energy and power, propulsion and maneuvering, other hotel functionality, and sensors in support of the Intelligence Preparation of the Operational Environment (IPOE) mission,” reads a description of the program that accompanies the RFP. Other missions and payloads could be added later, but IPOE will be the initial focus of the LDUUV vehicles.
The LDUUV Phase 2 vehicle will integrate with submarines outfitted with the Modernized Dry Dock Shelter (DDS) and the Payload Handling System (PHS). The Navy has previously discussed the idea of also launching them from select surface ships.
The Navy had previously outlined a timeline for the Snakehead LDUUV that would have put the Phase 1 prototype in the water for testing in 2019, rather than 2021. Though the Navy is running behind that previous schedule, it is taking steps now to smooth its path to fielding and beginning to operate the LDUUVs. USNI News previously reported that UUV Squadron One (UUVRON-1) has been working with two prototypes from the Penn State Applied Research Lab that are a representative size of the LDUUVs, allowing the UUVRON to work out the launch and recovery procedures even while Phase 1 is still in fabrication. By the time the Phase 2 prototypes deliver following this competition, UUVRON will be ready to accept and begin using the vehicles.
NAVSEA hosted a virtual industry day on LDUUV on June 16 and 17, according to the news release. Representatives from more than 50 companies took part via teleconference, and feedback from the industry day was incorporated in a draft RFP that was issued on Oct 29. Additional industry feedback was considered to inform the final RFP.
Navy Releases Fourth Round of USS Thresher Inquiry Documents
Dec 23, 2020 9:43 AM
This week, the Navy released the fourth set of documents from a previously classified investigation into the Apr 10, 1963 loss of USS Thresher and its crew of 129 sailors off the coast of New England.
A freedom of information lawsuit from retired Navy Capt. James Bryant, a former Thresher-class submarine commander, compelled the Navy to release the documents on a rolling basis.
The following is the fourth set of 12 volumes of proceedings of the court of inquiry ordered by the US Atlantic Fleet commander. The other documents can be found here.
USNI News has uploaded two versions of the document. One is the original scan of the Navy’s pages; the second is a word-searchable document. Processing the searchable document has left some difficult to read pages blank, which can be seen in the original version.
Download the original version here.
Download the word-searchable document here.
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US Navy announces nuclear submarine passed through Strait of Hormuz amid tensions with Iran
The Associated Press
23 hours ago
The guided-missile submarine USS Georgia, front, with the guided-missile cruiser USS Port Royal, transits the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf on Dec 21, 2020. (MC2 Indra Beaufort/U.S. Navy via AP)
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — An American nuclear-powered guided-missile submarine traversed the strategically vital waterway between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula on Monday; the US Navy said, a rare announcement that comes amid rising tensions with Iran.
The Navy’s 5th Fleet based in Bahrain said the Ohio-class guided-missile submarine USS Georgia, accompanied by two other warships, passed through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passageway through which a fifth of the world’s oil supplies travels.
US B-52H bombers fly to Middle East in mission to deter Iran
In a new show of military might, two American bomber aircraft flew from the United States to the Middle East on Thursday.
Lolita C. Baldor, The Associated Press
The unusual transit in the Persian Gulf’s shallow waters, aimed at underscoring American military might in the region, follows the killing last month of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, an Iranian scientist named by the West as the leader of the Islamic Republic’s disbanded military nuclear program. It also comes some two weeks before the American drone strike’s anniversary in January that killed top Iranian military commander Gen. Qassem Soleimani. Iran has promised to seek revenge for both killings.
The Ohio-class ballistic-missile submarine’s presence in Mideast waterways signals the US Navy’s “commitment to regional partners and maritime security,” the Navy said, demonstrating its readiness “to defend against any threat at any time.” The USS Georgia is armed with 154 Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles and can host up to 66 special operations forces, the Navy added.
The guided-missile submarine USS Georgia transits the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, Dec 21, 2020. (MC2 Indra Beaufort/U.S. Navy via AP)
Earlier this month, the US military flew two bomber aircraft to the Middle East in a mission that US officials described as a message of deterrence to Iran. The displays of military might are meant to signal the United States’ continuing commitment to the Middle East even as President Donald Trump’s administration withdraws thousands of troops from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Next-Generation U.S. Nuclear Sub Facing Cost Overruns, Delays
By
Anthony Capaccio
December 23, 2020, 2:00 AM EST
GAO reports cite an inexperienced workforce of mixed quality
The Columbia-class submarine program has a $128 billion price tag
Illustration of a Columbia-class Submarine. Source: US Navy
The US Navy’s plan to deliver the first vessel in its $128 billion next-generation submarine program on time is at risk by dependence on inexperienced contractors with spotty quality control track records, according to a congressional watchdog.
The Government Accountability Office, in a restricted Nov 6 report to the Pentagon and congressional defense committees, said the design contract for the first vessel in the Columbia-class sub fleet being built by General Dynamics Corp. could have a cost overrun of as much as 14%, or $384 million.
The initial vessel in the new class of nuclear-missile-carrying subs, the Navy’s highest-priority program, is due for delivery in 2027. The Navy wants the first submarine to launch on patrol in 2030.
Yet that timeline “hinges on timely and quality materials from” an “atrophied supplier base” as General Dynamics and its top subcontractor, Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc., face “risk of delays from critical suppliers that are not yet ready to support construction,” according to the 73-page report obtained by Bloomberg News and marked “For Official Use Only.”
The GAO report outlines in detail the myriad challenges facing contractors and the Navy in the design and construction of a 12-vessel program that advocates say is the most survivable leg of the US nuclear triad, comprising land, air, and sea-based warheads.
5-Year Budget Plan for Navy Would Add 82 New Vessels (2)
As an example, the report says that General Dynamics “continues to identify problems with non-destructive testing and welding across the supplier base, including suppliers responsible for piping, valves, and large mechanical equipment.”
More broadly, the report signals the difficulties the Navy will face in trying to carry out the Trump administration’s vision for a 355-to-500 vessel fleet by 2045, up from 297 today.
Those difficulties will be one of the first defense-procurement challenges confronting the Biden administration when it takes office next month amid a US economy hobbled by the Covid-19 pandemic. Columbia’s five-year plan envisions $30 billion being spent on the program through 2026, increasing from $4.7 billion planned for next year to $8.2 billion in 2026.
But first, several quality-control issues have to be addressed.
According to the GAO report, as the program enters formal construction and leads contractor General Dynamics prepares to award new subcontracts, “many suppliers have readiness and quality problems,”. “Of their top 25 suppliers, the shipbuilders assessed 18 as not yet ready to support construction demand, not meeting quality expectations or both.”
Pentagon $696B Agreement Boosts Lockheed F-35s, Boeing Chinooks
Nevertheless, “the shipbuilders plan to spend $4.2 billion on materials from these 18 suppliers out of an estimated $5.5 billion” projected for all 25 firms. They will supply “complex machinery, raw materials, and electrical components, among other things,” GAO said.
Many of those contracts are sole-source for specific parts, GAO said.
Both General Dynamics and Huntington face the supply and contractor issues laid out in the report, in part, because they are simultaneously building Virginia-class attack submarines “at a schedule and pace unmatched since” the Cold War ended, the GAO said.
The Columbia class is designed to be the nation’s newest nuclear patrol submarine for deterrence efforts; the Virginia class is designed to attack land and sea targets and gather intelligence.
General Dynamics spokeswoman Elizabeth Power said the GAO’s conclusions don’t reflect current progress and that “the vast majority of our critical suppliers are assessed as ready to support construction demand and to meet quality expectations.”
The report’s findings may have influenced lawmakers on the House and Senate defense appropriations panels. A compromise report released Monday with the $696 billion fiscal 2021 spending package said that despite “significant” legislative support for the program, “challenges have occurred in a certain design, prototyping, and advance construction efforts of the program.”
The lawmakers also criticized the Navy for underfunding Columbia industrial base improvements.
According to shipbuilder and Navy documents, most skilled workers at the three primary submarine shipyards have less than five years of experience, and the majority of supervisors have less than five years of experience. About 15% of the supervisors at General Dynamics’ Groton, Connecticut facility have five to nine years of experience. That figure drops to about 5% at Quonset Point, Rhode Island, according to the GAO.
Fragile Base
Congress, the Navy, and Columbia contractors recognize that a fragile industry base is among the program’s top challenges and made a concerted effort to bolster its capabilities, GAO said.
Since 2017 “the Navy, with strong congressional support, has invested over $573 million in shoring up existing sources and development of new suppliers to help ensure the industrial base has the capability and capacity to meet the needs of the nuclear shipbuilding enterprise,” the Naval Sea Systems Command said in a statement.
“The Navy will continue to work with the shipbuilder to reduce the risk with the use of targeted investments, continued oversight, management processes, and metrics,” the command said.
General Dynamics “has been actively engaged in supplier development and readiness throughout the last several years” and worked with suppliers this year “to build on earlier initiatives to optimize their readiness and performance to support Columbia construction,” Power said.
Still, despite the companies’ efforts to improve subcontractor readiness, “the overall percentage of suppliers that are ready to meet demand has yet to improve,” GAO wrote.
USS John S. McCain trains with French and Japanese navies in the Philippine Sea
US Navy Lt. Christopher Baier, from Cheboygan, Mich., logs anti-submarine warfare reports while standing watch aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain in the Philippine Sea on Dec 16, 2020.
MARKUS CASTANEDA/U.S. NAVY
By CAITLIN DOORNBOS | STARS AND STRIPESPublished: Dec 21, 2020
YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan — The guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain last week practiced anti-submarine warfare with a French submarine and Japanese carrier in the Philippine Sea, according to a Navy statement Friday.
France’s nuclear-powered submarine FS Emeraude and support and assistance vessel FS Seine, along with Japan’s helicopter destroyer JS Hyuga, practiced anti-submarine warfare tactics with the McCain, “strengthening cooperative efforts to support maritime security in the Indo-Pacific,” according to the Navy.
While the Navy frequently trains with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, “it is a rare opportunity for US Navy maritime forces to conduct operations with their French Navy counterparts in the 7th Fleet area of operations,” according to the statement.
The exercise further demonstrated “the breadth, depth, and value of our network of allies and partners,” McCain skipper Cmdr. Ryan T. Easterday said in the statement.
The sub and its tender paid a port call at Guam Naval Base in late November, according to the Naval News website. The 241-foot-long Emeraude, commissioned in 1988, has a crew of 70, according to the Seaforces-online.org website.
McCain weapons officer Lt. Ryan Mati, in the statement, said the opportunity to work with a partner nation’s submarine enhanced the crew’s “tactical mindset” and allowed them to “execute some of the best training in this warfare area.”
Anti-submarine warfare is a cornerstone in surface Navy operations, Mati said in the statement. “This exercise not only allows (ed) us to continue strengthening our warfighting readiness with a long-standing ally, it’ll also impart a unique experience for the crew.”
The first time Japanese naval forces had exercised with the Emeraude, the Escort Division 3 commander, Capt. Hamasaki Shingo said in the statement.
“Agile and advanced anti-submarine capabilities utilizing shipboard aircraft are an essential part of our maritime operations,” Shingo said in the statement. “This trilateral exercise with the United States Navy and the French Navy not only develops tactical skills but also contributes to a ‘free and open Indo-Pacific’ based on the rule of law and freedom of navigation.”
Shingo added that the Japanese naval forces would “continue to pursue the opportunities to conduct an exercise with our partner navies.”
The three nations plan further exercises on land and at sea in May, according to Reuters news service Dec 6.
According to Reuters, Adm. Pierre Vandier, chief of staff of the French Navy, told the Sankei newspaper that France shares the US and Japanese concerns over Chinese ambitions in the South and East China seas.
“This is a message aimed at China,” Vandier was quoted as saying about the May exercises. “This is a message about multi-lateral partnerships and the freedom of passage.”
My pledge to our nation’s veterans Denis McDonough
Former Obama White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough delivers remarks after being introduced as US President-elect Joe Biden’s nominee to head the Department of Veterans Affairs at the Queen Theater on Dec 11, 2020, in Wilmington, Del. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
It is a great honor to be nominated by President-elect Joe Biden to serve as his secretary of Veterans Affairs. As I said at the Wilmington announcement event earlier this month, I am deeply humbled by the trust and confidence the president-elect has placed in me. If confirmed by the Senate, I am eager to do my part in fulfilling what President-elect Biden accurately refers to as our country’s most sacred obligation: caring for our service members, veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors.
At the event, I reflected on veterans who inspired me growing up and during my time in government service: my Marine grandfather, my high school football coach who served in World War II, all the troops I met on visits to Afghanistan and Iraq, and the wounded warriors I visited at Walter Reed. Knowing these brave service members and learning about how they and their families navigated the return home will continue to inspire me with all its struggles and challenges, joys and triumphs.
I will also bring to the Department of Veterans Affairs an in-depth knowledge of government. As a former White House chief of staff to President Barack Obama, I had visibility into every single federal agency and department. I saw firsthand that when our government is best, it can serve its citizens well and help Americans solve their problems. But too often, it doesn’t, and when that happens, it breeds distrust and resentment.
Supporting veterans runs in my family. My wife, Kari, is co-founder and president of Vets’ Community Connections. Her mission is to assist veterans, the military, and their families in successfully integrating into their community by expanding their local networks and involving all community parts. I’ve been proud to support her in the vital work she does every day to lift veterans.
As I look forward to my new leadership role serving veterans, President-elect Biden has made it clear what he wants me to do: “fight like hell for our veterans.” I’m ready to take on that fight.
Our nation’s veterans know how badly this is needed. Prolonged wars have taken their toll on our veterans and their families, and the physical and mental health care services available to veterans have not always kept up. Moreover, the dedicated men and women who work tirelessly to serve the department have been impeded by mismanagement, staff shortfalls, leadership gaps, and IT systems failures.
As secretary, I will rebuild trust and restore the VA as the premier agency for ensuring our veterans’ overall well-being. VA will provide world-class health care to meet veterans’ specific needs, drive progress to eliminate veterans homelessness, bring down suicide rates, and create meaningful employment and educational opportunities. VA will welcome and serve all veterans, including women veterans, veterans of color, and LGBT veterans. Further, we will improve VA management and accountability. Outdated tools and practices should not limit the agency charged with meeting the needs of veterans. Our veterans deserve the best we as a nation have to offer.
But as I have said before, taking care of our veterans is not the sole responsibility of VA. Every federal department and agency has a role to play — and as secretary, I will work across agencies to ensure that we deliver for our veterans at the level they deserve.
Finally, I know some wonder if someone who did not serve in the military is qualified to be President-elect Biden’s nominee to lead VA. While I would argue that my skill set, in-depth knowledge of government, and executive experience have prepared me to serve the veteran community with the highest standards it deserves, I understand the basis for this criticism. Too often, at the VA and other federal agencies, political appointees have lacked the perspective to understand the needs of the communities they serve adequately. I take that to heart, but with my experience and demonstrated commitment, I will do everything in my power to move heaven and earth to get the job done.
I can promise you this: I will carry with me the memories of all the service members and veterans who have touched my life. I will surround myself with a strong team, including veterans who will remind me every day — through their words, actions, and simple presence — of the community VA serves. And I will listen and be open to hearing from every veteran I encounter so that I am consistently deepening my understanding of their evolving needs.
In Wilmington, I reflected on one of those veterans whose memory I will carry with me: my high school football coach growing up in Stillwater, Minnesota — Joe “Sam” Samuelson, who stormed the beaches of Normandy. I talked about how, when he was in hospice at the end of his life, he and his family were grateful for the VA staff’s compassion. When he passed, his wife gave me his coaching jacket — one of my most prized possessions.
During my tenure at VA, I hope that my own words, actions, and successes on behalf of the veteran community will earn your trust. I won’t rest until I ensure we are giving veterans the high standard of care and service worthy of their service to our country.
And in the coming years, I hope you will count me as one of those who have cared for “those who have borne the battle” and their families, caregivers, and survivors.
Denis McDonough served as White House Chief of Staff, Deputy National Security Advisor, and Chief of Staff of the National Security Council under the Obama-Biden administration, where he helped lead the administration’s work on behalf of military families and veterans.
Editor’s note: This is an Op-Ed, and as such, the opinions expressed are those of the author. If you would like to respond or have an editorial of your own you would like to submit, please contact Military Times managing editor Howard Altman, haltman@militarytimes.com.
Thanks, Bud
