Threat Axis Log

HMS Vanguard

Originally uploaded by forargyll

Earlier this month – and first reported this morning (since both sub’s are now back at base) – the British and French SSBN’s on deterrent patrol collided with each other.

Unlike the larger US SSBN fleet – the UK and France each have a small SSBN fleet, such that usually only ONE boat is at sea at a time.

The SSBN fleet are the only strategic nuclear force that either country still maintains. The French decommissioned their land based missiles (S-3′s) in 1996, and the British bomber force lost their nuclear role in 1970 (when the first British Polaris SSBN was commissioned).

Besides the general uproar when something happens to a nuclear asset – what else does this event tell us?

- The British and French SSBN’s have overlapping area’s of operation

Beyond that – everything else is a guess – and will probably never be known publically;

- Were both submarines trying to avoid detection by a 3rd submarine or other ship?
- Was either submarine trying to ‘hide’ behind the other?
- Was either submarine able to detect the other?
- Did they forget that they drive on different sides of the road?

Back at the edge of the restoration area – was an Avro Shackleton AEW.Mk2 named ‘Mr McHenry’ – that was donated by Air Atlantique Classic Flight.

The Shackleton was a post World War 2 design for a RAF Maritime Patrol Aircraft.  This particular airframe, WL790, was converted to be a AEW (Airborne Early Warning) platform.

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HMS_Vanguard_DD06B

Originally uploaded by Frank Bennett.

In the next 10-15 years – the Trident D-5 SLBM deterrent force for both the US (Ohio-class) and the UK (Vanguard-class) will be approaching the end of their service lives.

In the UK, the government got approval from the House of Commons in March of 2007 to spend between 15 and 20 billion Pounds on a new class of submarines to continue to maintain a submarine launched deterrence.

Even though this program was approved, some former senior British military officers have recently come out and said the Trident replacement is ‘irrelevant’ and would prefer to see the money spent on conventional forces (which are more useful in today’s War on Terrorism).

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HMS_Vangaurd_DD02

Originally uploaded by Frank Bennett.

When I saw this article – Royal Navy goes with “Windows for Subs” – I got goosebumps.

Bucking the open-source trend, the British Royal Navy has developed a modified version of Microsoft Windows XP and has begun installing it on its fleet of nuclear submarines.

According to the BAE (lead integrator) news release – the new Submarine Command System Next Generation (SMCS NG) “transfers the software applications proven on earlier variants of SMCS to a modern system architecture that uses mainstream PCs to provide the computer processing with Microsoft Windows as the software operating system.”

So at this point – all of the RN’s nuclear submarines have been upgraded with these new control stations. Including – the 4 Vanguard class SSBN’s.

Nuclear Weapons – Trident SLBM’s – controlled through Windows.

Maybe Apple should make a Mac commerical based on Windows doing this. Or else another way for Microsoft to push Vista?

Northrup Grumman RQ-4A Global Hawk

Originally uploaded by rob-the-org

Earlier this summer – Military.com/DefenseTech.org published a story saying the Air Force was not ready to retire the U-2 in favor of the Global Hawk.

The key argument – was that the U-2 could collect more info during a single flight – due to a larger payload and more electrical power (more sensors) – than the Global Hawk.

The Pentagon has said it will not retire the U-2 at least until the Global Hawk Block 30, which will carry the Advanced Signals Intelligence Payload, is flying.

According to a Northrup-Grumman press release back in January 2008 – the first Block 40 fuselage was supposed to come off the assembly line back in September.

The fact that the Air Force transferred two early model Global Hawk’s to NASA earlier this year – seems to indicate that that some serious fuselage changes are needed for the later modifications (and that these changes cannot be retrofitted to the earlier models).

Additionally – the on again off again potential sale of the Global Hawk to Korea – maybe back on again. I bet it will only be a Block 20…..

Boeing EA-18G Growler 166858 VAQ-129 Vikings NAS Whidbey Island WA taxiing at El Centro

Originally uploaded by F18E777

The EA-18G Growler is being developed as the replacement for the EA-6B Prowler. The three Electronic Warfare Officers (EWO) on the EA-6 are being replaced by a single EWO (and lots of electronics) on the EA-18.

The only clue that this isn’t a normal Super Hornet – is the fact that the wingtips don’t have the normal Sidewinder load. Instead this is where the EW pods/antennas are mounted.

The deaths aboard the Russian Akula II submarine last week – need to serve as a reminder that submarines are a dangerous place.  And simple mistakes cause people to be killed.

The US has had its share – but nothing as deadly as either the Akula or the Kursk – in the last 40 years.

+ USS Greeneville (this one appears to be cursed – and should be decom’d);
- Feb 2001 – Surfaces under Japanese Fishing boat – kills fishing boat crew
- Aug 2001 – Runs aground entering Saipan harbor
- Jan 2002 – collides w/ USS Ogden during personnel transfer at sea

+ USS Hartford – Oct 2003 – runs aground leaving Sardinia harbor

+ USS Newport News – Jan 2007 – collides w/ Japanese tanker in Arabian Sea

+ USS San Francisco – Jan 2005 – collides w/ an uncharted sea mount at flank speed. One killed. Reports say that boat was almost lost (due to loss of buoyancy from the forward ballast tanks). Repairs completed at Puget Sound Shipyard in Oct 2008 (yes – last month) by using the forward hull from the USS Honolulu (which had been decommissioned).

+ USS Minneapolis-St.Paul – Dec 2006 – loses 4 crew overboard during rough seas departing Plymouth (England) Harbor. 2 men recovered. 2 men pronounced dead at local hospital.

As for the Canadians – they don’t have a current sub in service. They have the old UK Upholder diesel electrics – and while they got them for a bargain price – they learned why the price was a bargain. The boats had been laid up for a couple of years before the Brits sold them to the Canadians, and it took a bit of repair work to get them ready for transfer. Wiki link has a lot of detail that I won’t bore you with here.

HMCS Chicoutimi -  Oct 2004 – crippled by on-board fire after water came in a hatch during rough weather in the North Atlantic. One killed.

Two things to mention;

1) Why doesn’t someone just slip a platoon of Marines on a random ship entering the hazard area – and if the pirates bite it will be a short little firefight.  And the world will be short one pirate gang.  There is a reason that the phrase ‘the Shores of Tripoli‘ is in the Marine Hymn.  Maybe it is time to remind some of that fact.

2) Why hasn’t any mainstream media picked up on this mystery Iranian ship that was seized by the pirates – that has caused the pirates that searched the ship to fall ill and die.   Because everyone realizes that the US is in no position to take on any one right now.  A detailed investigation of this ship is a long shot – and in all likelyhood – a Pandora’s box that no one wants to open.  Instead everyone is focusing on a ship full of T-72′s (that the pirates admit – they don’t want).

Blackjack w. Flanker

Originally uploaded by yuriybrisk

After reports yesterday that Russian ships (based around the nuclear powered battle cruiser “Peter the Great”) would be sailing to Venezuela to conduct joint exercises – comes late word today that two Tu-160 Blackjack bombers (one is pictured w/ a Su-27 Flanker for a size comparison) have already been sent.

They landed earlier after a 13 hr flight (probably from the Kola Penisula).

Congress – can we please order more F-22′s now?

_Z6R9275b

Originally uploaded by Lockheed Martin

Even though some think that the Navy won’t even accept the LCS prototypes into the Fleetinitial Builder’s Trials.

Lockheed is getting w/ the modern age – and has posted a set of publicity photos from the Trials – out on Flickr

BTW – the Israeli’s are interested in buying a variant of the LCS to upgrade their navy. But have already realized that the US designed LCS – doesn’t have nearly enough weapons.