North Korea eying subs as nuclear delivery platforms?

December 13, 2010

Last week’s breathless Washington Times “Inside the Ring” report on North Korea’s interest in nuclear anti-ship weaponry is unrealistic, but, as much as I hate to admit it, the underlying idea–using subs as a nuclear delivery platform–is plausible. But first, step away from Gertz and his China-based fear-mongering. Let’s drop the Chinese-threat lenses, and realize […]

Read the full article →

In Press: Talking Gene Taylor’s Big LCS Move in the Mobile Press-Register

December 4, 2010

Yesterday I got to chat with the Mobile Press-Register’s indefatigable reporter Dan Murtaugh about Congressman Gene Taylor’s (D-MS) change of heart about the LCS program. Frankly, I am delighted–Congressman Taylor, as an outgoing Congressman and confirmed LCS foe, had no real reason to promote the program. If he had done nothing, and allowed the Navy […]

Read the full article →

Celebrating the American Shipbuilding Association’s demise:

December 1, 2010

Today, this blogger–along with the Navy–won a big victory. For me, it’s a vindication of sorts: On November 14, 2007, I was the first to publicly call out the American Shipbuilding Association and it’s lobbyist-in-chief, Cindy Brown (that’s her on the right). I hammered the ASA’s record: If you’ve spent the last 20 years lobbying […]

Read the full article →

In Press: Talking SSBN(X) in Aviation Week’s DTI Magazine

December 1, 2010

I had a chance to sit down with Paul McLeary to discuss SSBN(X) in this month’s Defense Technology International, reprising an Ares entry from early November.  Here’s the quote–which shows that I do not hate Virginia-class submarines as my prior work has led folks to believe: Craig Hooper, a San Francisco-based national security expert who […]

Read the full article →

LCS-1: More reasons to worry about Fincantieri

November 30, 2010

As the PCU Fort Worth, LCS-3, prepares for a Dec 4 launch-date, I am increasingly concerned about Fincantieri’s “Italianate” management of the Marinette Shipyard. I suspect the LCS-1 team underbid. Aside from Fincantieri’s foreign ownership, overall low level of investment in their US yards and the disparity between Fincantieri’s U.S.-based workers and their Italian counterparts, […]

Read the full article →

Italian Government to manage U.S. naval shipbuilding program?

November 29, 2010

If Congress acts upon the dual-buy or, if not, the Navy just ends up approving a down-select to build LCS-1 Freedom-class boats (perish the thought!), Italian managers will be in charge of a major U.S. naval shipbuilding program. You see, though most cialis buy people know that Marinette Marine is owned by the Italian company […]

Read the full article →

Shipyards, Tea Leaves and the LCS: Austal is gonna win

November 19, 2010

As the Navy works to cajole a lame-duck Congress into approving the Navy’s proposal to build 10 variants of each LCS model, it is interesting–and potentially educational–to observe the shipbuilders who have skin in this fight–the recently divorced General Dynamics/Austal team, and the Marinette/Lockheed team. Marinette Marine:  Puttin’ on a show! In Wisconsin, Marinette, after […]

Read the full article →

In the Pacific, the F-35B debacle is a strategic nightmare

November 17, 2010

So here’s where we learn that fluffing up a balky, poorly-managed defense procurement program has serious geopolitical consequences. What happens in Asia if the F-35B program collapses? Well, it could get pretty ugly. For a lot of Asian Navies, the F-35B offers the only viable means to match China’s first steps into carrier aviation. As […]

Read the full article →

What Work wants, he gets: The lesson of the LCS Unselect

November 12, 2010

The lesson of the LCS “Unselect” is this: What Undersecretary Robert Work wants, Undersecretary Robert Work gets. (A corollary lesson is that Sean Stackley (perhaps atoning for his role as LPD-17 Program Manager from 2001-5) is the guy who actually does Work’s dirty work, but more on that at in a later post..) It’s worth […]

Read the full article →

Mulling the T-AO(X) Pre-Solicitation:

November 9, 2010

After calling for the recapitalization of our aging MSC oiler fleet, it is great to see the T-AO(X) program move ahead. I do like what I see, but….the pre-solicitation notice is missing a few things–and that means the Navy is missing an opportunity to get good ideas from industry for free. Here’s what I see: […]

Read the full article →