by Craig Hooper on July 7, 2010
For years, the Virginia Class has been portrayed as a shipbuilding success story. The subs have been, for years, touted as a model program–one that got the “Submarine Production Procurement Price” down and delivered needed boats to the fleet, are the efficiency chickens coming home to roost? A June 30 memo from J. Michael Gilmore, […]
by Craig Hooper on March 26, 2010
In February, 1898, the USS Maine blew up in Cuba. Within two months, the U.S. was at war with Spain. A similar Maine-like provocation (today’s loss of the South Korean warship Cheonan after an explosion) could tip the tense Korean Peninsula over the edge, changing the game in Asia. Let’s be blunt: When a warship […]
by Craig Hooper on January 27, 2010
Surely I can’t be the only Navy-oriented person to notice this little passage in the draft QDR: “…The Department also plans to experiment with conventional prompt global strike prototypes. Building upon insights developed during the QDR, the Secretary of Defense has ordered a follow-on study to determine what combination of joint persistent surveillance, electronic warfare, […]
by Craig Hooper on December 17, 2009
China and Russia having issues over the continuing maintenance of China’s next fleet. With 12 Kilos and four legacy Russian 956E/EM DDGs, China is trying to figure out how to best maintain the backbone of their fleet–with Russia, or go solo. Decisions have been slow in coming, and the two countries, according to UPI, have been talking […]