A Navy in Name Only

When I review my journals, penned during my time in the U.S. Navy submarine service, I note almost more entries posted at sea than in port.  Weekly ops, WestPac deployments, monthly ops, special ops, sound trials, torpedo exercises, and drills, drills, drills.  The entries penned while in port tell of repairs to this, that, or the other thing, and a run to sea to test the repairs, with the key repair personnel onboard as an incentive to guarantee good workmanship.

Russia’s navy can only dream of this, now.  In an article titled “Russia’s rusting navy," published by BBC News, you can learn of the almost comedic litany of errors which has overtaken the, at one time, largest naval fleet in the world.  A couple of the recent problems suffered by Russian sailors.

"A nuclear submarine was to fire two liquid-fuelled intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), but both got stuck in their silos.

The next day, a sister ship succeeded in firing a missile - but it exploded soon after take-off."

Need I say “Not good.” Or this.

"Theft also remains endemic.

Russian TV reported last year that warships and submarines of the northern fleet were being routinely robbed of vital components, including telecommunication circuit boards, air regeneration filters and even torpedoes."

Via Google News.

Posted by on 03/23 at 01:17 PM

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