Scratch a Turk, You Find an Ottoman

If you haven't noticed, Turkey is acting like it is trying to pick a fight with everyone it can reach.

Details and thoughts over at USNIBlog.

Check it out and tell me what you think.

"Record Breaking" Deployments - Nothing to be Proud of

In a time of relative peace, when we are in general agreement that for over the last decade+ we have overworked our Sailors and under-maintained our ships - I'm not sure breaking these kind of records is anything our Navy should be proud of; 

Destroyer USS Stout (DDG-55) recently achieved a record-breaking deployment length after operating at sea for more than 200 days, the Navy announced.

As of Sept. 26, the destroyer had been at sea for 208 straight days, breaking cruiser USS San Jacinto’s (CG-56) and aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower’s (CVN-69) records, according to a Navy press release.

...

Destroyer USS Kidd (DDG-100) also recently wrapped up a record deployment after performing a series of counter-narcotics missions within U.S. 4th Fleet. The destroyer arrived at Naval Station Everett, Wash., its homeport, on Sept. 21.

Our Sailors and their ships will give us all they have when asked - and we should be proud of their hard work and loyalty to their Navy. As for those who sent them; a responsible service and nation will not ask for such sacrifices so cheaply;

“As a Sentinel ship, Stout spent 139 days in direct or associated support of the task force to ensure the free flow of commerce,” the service added. “Stout provided overwatch for more than 550 vessels as they transited critical chokepoints and delivered 1,500 maritime awareness calls to regional commercial shipping.”

... 

“This deployment has been extremely challenging, but Kidd set the standard for operational mission execution and readiness,” Cmdr. Nathan Wemett, the commanding officer of Kidd, said in a statement. “I thank all the Sailors and U.S. Coast Guardsmen who overcame many obstacles in order to carry out our mission.”

Not a record ... but a grim milestone.

It is clear that we have learned nothing and changed nothing since 2017 to our great collective shame.

Shame on everyone here with 3 to 4 stars on their uniform who refused to say, "no."

The Most Important BILAT Exercise You Haven't Heard of

This growing military relationship is probably one of the most important to watch as we approach the middle decades of the 21st Century.

Japan-India Maritime Exercise “JIMEX”

The Indo-Pacific Deployment (IPD) units, JS KAGA and JS IKAZUCHI, will conduct

bilateral exercise “JIMEX” with the Indian Navy (IN) as described below.

1. Objectives

(1) To improve JMSDF’s tactical capabilities

(2) To strengthen the relationship with the IN

2. Period

SEP 26 (SAT) – SEP 28 (MON), 2020

3. Exercise Area

 At sea and airspace in the west of India

4. Participating Units

(1) JMSDF

JS KAGA, JS IKAZUCHI

(2) IN

INS CHENNAI, INS TARKASH, INS DEEPAK and aircraft (P-8I and Mig-29K)

It appears both navies are bringing their varsity squad. All free nations should welcome this hopefully growing relationship.

 

Pre-Fall Free For All - on Midrats

 

Some may call it the silly season, some may call it a quickening, some may just get eye cramps from rolling them all the time ... but here we are under 6-weeks from a national election and from swarms of unmanned ideas seeping out of the easy-button to solve all our worries, to doom and gloom from Taiwan to the arctic - all getting in the way of solid navalist conversation. 

EagleOne and I offer you a tonic for all this gibberish this Sunday from 5-6pm Eastern as we cover the major issues from Dhahran to Washington, DC ... or at least try to boil them down to basics. 

It will be an open topic, open phones free for all ... so if you think our topics are bogus, bring your own!

If you use iTunes, you can add Midrats to your podcast list simply by clicking the iTunes button at the main showpage - or you can just click here.

Diversity Thursday

So, you think the Diversity Bullies will not get to engineering, do you? Think STEM is immune to the hate filled, sectarian commissariate?

How wrong you are.

You would think something like this course would be immune. Right?

Seems ligit;

Course Description

This is the first course in a two-semester sequence, in which students work in teams to complete the conceptual and preliminary design of an aircraft. Students are challenged to consider the relationship of aerospace engineering to the broader community. Meets GE areas S and V when course is taken in combination with: AE 171B, ENGR 195A and ENGR 195B. 

You silly, silly, prol.

As always, check the syllabus. Read it all here yourself in full ... but here are some fun parts;

Course Goals

...

8. Discuss the role of identity, equality, social actions, and culture in aerospace engineering practice.

...

Course Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

GE Area S–LO1: Describe how identities (i.e. religious, gender, ethnic, racial, class, sexual orientation, disability, and/or age) are shaped by cultural and societal influences within contexts of equality and inequality. 

...

BSAE LO–H: Recognition of the need for and ability to engage in life-long learning.

• Engr195A Reflection Paper 3: Discuss and provide examples of how at least one of your identities (i.e., religious, gender, ethnic, racial, class, sexual orientation, disability and/or age, among others) is shaped, or has been shaped, by cultural and societal influences within contexts of equality and inequality and how this impacts you as an engineer. Please integrate course material (concepts, theories, discussions, and lectures). Please cite at least one course reading and one appropriate source from outside class.

• AE171A – Essay 1 (minimum 250 words): Consider your identity as a future Aerospace Engineer. How is your identity shaped by cultural and societal influences within contexts of equality and inequality?

GE Area S–LO2: Describe historical, social, political, and economic processes producing diversity, equality, and structured inequalities in the U.S. 

...

• Engr195A Reflection Paper 2: Consider technological innovations and developments in your field. Describe how one such innovation has either increased or decreased social justice and inequality in the U.S. Finally, discuss whether and/or how this will influence constructive and deconstructive interactions between people from different cultural, racial, and ethnic groups within the U.S. Please integrate course material (concepts, theories, discussions, lectures, readings). Please cite at least one course reading and one appropriate source from outside class.

• AE171A – Essay 2 (minimum 500 words): Describe how airplanes in general and your project in particular, fit into the historical, social, political, and economic processes producing diversity, equality, and structured inequalities in the U.S. and the world. Include at least two citations, not including course readings or lecture.

USS Thresher's Board on Inquiry is Now Available

It took 57-yrs, but the results of the Board, all 300-pages, is now available with minimal redaction.

Links and a few take-aways from me over at USNIBlog.

Head on over and give it a read.

57 years.

Checking Your Supply Chain Over a Decade Late

 

This is an article everyone should take time to read.  Beyond the entire, "Two decades in to land wars in Asia and we're only now doing this?" are two other critical vulnerabilities that are long overdue for correction and exist only to the everlasting shame of every Executive Branch civilian appointee and Congressional defense player this century.

Via DefenseNews' Joe Gould;

(Army officials admit) ...they rely on 55 foreign suppliers for certain equipment and materials ― like a TNT-replacement 2,4-Dinitroanisole, which comes from India ― because costs, environmental regulations and legal liabilities make many of them harder to develop in the U.S. The Army even relies on a small volume of detonators and pyrotechnics from China, Jette said.

Are we prepared for a high intensity conflict of any extent?