Road to 350: What Does the US Navy Do Anyway?

[Lawman]

Yeah that has gotten surprisingly little public attention.

The ROKs can build ships. Frankly, unlike most of our allies, they are better by many measures of shipbuilding industry than we are, as is Japan. There’s a reason SecNav was asking them for help to turn our domestic yards around and they’re investing in Philly shipyards.

Going nuclear would be a big change for them. But perhaps it’d pay off for us. The main change I see would be the possibility of them developing that into real deterrence against the DPRK and PRC, which may be beneficial to us if things ever go hot with China.

I mean they have demonstrated self determinant nuclear capacity. They have half the total number we do over a much smaller geography and demography. It’s a real capability jump to go from what are the peak capable hybrid drive ships of places like there or Europe or Japan to a nuclear sub. This would translate to tonnage that translates directly to strike and what we are celebrating putting on Japanese destroyers, could now fill out a sub fleet of more hulls in the water with the ability to create effects on par with our own.

You give them and the other 2 big player Ally nations (Australia & Japan) the ability to rapidly put hulls in the water capable of even 75-80% what our best attack boats can provide… that’s a massive swing in ability change that the Chinese have to now calculate for and counter. I full support any effort to increase with firm partner nations this shared responsibility concept, same as I want the Poles to continue their steady march to being the main NATO land power capable nation. We cannot continue to do this alone and I’d love for able and willing partners to pick up and help us.

 

[PhrogPhlyer]

Columbia Helicopters would very much dispute literally all of your points.

Columbia purchased the type certificate for the Model 107 in 2006.
Much international interest in this aircraft.

Columbia Helicopters - Home

Home

colheli.com

 

[taxi1]

I was watching video of the recovery effort in Jamaica, and their challenges in getting the roads cleared to gain access to the isolated sites that really got slammed to provide medical care and evac folks. Using the town's single front end loader to move mud and debris, hand saws and chain saws clearing downed trees.

Zero helicopters in the air.

 

[Flash]

Cool, what’s your threshold for success/participation, because the original launched comments that were we wouldn’t do anything, justified by the claim we didn’t do anything at *example* and ignoring the billions being executed while cherry picking HUD… What’s the go to historical US AID for comparison, Haiti?

I don't know but it will likely be obvious over the next few weeks, but the problem is that the agency who coordinated much of the aid for years is now gone and it isn't clear if the folks that are supposed to replace them are up to the task.

Considering soft power, I have long wondered if you could repurpose retired /surplus military equipment (LPD’s, CH-46,53,60) or something similar and have a dedicated, floating disaster relief / humanitarian assistance response unit with heavy equipment that would be independent of the military. Hurricanes, earthquakes, doctors without borders, etc

Maintaining a fleet of ships and aircraft is a HUGE expense, usually more so for older ones. Only a tiny handful of private aid agencies utilize aircraft or ships and they usually operate one or two very old examples that are not utilized very often. For example, the last DC-8 operating in the US is Sarmatians Purse's sole aircraft and one of the less than 10 DC-10's still flying is operated by Orbis International (a flying eye hospital). You would need an organization with a reliable funding source for a lengthy period of time to operate more than a handful of aircraft, especially a fleet that would have to deploy worldwide. That is rarely the case in the non-profit world where funding can wax and wane from year to year. As for ships, they're even worse. So yeah, dreams of a fleet of H-46's coming to the rescue are nothing more than that.

On the other hand I have thought the US government could better organize to handle national responses to disasters worldwide. with a more coordinated 'whole of government' effort that as others have mentioned could utilize the reserves, likely in a staffing role. That would be a FAR more effective use of resources.

 

[Flash]

But the President is the President, and as such deserves some level of respect, even if it is only to the office. I have always taken this stance no matter who in in the Oval Office, from Nixon through today. Using the pejorative "Orange Jesus" is offensive on many levels, and in no way can be looked at a predicate for informed discussion.

Perhaps by those of us in uniform as per regulation, but the average American is under no obligation to pay respect to the president or any government official. Insulting one's head of state may be uncouth, but is still protected speech.

I think that is the point PhrogPhlyer is trying to make.

The folks saying that here are no longer in uniform.

 

[Brett327]

Would you all prefer that I use Sweet Jesus instead? I find myself uttering that phrase a lot in reference to the President.

 

[sevenhelmet]

Would you all prefer that I use Sweet Jesus instead? I find myself uttering that phrase a lot in reference to the President.

I don't know if that can make up for it...