Thread: U.S. Sub force facing fast tempo

Navy notebook: Sub force facing fast tempo

San Francisco is one of six Los Angeles-class submarines stationed at Point Loma. The others are: Albuquerque. Topeka, Jefferson City, Hampton and Asheville.

Vice Admiral John Richardson, US Navy

The big demands placed on the Navy's submarine forces by this year's attack on Libya, relief efforts after the Japan earthquake, and a navigation mission under the Arctic ice cap represent the "new normal" for the "Silent Service," says Vice Adm. John Richardson, commander of U.S. Submarine Forces.

Richardson made the remark Wednesday morning during the monthly San Diego Military Advisory Council breakfast in San Diego.

"We are well into a new era that will be characterized by increasing demands, increasing instability," Richardson said, referring to events worldwide. He said the situation poses a challenge because the defense budget will be reduced by hundreds of billions of dollars.

"We will not survive as a maritime nation" if the United States doesn't maintain a tip-top submarine force, Richardson said. He noted that the Navy has made progress of late, as the new Virginia-class submarine California was delivered 8.5 months early and below budget.

But the future is less clear. When asked if the Navy has enough ships, Richardson said,"That's a very volatile topic right now. Those budgets are under discussion. We'll see what we get on the back end of that ... We do have some options if the nation wants to have more (ships). We have got some very detailed analysis of where we could provide a lot of capacity for investment. I guess I'll just leave it at that."

On a lighter note, Richardson said that he had started a blog. "If you want to know what's on people's minds, just put a blog out. (I've been asked) What don't you understand about the Silent Service. We don't blog."

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News and Notes:

The amphibious dock transport ship Harpers Ferry will enter dry dock at General Dynamics NASSCO on Aug. 23 to undergo extensive repairs and upgrades. The ship will remain there until late October. ... Vice Adm. Richard W. Hunt, commander of Naval Surface Forces, will give the keynote address at the Fleet Maintenance and Modernization Symposium in Mission Valley on Aug. 30. Part of the morning session is sponsored by Lockheed Martin, which is facing a lot of heat from Congress for cost overruns and technical problems on the littoral combat ship Freedom, which operates out of San Diego.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011 ... ast-tempo/

I like a strong Navy but we do NOT need 10 (i believe) massive Aircraft Carriers. With missile technology as well these Supercarriers are becoming dinosaurs where too many eggs are in a single basket and vulverable...No other Navy in the world even has One Supercarrier anyways.

I think we should cut the Carrier force to maybe five or six and diversify with more smaller, multi role ships.

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