Text 22498, 98 rader
Skriven 2012-03-17 15:21:18 av HAP NEWSOM (1:123/140)
     Kommentar till en text av GLEN JAMIESON
Ärende: SILENT SERVICE 20316
============================
Hello Glen
-> 
->  ->  ->  HN> US nuclear attack subs have worked in littoral 
->  ->  ->  HN> waters for years. However I would not recommend
->  ->  ->  HN> them as a regular diet. I suppose it would also
->  -> 
->  -> My personal view is that Australia doesn't need submarines.  Any
->  -> seaborne invasion force would be detected long before arrival, and
->  -> dealt with by air or surface defence.  Considering the most recent
->  -> naval skirmish, in the Falklands, were submarines used?  I think it
->  -> was all aircraft and ship to ship missiles.
->  ->
->  HN> Any seaborne invasion force would already
->  HN> have prepared defenses for air and surface
->  HN> attacks. It is much harder to defend against
->  HN> an unseen attacker who can attack anywhere along
->  HN> the route, and possibly remain undetected after
->  HN> the attack as well.
-> 
-> That makes my point that a submarine is primarily an offensive weapon.
-> During WW2 over 40 ships were sunk by Japanese submarines along the
-> Australian East coast, and some towns shelled, but of course that was
-> never publicised at the time.  The ferry sunk in Sydney Harbour could
-> hardly be kept secret, though.  As I do not think that Australia has
-> plans to attack any of the neighbours, I doubt that submarines would be
-> needed in our navy as much as some other types.  Fast destroyers,
-> patrol boats and transports, and in particular, landing craft that can
-> carry heavy earth-moving equipment, helicopters and hospitals would
-> doubtless be needed in the future for disaster relief work.
-> 
Every "weapon" is both defensive and
offensive. If you had subs defending your
coast in WWII you'd have used them "defensively".
 
->  ->  ->  HN> Collins class boats have a hard time
->  ->  ->  HN> getting people to volunteer to crew them.
->  ->  -> 
->  ->  -> If all the Collins boats were in working order at the same time, 
->  HN> there would not be enough crews to man them.
->  ->  HN> And so far that has never happened.
->  -> Right!
->  ->
->  HN> All the more reason to go with a 
->  HN> boat that has a proven track record
->  HN> of success. 
-> 
-> Or not to waste money on something not needed.
->
Well you're certainly entitled to that 
opinion...and maybe you can convince your
government to accept that plan.
Good luck with that by the way! (grin)
  
->  ->  HN> The biggest problem with the coastal 
->  ->  HN> waters of OZ, are two fold...clear
->  ->  HN> water makes hiding difficult, and 
->  ->  HN> all those dang coral reefs make 
->  ->  HN> navigation a bugaboo! Many subs
-> 
-> Ships are still regularly getting hung up on those reefs.
->
And will continue to do so.
 
->  ->  -> Ship building is not doing well in Eastern Australia, but in the
->  HN> West
->  ->  -> they are building large, 40 knot catamaran transports for the US 
->  -> 
->  ->  HN> That would be AUSTAL...and they have 
->  ->  HN> shipyards in the USA as well, Norfolk
->  ->  HN> for one I think and I think the other
->  ->  HN> is on the gulf coast somewhere
->  -> 
->  -> Yes.  I travelled on an Austal catamaran ferry from Athens to
->  -> Santorini island in '06.  It was fast and comfortable, and the wide
->  -> upper deck gave good viewing.  Ten minutes was enough time to dock 
and
->  -> load/unload at Io island.
->  -> 
->  HN> They are also building other craft
->  HN> as well, teaming up with Northrup Grummond I think.
-> 
-> "Northrop Grumman"
-> 
-> What do US Navy people think of the non-traditional Austal design of
-> the LCSs and JHSVs?  They seem to be far more successful here than the
-> dreaded Collins.  I read that when the first of those large trimarans
-> appeared in the distance near Timor some of the locals thought it was
-> some sort of sea monster.  I was in Darwin when one of them docked
-> there, and it is certainly weird looking.
->
I can't answer for what the US Navy thinks
but nothing sways opinion like success. And 
the fact that the Navy has ordered the ships
makes me think they like em at least a wee  bit!
chat with you soon!
ha
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