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Sneak peek at US Navy's new $13B aircraft carrier

Mailbox

Member
Think of all the things we could do with 13 billion outside of wasting it on the military industrial complex. This has happens in the past regardless of who is President. The priorities of the American government make me sick

the super annoying thing is any politician who tries to point out the heavily unneeded spending of various Military Industrial Complex projects or even tries to bring it to light will basically be committing political suicide.

"We can't be competitive if we stop", "starving our military" and whatnot.

Its sick and morbid.
The thing is, the general public eats the whole shitty use of money up b/c shiny bombs (thanks various news networks, "Majestic" bombs my ass) and killing power are basically America's identity at this point.
 
A 13 billion carrier? That's rather deranged.

For perspective
800px-US_Air_Force_B-2_Spirit.jpg

around 1 billion for a single stealth bomber.
 

ponpo

( ≖‿≖)
Is this the ship Trump wanted steam back for?

Goddamned steam*, and yes.

President Donald Trump reaffirmed his commitment to increasing the Navy's carrier fleet from 11 to 12 ships earlier this year during a speech aboard the USS Gerald Ford but just a few months later directly attacked the Ford's electromagnetic catapult system in an interview with Time magazine.

"It sounded bad to me. Digital. They have digital. What is digital? And it's very complicated, you have to be Albert Einstein to figure it out. And I said -- and now they want to buy more aircraft carriers. I said, "What system are you going to be-- "Sir, we're staying with digital." I said, "No you're not. You going to goddamned steam, the digital costs hundreds of millions of dollars more money and it's no good," Trump said.
 
He was a president with military(Navy) service.


For a President to have a carrier named after them, they have to had served in some branch of miltary. Its why you wont see any named after Clinton,Obama or Trump.


As for everyone shitting on Trump's comments. The new electric catapult system the Ford has been using has caused massive delays and cost overages trying to get them to function that are still not solved. The two British Queen Elizabeth class carriers were originally slated to use this new tech but the problems led them to scrap the idea and use the old "cars and traps" system.This has further threatened to delay the Ford entering active duty and forcing the Navy to bring the Kittyhawk back i to service. A number of naval experts suspect the Navy will be forced to abandon this tech for now and go back to the tried and true "cats and traps".
 

jfkgoblue

Member
No lol I mean for the throttle.
The throttle is complicated. You don't just hit a throttle and go faster.

It basically works that the captain will order a higher "bell" and ring it down to the propulsion plant. The Waych officer will report this to the throttleman(usually a nuclear electrician, like a junior enlisted guy)who will open up steam valves. Then the nuclear mechanics will open more valves and basically it takes some time and a lot of watch team coordination.
For a President to have a carrier named after them, they have to had served in some branch of miltary. Its why you wont see any named after Clinton,Obama or Trump.
its 99% political. When Republicans are in power it gets named after Republicans. (I.e. The Reagan and the Ford). They aren't reserved for Presidents though, the Carl Vincent and John Stannis are nuclear aircraft carriers)
 

ponpo

( ≖‿≖)
The throttle is complicated. You don't just hit a throttle and go faster.

It basically works that the captain will order a higher "bell" and ring it down to the propulsion plant. The Waych officer will report this to the throttleman(usually a nuclear electrician, like a junior enlisted guy)who will open up steam valves. Then the nuclear mechanics will open more valves and basically it takes some time and a lot of watch team coordination.

Do carriers use engine order telegraphs?
 

Dishwalla

Banned
For a President to have a carrier named after them, they have to had served in some branch of miltary. Its why you wont see any named after Clinton,Obama or Trump.

I don't think they had to have served, Lincoln wasn't in the military and he has a ship named after him. But the case for having a carrier named after you is made easier if you did serve.
 
People always say the US shouldn't do manned spaceflight because of the problems back home. How many round trips to Mars is this thing?
 

jfkgoblue

Member
Do carriers use engine order telegraphs?
They'll literally ring a bell, that is connected to the power plant control room. There are other ways to contact the watch officer though, such as sound and electric powered phones.
People always say the US shouldn't do manned spaceflight because of the problems back home. How many round trips to Mars is this thing?
Not even close to one.
 

antonz

Member
People always say the US shouldn't do manned spaceflight because of the problems back home. How many round trips to Mars is this thing?

The carrier is around 70% of a year of NASA budget. Its really not that significant an amount. if anything it just highlights how underfunded NASA is.
 
Was reading this article yesterday how the strike capability of these gigantic supercarriers is actually diminishing.

http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/the-slow-death-of-the-carrier-air-wing-1796726088

When the Ford finally does head off on deployment, it will most likely carry with the smallest air wing since the USS Coral Sea deployed with less than 60 aircraft 30 years ago. Ford is currently scheduled to carry six fixed wing squadrons that will consist of just 53 aircraft. Two additional squadrons of helicopters will be centered on the carrier but they will be largely distributed throughout the battle group.

Not only have the individual numbers of the air wing been dramatically reduced, but the distance the aircraft can fly is nearly half of what it was in the final years of the Cold War. Yet for some reason, these large carriers are still being built and deployed without a full complement of aircraft.
 
The throttle is complicated. You don't just hit a throttle and go faster.

It basically works that the captain will order a higher "bell" and ring it down to the propulsion plant. The Waych officer will report this to the throttleman(usually a nuclear electrician, like a junior enlisted guy)who will open up steam valves. Then the nuclear mechanics will open more valves and basically it takes some time and a lot of watch team coordination.
its 99% political. When Republicans are in power it gets named after Republicans. (I.e. The Reagan and the Ford). They aren't reserved for Presidents though, the Carl Vincent and John Stannis are nuclear aircraft carriers)


Never said they were reserved for Presidents, just that if a President does get one, they usually have served.
 

antonz

Member
Was reading this article yesterday how the strike capability of these gigantic supercarriers is actually diminishing.

http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/the-slow-death-of-the-carrier-air-wing-1796726088

Its always been that way though. Even in WWII. Enterprise for instance carried 90 Aircraft but 30-40 were reserve aircraft with around 50-60 Active. At its most active point Enterprise had 72 aircraft active with the rest reserve.

Reserve Planes are important. During the Cold War Carriers were basically kept at full war footing with conflict breaking out at any point
 

jfkgoblue

Member
Never said they were reserved for Presidents, just that if a President does get one, they usually have served.
That is correct, I believe the Lincoln is the only one named after a President that didn't also serve in the military.

The Stennis was very controversial of a name, the Vinson wasn't really because he helped shape our modern navy.

Overall this is the 11th carrier, 8 are named after presidents and 7 are named after presidents who served. So if you are a President who served in the military, you have a decent chance of getting one named after you.
 

XiaNaphryz

LATIN, MATRIPEDICABUS, DO YOU SPEAK IT
Trump will probably change that law, his little penis wants a big carrier named after him. :p

I don't think it's really a law:

https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/heritage/customs-and-traditions/ship-naming.html

As with many other things, the procedures and practices involved in Navy ship naming are as much, if not more, products of evolution and tradition than of legislation. As we have seen, the names for new ships are personally decided by the Secretary of the Navy. The Secretary can rely on many sources to help him reach his decisions. Each year, the Naval Historical Center compiles primary and alternate ship name recommendations and forwards these to the Chief of Naval Operations by way of the chain of command. These recommendations are the result of research into the history of the Navy and by suggestions submitted by service members, Navy veterans, and the public. Ship name source records at the Historical Center reflect the wide variety of name sources that have been used in the past, particularly since World War I. Ship name recommendations are conditioned by such factors as the name categories for ship types now being built, as approved by the Secretary of the Navy; the distribution of geographic names of ships of the Fleet; names borne by previous ships which distinguished themselves in service; names recommended by individuals and groups; and names of naval leaders, national figures, and deceased members of the Navy and Marine Corps who have been honored for heroism in war or for extraordinary achievement in peace.

In its final form, after consideration at the various levels of command, the Chief of Naval Operations signs the memorandum recommending names for the current year's building program and sends it to the Secretary of the Navy. The Secretary considers these nominations, along with others he receives as well as his own thoughts in this matter. At appropriate times, he selects names for specific ships and announces them.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_ship_naming_conventions

Aircraft carriers (CV and CVN), have a history of various legacy names, mostly battles, until 1968, with the commissioning of USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67). Since then, carriers have been named for American presidents, with the exception of;
- USS Enterprise; there is a continuing exception for this name, first used in 1775, eight ships have carried the name, three of them aircraft carriers (see CV-6, CVN-65 and CVN-80).
- USS Nimitz (CVN-68), lead ship of her class, named for Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, commander of all U.S. and Allied naval forces in the Pacific theatre during World War II.
- USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70), named for a former Congressman, Chairman of the Naval Affairs Committee, Chairman of the successor United States House Committee on Armed Services, a strong supporter of the Navy through the "Vinson Acts" who became known as "The Father of the Two-Ocean Navy".
- USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74), named for a former United States Senator, President pro tempore of the Senate, Chairman of the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services, and a strong supporter of the navy, who became known as "Father of America's modern navy".

Amphibious assault ships (LPH, LHA, and LHD) are named after early American sailing ships, U.S. Marine Corps battles, or legacy names of earlier carriers from World War II.


Amphibious command ships (LCC) are named for geographical areas within the U.S. (such as mountains or mountain ranges).

Amphibious transport docks (LPD) are named after U.S. cities, with the exception of the following:
- USS Mesa Verde (LPD-19), named after Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado, and
- USS John P. Murtha (LPD-26), named for a former U.S. Marine Corps Officer, Vietnam veteran, former Congressman and chairman of the United States House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.

Auxiliary Repair Drydocks (ARDM) are named after towns having nuclear power generators or nuclear research facilities.

Ballistic missile submarines (SSBN and SSGN) are named after states, with the exception of;
- USS Henry M. Jackson (SSBN-730), named for a former U.S. Senator and strong supporter of the military.
- USS Columbia (SSBN-826), named for the District of Columbia (Washington D.C.).

Cruisers (CG) are named after battles, with the exception of USS Thomas S. Gates (CG-51), a Ticonderoga-class cruiser named for a former Secretary of Defense.

Destroyers (DDG) names are dependent on class;

* Arleigh Burke class - a class of a planned 76 ships, that has retained the traditional naming convention of U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard heroes, with the exceptions of;
- USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG-81) named for the renowned Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during World War II,
- USS Paul Ignatius (DDG-117), named for a former Secretary of the Navy,
- USS Delbert Black (DDG-119), named for the first Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy,
- USS Carl M. Levin (DDG-120), named for a former U.S. Senator and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Armed Services
- USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG-121), named for a USMC LtGen, the first African-American to become both an aviator and a general in the Corps.
- USS Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG-123), named for a United States Navy chief nurse, who served as Superintendent of the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps during World War I. She was a noted pioneer in nursing and also the first female recipient of the Navy Cross.

* Zumwalt class - (only 3 ships in class);
- Lead ship USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000), named for the youngest Admiral to serve as Chief of Naval Operations, and who played a significant role during the Vietnam War,
- 2nd ship USS Michael Monsoor (DDG-1001), named for a former Navy SEAL and Medal of Honor recipient killed in action during the Iraq War,
- 3rd ship USS Lyndon B. Johnson (DDG-1002), named for a former U.S. president and U.S. Naval officer who was awarded the Silver Star during World War II.

Dock landing ships (LSD) are named after cities or important places in U.S. and U.S. Naval history.

Dry cargo ships (T-AKE) are named for American explorers, pioneers, activists and U.S. Naval officers.


Expeditionary fast transports (T-EPF) are named for American cities, with the exception of;
- USNS Spearhead (T-EPF-1), the lead ship of her class, named after a similar ship of the same name, USAV Spearhead (TSV-X1), previously in service with the US Army,
- USNS Choctaw County (T-EPF-2), named for 3 different counties with the same name in the states of Alabama, Mississippi and Oklahoma and
- USNS Puerto Rico (T-EPF-11), named for an unincorporated territory of the U.S., located in the Caribbean.

Fast attack submarines (SSN) names are dependent on class;
* Los Angeles class - named after cities, with the exception of USS Hyman G. Rickover (SSN-709), named for an Admiral who was a pioneer of the nuclear Navy.

* Seawolf class - (only 3 boats in class);
- Lead boat; USS Seawolf (SSN-21), named for the Atlantic wolffish, and the fourth submarine to carry the name,
- 2nd boat; USS Connecticut (SSN-22), named for a U.S. state,
- 3rd boat; USS Jimmy Carter (SSN-23), named for a former U.S. president, and Naval officer who had served aboard a nuclear submarine.
* Virginia class, named after U.S. states, with the exception of;
- USS John Warner (SSN-785), named for a former Secretary of the Navy, U.S. Senator and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Armed Services.
- USS Hyman G. Rickover (SSN-795), named for an Admiral and pioneer of the nuclear Navy. This is the second boat to carry the name (see USS Hyman G. Rickover (SSN-709)).

Fast combat support ships (AOE) are named for distinguished supply ships of the past.

Frigates (FFG) retain their traditional naming conventions after U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Coast Guard heroes.


Littoral combat ships (LCS) are named for regionally-important U.S. cities and communities. Exceptions are the lead ships of the first two classes for this type;
- USS Freedom (LCS-1), lead ship of her class, named for the concept of freedom,
- USS Independence (LCS-2), lead ship of her class, named for the concept of independence and
- USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS-10), an Independence class LCS named for a former Congresswoman, member of the United States House Committee on Armed Services and survivor of an assassination attempt.

Mine countermeasures ships (MCM) have mostly legacy names of previous U.S. Navy ships, especially WWII-era minesweepers.

Patrol boats (PC) have names based on weather phenomena.

Replenishment oilers (T-AO) were named for shipbuilders and marine and aeronautical engineers, but have returned to the older convention of river names.

- An exception to this is the John Lewis-class, announced in 2016, which will be named after prominent civil rights activists and leaders.

Its always been that way though. Even in WWII. Enterprise for instance carried 90 Aircraft but 30-40 were reserve aircraft with around 50-60 Active. At its most active point Enterprise had 72 aircraft active with the rest reserve.

Reserve Planes are important. During the Cold War Carriers were basically kept at full war footing with conflict breaking out at any point

That article in particular though was talking about how most of the planes in a current carrier air wing has a reduced range compared to the aircraft we had a few decades ago. There used to be specialized aircraft for various roles, but everything these days being mostly done by Hornets (which already had range concerns even in the 80s when it was being tested). Even tanking operations are mainly done by Hornets today, which means less aircraft available to do something else that would normally been done by a Viking or Intruder.
 

ponpo

( ≖‿≖)
Next one is the Enterprise, yes?

Nope

The next carrier in the Ford class, the USS John F. Kennedy (CVN 79), is scheduled to launch in 2020. That ship was 50% complete as of July. The third Ford-class carrier, the USS Enterprise (CVN 80), is set to begin construction in 2018.
 

jfkgoblue

Member
Next one is Kennedy. Enterprise is the one after. It's kind of stated in the OP.

Kind of neat in a way, since the previous Enterprise came into service under Kennedy.
Yeah next two are renames of previous famous ships. Just waiting for them to call CVN-81 the Kitty Hawk.

Yeah it's also funny because the Kennedy followed the Enterprise.

Well the America was in between them.

But after the Kennedy, every carrier has been nuclear.
 
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