Submarines

Homers celebrated with a dive horn

By Sam Fellman on April 27, 2011 Submarines, Washington

The Washington Nationals celebrate home runs with a new submarine klaxon. // AP Photo When the Nationals hit a home run, submariners in the stands will hear a familiar sound — a dive klaxon. It blares three times to celebrate each homer, a signal – as any bubblehead will tell you – for emergency surface. The Nationals’ newest home run celebration honors their military fans and is a homage to the area’s naval heritage. The Washington Navy Yard, one block east of the stadium, was founded in 1799 and is the Navy’s oldest shore base. The horn also serves…

Silent service turns 111

By Sam Fellman on April 21, 2011 Historical, Navy, Submarines

Happy (belated) birthday, bubbleheads! It was on April 11, 111 years ago, that the Navy purchased its first fully submersible vessel, Holland VI, from inventor John Holland. The 64-ton sub cost $150,000 and was christened the SS-1 Holland. Powered by a gasoline engine, it could make could make roughly 2 knots submerged, had a crew of six and carried torpedoes, according to the book “Submarine: The Ultimate Naval Weapon – Its Past, Present and Future.” One hundred and eleven years later, subs are still integral to national defense. Ballistic subs bear more than half of the nation’s nuclear weapons,…

The Navy strikes

By Bill McMichael on March 21, 2011 Aviation, Libya, Naval aviation, Navy, Odyssey Dawn, Ships, Submarines, Tomahawk, Video

Navy ships and subs launched a barrage of Tomahawk cruise missiles at Libyan air defenses Saturday, including this one, filmed by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jonathan Sunderman, leaping skyward out of the Norfolk-based destroyer Barry. The strikes, and subsequent bomb attacks by U.S., French and British aircraft, followed the March 17 passage of a U.N. resolution authorizing “all necessary measures” to protect civilians in Libya, particularly rebel fighters, being attacked by Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi’s forces. The coalition air strikes continued Sunday, with the Associated Press reporting that a line of Libyan tanks south of Benghazi were destroyed. Rebel…

Colombia's drug lords enter the silent service

By Sam Fellman on February 15, 2011 Foreign navies, Navy, Submarines, The Pacific

It’s Pablo Escobar meets John Holland: drug lords built a 99-foot-long submarine, believed to be the first Colombian narco-sub capable of traveling fully submerged, Colombian officials said Monday. It even sported a periscope. The fiberglass sub, crewed by four, had been designed to haul up to eight tons of narcotics and could travel 9 feet underwater, powered by two diesel engines, Colombian officials told the Associated Press. Tipped off to its existence, the Colombian military seized the sub from its makeshift berth on a jungle river, hundreds of miles off the country’s northwest coast. No one was aboard, however. Col.…

Ensign Seeks Release from Subs on Religious Grounds

By Sam Fellman on November 5, 2010 Naval Academy, Navy, nuclear weapons, Officers, Submarines

An Ohio-class ballistic submarine on strategic patrol in the Atlantic Ocean. // U.S. Navy Would you push the button and launch a nuclear missile, if ordered to? By the time Ensign Michael Izbicki was asked this question in a routine psychological screening at nuclear power school, he had had a religious awakening. He had read the book, Choosing Against War: A Christian View, and had embraced pacifistic Quaker beliefs after periods of intense study and reflection. Izbicki — a 24-year-old Naval Academy graduate, who holds a master’s degree in computer science from John Hopkins University — answered no, he wouldn’t…

Women allowed to join Bulgaria's vanishing sub force

By Sam Fellman on October 29, 2010 Foreign navies, Navy, Submarines

The U.S. isn’t the only country integrating women into its submarine force. But the Bulgarian Navy’s new policy comes with a knotty Catch-22: Female sailors are suddenly welcome in the submarine service right as lawmakers decided to scrap the country’s only submarine. The sole submarine is all-but-extinct Soviet Romeo class diesel named the “Slava,” Bulgarian for “Glory.” The rust-covered boat has been inoperable for at least 10 years. Women, making up 14 percent of the Bulgarian armed forces, will be able to apply for submarines and the national guard now, as part of a larger military reform effort, the Agence France-Presse reported…

A rough week for Her Majesty’s navy

By David Larter on October 22, 2010 Foreign navies, Royal Navy, Submarines

By any measure, the Royal Navy has had a rough week. In the span of three days, the Brits cut their flagship carrier, the Ark Royal, reduced their fleet to its smallest size in centuries and, now, has run its nearly $5.5 billion nuclear submarine Astute into the mud near Scotland’s Isle of Skye. Reports broke early this morning that Astute had run aground. Agence France-Presse reports: A British nuclear submarine ran aground off a Scottish island on Oct. 22, the defense ministry said, adding that there were no immediate signs of any casualties or environmental damage. HMS Astute -…

Power projection points to pending problems

By Lance Bacon on June 17, 2010 Life at Sea, Maritime operations, Navy, SEALs, Submarines

For the first time ever, all four guided missile subs are deployed to an AOR. We’re not talking about being underway at the same time, and sea trials don’t count. We’re talking about being on the tip of the spear. For you strategists out there, that equals a combined 616 Tomahawk cruise missiles on station, and the ability to deploy up to 264 special ops forces. The historic mark was hit June 10, according to this Navy release. In the article, Rear Adm. Frank Caldwell, commander of Submarine Group 9 said “… back in the mid 90’s this was just a…

Seven in Seven

By Lance Bacon on May 21, 2010 Aviation, Carriers, Coast Guard, Congress, Foreign navies, Maritime operations, Mishaps, Naval Academy, Navy, Personnel, Ships, Sports, Submarines, The Pacific, Washington

It’s been another busy week for the Navy. Here are seven stories in seven minutes from the past seven days that are worthy of notice: 1. Defense Bill passes HASC. This bill has tons of important stuff – far too much to put in this blog. You can check Monday’s edition of Navy Times for the complete scoop. But among the highlights is this news that lawmakers bucked the Pentagon’s 1.4 percent pay raise request, and looks to instead give service members a 1.9 percent boost. In addition, the bill aligns the 30-year shipbuilding plan with the QDR, which bodes well…

Seven in Seven

By Lance Bacon on May 7, 2010 Carriers, Congress, Foreign navies, leadership, Life at Sea, Maritime operations, Naval Academy, Navy, NECC, Officers, Sea Air Space, SEALs, Ships, Submarines, The Middle East, Washington

Defense Secretary Robert Gates dropped the bomb of the week. In his first invitation to the Navy League’s Sea-Air-Space symposium, Gates suggested a need for cutting carriers, sinking SSBN(X) and eliminating Expeditionary Fighting Vehicles. You can read Gates’ speech here, and find out how this affects you in Monday’s edition of Navy Times. Speaking of amphibious operations, the personnel bubbas in Millington are starting to dry out. Two days of rain dumped more than 14 inches in the area. A levee couldn’t hold the water back and the base was flooded. This delayed one promotion board and threw many administrative matters into…

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