Our Sailors Don't Know How to Sail Anymore

[longknife]

At least that's what this article declares.

The US Navy overly relies on electronics and automation, according to the US Naval Institute, and it could be its downfall in a war against a major foe like Russia or China.

US Navy figures have been warning for some time about a lack of fundamental skills that could lead to the US losing its next major sea conflict.

Russia and China both have a strong focus on countering the US's ability to access electronic and automated systems.

"Navigation and seamanship, these are the fundamental capabilities which every surface warfare officer should have, but I suspect if called to war, we'll be required to do a lot more than safely navigate the Singapore strait," US Navy Capt. Kevin Eyer, former skipper of the cruisers Shiloh, Chancellorsville, and Thomas Gates said in December. Eyer was speaking in reference to the USS John McCain's crash with a container ship in the Singapore strait, as Breaking Defense noted at the time.

I wonder if this isn't happening to all of our armed forces. Read more @ The US Navy has abandoned classic sailing skills — and it could lose its next war

 

[del]

at least we've got plenty of clerks, so the forms will all be filled out.

 

[EvilEyeFleegle]

At least that's what this article declares.

The US Navy overly relies on electronics and automation, according to the US Naval Institute, and it could be its downfall in a war against a major foe like Russia or China.

US Navy figures have been warning for some time about a lack of fundamental skills that could lead to the US losing its next major sea conflict.

Russia and China both have a strong focus on countering the US's ability to access electronic and automated systems.

"Navigation and seamanship, these are the fundamental capabilities which every surface warfare officer should have, but I suspect if called to war, we'll be required to do a lot more than safely navigate the Singapore strait," US Navy Capt. Kevin Eyer, former skipper of the cruisers Shiloh, Chancellorsville, and Thomas Gates said in December. Eyer was speaking in reference to the USS John McCain's crash with a container ship in the Singapore strait, as Breaking Defense noted at the time.

I wonder if this isn't happening to all of our armed forces. Read more @ The US Navy has abandoned classic sailing skills — and it could lose its next war

The skills are still there..rusty..but..as a Navy Vet..I can tell you that Radiomen still learn Morse..and signalmen still can flash lights and wave flags..B'sun mates still tie knots and rig..Quartermaster Mates still can steer..and surface officers still can use a sextant. The fleet deliberately teaches 'archaic' skills. The senior planning officers have long known that we are an EMP blast away from losing comms and guidance systems.


This has been a concern for at least 40 years. If we went to war..the learning curve won't be kind..but then again...it never is.

 

[IsaacNewton]

The US Navy's electronics are no more vulnerable than those of China, Russia, or any other country. Why is the US always painted as 'so much more vulnerable than everyone else'. Ridiculous.

 

[eagle1462010]

We are hardly in a world of line of sight fighting................Or weapons systems are very high tech..........and use a many means to find......track......and kill the enemy.......

Underwater mapping tech is state of the art......Subs know where they are by looking at the sea floor........Aegis radar systems are State of the Art.........Nav Sat targetting systems are high tech......

Kinda of a crazy article.......that they need a sextant and Star fixes these days.

 

[BlackFlag]

At least that's what this article declares.

The US Navy overly relies on electronics and automation, according to the US Naval Institute, and it could be its downfall in a war against a major foe like Russia or China.

US Navy figures have been warning for some time about a lack of fundamental skills that could lead to the US losing its next major sea conflict.

Russia and China both have a strong focus on countering the US's ability to access electronic and automated systems.

"Navigation and seamanship, these are the fundamental capabilities which every surface warfare officer should have, but I suspect if called to war, we'll be required to do a lot more than safely navigate the Singapore strait," US Navy Capt. Kevin Eyer, former skipper of the cruisers Shiloh, Chancellorsville, and Thomas Gates said in December. Eyer was speaking in reference to the USS John McCain's crash with a container ship in the Singapore strait, as Breaking Defense noted at the time.

I wonder if this isn't happening to all of our armed forces. Read more @ The US Navy has abandoned classic sailing skills — and it could lose its next war

If the next war will only be able to be won by knowing how to use an astrolabe and shit like that, then we have bigger problems to worry about

 

[harmonica]

CHina--Russia??
hahahahhahahah
the US carriers alone could wipe out the Chinese and Russian Navy---
..all the US Navy has to do is navigate within 500 miles
the carriers know what they are doing
we have how many ships and how many problems with navigation??

...the USMC and Army are well trained..what do you think they do all day?
we trained all day.....movements/live fire/classes/PT/etc

...remember Iraq?? one of the largest armies in the world/''experience'' from the Iran-Iraq war and they said it might be a hard fight

 

[martybegan]

The US Navy's electronics are no more vulnerable than those of China, Russia, or any other country. Why is the US always painted as 'so much more vulnerable than everyone else'. Ridiculous.

they have less advanced equipment, and rely more on older methods of seamanship.

 

[longknife]

CHina--Russia??
hahahahhahahah
the US carriers alone could wipe out the Chinese and Russian Navy---
..all the US Navy has to do is navigate within 500 miles
the carriers know what they are doing
we have how many ships and how many problems with navigation??

...the USMC and Army are well trained..what do you think they do all day?
we trained all day.....movements/live fire/classes/PT/etc

...remember Iraq?? one of the largest armies in the world/''experience'' from the Iran-Iraq war and they said it might be a hard fight

I really appreciate your supportive comments about our military. But, the truth is that, due to the Sequester Acts, our military has been unable to actually train in a manner to keep them sharp and mission ready. Many of our aircraft are not fit to fly and most of our units simply do not have sufficient material to meet their training requirements.

We find many units resorting to No Live Fire Training.

Growing readiness woes: Only 7 in 10 Air Force planes are ready to fly @ Growing readiness woes: Only 7 in 10 Air Force planes are ready to fly

A US Air Force source!!!!!

 

[harmonica]

CHina--Russia??
hahahahhahahah
the US carriers alone could wipe out the Chinese and Russian Navy---
..all the US Navy has to do is navigate within 500 miles
the carriers know what they are doing
we have how many ships and how many problems with navigation??

...the USMC and Army are well trained..what do you think they do all day?
we trained all day.....movements/live fire/classes/PT/etc

...remember Iraq?? one of the largest armies in the world/''experience'' from the Iran-Iraq war and they said it might be a hard fight

I really appreciate your supportive comments about our military. But, the truth is that, due to the Sequester Acts, our military has been unable to actually train in a manner to keep them sharp and mission ready. Many of our aircraft are not fit to fly and most of our units simply do not have sufficient material to meet their training requirements.

We find many units resorting to No Live Fire Training.

Growing readiness woes: Only 7 in 10 Air Force planes are ready to fly @ Growing readiness woes: Only 7 in 10 Air Force planes are ready to fly

A US Air Force source!!!!!

..so they went from over a 90% mission capable rate in PG1 to 70% planes are not ready to fly??
..very hard to believe

 

[longknife]

CHina--Russia??
hahahahhahahah
the US carriers alone could wipe out the Chinese and Russian Navy---
..all the US Navy has to do is navigate within 500 miles
the carriers know what they are doing
we have how many ships and how many problems with navigation??

...the USMC and Army are well trained..what do you think they do all day?
we trained all day.....movements/live fire/classes/PT/etc

...remember Iraq?? one of the largest armies in the world/''experience'' from the Iran-Iraq war and they said it might be a hard fight

I really appreciate your supportive comments about our military. But, the truth is that, due to the Sequester Acts, our military has been unable to actually train in a manner to keep them sharp and mission ready. Many of our aircraft are not fit to fly and most of our units simply do not have sufficient material to meet their training requirements.

We find many units resorting to No Live Fire Training.

Growing readiness woes: Only 7 in 10 Air Force planes are ready to fly @ Growing readiness woes: Only 7 in 10 Air Force planes are ready to fly

A US Air Force source!!!!!

..so they went from over a 90% mission capable rate in PG1 to 70% planes are not ready to fly??
..very hard to believe

I didn't come up with that, the Air Force did.

Most Army Brigades, Navy Planes Aren't Combat Ready: Leaders @ Most Army Brigades, Navy Planes Aren't Combat Ready: Leaders

A 2018 article

 

[BlackSand]

The US Navy's electronics are no more vulnerable than those of China, Russia, or any other country. Why is the US always painted as 'so much more vulnerable than everyone else'. Ridiculous.

they have less advanced equipment, and rely more on older methods of seamanship.

You can strap a jet assisted take-off unit to a Chevy Impala with the best driver and navigator ...
But it's still not going to get you from New York to Los Angeles in in 4 hours and 47 minutes.

.​

 

[longknife]

US sailors lack basic ship handling skills

Slightly misleading headline. It’s the junior officers who lack basic skills. And, if they don’t know what they’re doing, how can they ensure enlisted personnel perform their duties properly. I then find myself asking where the noncoms are in this? Aren’t they supposed to be the ones “helping out” the junior officers in running a ship?

My next question is; what is the Naval Academy teaching them?

A three-month internal review conducted by the Surface Warfare Officer School selected junior officers in the fleet at random and subjected them to tests on computer simulators. Of the 164 officers tested, only 27 passed the test with “no concerns.” 108 passed with “some concerns,” while 29 had “significant concerns,” reported Defense News.

The tests found that officers struggled to operate radars, and understood but struggled to apply the international rules of the road for ships, especially in low-visibility conditions. They also found that while most officers could avoid close encounters with other ships, they were often ill-equipped to avoid collision when placed into imminent danger.

More @ US sailors lack basic ship handling skills – Navy report



Recommended: No court-martial for 2 Fitzgerald junior officers @ Recommended: No court-martial for 2 Fitzgerald junior officers

 

[eagle1462010]

When we were off Somalia back in 93 a Junior officer .......aka ...inexperienced officer......wasn't sure of his location for some reason...........the QM was also green and so the Junior officer decided it's close to changing the watch and decided to ignore it..............No big deal............

The No big deal ended in us hitting a reef and the Commanding Officer being relieved. Problem isn't new........it's just more is seen with the world wide web.

 

[whitehall]

What does it mean to be able to "sail"? The Navy hasn't used sailing ships for two hundred years. Today's Sailors are so skilled at their jobs that the Navy offers them a 10g reenlistment bonus. They must be doing something right.

 

[IsaacNewton]

From what I've seen our Navy and the other branches of the service do in the nonstop wars we've fought the last 20 years I'm not worried. They are really good at what they do.

 

[LuckyDuck]

At least that's what this article declares.

The US Navy overly relies on electronics and automation, according to the US Naval Institute, and it could be its downfall in a war against a major foe like Russia or China.

US Navy figures have been warning for some time about a lack of fundamental skills that could lead to the US losing its next major sea conflict.

Russia and China both have a strong focus on countering the US's ability to access electronic and automated systems.

"Navigation and seamanship, these are the fundamental capabilities which every surface warfare officer should have, but I suspect if called to war, we'll be required to do a lot more than safely navigate the Singapore strait," US Navy Capt. Kevin Eyer, former skipper of the cruisers Shiloh, Chancellorsville, and Thomas Gates said in December. Eyer was speaking in reference to the USS John McCain's crash with a container ship in the Singapore strait, as Breaking Defense noted at the time.

I wonder if this isn't happening to all of our armed forces. Read more @ The US Navy has abandoned classic sailing skills — and it could lose its next war

Actual "sailing skills" are taught in the Coast Guard, aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Eagle, a masted ship. Basic seamanship (knots, et cetera) is still taught to your average seaman in the U.S. Navy.