US navy ship collides, 7 missing

[Razgovory]

I find this totally unbelievable.  These are ships run by highly trained professionals, with state-of-the-art equipment.  Yet time and again they can't seem to do basic navigation right.  What gives?

I don't think that all the ships are run by highly trained professionals with state-of-the-art equipment.

[Crazy_Ivan80]

I find this totally unbelievable.  These are ships run by highly trained professionals, with state-of-the-art equipment.  Yet time and again they can't seem to do basic navigation right.  What gives?

probably the chinese navy dropping prefab islands all over the place. You know how your government is :p

[grumbler]

Turns out it wasn't in the Straits of Malacca, but rather in the more shallow waters to the east of the Strait.  McCain appears to have turned to starboard (the required move) and left the channel to avoid the collision, but the tanker was also outside the shipping lanes.  No one wants to be the OOD when something like this happens, but I'd rather be the OOD on McCain than the one on Fitzgerald.

If the stories I am being told are true, the company owning the tanker that struck the McCain are fucked.

[CountDeMoney]

Is it me, or does that hole in the McCain look exactly like a tanker's bulbous bow would fit in it?

[viper37]

Is it me, or does that hole in the McCain look exactly like a tanker's bulbous bow would fit in it?

Let's submit the image for analysis by our resident expert, Mr Grumbler, retired US Navy, 1785

[CountDeMoney]

The US Navy:  the greatest danger to world peace since the invention of the Chinese jet pilot

US ignores its warships pose major threat to other vessels: China Daily editorial
By China Daily
Updated:August 28, 2017

In an apparent bid to quell Western concerns over a series of accidents involving US naval vessels, General Terrence O'Shaughnessy, the US Pacific Air Forces commander, insisted the US "freedom of navigation" operations in the South China Sea have not suffered a setback and the US military will continue them to combat China's territorial claims.

These remarks expose the US' hegemonic mentality: Never admit you have done something wrong, put the blame on others.

The USS John S. McCain was the latest US vessel to collide — with a tanker off Singapore on Aug 21 — in what was the fourth accident involving a US naval warship in the Pacific this year. Media reports said the 10 missing sailors were confirmed dead after their bodies were found on Monday. Together with the collision of the USS Fitzgerald in mid-June, which left seven US sailors dead, the US Navy has lost 17 personnel, compared with the 11 US soldiers killed in Afghanistan so far this year.

Judging by these figures alone, what the US claims to be "freedom of navigation" operations for peaceful purposes have become far more dangerous for the US military than fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan. The US should rethink its "freedom of navigation" policy for the safety of its military personnel, if not for anything else.

Yet O'Shaughnessy's remarks show the United States prefers to stick to its hegemonic mentality.

The Barack Obama administration ordered several "freedom of navigation" operations in the South China Sea, using the maritime disputes involving China and some Southeast Asian countries as an excuse to interfere in regional affairs. The Donald Trump administration is continuing that practice, perhaps because it perceives the so-called freedom of navigation operations as a major US strategy to check China's influence in the region. But the reckless behavior of US naval vessel commanders have helped people to see through the US' dangerous strategic games.

Instead of defending the so-called freedom of navigation, US naval vessels sailing in the South China Sea have become moving threats to other ships. And their frequent and unannounced presence in the waters should make the international community realize it is the US Navy that is militarizing the waters.

But instead of urging the US to rethink its strategy, some Western journalists have hinted that cyberattacks, orchestrated by China, could have led to the accidents involving the US warships. Are these journalists trying to prevent the US Navy from thoroughly investigating the accidents because they fear that it would reveal the dirty truths?

And if the US believes in such preposterous ideas, its naval vessels will continue to pose a threat to not only other ships but also its own military personnel.

[11B4V]

Ching chong jealousy

[Jacob]

Ching chong jealousy

China Daily wishes it has the pull Russia Times does.

[CountDeMoney]

China Daily wishes it has the pull Russia Times does.

It's only getting going, you know.  Not to mention so many more targets much closer to its heart.  Personally, I find it so much more interesting to read.

Japanese PM Celebrates Birthday, Fails to Acknowledge Nation's War Crimes

[Jacob]

China Daily wishes it has the pull Russia Times does.

It's only getting going, you know.  Not to mention so many more targets much closer to its heart.  Personally, I find it so much more interesting to read.

Japanese PM Celebrates Birthday, Fails to Acknowledge Nation's War Crimes

I was thinking - there's probably a significant profit opportunity for the slightly traitorously inclined American to replicate the Infowars/ conspiracy-sphere intake of foreign manufactured agitprop from Chinese sources rather than Russian ones.

[Ed Anger]

When I still had Time Warner, I blocked CCTV from my TV. No commie shit in my household!

[Habbaku]

Too soon?

https://www.duffelblog.com/2017/08/navy-destroyer-collides-with-building-in-downtown-houston/

HOUSTON — As if the city of Houston hasn't seen enough tragedy due to catastrophic flooding from Hurricane Harvey, things took a turn for the worse today after a U.S. Navy ship collided with a building in the downtown area.

The ship was identified as an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer belonging to the Navy's 7th Fleet.

It was unclear why the destroyer was not able to see the building and take evasive action, or why it was over 20 miles inland and trying to navigate through a major metropolitan area.

"I had climbed up on my roof due to dem risin' flood waters, when I saw a big ship sailin' down the street," said Georgia Brown, a resident who witnessed the incident. "I says to myself 'Oh Lawdy, someone's done come to rescue us!' and then it sails right past my house and smack straight into that yonder building."

This marks the fifth collision incident this summer for destroyers from the Navy's beleaguered 7th Fleet, following incidents involving the USS Fitzgerald, USS John S. McCain, and the USS Ted Kennedy.

The Navy declined to comment on the cause of the collision, citing an ongoing investigation, although it did say the captain had been promptly relieved of his command.

Despite reticence from the Navy, a senior defense official speculated the ship had likely veered off course from its patrol route in the South China Sea.

Navy officials say they are planning a number of PowerPoint trainings related to urban maritime navigation.

[11B4V]

Not for Languish

[Eddie Teach]

"I had climbed up on my roof due to dem risin' flood waters, when I saw a big ship sailin' down the street," said Georgia Brown, a resident who witnessed the incident. "I says to myself 'Oh Lawdy, someone's done come to rescue us!' and then it sails right past my house and smack straight into that yonder building."

Sweet!

[viper37]

Since we're talking about the McCain here, here's some changes the Navy is making to ensure this does not happen again, or at least, reduces the risks:
US Navy ditching touchscreens for physical throttles

Apparently, sailors are still confused by the touchscreens used on the new/refitted destroyers and clamoring to have their physical controls back.

I don't know enough about the subject, but I tend to suspect the problem lies more with badly designed tech than flawed tech in itsefl.  But I'm not the one driving these monstrous dangers to world peace    so I'll let the sailors decide what's best for them.