US Navy Corruption Levels Put the Third World to Shame
Admirals are so beholden to defense contractors they will choreograph phony trials and accept broken ships anyway
The new carrier Ford has suffered more than its share of problems due to normal shakedown issues plus the stupidity of concurrency. Well known problems include,
- Weapon elevators
- EMALS
- Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG)
- Nuclear propulsion / main turbines
- Dual Band Radar
Most of the problems have been well documented and thoroughly discussed but the propulsion problems are far less understood and far less public so let’s take a closer look at the propulsion problems.
Ford is currently undergoing Post Shakedown Availability (PSA) to correct the various problems identified in trials and sea periods. However, the PSA completion date has been repeatedly extended due in large part to the elevators and propulsion problems.
Problems with the propulsion system are less understood publicly. The problem isn’t resident in the two nuclear reactors aboard but rather the ship’s main turbines generators that are driven by the steam the reactors produce.
… two [of four] of the main turbine generators needed unanticipated and extensive overhauls. As Geurts [Navy acquisition chief James Geurts] told Congress, the ship’s company discovered the problem during sea trials. (1)
The turbine generator repairs are likely related to earlier propulsion issues related to a recent design change which forced the ship to return to port in May 2018. (2)
Here’s a brief timeline of the propulsion problems and the various trials that the ship has undergone:
- Jun 2016 Major turbine problems discovered
- Apr 2017 Builder’s Trials
- May 2017 Acceptance Trials
- May 2017 Delivery
- Jan 2019 Propulsion problem discovered
- May 2019 Propulsion problem forced return to port
Note the ineffectiveness and pointlessness of the trials. The Navy knew about the major turbine issues and yet accepted the ship anyway. Subsequent trials failed to discover the additional propulsion problems. I have one question: What’s the point of trials if we’re going to accept damaged ships anyway and if the trials don’t reveal problems that routine operating does? Trials have become a joke. Since they accomplish nothing, why not just do away with trials and save some money?
The first several LPD-17 ships were accepted with many thousands of hours of incomplete work. The early LCS’es were accepted with incomplete compartments. Zumwalt was accepted with none of its combat systems installed. Ford was accepted with major systems inoperable and compartments incomplete (see, “PartialDelivery – Total Obfuscation” and “Navy To Accept And Commission Damaged Ship”).
Here’s a bit more background on some of the propulsion problems.
A transformer/voltage regulator problem caused main turbine generator failures in Jun 2016.
A serious voltage regulator problem on the carrier’s four main turbine generators (MTGs) has prevented engineers from running the motors up to full power, and only now has the problem been identified and a fix decided upon.
The MTGs are a significant element in the ship’s power generation system – an all-new layout supporting a plant developing at least three times the electrical power of previous carriers.
The problem manifested itself June 12 when a small electrical explosion took place on the No. 2 MTG during testing. Navy sources disagree whether the term “explosion” is appropriate, but two sources familiar with the situation used the reference, one noting that “it was enough of an explosion that debris got into the turbine.” (5)
May 2019 propulsion system problem was found.
This second propulsion issue is unrelated to a previous one identified earlier this year. According to Navy Times, the current issues are related to mechanical failures which prevent steam produced in the ship’s nuclear plant from adequately spinning the ship’s 30-ton propellers. (3)
A propulsion system problem was found during a Jan 2019 at-sea period. The problem may have been a bad bearing.
“During at-sea testing in January, the crew identified one component in the propulsion train was operating outside of design specifications and took action to place the propulsion train in a safe condition,” Bill Couch spokesman for Naval Sea System told Navy Times. (4)
As we’ve seen with the waivers of certifications in the Pacific fleet and the complete lack of enforcement of construction standards, the Navy has totally abandoned any pretense of standards. This is simply unacceptable. Navy leadership should be fired en masse. As they’re so fond of declaring, I have lost confidence in their ability to command.
Source: Navy Matters
(1)USNI News website, “USS Gerald Ford Delivery Delayed Due to Extensive Nuclear Propulsion, Weapons Elevator Repairs; Carrier Won’t be Ready Until October”, Sam LaGrone, 26-Mar-2019, https://news.usni.org/2019/03/26/uss-gerald-ford-delivery-delayed-due-extensive-nuclear-propulsion-weapons-elevator-repairs-carrier-wont-ready-October
(2)Navaltoday website, “Nuclear propulsion system repairs delay USS Gerald R. Ford’s return to fleet”, https://navaltoday.com/2019/03/27/nuclear-propulsion-system-repairs-delay-uss-gerald-r-fords-return-to-fleet/
(3)Navaltoday website, “USS Gerald R Ford returns to port with propulsion issues”, https://navaltoday.com/2018/05/23/uss-gerald-r-ford-returns-to-port-with-propulsion-issues/
(4)Navy Times website, “Why the Navy’s newest aircraft carrier was forced back into port”, Mark Faram, 22-May-2018, https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2018/05/23/why-the-navys-newest-aircraft-carrier-was-forced-back-into-port/
(5)Defense News website, “Carrier Ford Has Serious Power Problem”, Christopher Cavas, 18-Sep-2016, https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2016/09/18/carrier-ford-has-serious-power-problem/
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Just a Decoy anyway. So the enemy wastes a couple of missles to sink a useless hulk. Hope they don’t have too many crew on board. Maybe it can be converted to a drone like the rest of the US Forces. Mindless Drones..
Curious that most civilian merchant and cruise ships use diesel-powered electric drives and run turbines (if at all) only to generate electricity. As an old 1200PSI steam propulsion engineer, turbine drives are inefficient as too much power is lost in reduction gears. This is not a problem for turbines producing electricity – those can run a max efficiency. Some ships use turbines only at high speed. No idea what Ford’s plant looks like. Apparently, Ford is a floating research lab. Great way to piss away tax dollars to the MIC.
Sounds like somebody is getting paid under the table to void the warranty. This should be investigated thats not influences by the ship building company ($), contactors($), government($). ….???….
You pick usa out lol, there are way way worse countries for corruption than USA, another anti west bs story dam you want corruption look rushias way or all the puppets they prop up lol.
sure.. .. like the Divided States of Zionist America …???
poor idiot
Shut up stop stealing RTs bots scripted anti Zionist responses, get ur own.
seems your brain is indeed inflated with hot air only….. you incapable spineless piece of s*it.. ..
It’s nothing to worry about, it’s been like that for at least 40 years. You should have seen the problems on the FFGs – one went to acceptance trials with a stern only partly welded on, and a ton of bog to cover the defect. But the fanboys will deny any problems.
In the latter part of the last century, I Was doing a joint exercise with the South Koreans.
Our battalion was given a parade ground on a ROK Marine base to pitch our tent city.
Our officers, being college educated lost souls, had Alpha Company blade every blade of grass off the field so everything would be pretty and level.
Then the Monsoon rains started.
We wallowed in a pig pin.
Admiral was supposed to come spend the night.
He took one look at the sea of mud, told the command to put up a separate shower tent for him, which he knew they could not, and on the grounds of not getting a separate shower tent, he went to town and got a five star hotel room.
When your Generals and admirals are too good to share the hell of the enlisted men and Jr officers, then they are not generals, but college punk administrators.
Certainly, not Leaders!
Power corrupts…
And it’s no differet with Admirals.
While the Navy has always been a place or corruption and Corporate Group Think, it basically still operated as a somewhat effective Fighting Force.
Enter Clinton with it’s enforcing females and faggots on the Military. Then to make matters worse, enter the Bushie Cabal and ‘Rummies’ “Transformation” – the rest is History.
RIP- US Navy.