Thursday, August 29, 2013

Answers: Sub Questions of the Week 22 AUG 2013






1 Regarding the submarine section shown above:
a) - What do submariners commonly call the section shown?  Answer: Sail or fairwater.
b) - Besides the numberous access plates and inspection ports, what larger item is obviously missing?  Answer: The diving planes.

2 a) - What is/was the nationality of the sub?  Answer: United States Submarine.
   b) - If not for new construction, is the section on the flatbed truck for repair, replacement or another purpose (be specific)?  AnswerParts of nuclear submarine on display in Ohio  (Cold War Memorial).

3 - If the sub was christened, what name was it given?  Answer: USS Cincinnati (SSN-693).  correct answer by (Old Gary  provided this correct answer here).

4 - What high-level civilian is uniquely associated with this sub?   Answer: Former President Richard M. Nixon (in November 1980 with Admiral Hyman Rickover for an overnight familiarization and orientation cruise.)

Submarine Background Notes 
USS Cincinnati (SSN-693) was the only submarine in the Navy with a red engine.

**  USS Cincinnati caught in tug-of-war

Submarines are always silent and strange.

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Sunday, August 25, 2013

Brain Teaser: Obama Presidential Pardon for Maj. Hasan?

Background

If you never heard of this world-famous guy, skip the four remaining paragraphs, it ain't for you.  As an Army Major (and avowed soldier of Allah) Maj. Hasan murdered 13 unarmed people in 2009, at Ft Hood.  While his crime was classified by the administration as "workplace violence",  the particular workplace is subject to federal lawsThe pardon power of the President extends only to offenses cognizable under federal law.

Discussion

Either witlessly or intentionally, moves by the Obama administration have imbedded legacies to erode the nation's ability to recruit from what has been its most prominent base for decades --- among conservatives from the 'flyover' and southern states.

Military principles have been subverted by top-level decisions such as "leading from behind".  Too many motivationally discouraging directives have been heaped upon our military leaders to recite, but consider one from this past Friday's "The Washington Free Beacon""DOD Training Materials [Air Force] Call Conservatives ‘Extremists’"

On August 23, 2013, Hasan was declared guilty on all charges (13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder), and is eligible for the death penalty, with those deliberations to begin August 26, 2013. As to Major Hasan's punishment for conviction of mass homicides in an unarmed workplace, there were numerous delays preventing his speedy and fair trial. Did Hasan come up with all of the delays himself, or had he been coached in order to assure no sentencing until after Obama's possible re-election?  What will be the continuing impact on military recruiting?  Well, could thecontrast in the military service (Basra 1991) and (Fort Hood, 2009) of two Majors (also MDs) have been any greater? 

Predictions

The practically incessant delays (4 years versus 2 for Timothy McVeigh) in Hassan's trial attest to the Obama administration's desire for a final sentence of life imprisonment. Obama commands the U.S. military.  When Obama issues his presidential pardons at the end of his term under Article II, Section 2 of the United States Constitution, whether or not Maj. Hasan receives a pardon (probably for compassionate reasons due to declining health) should clearly indicate whether the administration's demotivating impacts upon the world's finest military had been truly witless or were actually intended all along.   Stayed tuned.

Submarines are always silent and strange.

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Thursday, August 22, 2013

Submarine Questions of the Week 22 AUG 2013

Cropped Photo

 

Questions

1 -  Regarding the submarine section shown above:
1 - a) What do submariners commonly call the section shown?
1 - b) Besides the numberous access plates and inspection ports, what larger item is obviously missing?

2 - a)  What is/was the nationality of the sub?
2  -b)  If not for new construction, is the section on the flatbed truck for repair, replacement or another purpose (be specific)?

3 - If the sub was christened, what name was it given?

4 - What high-level civilian is uniquely associated with this sub?   

Answers:  Wednesday, 28 AUG 2013  (delayed from Monday due to priority of Aug 25th post)

Submarines are always silent and strange.





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Tuesday, August 20, 2013

India naval sources: Clandestine ' DSRV' Missions

Background
Jinxed submarine suffers explosion fatalities and updates.


Statements by India's top naval sources

The Indian Navy has an agreement with the United States navy to rescue stranded survivors in case of a submarine accident in the deeper waters. 

Tuesday’s accident has also triggered an exhaustive review of safety mechanism for on-board on submarines. And questions have been raised over the Indian Navy’s failure to acquire deep submergence rescue vehicle. According to the naval sources, they have been in the process of acquiring it for [a] long[*1*] [time]... The Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle [is] used for rescue of downed submarines and other clandestine missions- DNA India
 

Accidental Revelation?

... The Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle used for rescue of downed submarines and other clandestine missions [emphasis added]- DNA India

**************
Why has India had to wait a long time? see Note 3

What "clandestine missions"?

DSRV Published Facts 

Note 1-
Submarine Rescue Diving and Recompression Systems (SRDRS) replaced the Navy’s two DSRVs, which had both been deactivated by 1 OCT 2008.

Note 2-
According to Navy statements, SRDRS “is a rapidly deployable rescue asset that can be delivered by air or ground, installed on pre-screened military or commercial vessels of opportunity… and mated to a distressed submarine within a 72-hour time to first rescue period.“ 

Note 3-
[T]he third phase of the SRDRS — that will not be delivered until late 2012[*1*] — is the submarine decompression system.  ... The Navy touts the SRDRS as being air transportable and then able to be taken to sea in a variety of pre-designated U.S. and foreign naval and merchant ships.  However, being a surface-based system, the SRDRS is vulnerable to bad weather and rough seas and, of course, could not affect a rescue under Arctic ice. - Norman Polmar [ibid]
 Note 4-
"pre-screened military or commercial vessels of opportunity" ...Well, perhaps you can decide if clandestine missions are part of the mix.  
The Military Sealift Command [MSC] Special Mission Program manages the operation of four chartered ships used for deep submergence support, salvage support, submarine escort/rescue assistance and the Navy's advanced swimmer delivery system. MV Carolyn Chouest and MV Dolores Chouest operate on the Atlantic coast, MV Kellie Chouest operates on the Pacific coast and MV C Commando operates out of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii  SOURCE
 Submarines are always silent and strange.

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Sunday, August 18, 2013

Startling Answer to QOTW 1 AUG 2013


Background (The Bad News) - For years many Americans have been warned that their private financial information has been a target of digital thieves. Many of us also received letters from the VA, our state governments, our financial or retail corporations (or all of the above) advising that our individual data was included in files that had actually been compromised by hacking or laptop theft.

Background (The Good News) - While actually mixed news, it is relatively best for Americans:  What is the street value of individual credit cards from a European country, Canada, and the U.S.?  Answer (NBC News):  $10 for US card, $15 for a Canadian credit card, and $50 for a European credit card. Source (@ 01:34 minute).

Question of the Week  1 August 2013

1.  Why the disparity in street value of stolen credit cards?  The sales prices for stolen credit cards cited by NBC News (1:34 minute video linked above) were average retail prices per card, much higher than typical wholesale prices purchased by other crooks from hackers for $3 and up each in lots of a thousand.   

In this case, however, a single card out of 160 million hacked worldwide by the largest hacking scheme (7 years in duration) so far detected, retails with a U.S. worth of 1/3 less than for a Canadian issued card, which in turn is worth 70% less than a European issued credit card.  The risks of getting away with fraudulent use must be much, much better in Europe than Canada.  Similarly, criminals judge the risk of fraudulent use in Canada better than in the U.S.

Let's rephrase the initial question and ask, Why Is That


Suppose the RCMP's Dudley Do-Right and France's La Sûreté Nationale's Chief Inspector Jacques Clouseau were not only humorous icons of incompetence and bureaucratic red tape, but equally ineffective due to budgetary difficulties in Europe these last 7 years, and to Canada's RCMP understaffing woes.  AnswerSuddenly,  US fraud prevention, detection and jurisprudence combined with the NSA's eavesdropping and Homeland Security's omnipresence represents potent threats that smarter criminal elements want to avoid.

Note:  Several Russian and one Ukranian perpetrated the hack that has cost credit/debit card holders $300 Million, so far.  Financial hacking has become an industry.  The capitalist antedote since 2006 has included education that relatively few members of the public have yet been made aware, and even fewer have qualified:  MBA in Economic Crime and Fraud Management, also available online from Utica College.

Submarines are always silent and strange.

  

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