Article

2012-01-18 Science & Technology

Navys New Minehunter Cant See or Stop Mines

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Posted by Anonymoose 2012-01-18 20:31|| || Front Page|| [1 views ] Top

#1 America has forgotten that mine hunting is hard...

America has forgotten many things which have to be relearned by people dying. It does this every 20-30 years or so.

Mine detectors of the future are just begging to be USDs (Unmanned Surface Drones). Perfect for cheaper and somewhat expendable robotic craft that patrol the sea lanes for mines and if they are sunk it isn't a huge loss for the Navy. Hell, they could even have mini-drones that peel off the USD and Kamikaze into the mine to destroy it.

Seriously, why the fuck is the Navy still trying to make a modern version of the WWII mine sweeper that can't actually sweep mines?

Posted by DarthVader 2012-01-18 21:37|| 2012-01-18 21:37|| Front Page Top

#2 Actually, it can. I remembered Murphy's laws of combat.

Any ship can be a minesweeper... once.

Posted by DarthVader 2012-01-18 21:39|| 2012-01-18 21:39|| Front Page Top

#3 That deficiency, if uncorrected, will "adversely affect the operational effectiveness" of a ship that's already "not expected to be survivable in a hostile combat environment."

Hmmmmmm...I think I've found a possible problem here.

Posted by tu3031 2012-01-18 21:43|| 2012-01-18 21:43|| Front Page Top

#4 They spent everything on making the hull go 40 knots that they forgot to spend on the actual systems.

Posted by Thing From Snowy Mountain 2012-01-18 21:50|| 2012-01-18 21:50|| Front Page Top

#5 As I understand it, the LCS is also supposed to be relatively stealthy. Unfortunately,mines don't use radar.

Posted by Rambler in Virginia 2012-01-18 22:05|| 2012-01-18 22:05|| Front Page Top

#6 UW Mines per se in future could very well be Drones themselves, or in the alternate serve as static or mobile carriers which can fire cheap VHE drones + torpedoes as well as be employed as dedicated mines.

Posted by JosephMendiola 2012-01-18 22:23|| 2012-01-18 22:23|| Front Page Top

#7 USS Magoo?

Posted by Muggsy Johnson7466 2012-01-18 22:23|| 2012-01-18 22:23|| Front Page Top

#8 The USN trades/crafts skilled knowledge-base folks have done their bit, and are retiring.

The new crop of engineers, of almost any discipline, obviously try very hard and get things done.
However, IMHO, due to their dumbed-down curricula in many ways; they struggle to attain the "nuts "n bolts" gut intuition that their predecessors had.
Our latest, technically advanced multi-function hand-held devices, are so astoundingly fast, integrated, powerful and open-ended, that many become self-satisfied; yet wary of the next giant tech leap forward.

Posted by Bugs Glomoque3110 2012-01-18 22:50|| 2012-01-18 22:50|| Front Page Top

#9 UW Mines per se in future could very well be Drones themselves

Only if the target is submarines or other high vale targets.

Mines are a poor country's naval weapon and a richer country's area denial weapon. They're cheap, plentiful, hide easily and in tiny amounts, drive your opponents nucking futz having to tie up assets to find and neutralize them.

Mine hunting is slow, dangerous work. Think of walking through a dark warehouse in your stocking feet, with welding goggles on, a penlight in your hand, and you're trying to find a raw egg on the floor without stepping on it.

The Navy got this brilliant idea that you can do stand-off mine countermeasures and not have to build a specialized ship. So instead you tie up a multimillion-dollar ship that can be better used doing other things.

Posted by Pappy 2012-01-18 23:16|| 2012-01-18 23:16|| Front Page Top

#10 However, IMHO, due to their dumbed-down curricula in many ways

Mr. Wife disagrees, Bugs Glomoque3110, based in his own experience as a Chem.E. hiring and managing young engineers to do R&D and other things (the engineering training in problem solving is very useful far beyond the formal applications of the education). It's his opinion (I just asked him) that it's always been during the first five years of work experience that the kids come to understand how to apply what they learnt in school, and in every generation the old hands grumbled at the ignorance of the young whippersnappers.

Posted by trailing wife 2012-01-18 23:31|| 2012-01-18 23:31|| Front Page Top

#11 That's why there is an Engineering-In-Training requirement before sitting for an Engineering License exam.

Posted by tipover 2012-01-18 23:49|| 2012-01-18 23:49|| Front Page Top

23:49 tipover
23:47 newc
23:46 JosephMendiola
23:31 trailing wife
23:31 JosephMendiola
23:18 Pappy
23:16 Pappy
23:14 Bugs Glomoque3110
23:08 bigjim-CA
23:03 Pappy
23:00 Bugs Glomoque3110
22:50 trailing wife
22:50 Bugs Glomoque3110
22:48 Super Hose
22:37 Super Hose
22:36 Super Hose
22:23 Muggsy Johnson7466
22:23 JosephMendiola
22:18 Super Hose
22:15 JosephMendiola
22:05 Rambler in Virginia
21:50 Thing From Snowy Mountain
21:47 tu3031
21:45 Bugs Glomoque3110