Over 20 people have been killed after a firefighting system went off during sea trials on board the Nerpa, a nuclear submarine in Russia’s Pacific Fleet. The sub was on a test run in the Sea of Japan with 208 people aboard 81 of whom were servicemen. Submariners and ship builders were killed, the AP reports.
It appears that Russia was leasing Akula II class boats to India recently and I believe it might be this one http://en.rian.ru/russia/20081027/117976941.html provided by the Russian News Agency, RAI Novosti.
“The construction of the Akula II class Nerpa nuclear attack submarine started in 1991 but has been suspended for over a decade due to lack of funding. Akula II class vessels are considered the quietest and deadliest of Russian nuclear-powered attack submarines. The submarine, built under a contract with the Russian Defense Ministry, has been moved from the shipyard in Komsomolsk-on-Amur to a maintenance facility in the Primorye Territory and fitted with all necessary equipment. At present it is undergoing sea trials,” a spokesman for the shipyard told RIA Novosti. Indian media have reported on various occasions that the construction of the submarine was partially financed by the Indian government. India has reportedly paid $650 million for a 10-year lease of the 12,000-ton submarine. Nerpa is expected to join the Indian navy under the designation INS Chakra in the second half of 2009.”
Construction on this hunk of steel was halted for 16 years for lack of funding and then put back together again like Humpty Dumpty. http://en.rian.ru/russia/20081027/117976941.html I am reminded of, why did the Kursk sink? http://www.wps.ru/en/pp/kursk/2002/03/19/1.html The three torpedoes aboard the Kursk had a storage time of which, at the depot had elapsed and detonated early. Sound Familiar?
In 2003, eleven people died on a Russian sub being taken out of service sank in the Barents Sea. Even with this new failure, Russia has seen success. From SEVEROMORSK, October 11 (RIA Novosti) – A Russian submarine has for the first time test launched the Sineva ballistic missile to its maximum range from the Barents Sea to an equatorial part of the Pacific Ocean. The exercise drills involved more than 5,000 military personnel, eight surface ships and five submarines. “The RSM-54 Sineva (NATO designation SS-N-23 Skiff) is a third-generation liquid-propellant intercontinental ballistic missile that entered service with the Russian Navy in July 2007. It has a maximum range of 8,300 km (5,200 miles) and can carry four or 10 nuclear warheads. http://en.rian.ru/russia/20081011/117682147.html
This serious naval accident and other SNAFUs like this, only remind us how unstable nuclear warhead missiles are in the hands of the Russians. Had the explosion resulted in the launch of a nuclear torpedo, millions of people could be dead, accidentally. This “mishap” comes as Russia is trying to restore it’s reputation and demonstrate it’s over all military prowess while Americans have elected a President Obama who projects a decrease in military spending. https://ahrcanum.wordpress.com/2008/10/22/obama-demilitarizes-while-russia-modernizes-missiles/
Russia has been holding joint naval exercises with close U.S. neighbor Venezuela, snubbing America’s Monroe Doctrine http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monroe_Doctrine that was used symbolically when the Soviet Union began building missile launch sites in Cuba.
“Russia displayed its military strength in the Mediterranean yesterday after warships heading to Venezuela passed through the Strait of Gibraltar in the second deployment of Russian naval vessels in the waterway since the Cold War. The nuclear-powered missile cruiser Peter the Great, accompanied by the Admiral Chabanenko, an anti-submarine destroyer, as well as a reconnaissance vessel and a support ship, are destined for a maritime exercise with the Venezuelan navy.” Russia has also moved to intensify contacts with Venezuela, Cuba and other Latin American countries and has signed weapons contracts worth more than $4 billion with Venezuela since 2005 to supply fighter jets, helicopters and 100,000 Kalashnikov AK47 assault rifles. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article4887728.ece
http://www.mnweekly.ru/news/20080926/55348681.html Moscow News outlines Russia’s display of its naval might at America’s doorstep, but notes that the ” Russian Navy’s state will not improve as a result of Moscow’s modified policies. Hopefully, the government will soon start restoring and rearming the Navy because any show of strength will otherwise prove ineffective.”
No one will accuse President Obama of overbearing American supremacy while he reduces America’s might and increases his proposed “civilian national security force.” Obama pledged: “We cannot continue to rely on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives we’ve set. We’ve got to have a civilian national security force that’s just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded.” Obama’s selection of Emanuel, in his book, The Plan: Big Ideas for America, sketches out the same idea on how to “fight against the spread of evil and totalitarianism.” … by expanding the U.S. army by 100,000 more troops,” Emanuel suggests “we must protect our homeland and civil liberties by creating a new domestic counter terrorism force like Britain’s MI5.”
Charles Rangel’s National Service Act, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_National_Service_Act which is languishing before Congress, provides for a universal draft with two years of service for virtually all persons aged 18-42, with no deferment for college. The purpose of Rangel’s bill is seems to reflect Obama’s desires:
“To require all persons in the United States between the ages of 18 and 42 to perform national service, either as a member of the uniformed services or in civilian service in furtherance of the national defense and homeland security . . . .”
Civilian service described in the bill (sec 102(b)):
a civilian capacity that, as determined by the President, promotes the national defense, including national or community service and service related to homeland security.
In more anti-military, environmental whacko, tree hugging jurisprudence, comes this article from http://www.ibdeditorials.com/IBDArticles.aspx?id=284688883235757 , A federal court has restricted the Navy’s use of sonar to defend America. Never mind that missiles fired from enemy submarines will harm the environment more than the sonar used to detect them. The Chinese are adding 2.5 new subs each year to their fleet, and former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says the Chinese may have more subs than we do within a decade.
In the National 3:00 am call that we heard about from Hillary Clinton and others during the pre-election banter, comes this portrayal from the Department of Defense:
“This is the National Military Command Center. We have detected the launches of two ballistic missiles out of Iran with projected impact in New York in less than 25 minutes. Iranian President says he did not order this, it was done by a small radical group which explains our very limited indications and warning. Iranian strategic and regional missile forces have now been ordered to full alert in anticipation of U.S. retaliation. We have notified state and local authorities and are notifying allied governments.
Mr. President, what are your instructions?”
http://www.mda.mil/mdalink/pdf/thirdsite.pdf
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