American expert declares the crisis in the US Navy - the largest since the Second World War
The US Navy is "drifting in hostile waters." The naval forces will have to solve the most serious problems since the Second World War - but the US Navy is not ready for this. Steve Cohen, a former member of the Board of Directors of the US Naval Institute, discusses the illnesses that have hit the world's most powerful navy.
China is building up its naval fist at an impressive pace, threatening Taiwan. Russia raises its head and seeks to declare the melting polar waters its own. Where is America's leadership voice, and what is the military and political leadership doing? According to the observer, the American navy is shackled with outdated ideas about strategy and tactics, and American admirals behave like characters in the old gangster comedy The Gang That Couldn't Shoot.
From short-sighted planning to basic personnel training, traces of long-term degradation can be seen in the US Navy everywhere. Cohen is convinced of this The most egregious examples are the 2017 incidents of warships with civilian ships in the Pacific Ocean. In addition to causing damage to the destroyers, a total of 17 sailors were killed. According to the results of the investigation, it turned out that the causes of the tragic incidents lie in the insufficient qualifications of the understaffed crews working in the overload mode. It indicates a series of fires on warships, in one of the cases the UDC was lost.
Steve Cohen is not alone in his alarmist sentiments. Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton recently launched a separate investigation, which led to the public finding that the US Navy "pervades a paralyzing zero defect mentality." The problem is a systematic lack of attention to daily needs fleet against the backdrop of exorbitant demands on the Navy. Officers are afraid to take the initiative and take an extra step, fearing to be held accountable for the decisions they make - because in the event of a mistake, there is a high risk of saying goodbye to their careers.
Senator Cotton's investigation states that if such a culture existed during World War II, America's greatest admirals (Chester Nimitz, Ernest King, William Leahy and William Halsey "would never have risen above the rank of captain" victories.
The workload on the navy increased sharply even during the operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Naval aviation as part of supporting ground campaigns, it worked for wear and tear. By now, the "understaffed and overloaded" (according to Cohen) American fleet is facing the consequences of inadequate funding. Moreover, it is still not clear what actions the command intends to be guided by until 2023 - there are no specific plans. No one can say where and what ships of the Navy will be needed to fulfill current and future missions.
The Navy currently has two variations of the littoral combat ship (LCS) design. But the concept of using flexible offshore platforms with plug-and-play modules is still more of a “strategy on paper”. At the same time, for the sake of a new generation of frigates, ships that have barely served half of their 20-year service life are being retired. Steve Cohen is convinced that it is imperative for management not only to admit mistakes that are costly, but also to prevent this vicious practice - in order to save "both lives and dollars."
The expert shows the inadequacy of the management of financial resources using an example stories with the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford. The ship was promised to be launched back in 2018 - now the terms of acceptance into the fleet have been postponed to 2024, and even with an additional payment of billions of dollars on top of the initial cost. Although in comparison with the increase in the cost of the F-35 fighter project to a trillion dollars, the updated estimate of the aircraft carrier looks like a trifle.
But even more paradoxical is the intention of the naval leadership to save money on infrastructure facilities of naval bases that are not directly related to military functionality. Some libraries and 48 car dealerships fall under liquidation, gyms and swimming pools are reducing the operating hours. This will save $ 280 million. The amount is considerable - but how will it save the situation, taking into account the already known multibillion-dollar overpayments?
Steve Cohen believes that such a policy negatively affects the morale of naval officers. Thus, the authorities seem to make it clear: the personnel backbone today is of insufficient importance in order to "deserve a table for table tennis." This is how people who want to serve the interests of their country perceive signals from above.
People in the navy, according to Steve Cohen, should have full conditions without compromising moral and mental health. Otherwise, the service turns into drinking and tattooing.
In the United States, it is stated that the Navy is struck by a crisis - the largest since the Second World War.
The author of the alarming review demands increased accountability for leadership failures. American naval officers today are at risk of losing their jobs simply because of lack of confidence in their ability to command. However, there is no more serious offense than surrendering the people for whom you are responsible. Therefore, the US Navy needs a "clean deck" and thoughtful policies that respect tradition.
- Nikolay Stalnov
- Official US Navy account twitter.com/USNavy
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