Just got a heads up word that it seems the US Navy dropped funding for building the new tankers to replace the present single hulled T-AO fleet of Msc tankers. What this means is:
A) get a commercial company to build them. If this is the case they will also contract the operation of them ( ie: no more civmars)
B) have a commercial company with a double hull ship come into port, top off then head out to the Msc tanker on station and console. This would mean days and days at sea for the Msc crew with little to no port time. Can you imagine the problems being offshore Singapore for weeks and months and cannot get the crew in for booze and babes?
But then the “other US Navy” continues to build untra high end warships to combat an enemy that doesn’t exist!
Another $1.82 billion for second and third Zumwalt class destroyers
General Dynamics Bath Iron Works shipyard, Bath, Maine, is being awarded a $1,825,665,914 fixed-price-incentive contract for the construction of Zumwalt-class destroyers DDG 1001 and DDG 1002. The contract includes options, which, if exercised, would bring its cumulative value to $2,002,000,000. The ships are the second and third of the Zumwalt-class program.
[QUOTE=Xmsccapt(ret);55335]Just got a heads up word that it seems the US Navy dropped funding for building the new tankers to replace the present single hulled T-AO fleet of Msc tankers. What this means is:
A) get a commercial company to build them. If this is the case they will also contract the operation of them ( ie: no more civmars)
B) have a commercial company with a double hull ship come into port, top off then head out to the Msc tanker on station and console. This would mean days and days at sea for the Msc crew with little to no port time. Can you imagine the problems being offshore Singapore for weeks and months and cannot get the crew in for booze and babes?
Either case is a mess for the civmar. Sad…[/QUOTE]
Good point, nothing is ever a given. However this is the way things seem to be leaning ( from those that know more than I about it). Perhaps something along the lines of " if we build them, then we are going with union crews". A stipulation? Not sure. In the past DC has been very concerned about NWR ( naval war reserve) assets being DoD employees, but that could change with the money crunch ASAP. ( also if awarded when the democrats are in office a pay off to the unions? ) politics? All remains to be seen.