Newfie wrote:Tanada,
While all you say is true it misses the point.
That point being that the vessel was not maintained in a sea worthy state, broken equipment. It’s Captain and deck crew did not understand or adhere the fundamentals of navigation, more than doubling the normal speed and not obeying sea lanes. Standard operating procedures denied it the ability to use its most valuable asset in those conditions, not turning on AIS. The crew was over worked and fatigued, routine 20 hour wordays.
The design and intent of the AB is not in question. The point is that these expensive and complex pieces of equipment are being allowed to degrade through persistent long term equipment failure and the crew is not diligent and the command structure has not effect adequate management to correct these wrongs.
It’s not the ship; it’s the management. Appearances are they are only successful in set piece engagements in a no threat situation.
Unfortunately once can look across the Navy and find other similar incidents of mismanagement, particularly in procurement. But the other two AB incidents had similar characeristics. Broken or misused or unused systems, incompent staff, and failed procedures.
In short, the Navy is a mess, an expensive mess.
Indeed, much like the nearly worshiped President Carter the recently departed President Obama did not like the military and funding was at unprecedented lows for seven of his eight years in office. The Carriers were reporting in 2016 to have squadrons of aircraft at half strength for lack of spare parts and even training missions were severely curtailed. It wasn't just the navy or just the aircraft either, the US Army has a lot of expensive equipment that also lacked spare parts and don't even look at the USAF unless you want to get really ticked off. Twice in modern history the US Military qualified for its spouses and children to receive food assistance, care to guess which times that was?
If you are going to blame leadership you have to do a top down review, not bottom up. Poor leadership at the top is like rot, it spreads down layer by layer until the whole organization is listless and dying, or at least ineffective.