US won’t cut carrier fleet to fix budget: Panetta

Good news, if true:

Aboard The USS Enterprise: The United States will not cut America’s fleet of 11 aircraft carriers to help trim the budget deficit, Defence Secretary Leon Panetta said on Saturday, citing tensions with Iran as an example of why the massive ships are so critical to national security.

Panetta was addressing about 1,700 sailors headed to the Gulf this spring aboard the USS Enterprise, which after a half-century of service is about to embark on its final tour before being taken offline in November.

We’ll see. There is already a gap between the retirement of the Big ‘E’ and the addition of the USS Gerald R Ford (CVN 78).

Murdoc hasn’t posted much about the Littoral Combat Ships lately, so here’s a link to a good post over at CDR Salamander: LCS: A Global Force for Confusion

Money quote:

We all know that LCS is just a speed-fetish’s version of a large corvette. A slightly armed, sub-optimal corvette at that.

Murdoc was a fan when the LCS was a cheap low manpower multipurpose modular ship that could operate well close to shore. That was a long time ago.

And they make a pretty big target considering their relative lack of punch.

Here’s more from a while back on MO: Critical of the LCS

From Australian Defence Media Operations:

Precautionary suspension of Black Hawk flying operations

Army has temporarily suspended flying operations for the Black Hawk helicopters upon identifying a number of fractured bolts during a routine maintenance check.

Acting Director General Aviation, Colonel Stephen Evans said the suspension, which commenced on 19 January, was to ensure safety and is consistent with Army Operational Airworthiness procedures.

“The precautionary suspension will remain in place to allow an investigation into the cause of the fracture to be completed,” Colonel Evans said.

Three Army Black Hawks are assigned to Joint Task Force 631 in Timor Leste. Emergency aero-medical evacuations for International Stabilisation Force personnel in Timor Leste remain authorised during the temporary suspension.

The Navy Seahawk helicopters differ significantly to the Black Hawk in the affected area, and Seahawk flying operations have not been suspended.

UPDATE (24 Jan 2012): The suspension has been lifted:

The engineering investigation indicated that the defective bolts were confined to a single manufacturer’s batch and were not a fleet wide issue. The defective batch of bolts has been quarantined from use.

Whoa! Murdoc’s on the road and just noticed that today is a Friday the 13th.

Explains a lot.

Headline on Yahoo News:

Navy’s secret weapon against Iran threat
The key to keeping a strategic oil route open may lie not with ships, but a fleet of lovable animals.

Great story. Everybody loves dolphins. Puts a human interest twist on a big issue.

But they’re counting on ships and planes, not Flipper.

Not looking good:

The ship ran aground off the coast of New Zealand in October. They unloaded many of the containers, but a storm this past weekend finished her off.

A full gallery of photos is on Yahoo.

What a mess.

Murdoc has been remiss in not mentioning this sooner:

The Veil War by Stephen Gustav
The Veil is a door between worlds, long closed. One day, it opens. Through the door come creatures half-forgotten, creatures of legend and myth. We feared them once – for a reason. They want blood, dominion, and power. And they have the power to take it.

One company of Marines is trapped in Iraq, pursued and hunted by the invaders. This is their story.

Murdoc’s not very far in, but it’s a good read so far. Nine chapters online already. And it looks like there are plans to keep it churning. This is a great example of web fiction. Free installments, Marines, and goblins. What’s not to love?

I know we’ve got a number of military SF readers here and this could be right up their alley.

Start reading here.

There are also a number of options to subscribe or follow The Veil War on the About page.

Murdoc’s toyed with something like this in the past but never followed through. This has got him thinking again.

Another Michigan link:
West Michigan Army team goes to Afghanistan to engage other women, and win them over

As a mother, Army Sgt. Andrea Yearsoivich treasures home and family.

And as such, she values the chance to lead female soldiers in Afghanistan with a specialized new role: Win hearts and minds, not by firing weapons, but by breaking down cultural barriers that often impede male troops.

“I think it makes absolute sense. It is an amazing opportunity,” said Yearsoivich, 31. The Grand Rapids resident left last week for Afghanistan with other members of the Wyoming-based Michigan National Guard.

Yearsoivich heads a team of six “female engagement” soldiers, tasked to earn the trust of Afghan women and gain information often off-limits to men.

Good stuff, and proud to see some local guardspersons on this important mission.

Longtime readers may recall a 2006 interview Murdoc had with Jannelle Zalkovsky, a soldier who was on a similar mission in Iraq.

Heh. “Guardspersons.”

Private security firm hired to guard Michigan’s National Guard bases and facilities

The state has hired a West Michigan-based private security firm to protect six of its National Guard and Air National Guard bases and facilities.

In a 5-year, $15 million contract, DK Security will provide armed security services at six military installations around the state.

The facilities include Camp Grayling, Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Battle Creek Air National Guard Base, Ft. Custer Training Center, Joint Forces Headquarters and Grand Ledge Army National Guard Base.

Reminds Murdoc of

Obama’s Surrender of Afghanistan Continues Apace?

So let’s get this straight: we agree to release key Taliban leaders from Gitmo, and the Taliban “reciprocates” not by releasing the one American they hold hostage, but by agreeing to “open a political office…in Qatar?” Wow, what a sacrifice! So basically, what is happening here is that Barack Obama is begging the Taliban to do business with him.

Murdoc’s got some strong issues with what our goals in Afghanistan are, how we’re going to accomplish them, and what a “victory” there would look like. But that doesn’t mean he favors surrender.