On Patrol in the Gulf
No, this isn’t “Navy week” here at TAH. Well, not unless Jonn forgot to send me a copy of the memo. (smile) But this is indeed another nautically-themed article.
Today our Navy rules the sea. But lest we forget: we’re not the only country with competent and capable naval forces. Our Navy is damned good – but it’s not omnipotent, nor is it omniscient. Any Navy has its limitations. And sometimes the other guy is, well, just plain good.
Recently, the Russian Navy apparently decided to remind us they exist. They sent naval forces into the Gulf.
As in, “the Gulf of Mexico”.
No, I didn’t hear about it at the time. That was by design on the part of the Russians. The force they sent to the Gulf reportedly consisted of an Akula-class submarine.
The Akula apparently was not detected while on patrol in the Gulf of Mexico. It’s reputed to have operated there, without detection, for about a month.
An Akula can reportedly carry cruise missiles – the SS-N-21 and the SS-N-27 – with the former having a range of just under 1,900 miles. Though currently barred from a nuclear role by START-2, that missile is also capable of delivering a 200kT nuclear warhead.
All of CONUS except for the extreme Pacific Northwest is less than 1,900 miles away from Galveston, TX.
I have to say I find this a bit disconcerting. Because history has repeatedly demonstrated – and sometimes taught us the hard way, like in 1941, 1950, 1968, and 2001 – the high cost of being complacent and ignoring potential threats.
And I can’t see how defense cuts proposed for the next few years will improve the situation, either.
Category: Defense cuts, Military issues
It’s also very possible that we are claiming to have not known or detected them. Never good to allow our full capabilities to be on display. Then again it could have just been a damn good sub driver.
Considering the fact that the Russians are looking to sell some of these subs to India and even not-so-friendly nations in South America, I think you could call this a sales pitch.
Hondo…Totally off topic…I saw an inquiry you made on another site…and the blog owner wasn’t so nice to you. I figure we’re all on the same side, no? Holding a POS’s feet to the fire is the main objective and I failed to understand the anger that came across to you especially since you were
OOps…polite.
Oh, that’s an easy one Hondo, defense cuts will work because the anointed one is getting all world leaders into a great big group hug so we can all be the bestest of friends, and ride our unicorns to the chocolate river together. Right? Am I right? Oh shit, wait a minute…
DefendUSA: which blog? Don’t recall doing that, but memory is never perfect.
As a Marine, I love busting the Navy’s chops but I won’t believe they didn’t know those commie rat bastages were there. With all their sonar and radar and whatever other “ar’s” they have, they had to have known who was out there and what they were up to.
Hondo, step away from the mouse. The nurse will be by with your pudding in just a minute.
Yat Yas 1833: with all due civility, you are cordially invited go get bent, compadre. (smile)
Hondo! LMFAO!!! With your permission, I will head to the corner and assume the so directed position!: )
Certainly, amigo.
I may be gettin’ old, but I’m pretty sure I’m not brain-dead – yet. And gettin’ old still beats the alternative. (smile)
Hondo, C’mon bro! You’re gonna make me choke on my bran flakes! (LOL) I’m to the point where I have to write myself reminder notes!?!
Clay, Russia selling military equipment to India is nothing new or different. India has been Russia’s major weapons customer for years.
It is interesting to note that Russia’s naval capabilities are in crappy shape. So bad, that despite their stated #1 priority being their SNF, they’re only spending 10 percent of their $700 billion state armaments program on their nukes. 25 percent is going to naval modernization.
While I’m concerned about this article, IF we did not know, that says more about our capabilities than it does theirs. Their Navy is no match for ours.
I can’t see how defense cuts proposed for the next few years will improve the situation, either.
There it is…
Ahhh, I knew I wasn’t going nuts. I have been hearing a lot of encrypted signals from further south and when I shot an azimuth from my homebrew antenna I was getting USN and USCG signals about 20 miles NNE of Brownsville. I wrote it up on my blog yesterday in a post about some IED arrests.
http://txfellowship.blogspot.com/2012/08/ieds-on-our-southern-border.html
I also have heard USCG requesting translators down in that area also over the last 5 months. Haven’t heard the language they are requesting a translator for, but most CG boats down here already have bi or multi lingual crews so a spanish translator wouldn’t be necessary.
Hondo–Chromed Curses…in regard to some FOIA on another soldier.
DefendUSA: OK. Yeah that was indeed me – and it was a while ago, so I’d also forgotten the incident.
Some people just don’t like to share, I guess. Perhaps they prefer maintaining an air of smug superiority vice helping expose jackasses for what they are. Or maybe they just like being selfish and telling people “no” for no good reason simply because they can. I never understood either mindset, but it’s a free country.
Personally, I’d rather see a jackass exposed so they can receive the ridicule they deserve, even if someone else gets the credit. Whatever.
@Hondo, maybe we haven’t heard anything in the media about it yet because no one in a position of so-called importance in the DC area wants to ruffle feathers.
When I was in Photo “A” school at Pensacola, I went out on into the Gulf on a fishing boat with some friends. The Lexington passed us about a quarter mile away, running landing drills for the AVCADs in their T4 trainers. I asked one of the guys if it was possible for a for a Soviet sub to sneak into the Gulf of Mexico that close to US soil, about five miles offshore. He said he didn’t think so, but that was in 1967 and the Navy blockade of Cuba was only a few years in the past. He wasn’t a sonar tech, though, so when I ran into one and asked him, he said it could happen but the sub would be picked up and pinged on sonar.
Things are different now. And besides, if you’re busy running a campaign for another slacker term in office, would you really want people finding out about a Russian sub noodling for catfish in the Gulf?
Hey, Mark, I’m glad you posted the link to your blog.
As one of the resident former submariners, Bill Gertz is a histrionic tool.
They might not have shadowed the Akula, but you can bet your ass there are assets available to the Navy and DoD that we know they’re there.
Was Kelsey Grammer driving that sub, by any chance?
The acronym “SOSUS” came to mind, so I looked it up:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SOSUS
I noticed that the map of the initial deployment of sensors shows that some were laid in the area from South Florida, across the gap between Florida and Cuba, and a bit farther south.
This was also interesting reading:
http://www.navy.mil/navydata/cno/n87/usw/issue_25/sosus.htm
Have to wonder if the Russkie sub got past sensors that are there and working, or sensors that were either removed or are in a “standby” status of some kind.
@Ex-PH2: I’ve been hearing some really weird things on my scanner and my SW receiver. I really need to get off my butt and build a DF loop for my SW radio so I can try to narrow down some of what I’m hearing, every once in awhile I’ll get something in the clear, like when they asked for a translator, otherwise it’s all encrypted. My AO is about 40 miles North of NAS-CC. I been mostly concerned about the narco-subs, my rumor source said they recovered/rescued the crew of one about 50 miles NNE of Brownsville and one of them set off a radiation detector. They told me they haven’t heard anything else about it. I was thinking black helicopter garbage, but since I had picked up a used UHF base antenna, I figured I’d experiment a bit. I was picking up a LOT of encrypted traffic. Figured something was up so I’ve kept listening. And that’s my story.
Thank you, Mark.
Here’s my conspiracy theory story: The newspapers aren’t carrying a story about this because the Navy and the Coast Guard agreed to NOT notify the WH about it, so there is nothing to leak to the press.
How does that sound? Gotta have some fun. 😉
@Ex-PH2 Ahhh that actually makes sense, and from some of the Coasties I’ve run into down here, it’s entirely possible. They won’t talk “In Uniform” but in civies they will say a few things, especially if you buy them a pitcher of Miller Genuine Draft as a thank you for their service. I really need to start cultivating more drinking friends. Especially as I don’t drink, I just go to play pool and talk fishing.
@Mark, if you do so, ask them if they found that Coke bottle I dropped overboard in the Gulf 2 degrees southeast of NAS Pensacola, 5 or 6 miles out in August 1967. I put a deposit on it and I never got it back. Probably worth at least ten cents now.
The Russians have been doing this for years.
It should not be news. Now, if it were the Mongolians or the Vatican….