US Navy to allow women sailors to serve on subs

Seems US submarines will be in for a great overhaul, particulary on the privy front. Women sailors are expected to join sub crews as early as next year.

From The Navy Times

MCSN Joshua Martin / Navy Female Naval Academy and NROTC midshipmen have spent time aboard submarines, getting a taste of undersea life. Women commissioned after graduation in 2010 could be among the first assigned to subs.

Pentagon announces end of ban on women on subs

By Philip Ewing - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Feb 23, 2010 19:14:07 EST

The Pentagon on Monday notified Congress that women will be able to join submarine crews within 30 legislative working days, making good on the wishes of top Navy commanders announced last fall.

As required by law, Defense Secretary Robert Gates sent a letter to legislative leaders announcing the Navy’s plan to lift its ban on female submariners, giving the House and Senate time to absorb the decision and, if members want, to take action. Congress can pass a law forbidding integration, requiring the Navy to wait or perform a study. If it does nothing, as expected, the ban will expire around the end of April.

Technically, the Defense Department needs to give Congress time to absorb the policy change before it can spend money to accommodate women, Gates wrote, according to a copy of his letter obtained by Navy Times.

“The Department of the Navy recently concluded a further review of this matter and has determined it is ready to implement policy changes to support a phased approach to the assignment of women to submarines. No funds to reconfigure submarines to accommodate female crew members will be expended until the Department of the Navy provides its plan to the Department of Defense and Congress. The Department of the Navy stands ready to present the phased approach plan to Congress.”

1st women

According to the Navy’s initial plans last year, the first women on submarines will likely be nuclear-qualified supply and surface lieutenants already in the fleet, who will join the crews of Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines by late 2011.

Related news: • Female sailors could join sub crews by 2011
Source link: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2010/02/navy_women_subs_022310w/

Reminds me of the time [1996] when a friend of mine who was flag officer in command of a navy in the Far East had the task of modernising the country's navy that included deploying women sailors to serve and fight alongside their male colleagues. Until then, women working in the navy held staff position on land but the nation's laws called for reorganising and modernising the navy by including women sailors onboard, i.e., to do naval combat duties.

Well, he didn't quite like the idea of refurbishing his ships to include women WCs (that was his initial reaction.) But the law compelled him to do something. He simplified the re-organising by setting up an all-female ship crew, under a female officer but limited them to working under support and logistics command.

When I asked him, why so? Why not allow women to serve on ship alongside their male colleagues. Either that or let the all-female ship fight alongside the all-male ships? He sheepishly said, "They want to deploy? Well, I'm deploying them. They have their ship now, they should be happy!" Actually, he told me later on that that he wanted to limit the risk of promiscuity. His ships after all weren't aircraft carriers.

I wasn't actually gobsmacked. My friend was one of those old school navy men who was educated in the US navy when navy men deployed to fight and women remained behind on dry land. But in the end it worked. well Twelve years on, and still doing support and logistics tasks, the all female crew ship has consistently boasted of possessing great navy work record and often better than their all-male counterpart doing the same job.

Subs are quite a different "kettle of fish." Inevitably, to limit potential "promiscuity" problems, eg., "hot bunking," bathrooms, etc., female and male quarters need to be built. The US Navy has a lot of money and can do required refurbishments on subs to accomodate women sailors. Except that subs are much constrained by space -- does that mean that US Navy will now design new subs to suit this new requirement?

From hereon, be prepared to hear the following order: ALL MANICURED HANDS MAN YOUR BATTLE STATIONS!

Crossposted in hillblogger3.

Northrop Grumman delivers New Mexico

Came across this submarine news which I'm cross-posting from an unusual source: ALGERIE DEFENSE

Northrop Grumman Delivers New Mexico Submarine Ahead of Schedule in Record Time

NEWPORT NEWS, Va., Dec. 29, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) delivered the sixth submarine of the Virginia class, New Mexico (SSN 779), to the U.S. Navy today, four months ahead of schedule. New Mexico’s 70-month construction period represents the shortest overall construction time of any Virginia-class submarine.

« New Mexico’s delivery is a reflection of the commitment, dedication and hard work of the shipbuilders at Newport News, our Electric Boat partners and the Navy, » said Becky Stewart, vice president for Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding’s submarine program. « We delivered her in record time, using one million fewer man-hours than her predecessor USS North Carolina (SSN 777). Our shipbuilders are focused on meeting safety, quality, cost and schedule commitments. The progress we’ve made in the Virginia-class submarine program demonstrates their personal ownership in building the finest submarines in the world. »

The keel for New Mexico was authenticated April 12, 2008, and the ship was christened on Dec. 13, 2008. New Mexico, named for « The Land of Enchantment, » is the most modern and sophisticated attack submarine in the world, providing undersea supremacy well into the 21st century.

Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding is teamed with General Dynamics Electric Boat to build the first 18 ships of the Virginia class. Current plans call for 30 Virginia-class submarines in the fleet. Using millions of parts from over 4,000 suppliers in 47 states and the District of Columbia, Virginia-class submarines incorporate dozens of new technologies and innovations and are the first major combatants designed with the post-Cold War security environment in mind.

For more information about the New Mexico, please visit http://www.sb.northropgrumman.com/vcs/.

Northrop Grumman Corporation is a leading global security company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, shipbuilding and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide.

CONTACT: Jennifer Dellapenta
Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding
(757) 380-3558
Jennifer.Dellapenta@ngc.com

A photo accompanying this release is available at: http://media.globenewswire.com/noc/mediagallery.html?pkgid=6948

To view video of commissioning of USS NEW MEXICO, click here.

May Day! May Day! What are you zinking...?

Leonardo Da Vinci, William Bourne and Cornelius Van Drebbel

Some good read...

A very European venture: Invention of the submarine

Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) made sketches of a submarine and William Bourne, a British mathematician, drew plans for a submarine in 1578. But it was only in 1620 that Cornelius van Drebbel, a Dutch inventor, managed to build a submarine. He wrapped a wooden rowboat tightly in waterproofed leather and had air tubes with floats to the surface to provide oxygen. Of course, there were no engines yet, so the oars went through the hull at leather gaskets. He took the first trip with 12 oarsmen in the Thames River – staying submerged for 3 hours.

About Leonardo da Vinci:

Hydraulics

da Vinci's extensive work in the study of hydraulics was focused on the canals of the Arno and Lombardy regions. It is suggested that he probably invented the hydrometer, a device widely used to measure the gravity or density of a liquid.

How New Jersey Saved Civilization: the first modern submarine

By Vicki Hyman/The Star-Ledger

February 08, 2010, 12:48AM

The long journey in the development of the submarine, from Leonardo da Vinci’s 16th-century sketches to the first modern vessel commissioned by the U.S. Navy 300 years later, is checkered with international intrigue, spectacular failures and mishaps that would be laughable had they not on occasion been fatal.

The first rudimentary submarine — a wooden rowboat wrapped in waterproof leather with air tubes leading to the surface — managed to stay submerged in the River Thames for three hours in 1620.

During the Revolutionary War, an American built a one-man model called the Turtle, which was to attach charges of gunpowder to the hulls of British ships. On its maiden voyage, it was towed out to sea, but the tide swept it past the warship.