Forbes Miscellany I.
This is coolbert:
Again from Forbes magazine.
The “Wakeless Wonder”.
This is the Stiletto, M80. A $6 million [cheap] maritime design specifically developed for the “brown water” Navy.
[again, the U.S. Navy is building ships with the intention of fighting a future war in littoral waters.]
A stealth ship of innovative design. NOT big, 88 feet long and half as wide, but with ONLY a three-foot draft WHEN LOADED. Made of carbon composite material.
[draft is that part of the boat under water at any given moment.]
Capable of superior hydrodynamic performance. Smooth ride, tight turns, even at speeds of 50 knots [58 mph]!!
What sort of weaponry does the Stiletto carry? This is not specified. The artist’s conception shows an UAV mounted astern!
Also, “Bombs Over Anchorage”.
Guy is building his own Air Force, and doing so with the money of a multi-million dollar trust.
“Mark J. Avery, an Anchorage lawyer . . . is accused . . . of using $52 million in trust assets [not his trust] to purchase . . . a fleet of at least eight Czech-made two–seater Aero Vodochody L-39 military jets . . . with plans to buy more. In a raid on a hanger in Alaska, . . . agents found two rocket pod launchers for the L-39’s, each capable of holding 16 rockets. The launchers were bought on Ebay for an estimated $2,890 each “
. . . .
“For what purpose? . . . the company kicked around plans to use the military planes for training exercises for the Air Force or to secure a contract with the United Nations to train pilots for regional conflicts. And the rocket launchers? Just an unusable toy and therefore legal”
Well, he had the launchers but NOT the rockets. But remember, just about anyone with MEANS [dollars], desire, and the moxie to do so, can buy JUST ABOUT ANY SORT OF SOPHISTICATED WEAPON THEY WANT, AND CAN DO SO FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES, LEGAL AND OTHERWISE.
If you are willing to take the risk, you can obtain what you want. More or less so!
coolbert.
1 Comments:
I know I have harped on this whole brown water navy thing a few weeks or so back on your post about supply issues, but once again the navy is letting our people down, again. We don't need a future ship for littoral combat in some future war, we need a ship for littoral combat in the present conflict in Iraq.
I am once again in awe of the technological prowess displayed by our nation, but there are needs that need to be met today.
We need combat ships for patrol on the Tigris/Euphrates, supply barges, etc...This technology is over 40 years old and it worked, it was a success in Vietnam, so lets brush the dust off it, check them for leaks and see if they float. The navy could buy stuff off the shelf, paint it green and mount weapons on it, get it to Iraq and put it to work, but instead they are looking for the finest FUTURE fighting ship for littoral war. Someone ought to inform the navy that there is a war going on now.
However, I must admit this new ship does look pretty cool, so I have to give credit where credit is due.
10:56 AM
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