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Author Topic: USS John S McCain  (Read 8452 times)

Shipmate60

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Re: USS John S McCain
« Reply #50 on: August 25, 2017, 11:14:40 am »

AIS can be switched off in crowded waters as it will be permanently on unless you set range so close as to be useless.
In these circumstances it is usual to double the lookouts on the bridge and run with BOTH steering motors on ( although 1 can be on immediate standby ).
In addition the Engine Room should have additional Engineers, additional to the watch keepers.
It SHOULD be assumed that MOST emergencies can be provided for.
Even a full loss of power will have the Emergency Generator on auto start and connect. This will supply power to steering and machinery circuits.


Bob
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Allnightin

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Re: USS John S McCain
« Reply #51 on: August 25, 2017, 04:08:26 pm »


Quite agree that it seems mad not to be using AIS. I'm sure the Chinese and Russians etc. know exactly where major US warships are in 'peacetime'.

I strongly suspect that the USN restricts the use of AIS, not because of keeping their movements from other states but rather to avoid helping Al Queda etc target them and especially in a part of the world such as the Malacca Straits. 

They take force protection against the small fast boat type threat very seriously ever since the USS Cole - I still remember when I visited a sister ship to the McCain about 12 years ago alongside in Portsmouth and they had loaded 0.5" MGs manned at several positions on the upper deck.
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Colin Bishop

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Re: USS John S McCain
« Reply #52 on: August 25, 2017, 04:55:00 pm »

Good point re AIS but I think it is possible to have a sort of 'alias' when using it.

When HMS Queen Elizabeth entered Portsmouth last week the MOD police launches escorting her had armed guards standing on their decks.

Also, when I visited the USS Iowa in Portsmouth back in 1984 the Harpoon launchers were roped off with a sign saying 'Deadly Force Authorised beyond This Point'.

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Bob K

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Re: USS John S McCain
« Reply #53 on: August 25, 2017, 05:00:32 pm »

Could apply to Arctic ships too?  Get the RRS Sir David Attenborough transponder to ping "Boaty McBoatface".

Surely a simple FoF (friend or foe) I.D. is necessary.
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DavieTait

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Re: USS John S McCain
« Reply #54 on: August 25, 2017, 06:09:57 pm »

AIS has no minimum range , its a gps linked transmitter , AIS receivers ( commercial ones ) link directly into the radar ( provided its an ARPA type ) as well as directly into electronic chart plotters. Warships probably don't use electronic charts but considering the amount of radars warships use it does seem very unlikely that they wouldn't have had anti-collision warnings.

The big problem with AIS lies in the fact you can put a laptop between the GPS receiver and the transmitter unit and you can put in a quite sizeable offset ( have heard up to 10 miles ) , this is clearly illegal but the software is freely available and a cheap laptop with an interface card means it can be done ( has been done in the UK , lets just say the guy won't be doing it again... MCA.... ). As for changing what name comes up , yes you can do that BUT you can't change the IMO number which means using any of the online AIS websites will show the true ID of the ship which is why the worlds Navies ( and somewhat illegally as they don't have a dispensation from the IMO organisation or MCA the Scottish Fishery Protection ships , they also switch off ALL nav lights and darken ship again without seemingly legal clearance ... ) simply switch them off all together.
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Bob K

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Re: USS John S McCain
« Reply #55 on: August 25, 2017, 07:56:43 pm »

The Straights News claims Singapore authorities did not "see" the destroyer on any of their systems.
From what I have read here and on the News elsewhere it appears that . . .

The crew knew she was a stealth ship, difficult or worse to see on radar.
They had their identification transponder & collision avoidance switched off.
They probably also had their navigation and deck lights turned off.
No one on the bridge was paying attention, and probably in the engine room and steering flat as well.

This then was not an accident, or even incompetence, it looks like a deliberate death wish.
Or "Let's try to sneak into an Asian port without their noticing us."
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dodes

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Re: USS John S McCain
« Reply #56 on: August 25, 2017, 09:14:33 pm »

Having AIS switched off will only mean other vessels do not know your identity, it should not dramatically effect anti collision modus as the best system is your radar set your compass bearing plate and your eyes. Personally I did not use my AIS in busy shipping areas because it would distract me having to stop and scroll down the list read it and then correlate it to my position. Though with new modern sets they do automatically come up on digital map systems and radar. But it is an aid not the BE ALL.
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Allnightin

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Re: USS John S McCain
« Reply #57 on: August 25, 2017, 09:23:29 pm »


Also, when I visited the USS Iowa in Portsmouth back in 1984 the Harpoon launchers were roped off with a sign saying 'Deadly Force Authorised beyond This Point'.

The threat of deadly force in those days would probably be to do with the protection of any nuclear tipped cruise missiles onboard rather than of the ship as a whole.
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Colin Bishop

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Re: USS John S McCain
« Reply #58 on: August 25, 2017, 10:06:04 pm »

Yes, an explosive motor boat wouldn't have much effect on a 12 inch armour belt!

Colin
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dodes

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Re: USS John S McCain
« Reply #59 on: August 26, 2017, 09:20:18 pm »

Many years ago when I was doing my first deck certificate, I was talking to a guy up for his second mates ticket. He was telling me a story that happened about 40 years ago, when the US 7th fleet was steaming around the Pacific and a British freighter picked up all these radar targets in front of it all though it was a black night there was nought to see. So the old man called on the VHF "goog evening US &th fleet this the British vessel >>>>>>>, at which the whole see lit up with Navigation lights and deck lights and the Yanks demanded know how a British merchant ship got the intelligence to know who they were, though Vietnam was happening at the time. The British master replied oh British intelligence!!
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dodes

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Re: USS John S McCain
« Reply #61 on: August 27, 2017, 09:30:31 pm »

Interesting link, what he says is very true of our services from the various stories I hear off. But as he said there will be an indepth investigation which will be available under the F of D act. So lets wait till then before we make anymore conjectures.
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Re: USS John S McCain
« Reply #62 on: November 22, 2017, 09:52:01 am »


USS John S. McCain Loaded on Heavy Lift Transport:
  https://youtu.be/abjqBV3cdAo
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