Aircraft Carrier: Gone the Way of Battleships?

I spent the weekend trying to learn about the current conflict in the Strait of Hormuz. Drone technology is limiting the battle supremacy of the aircraft carrier. Conventional mine sweeping techniques require air threats to be controlled. I came across maritime articles written 5 years ago on autonomous barges and unmanned ships being tested. Overall, I have never worked on the R&D side, only in implementation. But as the supercarrier USS Gerald Ford sits in the Mediterranean for extensive repairs, its time to think about the future of warfare.

Is this a War, or Not?

1942 was a terrible year for the US Navy. The nation had just begun its endeavor in the Second World War, and Imperial Japan was going head-to-head with the American Pacific Fleet. The merchant fleet fared even worse. U-boats menaced shipping and cut off the northeastern states from Texas and California fuel supplies. Cargo runs to Europe, especiallly the run to Murmansk, USSR, were exceptionally perilous. Lend-lease and war preparations such as the 1940 Selective Service Act should have prepared the nation for combat. It took battle testing to turn military theories into successful strategies. We face the same predicament in the Persian Gulf at this moment. We have spent years talking of the Contested Maritime Environment, and of near - peer adversaries. We know how to sweep a minefield, and we know how to engage aerial threats. But putting both threats together? “It’s too dangerous right now”, reports the Secretary of Defense. “Later this month”. Having seen the damage wrought on world-class cities like Dubai, and the port facilities of friendly nations, there is no exit strategy but victory. Restoring our allies will not be complete with an apology and reconstruction loans; it requires achieving a peace that is superior to the previous status quo of a menacing but stalemated Iran. While the presence of a prepositioned logistics fleet, established after the First Gulf War, reduces the merchant shipping crunch at the onset of conflict, we need to replenish the warfighter with “beans, bullets, and bunker fuel”. Concerningly, there has not been a call by shipowners and unions to “man the fleet”, brining mariners working ashore back into shipboard roles. What happens if we must stop the fight, not out of a peace deal, but for lack of manpower and material? That would present a tragedy of American lives lost without reason or closure. Optimistically, it would prove to be an expensive test, in economic and human costs, of near-peer warfare. “Run as to win the race”.

When it becomes your work duty to write a technical paper, it becomes harder to keep writing outside of work. Fortune has it, though, that I had been working on a Vibe Coding project this week, and had some fresh insight to share from the maritime world. I have never "html"ed, or hand-coded a website, but I've used various web building systems. I even remember when we had free, quality options like matmice and webs.com. Today, the ability to build apps and websites through AI has been a game changer. Instead of clunky click-and-drags of the mouse, I can narrate what I want to see on the page. Some readers may find this to be filler material, but I tell them: the blog must go on! The content below was written by me, not AI. Now that you know which courses to take and what wickets to accomplish to get your maritime license, you may be wondering, how do I pay for it upfront? Course Fee Funding Mechanisms Current Maritime Employees: Training Courses or Fee Reimbursement may be provided by Employer or Maritime Union. Veterans with GI Bill: Courses may be covered at approved training centers, such as the Maritime Institute in Norfolk, VA. As a bonus, the GI Bill may also offer a housing allowance payment during your training period. Active Duty: The Navy’s Tuition Assistance Program can assist active duty enlisted members with course fees. Other popular strategies include bootstrapping the course fees with cash, use of a rewards-based or lower-interest credit card, or a gift or loan from family. License Fee Funding Mechanisms Veterans with GI Bill: The VA will reimburse testing and evaluation fees. Note that you may be personally responsible for license issuance fees, as these are not authorized for GI Bill reimbursement. Active Duty and Recently Separated: USCG offers waiver of fees during and within 180 days of service. Be prepared to provide your endorsed orders. Strategic Sealift Officers have benefitted greatly from this program, but be mindful of the 180 day threshold from your last Active Duty for Training period. Active Duty: In addition to the USCG’s statutory fee waiver program, active-duty Navy personnel may participate in the Navy COOL program. Note that this program should only be used if fee waiver is not applicable to your particular situation. Victims of Natural Disaster or Maritime Casualty: Credential mariners may be able to replace lost credential documents at no cost. Be prepared to provide a notarized statement as to the nature of the loss. Compared to the cost of maritime training, licensing fees are more approachable. While the rewards of earning your maritime credential are significant, we advise against taking high-interest loans to do so.

And the Payphone Still Stood

For a couple months, I had thought of disconnecting my public payphone. Yes, the payphone that recently earned a small grant - through Virginia's Small Business Investment Grant program. Already displaced from its once-popular location at a strip mall, it has seen little use at its new location at a highway offramp. I was shaken back to my senses when the prolonged Verizon cellular outage occured. Every other use case seemed to render the payphone obsolete- confidentality (apps like Signal and the "burner phone" phenomenon), affordability (see the Obamaphone program), and access (99% national coverage by cell towers). But one use case remained: redundancy. I think in terms of redundancy. It is what makes commercial aircraft and oceangoing ships fit for their voyage. Lose an engine, and you can still limp home. The payphone, ironically supported by Verizon copper lines, still worked. But is there still a payphone network? In Portsmouth, Virginia, where my payphone is now located, there is a barebone network encompassing downtown. While the City sponsors phones at the phone exchange building and city hall, the system could be better maintained. This state of affairs is among the best in the state. These days, we all ride the one-trick pony called the cell phone.

Greenland: Scratch the Idea

Being able to respond quickly, anywhere and anytime, has been a hallmark of the US military since the Cold War. While we have long lasting military partnerships with many countries around the globe, certain military capabilities, such as strategic nuclear armament, is a diplomatic risk that host nations do not want to bear. Hence, there is a strong incentive to maintain small territories overseas. We can look to Guam, a Pacific territory of the United States; and Diego Garcia, in the British Indian Ocean Territory, as examples of forward-located military strongholds. Europe (also known as the 6th fleet and the European Command) is an exception. We have ships and Army units stationed in most NATO nations, France being a notable exception. What the United States doesn’t have is European territory of its own. Perhaps NATO members and other European allies prefer having a check on American military power. For the Navy, autonomous capabilities in Europe include the command ship USS Mount Whitney, 55 years of age; and the two fast combat support ships USNS Supply and USNS Arctic, both 30 years of age. None of these ships launches or lands jets, nor do they tender submarines. If a naval operation cannot be operated from these platforms, allied nations become essential to military success. Denmark recognizes what Greenland means to their own sovereignty, and Europe’s continued relevance in world affairs, more generally. The chunk of ice is too valuable for Denmark to sell or forfeit.