June 20, 2013

Singapore damaged by Indonesian pollution


Photo by http://barangaysingapore.com/events/annual-air-pollution/ with the caption "Smoke from the burning forests of Indonesia, visits Singapore almost every year."
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Map shows the huge Indonesian island of Sumatra, a short distance from the tiny, but wealthy, city-state of Singapore. The intentional forest burnings in Sumatra also displace or kill Orangutans.
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In what first looks like a Singapore caused problem which turns out to be an Indonesian caused problem, Agency France Press (AFP) through Australia's ABC Online reports, June 20, 2013:

"Singapore smog levels set new record soaring towards 'hazardous' level

Smog levels in Singapore have hit the highest level on record with the air pollutant index approaching the "hazardous" level.
 
The National Environment Agency (NEA) says the index has soared well past the 200-mark considered as "very unhealthy" and near the "hazardous" level of 301.

The index soared to 290 at 9:00pm on Wednesday (local time), according the the website of the NEA, surpassing Singapore's previous most severe haze reading in September 1997 when the number peaked at 226.

Anything above 200 is considered "very unhealthy" particularly to the elderly, young children and people with heart and lung disease.

When levels hit hazardous, vulnerable people can experience "early onset of certain diseases in addition to significant aggravation of (already present) symptoms," the NEA said.

Healthy people also find it harder to exercise in such conditions, the agency added.

Now that the pollution levels have topped the 200 threshold, elderly people with existing heart or lung diseases are advised to stay indoors and the general population to "avoid vigorous outdoor activity", according to government guidelines.

The smog, which had been worsening since Monday, triggered a run on medical masks and angry complaints from foreign tourists and locals.

"We are going to leave Singapore two days early because we are having trouble breathing," Zac Kot, 40, a business owner from the United States who was on holiday with his wife and two young girls, said.

Indignant Singaporeans attacked their government on the web for its handling of the problem.  Disposable medical masks flew off drugstores' shelves as consumers and companies bought them in bulk and placed orders for more.

Even tourists from Indonesia - traditionally the largest source of visitors to Singapore - protested about the smoky haze from [Indonesia's] Sumatra island, where some farmers and plantations deliberately set off fires to clear land for cultivation.

"It's not very good, and it's getting harder to breathe. I just don't know where to go," Rangga Adisapoetra, 30, said.

The pollution problem peaks during the June-September dry season, when monsoon winds transport thick clouds of smoke from Sumatra to neighbouring Singapore and Malaysia."

Pete

June 12, 2013

Chinese Liaoning carrier - some flight operations gear courtesy of Australia.



Unintended consequences sometimes happen many years after. In selling HMAS Melbourne (above) - a very old aircraft carrier to China for scrap in 1985 Australia likely made a mistake in including some essential flight operations gear - old for us but a windfall technological gain for China. Along with some Russian flight operations gear the Australian-UK originated gear may well have helped China in in its construction of its new large aircraft carrier - the Liaoning.
Sensitive arrester cable and mirror landing gear technology was attached to HMAS Melbourne when it was passed to China. HMAS Melbourne was meant to be scrapped by China immediately, but instead China studied then most probably reverse engineered the arrester cable and mirror landing gear.



Top view diagram (above) of HMAS Melbourne's arrester gear donated to China.





China's Liaoning (artist's conception of what it will look like around 2017 above) has performed several Shenyang J-15 (navalised Russian Flanker equivalent) jet arrester gear landings, some ski-jump assisted takeoffs and "sailed" for a few hours using its oil-conventional propulsion. It will probably be 3-4 years before it begins regular trials with around 40 jets. Then it will be fully in-service operational by 2020, if not earlier.


With blast shield up a J-15 is about to take off, assisted by the Liaoning's bow "ski-jump'. With the ski-jump there is probably no need for catapults (none appear to be fitted).

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A report from [Taiwan's] Central News Agency of November 26, 2012 indicates:

"...China emphasized Monday that the arresting gear used to conduct China's first landing of a fighter jet on the aircraft carrier Liaoning was developed on its own...the Chinese Navy said on its website that the arresting gear was made by China with its own technology because Russia refused to sell it to its southern neighbour...All countries that own aircraft carriers keep the sophisticated technology used in their arresting gears a secret."

However, an exception appears to be Australia passing "secret" arrester gear technology to China.

Australia's former light carrier HMAS Melbourne was sold to China in 1985. This sale included the Australian (or UK designed?) arrester gear going to China .

On arrester gear going to China see the wiki entry. Former HMAS Melbourne's steam catapult, arresting equipment and mirror landing system were not removed. At this time, few western experts expected that the Chinese Government would attempt to develop aircraft carriers in the future.

Wikipedia, based mainly on Hemmingsen's research, further reports:

Once in China the former HMAS Melbourne was not scrapped immediately; instead she was studied by Chinese naval architects and engineers as part of the nation's top-secret carrier development program

However, it is unclear whether the Chinese Navy orchestrated the acquisition of Melbourne or simply took advantage of the situation; Rear Admiral Zhang Zhaozhong,  claims that has stated that the Chinese Navy was unaware of the purchase until Melbourne first arrived at Guangzhou.

Melbourne was the largest warship any of the Chinese experts had seen, and they were surprised by the amount of high-tech equipment left in place by Australia. The Chinese Navy subsequently arranged for the ship's flight deck and all the equipment associated with flying operations to be removed so that they could be studied in depth.

Reports have circulated that either a replica of the flight deck, or the deck itself, was used for clandestine training of Chinese Navy pilots in carrier flight operations."

 It has also been claimed that the Royal Australian Navy received and "politely rejected" a request from the PLAN for blueprints of the ship's steam catapult.

Sources included:

Storey, I and You, J. 2004 "China's aircraft carrier ambitions: seeking truth from rumours", Naval War College Review 57 (1): 77–93,  (Winter 2004). ISSN 0028-1484.  http://www.usnwc.edu/getattachment/ffc60b3e-d2e6-4142-9b71-6dfa247051f2/China-s-Aircraft-Carrier-Ambitions--Seeking-Truth- . Retrieved 25 October 2009. p. 79

Hemmingsen, Torbjørg 2012 "PLAN for action: New dawn for Chinese Naval Aviation", Jane's Navy International (June 2012) 

Pete

June 10, 2013

Submarine Slang

"Blow Job" can mean "Emergency blow or emergency ventilate" or emergency main ballast tank blow. as seen regarding USS Pittsburgh above courtesy Wikipedia. See short Youtube
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As submarine crews have until the last few years been totally male and are close-nit much of the slang is earthy in tone. The quite long list provides very brief reflections of many aspects of life aboard submarines.

The following slang phrases and words are not for the faint hearted. Although I've removed many of the spicier language in the list below.  If some words offend you please do not read the list. The list below and links appear to be mainly US Navy judging by the number of nuclear related terms.

The list is much reduced https://www.facebook.com/notes/randy-pace/submarine-slang-terms-and-phrases/10151136788588486 and inspired by on other sources including Wikipedia and those below.

A much longer slang list for the whole US Navy is:  http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Appendix:Glossary_of_U.S._Navy_slang.

Whole US Navy is also at http://goatlocker.org/resources/nav/navyslang.pdf

US and other English speaking navies http://www.hazegray.org/faq/slang1.htm and http://www.hazegray.org/faq/slang2.htm

UK Royal Navy http://www.rnsubs.co.uk/Dits/Jackspeak/index.php

Submarine, Nautical Terms and Glossary is from "Perch Base" http://www.perch-base.org/glossary.htm

The submarine slang list:

25 knots - The maximum speed of a submarine that is allowed to be told to someone outside the submarine community.

400 feet - The maximum depth of a submarine that is allowed to be told to someone outside the submarine community.

“Air in the banks, shit in the tanks, ready to submerge below... sound the diving alarm!” – An abbreviated, unauthorized, to report the submarine is ready to dive.

Angles and Dangles – The time when the submarine is making radical depth changes. Usually done during sea trials and pre-deployment underway period to ensure everything is stowed for sea properly.

Baboon ass – slang for corned beef due to it’s color and consistency.

Bagged – as in “I got bagged” by the off going watch. Meaning you got left with something that someone else was suppose to do.

Balls to the wall - Flank Speed.

Blow and Go – To emergency blow the main ballast tanks.

Blowing a Shitter - Inadvertently "flushing" a toilet while sanitary tanks are being blown overboard. This caused excrement and toilet paper to be blown all over the head to the delight of the rest of the crew.

Blow Job - Emergency blow or emergency ventilate.

B.O.C.O.D. - Beat Off Cut Off Date.  The date before returning home from a deployment to stop masturbating in order to save it up for your wife or girlfriend.

Boomer Fag - Crewmember of a Ballistic Missile Submarine (SSBN). Usually used by jealous fast boat sailors.

Boomer Widow – Used to describe an SSBN sailor's wife looking for a temporary fling, often with another sailor. Also see WestPac widow. In some cases the wife would take on a lover from the other crew, thus negating her chances of getting caught.

Boy butter – Slang term for silicone grease.

Broke-dick - Technical term describing malfunctioning or inoperable equipment. Example: "The fuckin' aux drain pump is fuckin' broke-dick."

Bubblehead – Internationally recognized term of endearment for a submarine sailor.

Bunk Bag - They were originally elongated bags, designed for horizontal passageway storage and hung from the tubular bunk frames on diesel boats. In later years they were hung inside racks and usually used for dirty clothes or to hide porn and patrol socks.

Bunkie – a term of endearment for your bed, bunk, or rack.

Burn the flick – Indicates to start the movie.

Burn Run - An organized evolution to dispose of the classified material stored in burn bags.

Cadillac - A mop bucket, usually with wheels and a wringer.

“Cake and cock and we’re outta cake.” – A humorous comeback by Mess Specialist when asked what is for chow when it is clearly posted in the Plan of the Day. Usually used when serving bratwurst, kielbasa, hot dogs, etc.

Casino Night – a night designated to play casino games such as poker, black jack, etc to raise money for the recreation committee.

Channel Fever - Said if a sailor is anxious when approaching port to get leave.

Check Valve – Also known as a “one way check valve”. A submariner who does things for himself/herself but does not reciprocate.

Chicken Switches - Emergency Blow Actuation Valves.

Clean Sweep - Refers to having "swept the enemy from the seas," a completely successful mission. It is traditionally indicated by lashing a broom to the periscope of a submarine.

Clear your baffles - Look behind you.

“Close enough for horseshoes, hand grenades or Polaris Missiles.” – A highly technical slang term used when a job is good enough to call complete. Also known as “Close enough for government work.”

Cluster Fuck - Refers to when a group performs some task in a severely disorganized manner, usually with poor results. May also be used to describe any person or thing that is in a state of general disarray. "That kid is a walking cluster fuck." Can be indicated using the NATO phonetic Charlie Foxtrot for CF.

C.O.B. – Chief of the Boat, Crabby Old Bastard, Clueless Overweight Bastard. The senior enlisted on board a submarine.

Comshaw, cumshaw - something extra or free, given as a favor or gift comes from the pigeon expression using the Chinese word for grateful, thanks, "kamsia".

Comanche Bollocks – Royal Navy Jack speak for 'Tin Tomatoes'.

Coner - A submarine crewman who is not part of the engineering department, especially Torpedomen, because they are stationed in the forward cone of the Sub. Also known as "Forward Pukes" (as opposed to "Fuckin' Nukes") or M.U.F.F.s (My Up Forward Friends).

Cow - A refrigerated fixture in the galley that dispenses something like milk.

C.O.W. – Chief of the Watch. In charge of the ballast, air and water systems while underway.

CPO Spread - The worlds most useless and uncomfortable rack/bunkie sheet. See "Rack Burn".

Countdown calendar – used to count down the days until returning to port. Can be an actual calendar, chain made of paperclips, etc.

Crab bridge – dental floss strung between bunks whenever a shipmate was found out to have gotten crabs. The dental floss was a humorous way of building a bridge for the crabs to travel on and infect other crew members.

Crank - Mess deck worker, typically a new transferee to a submarine assigned to mess deck duties while qualifying for a regular watch. Also see NUB.

Crazy Ivan - Demonstrated in the movie The Hunt for Red October. Russian submarines would quickly turn 180 degrees while underway to see whether any American submarines were following.

Crotch crickets – scabies, lice, crabs.

C.R.I.S. – Cranial Rectal Insertion Syndrome. Having one’s head up one’s own ass.

Crotch Novel – A book of pornography. Usually well worn.

Cumshaw - Obtaining by bartering outside of official channels and paperwork.

D.A.D. – Day After Duty. Usually a day off after duty afforded to sailors who worked throughout the night.

D.B.F. - Diesel Boats Forever. An unauthorized pin showing a non-nuclear submarine. Worn proudly by diesel boat sailors and generally tolerated by senior officers.

Dicking the dog - putting a "half-assed" effort into a task (refers to improperly securing the "dogs" on a watertight hatch when passing through. Such a lax procedure could spell doom for a sinking ship if hatches were not absolutely watertight). Also said as "poking the poodle". Not to be confused with "screwing the pooch" which refers to royally messing up a task.

D.I.L.L.I.G.A.F. - Does It Look Like I Give A Fuck? Universal acronym, but widely used in the Navy.

Diver's 1MC Announcement - "There are divers over the side, do not rotate screws, cycle rudders, take suction from or discharge to the sea, blow flood or vent any tanks, or operate any underwater equipment or activate sonar. There are divers over the side."

Dog and Pony show - A special show put on for inspecting senior officers. Normally sailors are instructed not to ask questions of the senior officers even if requested by the inspecting officer.

Double Digit Midget - A short timer. Someone who is less than 100 days from retirement, EAOS, being discharged to civilian life, or returning to port.

EAB – Emergency Air Breathing. Akin to the fires of Hell, wearing this mask and going around plugging it in was/is a submariner’s worst nightmare. Known as “sucking rubber” this mask could give you a headache and attitude adjustment in the worst way just inside 30 seconds. Making matters worse would be looking around at all the drill monitors not wearing theirs.

Family-grams – The one way communication given to family before a submariner left on deployment. Family grams changed over the years, but were usually limited to 20-50 words depending on operational priorities. Family grams were sent from the loved one and were screened for anything that might upset the receiving submariner. They were usually read over and over and sometimes misinterpreted causing much stress with the sailor.

Fightin’ gear – Eating utensils.

Finger wave – Prostate exam.

Firing Point Procedures - The announced point at which target motion analysis has been completed on a target and a solution has been generated to the point of making preparations to shoot a torpedo. In reality it is the time at which new Weapons Officers often reevaluate and over-think the solution and make adjustments that will ultimately result in missing the target.

Fish – Torpedoes or Submarine Warfare Qualification Ensignia.

Gilly - Illegal pure grain alcohol. Also known as "Torpedo Juice".

Goat locker – A term of endearment for the Chief’s Quarters. As in that is where the old goats live.

Grape signature – Refers to a qualification checkout that was less than adequate but the system expert signs off the qualification anyway.

Green board – When the status on the ballast control panel indicates all hull opening are shut (a green slash) and the submarine can be submerged. Also known as a "straight board".

Grotopotamus - The rather large ladies that graze around the Groton, CT area. Similar to a Bremerloe.

Grottweiler - see Grotopotamus.

Gun decking the logs - Filling out a form or log with mostly imaginary data. Usually done out of laziness or because they got behind. See also “Radioing the logs” and “Pencil Whipping”.

Halfway night – The designated night that marked the halfway point in a deployment. Usually, halfway night was marked with a special dinner and entertainment from the crew. Often in conjunction with Casino Night.

“He/She made Chief when Noah was a cabin boy” – Refers to a very old Chief. Many variations exists.

“He's/She’s dumber than a box of rocks!” – Self explanatory universal phrase for a dumbass.

“He's/She’s so full of crap the birds won't land on him!” – Also self explanatory and used for a constant bullshitter.

Hockey pucks – Swedish meatballs.

Hogans Alley - The berthing section of the after battery on diesel boats that doesn't have any traffic. Like a dead end street, only one way in and out.

Holidays – Mythical days of the year that are non-existent while on deployment.

Hollywood showers – A long and normally unauthorized shower utilizing as much water as the offender wants. Normally attributed to Sonar Technicians and Radiomen.

Hot Cock - The latest news or rumors. Also known as "the skinny" or "scuttlebutt".

Hot Racking or Hot Bunking - Sharing racks. When one goes off, the other takes his place, thus the rack never gets cold. (Three men share two racks).

“How's your wife and my kids?” – Usually used by boomer sailors from opposite crews. A way of getting under their skin, but sometimes true.

"I can neither confirm nor deny the presence of nuclear weapons aboard any Navy vessel" - Standard answer given to civilians when they ask whether the submarine is carrying nuclear missiles.

"I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you" - Another standard answer when a submariner is asked about specific missions they have been on.

“I had it, you got it. Any questions, I'll be in my rack” - A common abbreviated, unauthorized turnover from watch stander to another. Usually used when the off-going watchstander was extremely tired.

“If it don’t move, paint it” – Poking fun at the Navy’s relentless need to paint everything.

“I'm so short, when I look in the mirror, I'm not there!” – Phrase used by sailors getting close to their separation date or another important event.

"In the Fan Room, no one can hear you scream!" - A 'threat' to a non-qual who is less than motivated.

"I was never there, not aware, and have no knowledge of any particular operation" - Standard reply to question about special operations.

Joe Navy - Another term for a lifer with no life outside the Navy.

J-5 = steak

Lieu-fucking-tenant - Illustrates Navy practice of including a swear word INSIDE another word. Another favorite - Abso-fucking-lutley.

Lifer - A name given to both officers and enlisted men who love the Navy and make it clear they want to be in for 20 or more years. Lifers will try to convince others to re-enlist. Also, lifers say things like "there is nothing a Sailor needs that is not in his sea-bag" this usually is a comment implying a Sailor does not need to see his spouse or children.

Lifer cup - Also know as THE Cup. A porcelain white coffee cup with blue stripes usually stained brown by repeated use. Never washed, except as a prank by disgruntled juniors.

Mail Buoy - A fictitious buoy that mail for a ship is left on. Usually new sailors are given a mail buoy watch for the entertainment of the more seasoned sailors.

Make a hole! or make a hole, working Navy! – used to get people to clear a path in a cramped area.

Mandatory fun – When attending a ship’s function, such as a picnic or party was mandatory.

M.A.R.F. – Make a Round Fucker. Often used by Missile Technicians to get their Roving Watch to make a round through the missile compartment.

Meat Gazer - A senior enlisted person that has to watch crewmembers give their urine samples all day.

Men Working  in the Sail 1MC announcement -  "There are men working in the sail. Do not raise, lower, rotate or radiate from any mast or antenna. There are men working in the sail".

Metric fuck ton – Another highly technical measuring term used when something weighs a lot. Also known as a “butt ton”, “shit ton”, and “that’s fucking heavy”.

Mouse House - Ballistic Missile Submarine slang description of areas usually occupied by Missile Technicians. Also used to describe MCC (Missile Control Center).

N.U.B. - Non Useful Body or ‘Nuther Useless Body.  A sailor who has not yet earned his Submarine Warfare Qualification (Dolphins).

Nut to Butt - Slang used to describe packing the line in tighter.

Occifer - Pronounced "ossifur". It is a derogatory reference towards officers in general, particularly junior officers…unless you have a lisp.

Patrol shoes – Any type of shoe other than Navy issue that is worn underway only. Example include tennis shoes, bowling shoes, and cowboy boots.

P.E.B.K.A.C. - Problem Exists Between Keyboard And Chair (always popular in radio and sonar). Loose interpreted, operator error.

Pecker Checker – Navy doctor or Corpsman.

Pencil whip - Filling out a form with mostly imaginary data. Usually done out of laziness or because they got behind. Also know as “Gundecking or Radioing the logs”.

Periscope Liberty – Viewing the outside world through a periscope. The longer you have been at sea the better it is. The best periscope liberty usually involved beaches, topless women in pleasure craft, and viewing whales while underwater.

P.F.M. - Pure Fucking Magic. Normally used when something seemed to “fix itself” or an answer came about without the use of logic.

Ping Jockey - Term used to describe Sonar Technicians.

Poking holes in the ocean - Underway on a submarine.

Poopysuit - Blue overalls worn when deployed out to sea.

Prairie chicken – rabbit.

“Prepare to ventilate the boat!” – A phrase used to bring fresh air into the boat but more often used as a phrase after someone has let loose an obnoxious fart. Also used in conjunction with “Pressure in the boat" and "Crack the hatch”.

Puka - Sailors speak used to indicate a small storage location or hole.

Rack - Bed.

Rack Burn - Reddish marks seen on the face of a sailor who has just emerged from sleeping in his/her rack. Scorned upon if he/she was not supposed to be there. Often caused by the ridges in a CPO spread.

Rack Hound - Derogatory but usually with a hint of envy term used for someone who sleeps a lot. Sailor that spends more than his/her fair share of time in the "Rack". Usually spoken when seeing somebody with Rack Burns; "You are such a Rack Hound!".

Racki-dexterous - the ability to get shit out of your rack foot locker without getting out of your rack.

Racking Out – Going to bed.

Rain locker – A shower stall.

‘Rats – Short of Midrations. Food for the midnight to 6 am watch that usually consists of leftovers, sandwich fixings, beanie weanies, etc.

“Reveille, reveille, up all bunks. Drop your cocks, put on your socks, it's daylight in the swamp” – Old phrase used when waking up the crew. Extinct.

Rig for red – In the old days of submarining certain spaces in the boat would be rigged for red (all red lights) prior to going to periscope depth, when surfacing at night, or all the time in sonar. The red lights helped adjust eyes to the dark. Unfortunately, in later years studies found that the red light was actually irritable to the eyes and made people more aggressive. Other colors were tested and used, such as blue, yellow and eventually low level white (dirty gray).

Rig for sea - To get the all submarine systems lined up for sea and to ensure the boat is stowed for sea.

Rig for silent running - Turning off all unnecessary equipment so as to make the submarine as quite as possible. Also known as "ultra quiet".

Rig ship for lady visitors - Before women were allowed on submarines the crew would be informed of women visitors so as to not say or do anything inappropriate and to put away all smut locker material.

R.O.A.D. Program - Retired On Active Duty. Refers to a sailor who is getting ready to retire and is not doing much more than taking up space until that time.

Roast Beast - Roast Beef, or any meat served aboard the ship that even the cooks who prepared it don't know what it is.

Rock - Term used to describe a sailor that acts as though he hasn't learned anything.

Rumor Control - The often wildly inaccurate rumors that concern fictitious changes to the ship's schedule.

Sail she may, shine she must – Old sailor term used to describe the monotony of shining brass and chrome when it felt like the priorities were more import to clean and shine rather than get underway to sea.

Sailorproof – Meaning a sailor cannot break this. Unfortunately, this is much like a unicorn, the Loch Ness monster, and Bigfoot…it has never been found. Many engineers have tried to make things sailorproof but with only limited/no success.

S.A.P.F.U. - Surpassing All Previous Fuck-Ups - see S.N.A.F.U. below.

S.C.R.A.M. - Safety Control Reactor Axe Man.

Screwed, blued, and tattooed – Old Navy term meant to describe what sailors did on shore leave or liberty. Screwed – get laid, Blued = get drunk, and Tattooed = get a tattoo.

Scuttlebutt - Drinking fountain or rumor (originated from the rumors that would be spread on board ship while gathered about the water barrel). Also known as "hot cock" or "the skinny".

Sea Daddy - Senior, more experienced sailor who unofficially takes a new member of the crew under his wing and mentors him.

Seaman Schmuckatelli - Generic name for a sailor, used in a similar manner as "Joe Blow" or "John Q. Public". Example: "You're working on an electrical system without tagging it out, when along comes Seaman Schmuckatelli, who energizes the circuit and ZAP, you're fried calamari."

Sewer Pipe Sailor - Diesel Submariner. Derives from the smell achieved from riding in a diesel boat.

Shaft seals - A mythological creature that lives in shaft alley.

Sherwood Forest – Slang term used to describe the missile compartment on an SSBN.

Single digit midget – A person who is down to less than 10 days from getting back to port, exiting the Navy, etc.

Shipmate - Any fellow Sailor. Also, used as a derogatory term against all junior enlisted personnel i.e. E-5 and below. An Officer, Chief or First Class will use this to show they think so little of you, they haven't bothered to take the time out of their day to learn your name. Sometimes when used for a less than stellar sailor the term “shipwreck” will be substituted.

Shower Tech - Sonar Technician.

Skate – A sailor who avoids work in general while not being detected; for example the ability to "skate" out of work undetected while being assigned to a 14 man working party.

Slept out – When you have slept so much that you can’t sleep anymore. Not applicable to Sonar Technicians, Radioman, and Navigation Electronics Technicians.

Sliders - Mess deck/chow hall hamburgers/cheeseburgers, so named for their high grease content and purported ability to 'slide' through the alimentary canal.

S.N.A.F.U. – Situation Normal All Fucked Up or Situation Normal All Fouled Up.

S.S.N. - Saturdays, Sundays, and Nights. In reference to SSN (fast attack) submarines working 7 days a week.

Starters or Commencement Cream - British submarine names for K.Y. Jelly.

Steel Beach Picnic - Celebration on the topside of a submarine usually involving a swim call and barbecue.

Steely-eyed Stealthy Killers of the Deep - Submarine sailors.

Still - Evaporator.

Submarine Shower – A shower consisting of turning on the shower for a few seconds to wet down, turning off the shower to lather up and turning on the shower again for a few seconds to rinse off. Used to conserve water.

Sweat pumps - When someone is worrying too much and they are always running at full speed. An excitable person, or one who takes humorous situations too seriously. "They're sweat pumps are in high speed".

System heavy – A submariner that is known for his extensive knowledge of certain submarine systems.

System light - A submariner that is known for his less than extensive knowledge of certain submarine systems. Often sought out by non-quals that are delinquent or trying to skate by.

“Take her up to broach depth” – Unauthorized phrase used for Diving Officers that have a reputation for broaching the submarine (breaking the surface of the ocean with the hull) thus exposing the boat to detection, or when the weather and sea state are extremely bad and broaching is expected.

Target - Term to describe any ship or boat on the surface.

TDU it – Trash Disposal Unit. To throw something in the trash. All known as deep sixing in the surface Navy. Sometimes pronounced "tadooing it".

Ten punches in the Hacker Card – A hacker card is for submariners who sit through extremely bad movies. The number of punches indicates how bad the movie was rated as.

"There ain't no slack in a fast attack" - In reference to the heavy sea time schedule fast attack sailors keep, and their thought that they do the job better than everyone else.

The Skinny - The latest news or rumors.

T.I. Mast - Telemetry Instrumentation Mast. Attached to S.S.B.N.s during missile testing. The T.I. mast sticks above the water line even while the submarine is submerged at launch depth so as to transmit/receive launch and range information.

TLD - Thermo-Luminescent Dosimeter used to determine exposure to radiation.

Torpedoman's Tweeker – A very large wrench.

“Train like you fight, fight like you train” – Most common submarine phrase found on a poster in just about any training building.

Trim Party – A prank often perpetrated on a newly-qualified Dive Officer or Chief of the Watch, where men and other weights are shifted fore and aft to affect the trim of the boat.

Tweener - Affectionate term for Missile Technicians on Ballistic Missile Submarines. Usually called out during the "Coner" and "Nuke" throwbacks, since the Missile Compartment is "between" the Forward (Coner) and Engineering (Nuke) spaces.

Twidget - Sailor in the Electronics or Electrical fields of job specialties.

Two fisted gagger – Used to describe an incredibly bad movie.

Typewriter repair man - Cryptological Technician, spook or special operations rider.

Ustafish - General term for a previous submarine command one has served in. Often used as "That's not how we did it aboard the USTAFISH." Generally followed by various short, forceful comments from others present.

Water slug - refers to shooting a submarine's torpedo tube without first loading a torpedo. Often used as a joke to play on new non-quals. Shooting a water slug usually results in the shooter getting to clean out the torpedo tube.

WESTPAC widow - Sailor's wife looking for a temporary fling, often with another sailor. Also see “Boomer widow.” Could often be found in the Navy Club the very night the husband went to sea. WESTPAC being Western Pacific not an Australian bank name.

“When I get home from patrol I take 99 pennies and throw them in the yard and tell the kids don't come back till you find 100” – Phrase used by a submariner to indicate a way for him to have some alone time with the wife after returning from sea.

"Won't rust, bust, or take on dust" - An equipment or tool that is damn-near sailorproof.

“Works fine, fails safe, drains to the bilge” – A general phrase normally used when describing when a piece of equipment is repaired and put back in operation. Many variations exists.

W.T.F.O. – What The Fuck, Over?

“You have a green card. You will be there.” One of the most hated phrases meaning that you have a Navy identification card, are the Navy’s property and you will be here no matter whether you had plans scheduled already.

"You're So Vain" - Song by Carly Simon reportedly used by a submarine commander on the underwater telephone decades ago after someone searched for him in vain.

“You smell that boy? That's amine, ain't no smell in the world like it.... smells like... field day!” – Another phrase said by a salty old submariners to a non-qual to indicate how dedicated they are. A take off from the movie, Apocalypse Now, whereas Colonel Kurtz says, “You smell that? That’s napalm and there’s no smell like it in the world. It smells like…victory”.

Zulu 5 Oscar - Personnel making a deliberate attempt to board a ship unauthorized, usually at the direction of higher authority to test security procedures. The standard intruder drill."

The End

June 5, 2013

Prospect of Australian basing of US UAVs and SSNs (submarines).



Route of possible US Global Hawk UAV flight from Darwin or Katherine air bases in Australia via Australia's Cocos Islands, via Diego Garcia to a US base in Yemen (shown) or other US bases nearby in the Middle East.
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As Australia in the Indian Ocean reported on November 22, 2011 the US has been contemplating basing or transiting air and naval assets from Australia's Cocos Islands as well as basing US nuclear submarines Australia's Fleet Base West, at Rockingham, Western Australia.

The following article from The Australian, March 28, 2012 may represent a shift in US thinking away from its offer that Australia purchase or lease US nuclear submarines 'floated' several days ago (see the March 26, 2012 article on this blog). The Australian article reports:
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'US seeks deeper military ties'
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THE expanded US military presence in Australia is likely to include giant unmanned patrol planes using the remote Cocos Islands and aircraft carriers, and nuclear-powered attack submarines based in Perth as part of efforts to refocus American defence resources in the region.   
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Top US defence officials are considering Australia's major naval base, HMAS Stirling, south of Perth, as a "sorely needed" place for the US navy to refuel, re-equip and repair its surface warships and submarines in the Indian Ocean.

The US Secretary of the Navy, Ray Mabus, is due to visit the base and facilities in Darwin shortly, and reports suggest Australia might have been encouraging the US to increase its military presence. Mr Mabus told The Washington Post: "It's fair to say that we will always take an interest in what the Australians are doing and want to do."

The Pentagon planners are considering basing manned and unmanned spyplanes in the Cocos Islands - about 2750km northwest of Perth - to carry out patrols far out over the northern oceans.
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US and Australian officials quoted in the article say these arrangements are being considered as part of the major expansion of military ties between the two nations discussed in confidential talks over the past year.

A spokesman for Defence Minister Stephen Smith last night confirmed Cocos Islands was a longer-term option for closer Australian-US engagement but not one of the three priority levels of engagement.

They were the rotation of US marines through the Northern Territory; greater use of RAAF bases in northern Australia for US aircraft [possibly including B2s in transit...] ; and, in the longer term, the prospect of enhanced ship and submarine visits through the Indian Ocean Rim through HMAS Stirling. No decisions had been taken, the spokesman said.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard last night confirmed discussions were being held about plans to fly drones from the Cocos Islands but said no "progress" had been made on the issue.

The first company of about 250 US marines is due to arrive in Darwin within days. Over the past year, US and Australian officials have stressed a key focus of the military build-up was to have the necessary resources to provide humanitarian aid for natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis.

The Post said while US officials insisted that the "regional pivot" was not aimed at any single country, analysts believed it was a clear response to "a rising China whose growing military strength and assertive territorial claims have pushed other Asian nations to reach out to Washington".

It is not clear what roles aircraft carriers and nuclear-powered submarines would play in humanitarian missions.

The [Washington Post] noted that the content of last year's talks between Ms Gillard and US President Barack Obama reflected how Washington was turning its strategic attention to Asia as it wound down the war in Afghanistan. It said the Pentagon was reviewing the size and distribution of its forces in northeast Asia, where they were concentrated on Cold War-era bases in Japan and South Korea. Its goal was to reduce the US military presence in those countries while increasing it in Southeast Asia, home to the world's busiest shipping lanes and to growing international competition to tap into vast undersea oil and gas fields.

The initial draft of Australia's military force posture review [see January 31, 2012 post on this blog] , released in January, noted that "the South China Sea remains a potential flashpoint in the region".

The Post quoted an unnamed Australian official saying that, in terms of overall US influence in the Asia-Pacific zone, the strategic weight was shifting south. "Australia did not look all that important during the Cold War," the official said. "But Australia looks much more important if your fascination is really with the Southeast Asia archipelago."

The review reportedly urges a "major expansion" of HMAS Stirling, which could be used for "deployments and operations in Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean by the US Navy".

"Specifically, the review suggests that Stirling be upgraded in part so that it could service US aircraft carriers, other large-surface warships and attack submarines," the [Post] said.
US and Australian officials said the remote Australian territory of the Cocos Islands could be an ideal site for manned and unmanned surveillance aircraft, such as the latest version of the ultra long-range Global Hawk, known as the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance drone or BAMS. The Cocos would be well positioned to launch surveillance flights over the South China Sea.

In November, the Prime Minister and Mr Obama announced the deployment of 2500 US marines for training in Australia and indicated more plans were being considered. The first deployment of troops from the Hawaii-based Third Marine Regiment is expected to be based at Darwin's Robertson Barracks.

The marines will spend several months training through the dry season at the Australian Defence Force's Bradshaw and Mount Bundy training areas in the Northern Territory. The force, which will be rotated annually for training, is unlikely to reach its full strength until 2016.

By then the marines will have considerable equipment, including amphibious assault ships similar to the two giant landing helicopter docks being built for the Royal Australian Navy, along with Harrier jump jets and troop-carrying helicopters.
Mr Smith stressed Australia did not have a policy of containing China.

"It is not possible to contain China," he said. "What we do want to ensure is that China, as it emerges as a great power - to use a phrase coined by (World Bank president and former US deputy secretary of state) Bob Zoellick - is a 'responsible stakeholder' or, as the Chinese themselves describe it, 'a harmonious environment'."  Ends
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Comment
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Basing of US SSNs in Australia may serve to make up for the expected decline of around 15 years in Australia submarine capabilities as the Collins submarines are retired by 2020-2025 and the first new Australian built submarines come into service at what now looks like the early 2030s. The future Australian submarine project, known as SEA1000, has been politically unpopular due to the possible acquisition costs for 12 submarines of A$36 Billion and failure of the Collins program. Hence SEA1000 has moved at a snails pace, basically going nowhere for a decade.

However a better scenario might be the US basing its SSNs and building nuclear support facilities at HMAS Stirling and then permitting Australia to lease US built SSNs (probably Virginia SSNs) for at least one services life (20 years) of the subs.
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Pete