Reconstitution

[OldSolduer]

I still find it hard to believe a ship yard can not perform a structural fix on a ships hull that makes it as good as new or better.
Engine mechanical problems are even harder to understand why those can't be fixed. Bad engine put a new one in. Bad gear box install a new one.

Metal fatigue enters the chat…

 

[KevinB]

I still find it hard to believe a ship yard can not perform a structural fix on a ships hull that makes it as good as new or better.
Engine mechanical problems are even harder to understand why those can't be fixed. Bad engine put a new one in. Bad gear box install a new one.

I’m not sure what they would call that in the Navy, but I would say you are basically describing building a replacement ship, and ‘keeping’ all the serial numbers from the old one.

Which I am guessing is even more expensive than a new ship. But it does keep the property books clean…

From my understanding the entire point of the DWP’s is to conduct periodic checks and maintenance so things don’t get to this state — but the RCN seems to have been forced into a position of being ridden hard and put away wet — which is not a recipe for success (at least in longevity of one’s equipment).

We’ve done the math in other threads as to what the problem is with the dominos falling of less hulls in the water with the same or greater commitments for hulls.

 

[Rudburg]

Metal fatigue enters the chat…

Absolutely correct. 30 years on the sea, with the hull bending and bowing with every wave, takes a toll on even the strongest steel.

Ships have been lost when they get pushed too far for too long.

 

[OldSolduer]

Absolutely correct. 30 years on the sea, with the hull bending and bowing with every wave, takes a toll on even the strongest steel.

Ships have been lost when they get pushed too far for too long.

Salt water as well I would suspect and heat and cold cycles I would think would contribute.

 

[Lumber]

I still find it hard to believe a ship yard can not perform a structural fix on a ships hull that makes it as good as new or better.
Engine mechanical problems are even harder to understand why those can't be fixed. Bad engine put a new one in. Bad gear box install a new one.

DWPs (the period in dry dock) are done after every 2 or 3 deployments for a given ship, and were traditionally meant take approximately 1 year and cost a few 10s of millions of dollars.

We are now at DWPs taking 3+ years and $750 million.

 

[FSTO]

We can't tell the truth because we haven't up 'til now, so why start?

Nobody has? Was Sajan (I pick him because he was actually deployed) that clueless that even he didn’t know the state of the CAF?

 

[KevinB]

Nobody has? Was Sajan (I pick him because he was actually deployed) that clueless that even he didn’t know the state of the CAF?

Knowing and caring are two different things

 

[OldSolduer]

Knowing and caring are two different things

Not to mention Canada has a historical record of being negligent in the area of defence matters. A laggard and a leech.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Nobody has? Was Sajan (I pick him because he was actually deployed as an architect) that clueless that even he didn’t know the state of the CAF?

There, FTFY

 

[Colin Parkinson]

I still find it hard to believe a ship yard can not perform a structural fix on a ships hull that makes it as good as new or better.
Engine mechanical problems are even harder to understand why those can't be fixed. Bad engine put a new one in. Bad gear box install a new one.

It took 7 months to replace the engines in the Laurier, but the difference is she is a light icebreaker and that means the scantlings (hull components) are thicker and the hull design bends/flexes far less than a CFP.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Just a pedantic point, the RCN doesn't make commitments. The GoC does and we follow them through.

The RCNs role is to advise frankly and honestly to the GoC about what we can accomplish, safely.

True, but the government leans heavily on the senior command determination of what it can do. It means the RCN Command structure has to accept reality, so they can correctly advise the government of what can and cannot be done . That might mean refusing to take a ship to sea.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

We are not alone

U.S. Army's Watercraft Fleet in Crisis: Government Watchdog Reveals Less Than 40% of Vessels Are Ready For Action

In a scathing report released by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), the U.S. Army’s watercraft fleet has been found to be in dire straits, with less than 40% of...

gcaptain.com

U.S. Navy Extends Life of Battle-Tested Arleigh Burke Destroyers

The U.S. Navy has announced plans to extend the service life of 12 Arleigh Burke class Flight I Destroyers beyond their expected 35-year lifespan. Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del...

gcaptain.com

 

[daftandbarmy]

We are not alone

U.S. Army's Watercraft Fleet in Crisis: Government Watchdog Reveals Less Than 40% of Vessels Are Ready For Action

In a scathing report released by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), the U.S. Army’s watercraft fleet has been found to be in dire straits, with less than 40% of...

gcaptain.com

U.S. Navy Extends Life of Battle-Tested Arleigh Burke Destroyers

The U.S. Navy has announced plans to extend the service life of 12 Arleigh Burke class Flight I Destroyers beyond their expected 35-year lifespan. Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del...

gcaptain.com

Meanwhile, the B52 is like:

 

[Quirky]

CDS/DM Directive 002 CAF Reconstitution - Canada.ca

This directive builds on the work begun under our previous directive issued in September 2022. The main effort to reconstitute the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) will continue to be accomplished via two phases that span until at least 2030: Recover and Rebuild.

www.canada.ca

New reconstitution directives.

Lots of talking without anything to say.

 

[FJAG]

Sorry if this is a belated drive-by posting on cadets, but lately I've been getting posts on my Facebook feeds from the Brit Army's Cadet organization.

I've always been a great fan of the cadet movement as a feeder organization to the reserves and regulars. If one goes back to the late 1800s, the Canadian government provided hundreds upon hundreds of rifle associations with free ammunition to impart an interest and skill in firearms in the public. The cadet movement was equally sponsored and supported to create an interest in the voluntary service in the masses of reserve (nonpermanent active militia) units which far outnumbered the regulars of the day who were essentially there to train the reserves and manage defence equipment and infrastructure.

What caught my attention about these posts is that the Brits make no pretense about what their cadets are starting with putting them into uniforms that look like a proper soldier.

And involving them in activities that are unapologetically military in nature

There clearly needs to be a gentle "easing in" for the youngest but with a clear path to activities for the oldest that create an easy, and desired, transition to the reserves. I'm of the mind that all to often we have a "looking down our noses" attitude - the regs on the reserves; the reserves on the cadets - when what there should be is an acceptance that these are progressive steps. An easy one is the look of the soldier. The second is recognition of the progressive step - hell! even the girl guides have a "fly-up" ceremony from brownies to juniors.

$0.02

 

[OldSolduer]

And involving them in activities that are unapologetically military in nature

Can you imagine the useful fools whinging and crying? The wailing would rival....I cannot imagine what.

 

[Stoker]

Sorry if this is a belated drive-by posting on cadets, but lately I've been getting posts on my Facebook feeds from the Brit Army's Cadet organization.

I've always been a great fan of the cadet movement as a feeder organization to the reserves and regulars. If one goes back to the late 1800s, the Canadian government provided hundreds upon hundreds of rifle associations with free ammunition to impart an interest and skill in firearms in the public. The cadet movement was equally sponsored and supported to create an interest in the voluntary service in the masses of reserve (nonpermanent active militia) units which far outnumbered the regulars of the day who were essentially there to train the reserves and manage defence equipment and infrastructure.

What caught my attention about these posts is that the Brits make no pretense about what their cadets are starting with putting them into uniforms that look like a proper soldier.

And involving them in activities that are unapologetically military in nature

There clearly needs to be a gentle "easing in" for the youngest but with a clear path to activities for the oldest that create an easy, and desired, transition to the reserves. I'm of the mind that all to often we have a "looking down our noses" attitude - the regs on the reserves; the reserves on the cadets - when what there should be is an acceptance that these are progressive steps. An easy one is the look of the soldier. The second is recognition of the progressive step - hell! even the girl guides have a "fly-up" ceremony from brownies to juniors.

$0.02

The cadet movement is slowly dying in Canada and have been for some decades. Acadia which was the navy cadet summer camp in the old Cornwallis base site was closed down a couple years ago leaving the summer camp Quadra in BC as the last navy one. Each year there are cutbacks to make it less military and more Katimavik like.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

The cadet movement is slowly dying in Canada and have been for some decades. Acadia which was the navy cadet summer camp in the old Cornwallis base site was closed down a couple years ago leaving the summer camp Quadra in BC as the last navy one. Each year there are cutbacks to make it less military and more Katimavik like.

The problem is not the Cadets or the parents. It is the government, the ruling body governing the Cadet programs and the CAF attitude. I was out at Aldergrove, there is a radio station there with a large area of land. The Cadet Corps there are hanging on by a thread thank to the state of the building. The site should be adapted to also house a training centre for all the Lower Mainland Cadet programs. that would save a fortune in travel costs and give a focus to the programs.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Sorry if this is a belated drive-by posting on cadets, but lately I've been getting posts on my Facebook feeds from the Brit Army's Cadet organization.

I've always been a great fan of the cadet movement as a feeder organization to the reserves and regulars. If one goes back to the late 1800s, the Canadian government provided hundreds upon hundreds of rifle associations with free ammunition to impart an interest and skill in firearms in the public. The cadet movement was equally sponsored and supported to create an interest in the voluntary service in the masses of reserve (nonpermanent active militia) units which far outnumbered the regulars of the day who were essentially there to train the reserves and manage defence equipment and infrastructure.

What caught my attention about these posts is that the Brits make no pretense about what their cadets are starting with putting them into uniforms that look like a proper soldier.

And involving them in activities that are unapologetically military in nature

There clearly needs to be a gentle "easing in" for the youngest but with a clear path to activities for the oldest that create an easy, and desired, transition to the reserves. I'm of the mind that all to often we have a "looking down our noses" attitude - the regs on the reserves; the reserves on the cadets - when what there should be is an acceptance that these are progressive steps. An easy one is the look of the soldier. The second is recognition of the progressive step - hell! even the girl guides have a "fly-up" ceremony from brownies to juniors.

$0.02

I did the UKLF Cadet Leadership Course as an army cadet.

They threw all of us into rifle platoons and trained us like Regular Infantry for 2 weeks on Stanford Plain. I was a section Bren Gunner because: tall kid.

It was like Cadet Heaven

 

[Furniture]

I did the UKLF Cadet Leadership Course as an army cadet.

They threw all of us into rifle platoons and trained us like Regular Infantry for 2 weeks on Stanford Plain. I was a section Bren Gunner because: tall kid.

It was like Cadet Heaven

I spent two weeks on the summer of 1999 training with British army cadets just outside of Lincoln, while over there for a 6 week cadet exchange. It was the best two weeks of cadet training I received in over 6 years of cadets. We did section attacks using L98s and L86s with blanks, then live fired them on the range afterward.

Just to get us up to speed, we spent a week at Connaught firing the C7, and learning how to do section attacks from an RCR Sgt.