So, A Cruiser and a Sub Meet near a Sandbar (CG 56 & SSN 765)

CG 56, post-crash

On Oct 13/12, the Improved Los Angeles Class fast attack submarine USS Montpelier surfaced to periscope depth right in front of the the Ticonderoga Class guided missile cruiser USS San Jacinto, during maneuvers off of Florida. Fortunately, no one was hurt, and the submarine’s nuclear reactor wasn’t affected in any way. The ship and the boat each weigh several thousand tons, however, so even a “fender bender” means there’s going to be damage.

The damage in both cases appears to make repairs cost effective, but the US Navy is shrinking to a level where accidents and their long, unplanned fixes can create problems for the fleet as a whole. At this point, though, there’s nothing to be done except get on with it.

Rapid Fire Nov. 6, 2012: UK Middle East Sales Tour

• British Prime Minister David Cameron is visiting the Middle East where he is supporting arms sales to Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Oman. The Telegraph.

• Bob King, president of the United Auto Workers union, wrote an open letter to US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta to “to express our concern with the Army’s proposal to end tank modernization.” He sent the letter a month ago but it was published in The Lima News yesterday, in hotly contested Ohio. Clearly a coincidence with today’s election.

• Foreign Policy: Lies, Damned Lies, and Defense-Job Statistics: