Virginia Class Submarine Procurement

Sailor.X

Cold War Veteran
Founder
That’s because the entire procurement process has become insane since the 50s, that’s all things we could change as we got control of the system again. We don’t have to accept that as normal, and we shouldn’t.
Fat chance convincing the conservatives in Congress to have the government take over military weapons building. They have spent an entire 7 decades saying such a thing was not good and that the private sector can do it better. You know I am not wrong about that being the case.
 

Bacle

When the effort is no longer profitable...
Founder
Fat chance convincing the conservatives in Congress to have the government take over military weapons building. They have spent an entire 7 decades saying such a thing was not good and that the private sector can do it better. You know I am not wrong about that being the case.
Streamlining procurement could be solved by just getting a lot of 3D printers and CNC machines for every base. Shipping bulk materials is simpler and cheaper than lots of small fiddly bits.

Think GDI without the Tib.

But that's too sensible, so it will never happen.
 

Doomsought

Well-known member
ack when I was in the price of one Reduction Gear Assembly was about half the cost of a Frigate I shit you not.
That isn't too surprising given how crazy the materials science is for turbines can get. Some of those parts need to be tempered at specific temperatures in vacuum sealed ovens for weeks at a time to get the specific types of crystal structures needed to handle the stress.

I'd prefer to go back to turbo-electric transmissions to rental ones.
 

bullethead

Part-time fanfic writer
Super Moderator
Staff Member
Not to mention that the Reduction Gears in most Naval Vessels are leased and not actually owned by the DOD. Very few ships in the Navy have Reduction Gear Assemblies that are Naval owned. That is because the price of such machines are very very very expensive. Back when I was in the price of one Reduction Gear Assembly was about half the cost of a Frigate I shit you not. Who knows how much they cost now.
That explains why the Navy tried to hook turbines directly to electric motors on a few subs (besides the obvious noise reduction advantages).
Streamlining procurement could be solved by just getting a lot of 3D printers and CNC machines for every base. Shipping bulk materials is simpler and cheaper than lots of small fiddly bits.
As somebody that works in a machine shop, you have no idea how impossible this is. You will never be able to produce everything needed on base, simply due to the sheer amount of jigs/fixtures you would need to store, maintain, and replace in order to maintain production of every single random part.

And that's not even getting into the obvious problems with optimizing programs and job processes, dealing with the inevitable production difficulties as you switch between jobs, and management being fucking stupid while having absurd demands.
 

Sailor.X

Cold War Veteran
Founder
That isn't too surprising given how crazy the materials science is for turbines can get. Some of those parts need to be tempered at specific temperatures in vacuum sealed ovens for weeks at a time to get the specific types of crystal structures needed to handle the stress.

I'd prefer to go back to turbo-electric transmissions to rental ones.
And when we had an issue with the Reduction gear Assembly. We had to contact 2nd Fleet who in turn contacted the Corporation that sent their own Repair team to fix it. We were not to touch anything in that Assembly.

That explains why the Navy tried to hook turbines directly to electric motors on a few subs (besides the obvious noise reduction advantages).
Indeed.
 

Spartan303

In Captain America we Trust!
Administrator
Staff Member
Founder
Osaul
Why not do a competition between Government and Private to see who delivers a better product? Say for the much needed next generation Cruiser?
 

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