BAE Systems has been awarded a $33.9m contract for maintenance work relating to the USS Mobile Bay.
The US Government say in a contract notice that this delivery order is for a selected restricted availability to execute depot-level maintenance, alterations, and modifications that will update and improve the ship’s military and technical capabilities.
USS Mobile Bay is a Ticonderoga class guided missile cruiser and is named for the naval Battle of Mobile Bay during the American Civil War in 1864.
“Work will be performed in San Diego, California, and is expected to be complete by October 2020.
This delivery order includes options, which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $38,188,485 and be complete by October 2020. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds for $33,946,052 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.
This delivery order was competitively procured with one request for proposal solicited, and two offers received via all eligible multiple award indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contractors in the San Diego, California, area.”
BAE also recently won work to perform routine maintenance and modernization of the amphibious transport dock ship USS Anchorage.
The firm is a prolific provider of ship repair, maintenance, modernisation, conversion, and overhaul services for the US Navy and operates four full-service shipyards in the US in California, Florida, Hawaii, and Virginia.
It can;t be long before BAE changes its name.
Borderline American Enterprise?
Only a matter of time surely before they become US domiciled, they thought about it once before after all and if we get a Corbyn Government that might be the trigger. The perfect storm is building and as if their opportunities in Europe aren’t limited enough, with Brexit looming, an anti corporate and anti defence Govt will surely seal the deal. Only the national outcry is probably delaying it even now.
The possibility of a Corbyn-led government is terrifying……and real. That will be the end of the U.K., and what power & influence in the world it still has. I hope a majority of U.K. voters realize Corbyn is a communist and that he has nothing good to offer. Even higher taxes, unrestricted immigration from Africa and Asia, a tanked economy, loss of freedoms and the end of the institutions that make the U.K. are all that Corbyn will bring upon the people.
Johnson and the Tories aren’t any better. I’ve yet to decide who to vote for but the Tories are equally as damaging as Labour. Johnson will say whatever it takes to get into power and as evidenced over last few days either doesn’t understand or lies about the Brexit deal he’s got. Labour are proposing higher taxes for the most wealthy doesn’t seem an inherently stupid idea if its used to benefit of all. Please provide evidence of labour proposing uncontrolled immigration from Africa, cause whilst the Telegraph may be saying that its not what the Labour conference agreed on.… Read more »
Not the Telegraph Robert. The Guardian. See link below. As Sole has already said to me weeks ago when I brought this up, just because it is has a majority vote at conference does not mean it makes it into the Manifesto. Maybe not. That did not convince me then and it does not now.
It is just another form of Jerrymandering, they think migrants are more likely to vote for Labour. Anf of course the 3 million EU citizens in the UK would vote to remain.
Do they not trust indigenous British people any more?
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/sep/25/labour-members-back-motion-give-all-uk-residents-full-voting-rights
* whilst I don’t trust Corbyn on defence
It won’t be in the manifesto, like hundreds of motions from conference over the years
https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/politics/2019/nov/11/labour-promises-managed-migration-eu-brexit
That’s from this morning
The idea that labour would introduce unrestricted free movement from Africa is absurd
Hadn’t seen that Sole. Will ch3ck thst link tomorrow, it’s late.
Cheers.
“Labour are proposing higher taxes for the most wealthy doesn’t seem an inherently stupid idea if its used to benefit of all.” Of course not. There needs to be a balance. By all means crack down on tax avoiding companies and offshore havens, that is only right and proper. Is this a simple case of chasing the rich for tax, or the ideology driving it of chasing the rich because they are rich? There are differing views on that. If you tax the rich to death so they up sticks and leave, because they can, and probably will, then what?… Read more »
The capitalist system is broken, even the FT are saying it now
The wealth gap is getting dangerously big, there is no other way to rebalance the distribution of wealth other than tax raises and higher wages for all levels of workers
Always remember it isn’t the rich that create the wealth it’s the workforce
The policies of tax raises for the rich and closing tax loopholes etc to fund public services is backed by the majority of the general public, and is the right thing to do, talk of a mass exodus is project fear mk 3456
Robert, your political thoughts here are a bit of a distraction. But, “higher taxes for the most wealthy” indicates that you have little idea what you’re talking about. I suspect you are relatively young and well meaning but, you need to do a lot more reading and less typing.
Replied to Danielle with more detail, but seems to be stuck in moderation sadly.
My political thoughts a distraction? I responded to someones political ramble, if politics ain’t brought up by others I won’t bring it up.
Please elaborate on why higher taxes for the most wealthy indicates I have little idea what I’m talking about?
Because, it’s not higher taxes for the most wealthy. Do a bit of research and you’ll find that those earning McDonnell’s threhold of £50k aren’t actually “the most wealthy”. Go and do some research, work it out for yourself, don’t believe anything you read unless you can find ‘proof’ elsewhere.
Ok I’ll accept that the most wealthy earn significantly more.
Labour have also not confirmeded their tax policy yet but based on previous manifesto it was 45p for those earning over £80k, 50p for those earning over £130k. I’m sorry but both are thresholds significantly higher than average salaries. Yes they may not be the highest earners, but they more definitely are high eaners.
Income isn’t wealth, it’s compensation for knowledge and graft. Most people with these earnings are aspirational and hope to live in a country tha could be described as a meritocracy. Wealth is the net sum of assets minus liabilities. The Labour Party reemed-out the landed gentry in the 1960s with Inheritance Tax. That’s why the vast majority of estates are now either broken up, owned as farm land or owned by the National Trust. There are lots of people who have relatively high earnings but their net wealth isn’t nearly so impressive. They have mortgages and families to look after… Read more »
Mobile Bay is already one of the updated Tico class. Old cruiser but still effective.
https://www.defensenews.com/digital-show-dailies/surface-navy-association/2018/01/04/aboard-the-cruiser-mobile-bay-why-its-captain-would-rather-be-on-this-ship-than-a-new-destroyer/
Having said that, the entire class is slated for replacement by the large surface combatant being developed now. It’s most likely to be a cross between the current Flight III ABs and the DDG 1000.
Cheers!
These cruisers/ destroyers had some serious flaws
For a ship with “serious flaws” the class sure has endured a very long time. lol
Mind you the Littoral ships have been around 12 years and they just can’t stop building the things despite being fundamentally useless if they were unfortunate enough to be confronted by the enemy, don’t even fit their new military concept for the littoral role they were conceived for and have never, and may never get their palletted war fighting system that was their biggest selling point. So the US are not immune from persisting with flawed designs especially in an environment where nationally you feel no state would dare take you on so style over substance can filter in with… Read more »
Yeah most of the problems were over come in the end, I don’t doubt they are still good ships and served well, they did and do have “flaws” though dan
Cam,apart from dubious looks what is flawed with these Ships ?.
I’ve heard there’s at least two issues with the Tico’s, One is that they are very top heavy for their beam. Secondly, to reduce top end weight they made the upper structure from Aluminium, which keeps cracking.
You’re right. The Spruance class hull the Ticos are built on is too small for the superstructure making them top heavy and they do have a cracking problem due to the aluminum. However, the capability they represent in terms of the AAW command capabilities and the sheer number of VLS cells onboard would be very tough to replace right now. Overall though, they’ve been a very successful class which accounts for their longevity in service. I’m interested in seeing the designs for the new class that will replace them.
Cheers!
Yeah they served well and are good ships, but there’s no denying they had serous flaws though. I’m not including The downing of an Iranian passenger Airliner by mistake killing 290 people by one of these cruisers .
Yeah that’s some of the flaws I was on about
Well Some cruisers reported some structural problems and cracks in early service, and they were topside heavy and have a large sail area and would roll in calm seas and pitch really hard in rougher sea, but a considerable amount of extra ballast was added to help, also they aren’t as wide as the AB destroyer by over 10 feet so that didn’t help sea keeping either.
But most of the problems have been overcome and they are generally good ships, but in the beginning they had some flaws.
These ships are so ugly
Its a war ship, not a parade ship
Hopefully this one will be delivered on time. The USN is being hit hard with something like 70+ % of the surface and subsurface refits and overhauls over running on the projected project timeline. The USN contracting system does not help as it does not incentivise a quick turn around. Emergent defects mean longer in the dockyard and more money for the contractor so defects tend to be found “late” in the program usually near the end so that there is extra work required to rip out equipment that has just been fitted! The Fat Albert contracting scandal has also… Read more »
There you go, evidence of the very complacency that being top dog and over confident can engender in the system I reference above. Happened to Britain often enough in the past.
The downing of an Iranian passenger airliner killing 290 people was done with one of her sister ships cruiser USS Vincennes I think.