So, the Russians are rattling sabres with a fleet exercise off Cuba..

[K Frame]

https://wtop.com/world/2024/06/russian-warships-and-aircraft-enter-the-caribbean-for-military-exercises/

"The fleet, made up of a frigate, a nuclear-powered submarine, an oil tanker and a rescue tug,"

Wait... that's a fleet?

Or are those all of the ships they have left after the Ukrainians keep sinking stuff?

"“Most of all, the warships are a reminder to Washington that it is unpleasant when an adversary meddles in your near abroad,” said Benjamin Gedan, director of the Latin America Program at the Washington-based Wilson Center think tank, referring to the Western involvement in Russia’s war in Ukraine."

SNORT!

This is how the US meddles in the near abroad... I'm not sure what the *expletive deleted*ck the Russians think they're doing, but it ain't meddling. Granted, that's an old picture of a carrier battle group what with the Iowa class battleship leading the way, but still...

[WLJ]

"The fleet, made up of a frigate, a nuclear-powered submarine, an oil tanker and a rescue tug,"
Wait... that's a fleet?

Just be glad the media didn't call the frigate a battleship like they so often do.

[K Frame]

I think it's absolutely hysterical that the Russian "fleet" has to travel everywhere with a rescue tug.

That's a pretty solid indication of just how badly the Russian vessels are maintained.

The Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov has routinely been accompanied by a rescue tug (when it is actually capable of leaving port, which now days is virtually never) because its engines are so incredibly unreliable and prone to failure.

[WLJ]

I think it's absolutely hysterical that the Russian "fleet" has to travel everywhere with a rescue tug.

That's a pretty solid indication of just how badly the Russian vessels are maintained.

The Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov has routinely been accompanied by a rescue tug (when it is actually capable of leaving port, which now days is virtually never) because its engines are so incredibly unreliable and prone to failure.

I haven't failed to notice that. But to be at least partially fair to the Russians we usually have other ships in the area both US and allied that could assist and friendly ports nearby in case of trouble while they usually don't

[HankB]

That's a fleet the way two shotguns and a .22 constitute an "arsenal" over here.

And for those who mock the Admiral Kuznetsov as being unreliable, I give you  . . . the U.S. Littoral Combat Ships.

[WLJ]

As Russian Warships Threaten Florida Coast, Biden Responds Decisively To Ensure Safety Of All Pride Murals
https://babylonbee.com/news/as-russian-warships-threaten-florida-coast-biden-snaps-to-action-to-ensure-the-pride-murals-are-safe

[MechAg94]

Do you think it is pretty likely we have fast attack boat in the area?

[dogmush]

There are 34 SSN's assigned to Atlantic Fleet.  I'd be pretty surprised if there wasn't one near those ships since before they cleared the G-I-UK gap. 

Additionally, we have three Arleigh Burke's hanging out down there right now, and while I can't find them right now, there were some P-8 Poseidon's cruising up and down the coast earlier today.

Flight tracking from two days ago: https://x.com/grhdhp/status/1800530225727442955

I suspect that we know what is on the dinner menu on those ships.

ETA I also see a Canadian Harry DeWolf class hanging out south of Key West.

[WLJ]

The media is making a mountain out of a mole hill. There was a time when the Russian, well Soviet, navy visited Cuba all the time and it didn't start WW-III now and 1 little frigate and 1 submarine won't now. Yes I know but lets just ignore that missile crisis thing for the moment.
Meanwhile the Russian sailors are enjoying Cuba, let them. Beats getting shot at in the Black Sea.

[dogmush]

https://x.com/RonnieAdkins_/status/1801265831063507239?t=xsAWEKBdeeuASrmO1_nZMg&s=19

Were they monitoring the Russians, or making sure Floridaman didn't start *expletive deleted*it?  The world may never know.......

[BobR]

Do you think it is pretty likely we have fast attack boat in the area?

Well, the USS Helena is in port in Cuba presently as part of a "scheduled" port visit so that is a pretty good assumption.

bob

[dogmush]

G Bay is at the other end of the island though.  Helena probably handed off the watcher shift to another boat before she came in.

[WLJ]

[Hawkmoon]

And for those who mock the Admiral Kuznetsov as being unreliable, I give you  . . . the U.S. Littoral Combat Ships.

Thanks, but no thanks. You can keep ithem.

[Northwoods]

I heard Matt Gaetz saying that the Chinese worried him a lot more.  Apparently they've been upgrading a lot of facilities in Cuba to spy on the USA.

[K Frame]

"But to be at least partially fair to the Russians we usually have other ships in the area both US and allied that could assist and friendly ports nearby in case of trouble while they usually don't"

Yes, we do, but we also have money allocated towards maintenance that actually GOES towards maintenance, instead of towards some sticky finger Lt. Commander's side whore in St Petersburg... and his other side whore in Minsk.

We also have competently trained sailors who know how to operate the machinery on the ships to which they're assigned.

Finally, our rescue tugs and salvage ships are there just in case...

Russian rescue tugs are assigned to a particular ship or group of ships because it's Tuesday, and we know what thBOOM!

Oh look, the black smoke of graft and incompetence. Or there's a Ukranian around.

[K Frame]

That's a fleet the way two shotguns and a .22 constitute an "arsenal" over here.

And for those who mock the Admiral Kuznetsov as being unreliable, I give you  . . . the U.S. Littoral Combat Ships.

Yep, the LCS program ain't good. It seems to have been largely a design and implementation failure.

But you know what the difference is?

The LCS can still put to sea.

The AK hasn't been able to put to sea under her own power since... 2018?

And even when she could put to sea in the decade before that there were numerous problems, breakdowns, and general clusterfucks that resulted in her dedicated rescue tug doing a LOT of tugging of the AK back to port.

[K Frame]

The media is making a mountain out of a mole hill. There was a time when the Russian, well Soviet, navy visited Cuba all the time and it didn't start WW-III now and 1 little frigate and 1 submarine won't now. Yes I know but lets just ignore that missile crisis thing for the moment.
Meanwhile the Russian sailors are enjoying Cuba, let them. Beats getting shot at in the Black Sea.

Of course they are. That's what they do. I posted this because I thought the reporting on this was an absolute *expletive deleted*ing joke.

[cordex]

Yep, the LCS program ain't good. It seems to have been largely a design and implementation failure.

But you know what the difference is?

In addition, the LCS are not our only aircraft carrier, nor are they the pride of our fleet.

[HankB]

In addition, the LCS are not our only aircraft carrier, nor are they the pride of our fleet.

More than one LCS has required a tow. Navy has already decommissioned several, is working to dump the rest. LCS fleet will be a contender for the shortest service life of any mass produced peacetime Navy ship class.

[Ben]

It's kind of a bummer, as I thought the LCS concept, especially at conception time, was a good one. I think a big part of the problem was the Navy's reliance on "cutting edge and cool" for the hull structure.

While my office only had a 62' research boat, we fell for the same push from the shipbuilders back then on the aluminum hulls, going for an aluminum hull catamaran. We also had all the same "cracked hull" issues as the LCS fleet. As designed ( I guess they have made modifications by now), those stupid hulls could not seem to drive uphill in anything over 4-5' swells, especially short period, at any decent speed, without cracking.

The Chinamen seem to be heavy into littoral zone/coastal defense. I've never looked into it, but am now curious as to their hull designs and materials for their coastal fleet.

[cordex]

More than one LCS has required a tow. Navy has already decommissioned several, is working to dump the rest. LCS fleet will be a contender for the shortest service life of any mass produced peacetime Navy ship class.

Yes, of course.  I'm not saying anything positive about the LCS. 

My point is, there is a huge difference between a nation's flagship and sole aircraft carrier being a useless POS and a nation having a class of corvette-sized ship that are useless POS.  Also, as you point out, the US is finally cutting our (significant) losses with the LCS fleet.  The Russian navy is continuing to pour resources into the Kuznetsov despite it sucking so hard because they don't have an alternative and certainly can't afford to build a modern carrier.

[dogmush]

More than one LCS has required a tow. Navy has already decommissioned several, is working to dump the rest. LCS fleet will be a contender for the shortest service life of any mass produced peacetime Navy ship class.

I have not heard of definite plans to dump all the LCS's.  We're still building them right now, at least two countries are interested in buying variants, and there have been talks about dumping some of the modularity and building the Small Surface Combatant based on the Freedom class.

[WLJ]

One factor in that to consider is that Russia has been trying to maintain at least the outward semblance of a fleet while trying to maintain it's AF, army, and nuclear arsenal, all of which have much higher priority to them in the larger scheme of thing, all while having a GDP smaller than that of South Korea's. Not much has changed in that the past 20 years except now you have to add in the costs of maintaining a Verdun type war in Ukraine and a once proud navy has basically been getting table scraps if that at times..

[Opportunity]

We also have competently trained sailors who know how to operate the machinery on the ships to which they're assigned.

I heard that the victorious Operation Prosperity Guardian is already close to completion?
They say that the Houthis have fled in fear across the desert and are begging for mercy?))