I really came into Groton expecting to see one sub--museum sub USS
Nautilus, SSN 571--but it turned out that I was going to see six more. First there was that three at the New London base, and then, right down the river, there was this place and three more boats.
Electric Boat works, now owned by General Dynamics. These are the people that built the subs.
And looking down on their yard, they're sure busy. There's one in the flooded dry dock just outside their buidling.
Why do they keep shrouding the sails on these boats? The Navy yard did it, too. Is that to protect something from prying eyes?
Oh, but check out the nose on that boat. You'd think if they were worried about eyes in the sky, they'd have covered that.
It's launch tubes for Tomahawk cruise missiles. I thought that it would be all secret, and then I found
this 2012 article about them. I guess not so secret after all.
Then there was this one, tied up pierside.
And this one, in dry-dock and fully exposed, save for the screw being shrouded, probably to keep from giving spy satellites and nosy Cessnas a good look at their stealth technology.
Again, I'm holding back on a few photos that I think might be showing a bit much, but it still surprised me to see all this stuff just laid out there in broad daylight for anyone and his dog to fly over and gawk at.
And with all of this to stare at, I completely overlooked
Nautilus at her berth and thr US Coast Guard academt on the other side of the river. but can you really blame me?
Awesome shots. I wonder why this is not restricted airspace. Probably because we all hold hands and sing Kumbaya with our "former" enemies.
ReplyDeleteGreat pics! Id hazard a guess that Russian spy satellites taking photos wouldn't abide by a no fly zone so there's likely no point closing it off and they just cover the stuff that should not be seen from the sky.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the boat pics!
ReplyDeleteAnd you missed NR-1 too... :-)
ReplyDeleteNo I didn't. Not really. Wait for the next post.
DeleteGreat pictures Thank-You for sharing them with us
ReplyDeleteBesides the Spy Stuff, there's another reason to have those covers:
ReplyDeleteRAIN.
"Keep the Water out of the People Tank..."
Hey ML - I love these pictures! For years I've had a fascination with Navy submarines. It's a little disconcerting that these pictures were so easy to get....
ReplyDeleteHey Lauren, I once had a fascination with submarines too. Then I joined the Navy. And then I volunteered for submarine service.
ReplyDeleteTake it from me. The novelty of serving on a nuclear submarine wears off. Quickly.
And to expand on Bubblehead Les's comment, when under construction or in the shipyard for overhaul or repairs, a lot of the time, masts and periscopes/photonics are removed for repair. This leaves a gaping hole in the top of the sail. The canvas cover is more to keep the rain out than anything else. There is almost always a scaffolding erected around the top of the sail also.
Roy, who qualified in submarines 41 years ago this month.
Be of good cheer Roy, from what I've heard the sub service only chooses the best and brightest!
DeleteSerendipitously, James Earl Carter Jr. resigned from the USN in October 1953, ensuring that such a vessel would not be under his command, and delaying by a quarter-century the damage he would inflict on the USA.
ReplyDeleteKinda scary that our Navy once considered giving James Earl Carter Jr. access to such a vessel. Wonder if he'd have employed the carbines for shooting marauding killer rabbits, or just whacked them with the rudder?
the white covering on the sail is either for security for classified parts, or just to keep the wind out when working on the subs.
ReplyDeleteYour very brave to post them.. Due to this being a defense plant signs are posted everywhere that no photos are to be taken.. I value my homeland security
ReplyDelete