That Ship is Fraked!, Part IV

This is a Navy Times article concerning the grounding of the USS Port Royal. (H/T to Galran)

Toljaso.

That they may need to replace the reduction gears is a real bit of bad news. Reduction gears are very complex and, in the manufacturing process, are extremely long lead time items.

The Spruance class destroyers probably had similar reduction gearing, as they used the same basic hull and the same types of engines. But they aren't available, as the Navy sank the vast majority of them in "training exercises." Time was that when ships were retired, the Navy kept them in vast reserve fleets for any future emergencies. If parts were needed for active ships that were not avaiable, they could be stripped from the reserve ships.

But since the end of the Cold War, the Navy has not been that farsighted.

On another note, if you want to know what the condition of the Navy's fleet is, rots of ruck to you. For the first time since the Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV) was formed after the Civil War, the Navy is classifying INSURV reports. One has to wonder why this is so and what the Navy is trying to hide.

My guess is that the Navy has cut back on ship maintenance and that the material readiness of the surface fleet is a lot poorer than they want us to know. Your mileage may vary.