Texas.

This is coolbert:

"Don't mess with Texas"

Here with the voyages of the USS Texas. Virginia class submarine, a capital ship, the latest and most up-to-date version of the type of warship that allows the U.S. to have world-wide projection of power. Most impressive.

"The capital ships of a navy are its most important warships; the ones with the heaviest firepower and armor. A capital ship is generally a leading or a primary ship in a fleet."

The Texas, on a shake-down cruise [?], sailing from the Atlantic - - under the polar ice cap, surfacing at or near the North Pole, an attempt to reach the Pacific Ocean through the Bering Strait unsuccessful.




A most impressive display of capability for a vessel newly minted and only entering operational status. A real indication that the U.S. Navy has a lot of confidence in the design of the Virginia class submarine.

"The ship . . . departed New London Naval Submarine Base at Groton for Pearl Harbor on September 16, 2009. On its way to Pearl Harbor, the sub traveled to the Arctic Ocean and surfaced near the North Pole's ice pack. Due to the thickness of the ice on the West Coast, the sub turned around and completed its westbound transit via the Panama Canal."

The waters of the Bering Strait are relatively shallow. There must be an adequate clearance between the oceanic bottom of the strait and the underneath of the ice pack to allow for a submarine to make a safe passage! If the ice pack in the strait is too thick, the Texas or any other submarine cannot make a submerged transit.

"The Bering Strait is approximately 53 miles (85 km) wide[clarification needed], with an average depth of 98–160 feet (30–49 m)."




I can recall very well the reports at the time that when the USS Nautilus made the first voyage under the ice cap to the North Pole, traveling from the Pacific NORTHWARD through the Bering Strait, three attempts had been made prior - - each occasion the thickness of the ice pack denying the Nautilus further movement north!

I am just hoping that those sensors atop the masts extending from the "sail" of the Texas are undamaged? The masts can be retracted when surfacing through the ice? Otherwise damage may occur. Soviet/Russian submarines have always [?] been constructed with specially reinforced sails to withstand the "smashing through" to the surface. Was actually in the early days when missiles were carried in the "sails" of submarines, and important feature to consider within the context of arctic naval warfare.

As of right now, as we speak, the Texas, on "her first six-month operational patrol", sailing the oceans of the world, projecting American power in an unseen manner but with very great potentiality! Out there "somewhere", we just don't know where "somewhere" is!

"The sub departed Pearl Harbor for her first six-month operational patrol on May 19, 2010."

"Looked for - - cannot be seen, listened for - - cannot be heard, felt for - - cannot be touched!!"

Don't mess with Texas!

coolbert.