Tempo.

This is coolbert:

Impressions can be deceiving? So is it with the American nuclear submarine fleet?

"Exclusive: Navy Will Spend $200 Billion—Equal to Ukraine's GDP—on Subs It Barely Uses"

From https://www.newsweek.com/ article by WILLIAM M. ARKIN ON 04/19/23.

"The U.S. Navy plans to expand its submarine fleet at a cost of $200 billion, equivalent to the GDP of Ukraine. But as Republicans hotly debate ongoing military aid to Kiev, neither party has questioned the far more costly submarine program—allowing the Navy to conceal a startling fact about America's submarine fleet. The Navy calls its submarines 'the most lethal and capable force.' It is also the 'silent service,' shrouded in secrecy, the nature of its operations closely guarded."

"The American attack submarine force—the 'fighting' submarines—exists in order to pursue enemy submarines and ships, eavesdrop on adversaries and support operations by special forces. Hollywood productions like The Hunt for Red October have created the impression of submarines tracking the enemy while moving noiselessly under the sea, operating stealthily for months on end. The reality is markedly different. The U.S. Navy can deploy barely a quarter of its attack submarine force at any one time, and last year, despite a war raging in Ukraine and China's rise as a global superpower, only 10 percent of its submarines operated stealthily by spending more than 30 days fully submerged"

Devoted readers to the blog are strongly encouraged to read the entire Newsweek article.

I had always thought the U.S. Navy practice of Blue & Gold crew meant a very high tempo of operations. Two month patrol on a war-footing at all times, a return to port, crews rotating at the end of each patrol. But down-time is too excessive for Blue & Gold to mean a whole lot?

Understand fully well the modern submarine the most complex thing made by man. Each patrol results in a lot of work orders, major and minor.

Those much-needed periodic cycles of refurbishment/retrofit NECESSARY and time consuming.

And don't think the Russian or Chinese submarine fleets a whole lot better with regard to down-time and idleness. 

The American public can justifiably ask and should ask if the return on investment is worth the money spent?

coolbert.