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Articles by Brian Adornato
Sharpening the Blade: Specializing Crews and Cutters to Meet Global Missions
Combatant commanders prize Coast Guard cutters for their Swiss Army knife versatility. National security cutters (NSCs) based in California may sail to the Arctic to shadow Russian or Chinese task groups, then pivot to fisheries enforcement in the Bering Sea, migrant interdiction near the U.S.–Mexico border, and drug seizures off Colombia. They also conduct high-seas boardings from the Galápagos to Oceania and deterrence patrols in the Taiwan Strait.
How Smart Data Can Drive Smart Maintenance on Cutters
Not that long ago, the USCGC William Chadwick (WPC-1150) had a problem. The same alarm on the machinery control system (MCS) had chimed over and over: ground fault, 440V distribution panel. Each time, Chief Electrician’s Mate Jack Watkins could see the needle on the switchboard's ground-current meter move, then return to zero, clearing the alarm after a little more than a minute—hardly long enough to do any troubleshooting.
Confessions of a Former LCS Champion
Just as only Nixon could go to China, perhaps only someone who has written more than a dozen articles in favor of littoral combat ships (LCS) can say what went wrong with them. Foreign observers and the other critics have commented on the problems with the LCS program for years while missing the deeper issues that ultimately resulted in its failure.
Replacing a Legend: The Next-Generation National Security Cutter
From drug busts of narcosubs to overseeing U.S. and foreign navy ships at the Rim of the Pacific exercise, the Legend-class national security cutter (NSC) has proven its worth.1 The NSC has many successful deployments ahead, but the time is right to consider its replacement, the NSC(X). Recent Coast Guard acquisitions for major cutters have taken 14 or more years from the beginning of the process to deployment.
Cruisers Would Make Great Training Ships
When I showed up to the USS Antietam (CG-54) in 2019, seabag on my shoulder, talk of the imminent decommissioning of the old cruisers dominated the crew rumor mill. It seems the cruisers have been set to decommission next year . . . every year since 2015. And yet here it is, 2023, and we are still slouching along. There is an easy solution to this: Turn the last remaining cruisers into training ships.
Time to Scrap LCS
After more than a decade of development delays, the littoral combat ship (LCS) is showing some usefulness in the fleet. But despite this progress, it remains a troubled program. The program is a favorite punching bag when it comes to examples of waste and failure. Therefore, what I am about to say is neither bold nor new: LCS is a drain on the surface fleet and should be terminated immediately.
Retirement Jobs for the LCS
As many as ten littoral combat ships (LCSs) may be in the market for retirement jobs soon.1 The ships have a few great points to put on their resumes for a new employer: They are representative of a class that is still in service (and will be for years to come). They have good aviation facilities. They can move equipment into and out of the water. They are compact but still have some open space in the hull.
Proceedings - September 2022 Vol. 148/9/1,435
Nobody Asked Me, But . . . As many as ten littoral combat ships may be in the market for retirement jobs soon. Here are a few jobs for the Navy to consider. By Rear Admiral Christopher Alexander and Lieutenant Commander Michael Axel, U.S. Navy There is an emerging pathway for exceptional officers no longer on track to O-5 command to continue to serve and excel in the Navy.
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