The US Navy could change dramatically thanks to the coronavirus

[Boats]

The US Navy could change dramatically thanks to the coronavirus
By: AEI & The National Interest - 03-18-20
Re: https://www.aei.org/op-eds/the-us-na...e-coronavirus/

One year ago, the USS Fort McHenry was quarantined for two months after 25 sailors and marines were infected with viral mumps. Now, the U.S. Navy now has its first confirmed coronavirus case onboard the USS Boxer, a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship which, when staffed fully, carries more than 1,000 men and women. That can only mean change is coming.

One year ago, the USS Fort McHenry was quarantined for two months after 25 sailors and marines were infected with viral mumps. Now, the U.S. Navy now has its first confirmed coronavirus case onboard the USS Boxer, a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship which, when staffed fully, carries more than 1,000 men and women.

It may be more difficult for pandemics to reach deployed ships, but it is not impossible. Even the Nimitz-class aircraft carriers powered by nuclear reactors often “resupply at sea” with helicopters transporting pallets of goods from ships departing nearby ports that meet them with food, equipment, and spare parts. Amphibious assault ships and their escorts carry hundreds of Marines who exercise ashore every few weeks in different training grounds. Both amphibious and carriers regularly dispatch aircraft to shore. For decades, carriers have regularly received and dispatched C-2 Greyhound ‘Carrier On-Board Delivery [COD]’ to a series of air bases across the globe; these are currently being replaced by the V-22 Osprey. COD crew often spend more time off the ships than they do on them. The point? Carriers are hardly as isolated while at sea as many believe. Certainly, they can isolate—needed parts can be cannibalized or manufactured onboard, and food can be stretched out with canned fruits and vegetables replacing fresh produce. With an illness such as the coronavirus, however, ships may not have the opportunity to cut themselves off from networks on land, especially if periods of contagiousness precede symptoms.

The devastating coronavirus spread on cruise ships highlights the problems of quarantine and isolation onboard ships. Navy ships are not so luxurious. While top officers might have single or two-man staterooms, on Wasp-class ships, staterooms shared by four to six officer's quarters is more the norm, Enlisted berthing can include several dozen bunks. Even in medical quarters, isolation can be a problem.

The current pandemic has led to speculation about supply chains. The coronavirus crisis has highlighted to American policymakers just how dependent the United States (and everyone else) are on China for basic medical equipment and drugs. Certainly, when the crisis passes, both Congressional Democrats and Republicans will be less sanguine about the decline of America’s own manufacturing base in key industries, and not just the medical sector.

At the same time, the coronavirus pandemic might focus attention on a seldom-discussed vulnerability for the U.S. Navy. When analysts focus on vulnerabilities, much of the discussion focuses on whether a new generation of Chinese and Russian hypersonic missiles could defeat U.S. aircraft carrier defenses. The coronavirus, however, highlights a comparative disadvantage manned-platforms have, especially as robotics and automated platforms increase in both range and sophistication. It is not sufficient to dismiss coronavirus impact because naval personnel are young and fit. While coronavirus so far disproportionately impacts the elderly, previous pandemics such as the Spanish flu targeted the young and ravaged military barracks.

Unmanned or lightly-manned shipping is already under development. Autonomous tanker traffic is already on the horizon on the high seas. In 2016, the U.S. Navy launched the unmanned Sea Hunter anti-submarine warfare platform. DARPA is actively exploring underwater vehicle technology. Iran or its proxies have used unmanned suicide speed boats off the coast of Yemen. Just as coronavirus will cause a fundamental rethink about manufacturing supply chains, perhaps its reach onto the USS Boxer, its potential spread to other deployed ships, and its ability to impact readiness of ships in port, will catalyze the Pentagon and their Congressional overseers to consider whether the Navy of today is the best force looking forward. Often, strategic inflection points emerge when confronted by the unexpected.

Tags: Coronavirus, US Navy (USN)

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Personal note: Anytime you have that many personnel in an enclosed quartered station a pandemic can spread quickly. The Navy Ships as Sea or a Class Room these areas can allow a virus to spread to all - unknowingly! Until its too late. Any enclosed environment can be disastrous to the whole rather then just the one.

It seems the Navy is now more aware of this then ever after this event. How will they handle this? Has yet to be defined. But you cannot not isolate a large group of men and not expect a virus now to spread to the whole over time. Fixing that will be a problem since space on board a ship is limited. Plus the air circulation systems can contaminate other areas of the ship at the same time. A whole new problem to resolve - which could be time consuming and expensive. Submariner's may most likely be the biggest risk factors since they are an enclosed environment 95% of the time. Hmmm
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Passenger Plane(s) have an enclosed environment as well (not as air tight) but ventilation is recirculated at higher altitudes and in turn could infect everyone on the aircraft. This is most likely why they shut down air-travel. Closed quarters - with many personnel in that space - is a disaster waiting to happen.
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Like I mentioned on an earlier post. In boot camp in 63 we were assigned a barracks and inside there were rows of double-decked racks for 60+ guys. One morning I woke up and the guy in the rack next to me was found dead that morning. He came from California as they had an outbreak of spinal-meningitis in CA at that time. Of course we all freaked out and we were put in isolation in the same barracks for weeks. The rack he was on was taken out and all his cloths and bedding. In fact all bedding was taken out and new brought in -but only after we washed down the entire barracks and they sprayed disinfectant - and opened up all the windows to aerate space. I think we were in isolation for 2-3 weeks with corpsmen in suited cloths and breathing apparatus would check us out daily. Food was brought in and whole barracks had to be scrubbed daily. We didn't have anyone else catch it or die. After our restriction we continue with our training. But it was a little nerve rattling to say the least. (Just an example of what can happen with another type of virus at that time).

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