India and CMO
They're not real happy with the Akula they were supposed to get either. Maybe they'll still buy the Shitty Kitty!
Mumbles, think the Kitty purchase was a "scare" tactic to get the Russians to fix the Gorshkov sometime this millenium at something close to plus half of original contract. No real intention to sell or buy.
Akula having it's own problems, heck as far as I remember without going too deep it was a later hull number that sat incomplete for a number of years too in Komsomolks na Amur. Weather not too cool over there either.
Nice to get them to buy some of our stuff. Also gets them away from the Russian materials which although they are capable with, not too much support on the back end which hurts them a lot. And the Russians do play hardball with their stuff as far as quid-pro-quo. We do to with the Pressler ammendment (see Pak F-16s) but we're quite a bit more reasonable than the Russkies. Hopefully we'll sell them some Rhinos too and move into other arenas. We need a good ally in that arena to counterballance the PRC growth. having a capable ASW ally who flies same birds as we do can't hurt.
The CMO being shitcanned really surprized me...not because of the concept, but while I was at Wing 11 couple of years ago, it seems that CMO is all that the Commodore, MO and OPSO did. Poor MO, if I see him I'll buy drinks all night, cause he worked that freaking thing day and night, and wasn't too convinced that it would work, but was given his marching orders.
P-8 will be good for the community. Saw earlier guys talking about 6 or 7 birds per squadron. At this point, who gives a shit. Having 4 up birds per squadron is a memory that not too many can recall. Good bird, capable, and more so as they add more stuff on to it. If only the WarPig will make it through the phase in period. And that new hangar next to 30 looks pretty sweet.
Just saw the request from NAVFAC for the Design/build for the sim building. that thing is going to be huge. Don't think that they went with our recommendation for an overpass for pedestrians across Yorktown. crossing that street gonna be a bitch.