Navy Captain Fired Over Blaze on Nuclear Ship

Pentagon mulls sending USS George Washington

(NEWSER) - The US is considering deploying one of the world's biggest warships to the waters off the Korean peninsula where the sinking of a South Korean warship has raised tensions with the North. The nuclear-powered USS George Washington would be deployed separately from upcoming joint US-South Korean exercises, defense officials say. Sending the colossal ship, which is 244 feet high and home to more than 6,000 crew members, would be seen by the North as an aggressive move because of its sheer size, the AP notes. More»

Huge carrier arrives near Tokyo amid radiation fears

(NEWSER) - Japanese protesters greeted a nuclear-powered American warship at its new home port near Tokyo today, Reuters reports. The USS George Washington drew criticism after reports last month than a US submarine had leaked radioactive material at Japanese ports for 2 years —underscoring the tense relationship between Japanese citizens and the American military, especially on nuclear technology. More»

Military buildup challenging America's long dominance

(NEWSER) - China is engaged in a major military buildup aimed at ending the total domination of the western Pacific that the US has enjoyed since the end of World War II, the Wall Street Journal finds. Pentagon officials, who publicly decline to describe China as a threat, say the number of potential flashpoints in the region is growing and China is eying American allies in the region and flexing its muscles—at the very least looking to force US warships to keep their distance from its shores. "You can't say China's a threat," says an expert of America's refusal to acknowledge Beijing's growing might. "You can't say China's a competitor." More»

Vaccum commodes often don't work

(NEWSER) - The Navy Times has a tale of serious toilet woe aboard the USS George HW Bush aircraft carrier, which is currently deployed to the Persian Gulf. The $6.2 billion carrier has 130 bathrooms with 423 commodes, but many of those commodes are frequently on the fritz at any one time. Some choice details:

• At least twice since the ship deployed in May, all 423 commodes were out of service simultaneously. Most times, it's just sections that go down.
• Sailors blame the ship's vacuum system; the Navy blames sailors flushing everything from clothes to hygiene products.

X-47B can take off and land from aircraft carrier

(NEWSER) - The US Navy says the next big leap forward in unmanned aerial warfare has successfully made its first flight. The robotic, bat-winger X-47B drone is designed to take off and land from aircraft carriers, a feat described as one of the most difficult in aviation. The military hopes the technology will allow it to use carrier-based drones with much longer ranges than manned aircraft, the Wall Street Journal reports. More»