Is the Navy ready? How the U.S. is preparing amid a naval buildup in China | 60 Minutes

Navy fighter pilots tell 60 Minutes how the movie "Top Gun: Maverick" compares to the real thing https://youtu.be/GWrWl9fKzlM

“I don’t really talk in depth about submarine capabilities...it’s the silent service”
That gave me goosebumps 😎

I served for 20 years in the Navy, retiring in 2014. Almost a decade later I can attest that we were already seeing degradation of the fleet. Mostly physically but also a small erosion in training. We are still ahead in 2023, but we can not rest on our laurels. Training needs to be ongoing and more practical in nature when possible. Ship maintenance needs to be prioritized and new platforms need to launched in good working order.

I really hope the Navy has many more commanders like him. His demeanor and military knowledge is unique.

And the way for both countries to get along is mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation. These three principles are an important conclusion informed by the evolution of China-U.S. relations over the past 50-odd years.

What the Soviets learned in the 80s, and what the Chinese will learn this decade, is that building a Navy is much easier than maintaining it. The Soviet naval buildup in the 80s is one of the main contributing factors of the collapse, as it exacerbated the effects of the Brezhnev stagnation. It's just a matter of outlasting them economically.

One problem you have with US ships is sabotage, like USS Miami (SSN-755) . On 1 March 2012, Miami arrived at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine, for a scheduled 20-month Engineered Overhaul (EOH) and system upgrades. On 23 May, a shipyard employee started a fire that spread to crew living, command and control, and torpedo spaces. Repairs were initially estimated to require three years and $450 million, an estimate later revised to a range of $450 million to $700 million.

Fire gutted USS Bonhomme Richard, one of the worst noncombat warship disasters. Over 50 sailors were treated for heat exhaustion, smoke inhalation & minor injuries. Temperatures exceeded 648 degrees in areas; ship sections melted into molten metal.

Had the pleasure of serving with then Captain and now Admiral Paparo twice in my naval career. The man doesn't change for the cameras. This is him. Direct, confident (but never arrogant) and loyal to the United States.

The idea that we are moving closer to WW3 and nobody seems concerned is just flat out insane.

was legitimately appreciative of what we did since we were often overlooked and overshadowed by the jets. Yes we just wait around just in case the worse scenario happens

This is the kind of stuff that gets me watching 60 minutes. Unfortunately they rarely do this kind of journalism anymore 😕

Guam, a U.S. territory acquired from Spain after the Spanish-American War, was attacked within hours, not days, after Hawaii was attacked, by the Imperial Japanese forces stationed in Saipan. Guam & Saipan are part of a group of islands called the Mariana Islands. The attack occurred in December 8, 1941. The apparent date difference is due to time zones.

I worked for 5 years in the shipyard that built the LCS. I’m sure there are multiple factors that affect building on time on budget-but one huge problem among the thousands of shipyard employees, was that they didn’t pay us worth a damn! Lower than average wage for trade hands. Treated the hands like crap. I can tell you this much for sure after 20 years in construction-YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR when it comes to the talent building your boats!!!

As a former merchant mariner, I know that the US's commercial shipping industry has long been I a poor state. Shipyards are HUGE and complicated facilities to build and you can't build ANY ships without shipyards. This had been a known issue for decades. We need to find a way to make our civilian shipping more viable (profitable) and the naval ship building capability will follow as a byproduct.

I think people need to think about the toll of a loss of 2 carriers. Historically when naval ships are sunk very few people make it off. 5,000 people would be gone instantly, from 1 carrier, add that to the other lost ships and people lost in taking islands and repelling an invasion of Twain. Many families lives will be changed forever and they always get forgotten about. I hope cooler heads prevail.

Says a lot about our product development and getting this done. It’s sad how we’ve done backwards in so many dimensions.

60 Minutes really missed an opportunity to interview retired Army Colonel Douglas MacGregor who has a PhD in international relations who could have given a much deeper evaluation of the current world situation and how the U.S. plays a role in it not just the U.S. Navy's preparedness. I urge anyone to watch at least one of his videos on YouTube. I'm reading one of his books "Margin of Victory" and what he has to say makes a lot of sense.

My uncle was born in 58. He served on the Nimitz. Straight out of high school. That's been a while considering that he's 65 this year

Proud to have been a E2 Hawkeye troubleshooter for my Navy. My 20 years prepared me for my present career, working on the Airbus A380. Thanks CBS and 60 minutes for bringing back memories :) GO my Navy!

I am always impressed at the professionalism that is displayed by our top brass. Admiral Paparo speaks direct and to the point. Loyal and confident - a great leader. "It is not my hope, it is my duty." That says it all.