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That isn't true at all. If you read the postmortems on the USS McCain and USS Fitzgerald collisions, you'll find that one of the contributing factors was the fa

That isn't true at all. If you read the postmortems on the USS McCain and USS Fitzgerald collisions, you'll find that one of the contributing factors was the fact that both ships had lots of issues with the computers and software controlling their sensors and communications. This post (https://fixvms.com/ https://fixvms.com/) on the mapping software for the US submarine fleet doesn't raise confidence either.

bombcar 5y ago
The military works because everyone expects everything to be eternally broken at all times. And is pleased when it isn’t.
seoulmetro 5y ago
Issues with software controlling communications isn't the same as issues sending communications. If you're telling me there are ships running in the defence force that can't actually communicate with other people at the drop of a hat, at all times, then how is that even possible? That requires some serious negligence. In a lot of instances, if the system fails, the plane falls out of the sky, so I am pretty sure we're doing that well.
- quanticle 5y ago
  If you're telling me there are ships running in the defence force that can't actually communicate with other people at the drop of a hat, at all times, then how is that even possible? That requires some serious negligence. Indeed it does, but unfortunately ships have to be designed to constraints other than, "Works perfectly all the time, even in combat." For example, one of the reasons that the British lost HMS Sheffield during the Falklands War is because, due to issues with her antenna layout, she was unable to use her radar and satellite communications at the same time. When the Argentine planes launched an Exocet at her, she was in the middle of using the satellite antenna, and thus missed the incoming missile. Why was the antenna layout so boneheaded? Budget cuts during the shipbuilding program, which forced a reduction in size and consolidation of antennas. In a lot of instances, if the system fails, the plane falls out of the sky, so I am pretty sure we're doing that well. The numerous issues we've had with communication and sensor fusion on the F-35 indicate that we aren't. Now, the military absolutely assures us that those issues have been resolved and the F-35 is great now, but I think I can be forgiven for not taking their word 100% at face value.

bombcar 5y ago

The military works because everyone expects everything to be eternally broken at all times. And is pleased when it isn’t.

seoulmetro 5y ago

Issues with software controlling communications isn't the same as issues sending communications. If you're telling me there are ships running in the defence force that can't actually communicate with other people at the drop of a hat, at all times, then how is that even possible? That requires some serious negligence. In a lot of instances, if the system fails, the plane falls out of the sky, so I am pretty sure we're doing that well.

quanticle 5y ago
If you're telling me there are ships running in the defence force that can't actually communicate with other people at the drop of a hat, at all times, then how is that even possible? That requires some serious negligence. Indeed it does, but unfortunately ships have to be designed to constraints other than, "Works perfectly all the time, even in combat." For example, one of the reasons that the British lost HMS Sheffield during the Falklands War is because, due to issues with her antenna layout, she was unable to use her radar and satellite communications at the same time. When the Argentine planes launched an Exocet at her, she was in the middle of using the satellite antenna, and thus missed the incoming missile. Why was the antenna layout so boneheaded? Budget cuts during the shipbuilding program, which forced a reduction in size and consolidation of antennas. In a lot of instances, if the system fails, the plane falls out of the sky, so I am pretty sure we're doing that well. The numerous issues we've had with communication and sensor fusion on the F-35 indicate that we aren't. Now, the military absolutely assures us that those issues have been resolved and the F-35 is great now, but I think I can be forgiven for not taking their word 100% at face value.