French Perle SSN's Steel Warped (?) from June 12 Fire

Following SubMatts' June 14, 2020 article, submarine expert "S" has made some interesting comments regarding the June 12, 2020 14 hour fire on France's Rubis-class SSN Perle (S606). 

S comments:

Heating of steel by fire and its cooling by water may result in significant damage of steel [1, 2]. According to submarine design experts, even apparently minor damage to submarine steel by heating and/or cooling might be extremely serious [3,4]. The degree of fire damage to the wiring/electrical  system should also be precisely measured and assessed. Perle will be scrapped if damage is as severe as on USS Miami [5].

[1] https://www.steelconstruction.info/Fire_damage_assessment_of_hot_rolled_structural_steelwork
“The assessment of fire damaged hot rolled structural steel is an area in which many engineers and architects have little practical experience. On many occasions fire affected steelwork shows little or no distortion resulting in considerable uncertainty regarding its re-usability. This is particularly true in situations where fire has resulted in some parts of the structure exhibiting little or no damage alongside areas where considerable damage and distortion are clearly visible.”

[2] https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jssc/21/84/21_84_67/_pdf “Effect of heating and cooling process assuming fire of steel bridged on characteristics of welded joints of structural steel”, Steel Construction Engineering, vol.21, No84, ”Dec/2014, page 67, M. Hirohata, et. al.

“For investigating the effect of heating and cooling process assuming fire of steel bridges on characteristics of welded joints of structural steel members, a series of experiments were carried out. The heating under transformation point did not affect the joint performance regardless of cooling process. The heating over transformation point caused the softening or the hardening according to cooling rate. The degree of them was larger in the base metal rather than in the weld metal because the amount of carbon in the base metal was more than that in the weld metal. Furthermore, the change of microstructure of base metal made by TMC process was more sensitive compared with that of weld metal.”

[3] https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/kyokaisi/460/0/460_KJ00002224747/_pdf “Issues on structural material and construction of submarine”, The Society of Naval Architects of Japan, No 460, Oct/1955, page 429, T. Sugimura et.al. (Technical Research and Development Institute, the Japan Defense Agency).

“USS Thresher sinking in 1963 was caused by fracture of welded parts of pipe of 10cm diameter. Risk of facture must be understood.” 
-  Also see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Thresher_(SSN-593)#Disaster_sequence_of_10_April_1963

[4] ibid, page 429

“There are two requirements in steel materials for submarine including welded parts: Standard Charpy strength at -70C and -2.2 C shall be more than 2.2kgm and 7kgm, respectively.”

[5] A USS Miami (SSN-755) was a  Los Angeles-class SSN which suffering a shipyard maintenance fire in 2013, assessed as intentional sabotage. Inspectors assessed it would cost up to US$700 million to repair. Hence it was decommissioned in 2014.

S

Trump Closer to Putin Than Trump Toward His Own People

Putin's Official "President of Russia" Press Release website records June 1, 2020
http://en.kremlin.ru/catalog/persons/498/events/63444

"Telephone conversation with US President Donald Trump

Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President of the United States of America Donald Trump at the initiative of the American side.

June 1, 2020 18:45

The presidents exchanged views on the coronavirus response measures taken by both countries. Vladimir Putin expressed appreciation for the supply of US ventilators to Russia.

The Russian President congratulated Donald Trump on the successful launch of the Crew Dragon manned spacecraft on May 30, which carried American astronauts to the International Space Station. A common attitude towards the development of mutually beneficial cooperation in the space sector was confirmed.

The presidents addressed world oil market developments in the context of implementing the OPEC+ agreement. It was stated that this multilateral agreement, reached with the active support of the presidents of Russia and the United States, would lead to a gradual restoration of oil demand and price stabilisation.

Mr Trump informed Mr Putin about his idea of holding a G7 summit with the possible invitation of the leaders of Russia, Australia, India and the Republic of Korea.

The importance of enhancing the Russian-American dialogue on strategic stability and confidence-building measures in the military sector was noted.

The presidents agreed to continue contacts at various levels. The conversation was constructive, businesslike and substantive."

-------------------------------------

Meanwhile on the same day, June 1, 2020 https://www.npr.org/2020/06/01/867532070/trumps-unannounced-church-visit-angers-church-officials


Peaceful Protesters Tear-Gassed To Clear Way For Trump Church Photo-Op

June 1, 202011:50 PM ET

The plaza between St. John's Church and Lafayette Park was full of people nonviolently protesting police brutality late Monday afternoon when U.S. Park Police and National Guard troops, with the use of tear gas, suddenly started pushing them away for no apparent reason.
And then it became clear.

President Trump wanted to walk from the White House through the park to the Episcopal church. Camera crews scrambled to keep up with him as he strode through the park, followed by his daughter Ivanka [Note: Ivana/ "Ivanka" are feminine forms of the name Ivan, popular in Russia...] and her husband, Jared Kushner, along with Attorney General William Barr and other administration officials...."

French SSN Submarine Fire "Not Nuclear"

From Agency France Press (AFP) via France 24, June 13, 2020
https://www.france24.com/en/20200613-france-says-no-nuclear-accident-during-submarine-fire comes:

"France says 'no nuclear accident' during submarine fire

[Toulon Naval Base, France] A fire that raged for 14 hours on [the Perle (S606)(English “Pearl”) one of France's [Rubis-class SSNs] did not lead to an atomic accident as steps were taken to protect its reactor, the defence minister said [on June 13, 2020].

The submarine was under renovation in the southern base of Toulon when the blaze broke out at about 10:30 am (0830 GMT) on [on June 12, 2020] in a hard-to-access part of the lower bow section, the [French] navy said.

It then took around 100 firefighters and 150 support crew to put out the blaze by around midnight (2200 GMT [June 12, 2020]), the navy said in a statement.

"There was a fire, but no, there was not a nuclear accident," Defence Minister FlorenceParly said.

Parly added that during the fire "measures were taken in the rear area to protect the nuclear reactor compartment".

The navy said earlier there were no casualties and no risk of radiation because the nuclear fuel had been removed during the renovation of La Perle (The Pearl), one of France's six nuclear attack submarines.

The extent of the damage -- and what started the fire -- were not immediately clear but an official with the Naval Group repair centre called the incident "serious."

The regional authorities said that pollution and radioactivity tests carried out by independent experts had not found anything out of the ordinary.

But French nuclear watchdog association CRIIRAD said that a nearby measurement found that radioactivity levels had oscillated at low levels for a few hours in the days leading up to the fire.

The NGO said the "troubling" phenomenon "could have several explanations," but that it did "raise questions".

Parly responded by saying that "a natural radioactive element was emitted in infinitesimal quantities before the fire," adding that it showed that "we have an extremely sensitive and effective detection system".
Parly said a damage analysis would determine whether the vessel can be repaired, adding that it was lucky that almost all of the sub's equipment was not on board.

A judicial investigation and technical probe have been launched.

The submarine, which entered service in 1993, docked at Toulon in January for 18 months of renovation work that was to keep it operational until the end of the decade...”

Trump: Russia's Top Agent of Influence

Judging by this June 1st phone hookup, Trump and Putin remain on excellent terms.

"President Trump of the "high IQ" boast likes to win. He’s such a winner that he’s won the SVR award for Russia’s Most Valuable Agent of Influence, with special mention for "Damage to American Democracy" and "Trashing the Western Alliance”. For Russia's best agents, involved in Operation Trump The Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" and even "The Order of St. Andrew" are insufficient. Each has been awarded the ultimate accolade, “Hero of Trump's Dump”.

Trump's latest trick? NBC reports, June 12, 2020 https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/trump-authorizes-sanctions-international-criminal-court-officials-n1229916 

"The Trump administration launched an attack [June 11, 2020] on the International Criminal Court, which is set up to prosecute war crimes and genocide [the Trump administration] authorizing economic sanctions against officials investigating or prosecuting U.S. personnel without Washington’s consent." 

Here's the “Trump, PUTIN's PUPPET song” 

 

Langley's Lo Hung Phúc on China - Australian Relations

A buddy from the Australia-New Zealand desk at Langley sent me the following essay. It’s by Ms Lo Hung Phúc known simply as “Phúc” by her friends and frenemies. Now Phúc’s main concern is the extent China is compromising Australia’s unquestioning strategic loyalty to the US.

A measure of US respect for Australia was the Trump Administration repeatedly getting the spelling of Australia's then Prime Minister Turnbull wrong.

Ms Phúc has come into some unexplained wealth that has raised eyebrows. Some call it Phúc’s “BBB” (Beijing Bonus Bonanza). Phúc MAY be a double for Beijing or even a triple “mole”. Who knows!

Anyways here’s Ms Phúc’s latest analysis of the threat that Australia will no longer be a vassal of  America during the unreliable, isolationist Trump Administration. For whatever reason Ms Phúc has coloured it revolutionary red...

“China hopes that Australia can have its independent China policy, and that Australia's relations with the US do not target third countries - including China.

Australia, as a key US ally, leans toward the US for security while depending on China for trade. After all, it is a Western country culturally and politically, and geographically hanging off the edge of Asia.

As a member of the Five Eyes network, an intelligence-sharing alliance among Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and the US, Australia acts as a fervent US follower. When the US deems it not a good time for it to pick a fight with China at the frontline, Australia often jumps out and tests the reaction of each side.

Malcolm Turnbull, Australia's 29th prime minister, once defined the China relationship in one word - "frenemy," a portmanteau of "friend" and "enemy."

In Turnbull’s recently published memoir, he pointed to his speech during Asia's premier defense summit, the Shangri-La Dialogue, in June 2017, in which he expressed concerns over China's growing power, as the public start date of the current icy age between Australia and China.

A few months later at a conference in Melbourne, attending Australian politicians, academics and former government officials raised concerns that Australia's lack of an independent foreign policy from its conventional US-centric approach had undermined Australia's national interests.

Rational Australian experts are right in saying that Canberra's policy toward Beijing is ragged. But the question is how to save it. Australian politicians should realize that their country's security arrangements with the US and their adaptation of a rising China are not a zero-sum game.

Some Australian media have been quick to point out that China's latest Beef and Barley import suspension is revenge for an Australia-initiated inquiry into COVID-19 and called it "economic coercion."

But it's not. It's reasonable from China's point of view.

by Lo Hung Phúc”

Canadian Drug Smuggler Killed by Australian Shark

Well they say drug smuggling in shark infested waters can be dangerous. See Bob who crossed the Pacific to Australia's sunny Great Barrier Reef . Youtube below (and here ) :

Bob held his breath all the way

"Simple enough" you might say. 

But then Bob and his drugs were swallowed by something rather large. Youtube below (and here).

Moral of the story. Don't do, or smuggle, drugs. They're bad! OK!

Pete