The captains and ships companies are held responsible for those specific incidents. However, those are not the only incidents in the 7th Fleet. Back in January, 2017, the USS Antietam, an Aegis guided missile cruiser, grounded in Tokyo Bay. In May, 2017, the guided missile cruiser USS Lake Champlain collided with a South Korean fishing boat. Now these four incidents combined, seem to point to a problem that goes beyond just the ships' crews.
Didn't I just say that? I suspect it will end up a being multiple problems largely stemming from over extension of assets. 16 years of accelerated military operations in a force that has been steadily reduced has got to be a severe drain on training/staffing and readiness.
That you did, but Mussolini either missed it or missed the point you made. I would concur with the over extension of assets, and it has been a problem for years. Maintenance is also an issue, as it is now being reported that the McCain suffered a steering casualty prior to collision.
I don't know anything about ships and radar technology or terminology.... But could it have been a cyber attack on the radar/ sensing equipment? If you can manipulate it in peace time, imagine in battle? Bad stuff....
I don't know about them either, but even if the equipment was hacked, there still should have been human lookouts who should have seen a large thing like a tanker. Heads should rightly roll.
Accountability... Admiral, Captain Removed in Ongoing Investigations into USS John S. McCain, USS Fitzgerald Collisions
It happens because naval officer's tours are down to 18 months or even 12 months, instead of the typical 3 years that an enlisted man would do on a vessel. That isn't enough time to gain the experience required to con a vessel. And think - some junior officers may start a tour during a yard period and get no underway training at all. Their "qualifications" are entirely theoretical when they get to the next vessel. Why do they do this? Promotions. You must get your "ticket punched" for a particular level of line officer training, or be kicked to the rear of the line, so right there is the ugly secret. Everybody must get their ticket punched and to do that, you need to rotate them through sea duty with short tours. We can cast blame on all kinds of little technical or personal errors, but the fact is that any of those things would be dealt with by any well trained and experienced officer promptly and without a second thought, long before they became a real problem. Nothing will change because if they did it would be an admission that an entire generation of naval officers are unqualified or barely qualified, and it would mean that only the best would get those long sea tours, and thus promotions. The rest would end up flying a desk and retire as LCDR or CMDR. .
It is the same in civilian life. Youngsters today are expected, and expect, to be in the same positions of authority after half the training or hands on experience than their forebearers. It is not their fault as they have no other option. My husband in engineering, went through a 5 year apprenticeship with the first tasks being sweeping the workshop floor and carrying toolboxes. I went through the same type of training with the BBC and the 'world was my oyster'. It takes time and graft to attain expertise, there are no shortcuts.