Always Silent and Strange, Sometimes Spurious and Entertaining
(cross-posted from Molten Eagle)Consider this report (U.S.N buys Ruskie sub), brought to my attention by an upstanding contributor to UQNM who correctly questions its authenticity. Ask yourself why the fiscally stressed submarine service would spend $4 million to buy the soviet hulk, K-123:
(Soviet Alfa Class /When: August 8, 1982 / Where: Barents Sea ): A liquid-metal reactor on K-123 nuclear attack sub sprung a leak, allowing the liquid metal to seep out, solidify, and create a large mass that damaged the internal mechanisms of the reactor. The sub was forced out of commission for eight years.
Such a purchase would have to involve a sound militay value or level of subterfuge (examples suggested in the next paragraph).
Perhaps UBL has been captured and this is the means of expatriating him to the U.S. for "debriefing'. Perhaps another, high order, submarine espionage event will soon surface and this is a way to harmlessly explain the otherwise implausible. In either case, or in those similar $4 million would be a mere pittance from some "black" budget.
The odd rumor is presented without a verifiable news link. A sampling of comments by regular readers of the reporting site are, well, entertaining:
A rusty bucket from the 70's is a strategic asset 30 years later? (goldorak)
And I hope none of the USN blokes they get to man her want to have anymore children. (diver)
"Don't talk to me about naval tradition. It's nothing but rum, sodomy and the lash" (Winston -Wales)
Abandoning such seriousness (turn on your sound): this payback scenario, instructs how to turn the tables on annoying telemarketers we have all encountered.
posted by Vigilis @ 10:33 AM
6 Comments:
For the life of me, I can't imagine what we could gain by purchasing this submarine. Perhaps our engineers are going to study it's titanium hull, but putting this thing into active service? You gotta be kidding me? I have a hard time taking this news piece serious, at all. This thing has got to be so full of contamination that it'll be beyond use, and they'll have to completely gut it, and put in a conventional reactor to get it back into service - which will cost in the 100's of millions. Somethings not right about this story... Is it just me, or does anyone else feel like throwing the bullshit flag on this one?
I surfed on over to the original post, and checked the story out.
This story is bullshit - if you scroll down the page, Kapitan, the guy who posted the story says we're all "gullible".
So, there you go.
The payback scenario is hilarious! I've gotten in the habit of convincing any telemarketers that call for my wife that she's dead and we're in the middle of waking the body at home. But this is the tops! I gotta try this one!
subvet, thanks for your feedback; my reaction to the "telemarketer payback" was identical to yours. Listened to it many times.
Welcome you are, Radioman. DBF!
Hmm. The only reason I can cook up for such a purchase would be to confirm (or not) some old allegations about it, or a sister craft, received from an agent. It would seem, however, to be pretty pricey just to determine someone's honesty, unless the guy is still operational and is providing high-level stuff. An admiral?
Post a Comment
<< Home