Submarine News Links 17 July 2006

With The Sub Report on break until Thursday (although the guest bloggers are doing a bang-up job keeping things updated at The Sub Report Blog) I figured I'd try my hand at doing some Sub Report-style linkage. Here goes today's effort:

Sailor Accused Of Arson Is Given Bond

Nuclear Propulsion Systems Improving

Second Sailor Convicted Of Hazing Charges (annoying registration required)
Excerpt:
"A military jury convicted a second USS Columbus sailor of hazing and assault Friday at a special courtmartial. "Petty Officer 1^st Class Alvin Franklin, 25, also was found guilty of aggravated assault for pouring isopropyl alcohol on a shipmate’s uniform shirt and setting it on fire. The all-male jury of four chief petty officers and a chief warrant officer — none of them submariners — cleared Franklin of two other counts of assault and of threatening to kill Cool. "But like another Columbus sailor convicted of hazing last week, Franklin will be allowed to stay in the Navy, despite a request from prosecutors that both men receive bad conduct discharges. With credit for time served, Franklin will spend 10 more days in the brig at Bangor submarine base. He also will forfeit two-thirds of his pay for two months and be demoted to third class petty officer."

More What You'd Call 'Recommendations' Than Actual Orders?

Possible Step Forward On Taiwan Submarine Deal

Eric always includes a picture, too, so here's a new picture of my old boat USS Topeka (SSN 754) being shown off to impressed schoolchildren in San Diego: