I'm a retired Marine and Air National Guard fighter pilot, and a retired airline pilot with a 20 year career at a major air carrier from 1985 through 2005. When I was a new hire copilot on the DC-10 which had 1960s technology when it came to navigational and flight control automation. All final approaches to landing were hand flown by the captain or first officer. In other words we did not have autopilot capability that would land the airplane. Then we started getting the 757/767s with a very sophisticated autopilot autoland capability that enabled full hands off approaches and landings in near zero visibility, zero ceiling weather situations. We were transitioning analogously from "first principle" stick and rudder flying to what Rob predicted is going to happen when AI in subs will enable fully automated pre-attack maneuvering tactical control of the ship. That always raises the questiom that Rob appropriately posed, what do you do when the automation fails? That's why we need to train for those situations, and why at the airline during simulator checkrides we were required to demonstrate proficiency at hand flying approaches and landings without use of automation, and why during normal line flying we still hand flew most of our approaches and landings. Thank you both for your service to our great nation! Bravo Zulu. Bear sends. 🐻🇺🇲
I took a year off from my airline job to attend the Naval War College, Class of '93. One trimester I took the highly classified "Submarine Warfare" elective. It was fascinating to learn of the many eclectic and courageous missions being performed by our submariners that I would never have dreamed of. But during one of our unclassified group discussions about submarine control technology, from my large transport flying experience, I posited that continuously "hand flying", i.e. depth maintaining, course keeping, buoyancy control, etc., could easily be automated by installation of even a rudimentary equivalent of an airplane autopilot. I was nearly laughed out of the SCIF by the former sub skipper professor! Glad to learn from Rob that It appears as though submariners are finally relinquishing some of their conservative tradition and catching up with aviation to some extent with his remarks about the future of AI in "the Silent Service". Good! Mush Morton lives! 👍🐻🇺🇲
I have spent 10 years as an officer in the South African National Defense Force 1995 - 2005. I have been listening to your guests for some time and a lot of the stories take me back to my years of service while a lot of the stories took place, I was fortunate to visit one of our Navy’s subs and listening to some stories of US Navy Subs are amazing, Thank you for bringing all these amazing people to share their stories. Salute to you all, G…
Another great interview Ryan! Rob Peter’s forthcoming manner and his almost “owner’s manual“ description of preparing for, and spending life aboard these deadly floating watchdogs was just too cool. Thanks to both of you.
Fantastic interview that really gave the listeners insight of what being nuclear train submariner is all about. I sincerely hope young men and women that love this country watch this podcast. Thank you both! MM1/SS/DV (M-Div)
Glad to see a submariner. Still trying to catch up on episodes but this one caught my eye. I did one hitch as A-gang after failing enlisted nuke school like 66% of the class. Spent my whole time on a Los Angeles attack sub in the Atlantic, so I learned a lot more than I thought I would have from this boomer captain. ;) Definitely been there in the cockpit in rough seas though.
My son retired from the Navy a year ago, in November. He spent 20 years and three months on submarines. I think he spent a total of five years on the Jimmy Carter. He went there first as the LPO over communications and was made chief. Then he went back to Jimmy Carter as a chief. He spent a total of nine years at URD. All of that time on the Jimmy Carter and at the Trident training facility. For the previous five years, he was at CTF 69. While at CTF 69 he was on duty and sent the launch orders for the cruise missile strikes on Libya starting Operation Odyssey, Dawn. Another highlight of his career while he was at URD was working on a project with former MCPON Rick West. I do not know what he did while on the Jimmy Carter. He did tell me that he met two deputy directors from the CIA. He collected coins and showed me the challenge coins he received from them. He left the Navy and went to work for a defense contractor.
I'd be very interested to hear what his time on the Jimmy Carter was like - not only because I'm interested in our Subs, but in particular - there is a very long, detailed, and highly derogatory/not-good post about the JC on 'Urban Dictionary' - years ago I found it while reading about something else entirely - and it was shocking because, if it's our most-valued asset or specialist of the Special Subs, you'd think they would take care of it - but you can read the thing for yourself, the writer said that the morale was the worst ever possible, everyone hated their jobs & lives and every single person tried to get out from their ASAP etc. So I'm just curious what your son's experience would be like (and I'm just a private fuckin civilian, so have no dog in the fight) ... Anyway Merry Christmas!
As a retired USMC and ANG fighter pilot, It pains me to say Rob is right that the fighter pilot is rapidly approaching obsolescence if not outright extinction. Today's fighter pilot is the current equivalent of the 1930s cavalry soldier! That's why, again, painfully for me, to admit that it's folly to place so much national defense reliance on the extremely resource draining carrier battle group (CBG) instead of ramping up production of fast attack submarines. Its crazy that right now we're building yet another multibillion dollar Ford Class super carrier, the Enterprise. Shore and ship-based antiship missiles are already threatening to push our carrier battle groups back from the putative battle area by as much as a thousand nautical miles. In the defense of Taiwan from Chinese amphibious invasion, if it comes, will not be the CBG's that will save Taiwan, it will be USN, and our Austral-Asian Allies', fast attack submarines, not carrier air wings. 😢🐻🇺🇲
Thank you for this story. I served as a sonar tech during the mid 80's. I had the honor of being a 733 Plankowner. Robs descriptions were dead on. Especially the culture of being a non-qual NUB when arriving on board. I really appreciate his humility & lessons learned. And that NOTHING tactical was shared. The SS designation means silent service or silent ship. We are also silent with our stories. What happens underway, stays there. NOTHING personal. You just don't "need to know". Outstanding as always, Ryan!
While I was in SWSE (strategic weapons systems electronics) school to become an MT in 1992,I legitimately felt sorry for the guys that were attending Nuke school.You guys went to school all day,went to dinner in the evening then went to night school for several more hours also,for months on end.Seeing this schedule took away any disappointment I dealt with because of failing the qual test (required to even be allowed to attend Nuke school) by 1 point. To anyone that comes on here to comment,that either became a Nuke or made it through a big portion of school before getting overwhelmed,what portion/ section of the school/training do you feel was the most difficult in the learning curve?? Was it more in relation to the book learning phase or the on hands phase?? Eventhough my rate/field had me working solely in the missile/missile tube section of the sub vs in the reactor area in the rear of the sub, that movie K19 with Liam Neeson was a very scary scenario I always had in the back of my mind because of how way above dangerous/deadly the reactor compartment can become at any moment if something catastrophic happens.
4:41 cover longer distance .. Sure it requires some training, but quite a bit is your psychie … When you think you are totally out of any strength, you have only consumed about a third or so. Get your mental work in your favor
The Appalachian Trail is cool but when you have to get off the trail and walk on a road 4/7 Mi and then pick up the trail again it's not one Trail it should be called Appalachian trails plural not singular because it's a fact that these are several trails that can lead to each other via roadways and feeder trails it's not one continuous Trail and to be a trail it has to be continuous
I'm a retired Marine and Air National Guard fighter pilot, and a retired airline pilot with a 20 year career at a major air carrier from 1985 through 2005. When I was a new hire copilot on the DC-10 which had 1960s technology when it came to navigational and flight control automation. All final approaches to landing were hand flown by the captain or first officer. In other words we did not have autopilot capability that would land the airplane. Then we started getting the 757/767s with a very sophisticated autopilot autoland capability that enabled full hands off approaches and landings in near zero visibility, zero ceiling weather situations. We were transitioning analogously from "first principle" stick and rudder flying to what Rob predicted is going to happen when AI in subs will enable fully automated pre-attack maneuvering tactical control of the ship. That always raises the questiom that Rob appropriately posed, what do you do when the automation fails? That's why we need to train for those situations, and why at the airline during simulator checkrides we were required to demonstrate proficiency at hand flying approaches and landings without use of automation, and why during normal line flying we still hand flew most of our approaches and landings.
Thank you both for your service to our great nation! Bravo Zulu. Bear sends. 🐻🇺🇲
I took a year off from my airline job to attend the Naval War College, Class of '93. One trimester I took the highly classified "Submarine Warfare" elective. It was fascinating to learn of the many eclectic and courageous missions being performed by our submariners that I would never have dreamed of. But during one of our unclassified group discussions about submarine control technology, from my large transport flying experience, I posited that continuously "hand flying", i.e. depth maintaining, course keeping, buoyancy control, etc., could easily be automated by installation of even a rudimentary equivalent of an airplane autopilot. I was nearly laughed out of the SCIF by the former sub skipper professor! Glad to learn from Rob that It appears as though submariners are finally relinquishing some of their conservative tradition and catching up with aviation to some extent with his remarks about the future of AI in "the Silent Service". Good!
Mush Morton lives! 👍🐻🇺🇲
I have spent 10 years as an officer in the South African National Defense Force 1995 - 2005.
I have been listening to your guests for some time and a lot of the stories take me back to my years of service while a lot of the stories took place, I was fortunate to visit one of our Navy’s subs and listening to some stories of US Navy Subs are amazing,
Thank you for bringing all these amazing people to share their stories. Salute to you all, G…
Very unique interview, thank you very much Ryan...
Another great interview Ryan! Rob Peter’s forthcoming manner and his almost “owner’s manual“ description of preparing for, and spending life aboard these deadly floating watchdogs was just too cool. Thanks to both of you.
As a former Army officer who loves to give the Navy crap this was a very interesting and engaging interview. Thanks for what you do Ryan.
Fantastic interview that really gave the listeners insight of what being nuclear train submariner is all about.
I sincerely hope young men and women that love this country watch this podcast.
Thank you both!
MM1/SS/DV (M-Div)
Glad to see a submariner. Still trying to catch up on episodes but this one caught my eye. I did one hitch as A-gang after failing enlisted nuke school like 66% of the class. Spent my whole time on a Los Angeles attack sub in the Atlantic, so I learned a lot more than I thought I would have from this boomer captain. ;) Definitely been there in the cockpit in rough seas though.
D@mn good episode! Refreshing to hear/see an O-6 this open and affable.
My son retired from the Navy a year ago, in November. He spent 20 years and three months on submarines. I think he spent a total of five years on the Jimmy Carter. He went there first as the LPO over communications and was made chief. Then he went back to Jimmy Carter as a chief. He spent a total of nine years at URD. All of that time on the Jimmy Carter and at the Trident training facility. For the previous five years, he was at CTF 69. While at CTF 69 he was on duty and sent the launch orders for the cruise missile strikes on Libya starting Operation Odyssey, Dawn. Another highlight of his career while he was at URD was working on a project with former MCPON Rick West. I do not know what he did while on the Jimmy Carter. He did tell me that he met two deputy directors from the CIA. He collected coins and showed me the challenge coins he received from them. He left the Navy and went to work for a defense contractor.
I'd be very interested to hear what his time on the Jimmy Carter was like - not only because I'm interested in our Subs, but in particular - there is a very long, detailed, and highly derogatory/not-good post about the JC on 'Urban Dictionary' - years ago I found it while reading about something else entirely - and it was shocking because, if it's our most-valued asset or specialist of the Special Subs, you'd think they would take care of it - but you can read the thing for yourself, the writer said that the morale was the worst ever possible, everyone hated their jobs & lives and every single person tried to get out from their ASAP etc. So I'm just curious what your son's experience would be like (and I'm just a private fuckin civilian, so have no dog in the fight) ... Anyway Merry Christmas!
As a retired USMC and ANG fighter pilot, It pains me to say Rob is right that the fighter pilot is rapidly approaching obsolescence if not outright extinction. Today's fighter pilot is the current equivalent of the 1930s cavalry soldier! That's why, again, painfully for me, to admit that it's folly to place so much national defense reliance on the extremely resource draining carrier battle group (CBG) instead of ramping up production of fast attack submarines. Its crazy that right now we're building yet another multibillion dollar Ford Class super carrier, the Enterprise. Shore and ship-based antiship missiles are already threatening to push our carrier battle groups back from the putative battle area by as much as a thousand nautical miles. In the defense of Taiwan from Chinese amphibious invasion, if it comes, will not be the CBG's that will save Taiwan, it will be USN, and our Austral-Asian Allies', fast attack submarines, not carrier air wings. 😢🐻🇺🇲
Ok....somebody interview "Bear" Owen!
Absolutely fascinating. Thank you
I really enjoyed this Ryan!
Great Episode, Shoutout Navy! Ohio Class 🥷
Thank you for this story. I served as a sonar tech during the mid 80's. I had the honor of being a 733 Plankowner. Robs descriptions were dead on. Especially the culture of being a non-qual NUB when arriving on board.
I really appreciate his humility & lessons learned. And that NOTHING tactical was shared. The SS designation means silent service or silent ship. We are also silent with our stories. What happens underway, stays there. NOTHING personal. You just don't "need to know".
Outstanding as always, Ryan!
Rob Peters awesome story from my NWC class mate VR GT CNCS 05
While I was in SWSE (strategic weapons systems electronics) school to become an MT in 1992,I legitimately felt sorry for the guys that were attending Nuke school.You guys went to school all day,went to dinner in the evening then went to night school for several more hours also,for months on end.Seeing this schedule took away any disappointment I dealt with because of failing the qual test (required to even be allowed to attend Nuke school) by 1 point.
To anyone that comes on here to comment,that either became a Nuke or made it through a big portion of school before getting overwhelmed,what portion/
section of the school/training do you feel was the most difficult in the learning curve?? Was it more in relation to the book learning phase or the on hands phase??
Eventhough my rate/field had me working solely in the missile/missile tube section of the sub vs in the reactor area in the rear of the sub, that movie K19 with Liam Neeson was a very scary scenario I always had in the back of my mind because of how way above dangerous/deadly the reactor compartment can become at any moment if something catastrophic happens.
4:41 cover longer distance ..
Sure it requires some training, but quite a bit is your psychie …
When you think you are totally out of any strength, you have only consumed about a third or so.
Get your mental work in your favor
The Appalachian Trail is cool but when you have to get off the trail and walk on a road 4/7 Mi and then pick up the trail again it's not one Trail it should be called Appalachian trails plural not singular because it's a fact that these are several trails that can lead to each other via roadways and feeder trails it's not one continuous Trail and to be a trail it has to be continuous
Without the respect this guy looks like Sean Connery which did a movie
Ryan would you add an option to allow people to pay you? Via PayPal etc.
Appreciate your work