Need a Suggestion from One of the Navy Gamers

[Webstral]

After several years, I’ve warmed to the idea of basing a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier off Manhattan and using its machine shops and expertise to support a recovery in New York. This got me thinking about security v logistical arrangements and so forth. This got me thinking about permanently rigging the power plant to support an area on the shore like in Satellite Down. This got me thinking about the likelihood of a massive population wanting to move aboard and whether one could keep a small town aboard the ship in relative security and available for labor of all types. This got me thinking about Alameda in San Francisco Bay. This got me wondering about which nuclear carrier would be best to park off Alameda and rig for power to the shore.

So, can I get any suggestions as to which CVN should be permanently docked at Alameda?

[Matt Wiser]

ISTR many moons ago, when the carriers were discussed, it was Abraham Lincoln that was moored at NAS Alameda: her arresting gear had been wrecked by an ASM hit, but she was otherwise seaworthy.

[Webstral]

Abraham Lincoln sounds like a fine starting suggestion. I'll look her up. I don't really need for her to be seaworthy, though I don't have any particular objection that, either. Well, if she's seaworthy there will be some pressure for her to put back to sea at some point--even if only as a source of electricity for another location. Of course, those kinds of tensions make for good storytelling and perhaps otherwise unexplained sabotage events that only affect propulsion.

[Webstral]

Now, here's a thought. If you have plenty of electricity for a monster ship like an aircraft carrier, but you need to support much smaller vessels that might be used for mundane but important tasks like suppressing piracy and escorting fishing vessels, you might be able to turn electricity into fuel by using the Sabatier process to make natural gas from hydrogen and atmospheric carbon. I'll need to crunch some numbers to know what the chemists and engineers will be telling the admirals about this.

[rcaf_777]

The US Army bulit the MH-1A. It is a pressurized water reactor and the first floating nuclear power station.

It was retired from service in 1976 since the Army Reactor Program had been discontinued, and, as a unique prototype, operation cost for the unit was high. It was orginal bulit to supply power to the Pannal Cannal.

The power plant was removed in 1977 and the ship itself was placed in reserve in the James River Reserve Fleet. Not sure what happen the ship, but the power plant was placed in safe storage which means it could be dismatled until 2037. 60 years after it's defueling and shut down.

Here's some more info

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Army_Nuclear_Power_Program
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MH-1A

I think this could another option if you did not want to go with the carrier. You could have anchored at Fort Belvoir (The site storage site of it's old reactor)under refit for active service when bombs drop the base is far enough from Washington and maybe Camp David? The US Army also SM-1 reactor their which is also in Safe Storage.

I think the setting alone is good.

[raketenjagdpanzer]

I'd intended to do something similar with Key West and a nuc carrier; it'd tussled with the Soviets in the FL Straits, absorbing a couple of ASM hits that put it out of fighting shape, while its air wing plus Key West NAS and Homestead NAS basically extirpated all Cuban and Soviet air and sea power in a two-day battle.

She transfers her avgas to Key West to keep their handful of helos and pair of CAP F18s flying, plus a little for the "wing" (3x F16, plus a couple of Blackhawks) at Homestead AFB, then moors at Key West and basically keeps the town in electricity and fresh water.

The machine shop, hospital, etc. etc. basically mean that the Keys, up to and including Homestead, are a no-go zone for raiders and NA. The lone E2C is the biggest asset: it functions as a flying weather radar and provides some early warning on hurricanes, so it mitigates some of the damage the five that hit from '97 through 2000 by warning the communities up through Central Florida.

Yes I realize many of you would find that soooo canon breaking it'd wreck the game, so append a big "IN MY CAMPAIGN".