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Originally Posted by BigBadVuk
Back to the subs there is a bunch of systems that u can automate:Torpedo loading,reactor operations,diesel and batery maintenance.
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The premise of having so many people on board the sub was this: What if something goes wrong? Its nice to have someone watch your back when things go in the crapper.
If I remember correctly the Seawolf has a semi automated torpedo loading system. I know the 688 I was on did not. However, unless you are loading/shifting weapons, there is normally only one TM on watch in the torpedo room anyway.
Automate the engineering operations?? Hopefully that will NEVER happen when I am alive. There are too many variables in operations and what ifs. We were trained to think on our feet and respond to what the readings said but to also ANALYZE those readings and apply human common sense to them. A computer may be able to run them, but to operate them safely will require a human being to look at the numbers and make sure that everything makes sense. I can think of a dozen or 2 things that would look find to a computer but to a human operator, they would make you start looking at things.
Things that I can see being automated? These would be for normal watchstanding, not battlestations or other non-routine evolutions.
1) Helm and trim control.. One person to make sure that the computer is keeping you in the box and the boat properly trimmed. That would cut 3 people off the watchlist every turn of the watch.
2) Logtaking in BOTH ends of the boat. This is one function I understand the VA class is doing now. There are watchstanders reviewing these logs to make sure everything is ok, but they don't have to take 100+ readings every hour. Unless you have done it, you don't know how tedious this is, taking readings every hour, and in some cases as often as every 15 minutes. Then you have to go back and review these logs looking for abnormal trends and such. Makes a six hour watch soooooo long.