National Defense Reserve Fleet

This is footage shot on December 30th, 2008 of the National Defense Reserve Fleet in Suisun Bay, California. Also called the mothball fleet locally.

I shot this footage at the Lake Herman Road vista point along I-80. It was a hazy day as you can see.

The bow of the battleship USS Iowa BB-61 is clearly visible.

Shot with a Canon XH-A1 using all automatic settings.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• mothball
• fleet
• national
• defense
• reserve
• suisun
• bay
• lake
• herman
• road
• uss
• iowa
• bb-61
• battleship
• ships

[Artas1984]

US needs to make a new class of modern Battleships, nuclear power based, with some laser guided anti-aircraft cannons + have 2 front tripple 16 inch turrets.

[candlstudios]

@Artas1984 As cool as a new class of Battleships would be to see, they wouldn't be very useful. The days of ships fighting it out with guns are long gone. Even a laser guided anti aircraft cannon would prove useless compared to modern missile-based anti-air defenses. The only use I could remotely think of would be shore bombardment but even that is very limited (25 miles or so) and the last time we invaded a country we used other means.

[PitbullNL]

you say reserve fleet.

But what you mean, that they can put it right back into service when the regular fleet is destroyed or something?

[candlstudios]

I suppose that was the original plan for these vessels. I know some were pulled out of storage for Korea and Vietnam but I think for the most part these ships are just stored here until they are scrapped.

The USS IOWA is probably too important to end up being scrapped. Someone will turn it into a musuem eventually. But the rest of these ships will end up chopped up eventually.

[samskateboardvideos]

@candlstudios is it true that the mite be bringing iowa back in survace?

[candlstudios]

@samskateboardvideos I don't know of any plans to turn the Iowa into a musuem but I find it hard to believe it would ever be scrapped. Someone will pick it up eventually.

[miacvpi]

At 3:39 is the S.S. Savannha ...an atom powered commerical ship built in the 50's which used to be in Charleston S.C. at the Yorktown site and I spy the BB 61 Iowa.

Really breaks your heart ,to see such fine equipment floating, rusting away at mercy of our elected leaders.

[971YOURMOM]

thumbs up if you think the uss IOWA must me brought to service

[bearhaulin120]

Actually i heard they keep them clean and ready for service.

[sidewindermack]

My ship, the U.S.S. Tappahannock AO-43 used to be moored there until some brain dead govt. official sold her to Taiwan for scrap. I hope he rots in hell for that! She was the finest, most outstanding, fleet oiler in the U.S. Navy! Eighteen Battle Stars, nine for WWII and nine for Vietnam! What a shame!

[Artas1984]

I don't see a laser based main guns possibility in the near future, but for air defense there would be no better choice, as laser range is limited only to the earths arc, and it does not take alot of power to shoot down an aircraft with a laser compared to shooting ships. Laser based anit-aircraft guns is the future, i am telling you this for sure.

[Artas1984]

A battleship with projectile guns would be an essential platform for shore bombardment as well as a protective ship to shield the aircraft carriers, and a platform for anit-air defence, so i think there is no replacement for that. Missiles is bad alternative for projectiles, because of the high cost. How much would it cost to lauch 2000 missiles compared to 2000 16 inch exploding shells? See?

[AlabamaSoldier]

@PitbullNL

They can't put it "right" back out there, but it's there as a backup. If the situation is desperate enough, most of the fleet could be recommissioned and get underway within six months.