Gosport MP Caroline Dinenage - New Forces Sweetheart?

The Armed Forces could have found themselves a new Sweetheart in the form of Gosport MP, Caroline Dinenage. During yesterday’s debate on Defence, Caroline won a great victory for the men and women who put their lives on the line for our country:

Caroline wins concession for the military
In an uncompromising defence of the Armed Forces and the Royal Navy in particular during yesterday’s debate on Defence, MP for Gosport Caroline Dinenage wrung out a vital concession from Minister of State for the Armed Forces, Nick Harvey MP and which will bring accolades from tens of thousands of servicemen and their families all over Britain.

During a six month deployment to a war zone, a serviceman is entitled to two weeks rest and recreation (R&R) leave back in UK. It is a vital time to re-charge batteries – for both the serviceman and his family. For British servicemen, unlike every other country with deployed forces, the 14 days of leave starts and finishes in the country of operations (e.g. for US forces the clock starts ticking on arrival on US soil, whereas for British servicemen it is in Afghanistan). Often using ancient trooping aircraft subject to frequent breakdown and sometimes being delayed by the vagaries of helicopter availability, the journey home usually takes 3 days – and then 3 days back again. And if there is further delay the now 8 days leave is reduced yet further. In her speech, which had wide cross party support, Caroline said “It is therefore essential that the ‘R & R clock’ starts from when the person arrives back in the UK in order to allow maximum time for the unseen wounds of stress to be in some way healed prior to returning to the front line”.

Responding to her strong message the Minister replied; “Similarly, my hon. Friend the Member for Gosport (Caroline Dinenage) raised the issue of rest and relaxation and the fact that it ought to begin from the moment people get back home. I entirely agree that that is the most desirable way of doing it, and if in particular circumstances it proves, for operational reasons, not to be possible, we have guaranteed that we will add it on at the end, when people get back. That is a sub-optimal solution, but it may on occasions be necessary, for operational reasons, to handle it that way, and we will ensure at any rate that people do not lose out. My hon. Friend made a good point.

A senior officer was heard to comment after her speech “that there have been numerous attempts to correct this iniquitous state of affairs. Now it appears that a new ‘Forces Sweetheart’ has achieved it!”

I've had the privilege of helping Caroline during her election campaign and I can tell you that I have never met anyone with so much drive and enthusiasm. I'm sure that Gosport can only get better with Caroline representing us.

Our Troops, Fighting for democracy - yet unable to vote?

Angry is not the bloody word! As an ex-serviceman I cannot believe for one minute that it is not possible for every single one of our service men and women to vote if they so wish. We could fly out postal vote forms to them tomorrow - they could be returned within a week. That this has not been seen as a priority is an absolute sodding disgrace.

From the Times online:

Electoral law stipulates that postal votes cannot be issued until the close of nominations 11 days before election date. They must be returned to constituencies by the close of polling to be valid.

So what? Gordon Brown can fly out to Afghanistan and back in no time when he needs to cynically use our troops as a photo op backdrop. 11 Days is more than enough time to get the electoral vote forms out to the troops and back to their respective constituencies. Andrew Murrison, a shadow defence minister, said:

“The blame for the collapse in the number of service personnel registered to vote can be put at the government’s door.

“It is bizarre and wrong that soldiers who have put their lives on the line for Afghan democracy are left without a vote in their own homeland.”

Another Conservative MP, who has a large garrison town in his constituency, said: “Labour has made it harder and harder for soldiers to vote. It may be incompetence, but it could be knavery.”

It becomes clear why Labour are not sorting the mess out when you look at the results of a recent poll carried out by the British Army Rumour Service website found that 57% would vote Tory, and only 7% would vote Labour.

If our Labour government have no intention of helping our Armed Forces vote, then the service heads need to get this sorted - and bloody quick.

USS Obama and HMS Gordon Brown explained.

I received this today from a workmate. I don't know who wrote it, but it's worth posting:

The USS Obama

Seeing it next to the Arizona Memorial really puts its size into perspective... ENORMOUS!

BEAUTIFUL!

When the Bridge pipes 'Man the Rail' there is a lot of rail to man on this monster: shoulder to shoulder, around 45 acres. Her displacement is about 100,000 tons with full complement.



Capability

Top speed exceeds 30 knots, powered by two nuclear reactors that can operate for more than 20 years without refuelling

1. Expected to operate in the fleet for about 50 years
2 Carries over 80 combat aircraft
3. Three arresting cables can stop a 28 - ton aircraft going 150 miles per hour in less than 400 feet

Size
1. Towers 20 stories above the waterline
2. 1092 feet long; nearly as long as the Empire State Building is tall
3. Flight deck covers 4.5 acres
4. 4 bronze propellers, each 21 feet across, weighing 66,200 pounds
5. 2 rudders, each 29 by 22 feet and weighing 50 tons
6. 4 high speed aircraft elevators, each over 4,000 sq ft capacity
7. Home to about 6,000 Navy personnel
8. Carries enough food and supplies to operate for 90 days
9. 18,150 meals served daily
10. Distillation plants provide 400,000 gallons of fresh water from sea water daily, enough for 2,000 homes
11. Nearly 30,000 light fixtures and 1,325 miles of cable and wiring 1,400 telephones
12. 14,000 pillowcases and 28,000 sheets
13. Costs the Navy approximately $250,000 per day for pier side operation
14. Costs the Navy approximately $25 million per day for underway operations.

The HMS GORDON BROWN

Headed for Newcastle , the British Navy welcomed the latest member of its fleet today. The HMS Gordon Brown set sail today from its home port of Skegness .

The ship is the first of its kind in the Navy and is a standing legacy to Prime Minister Brown for his foresight in military budget cuts and his conduct while Prime Minister.

The ship is constructed nearly entirely from recycled aluminium cans and is completely solar powered with a top speed of 5 knots. It boasts an arsenal comprised of one (unarmed) (ex US Navy) F14 Tomcat or one (unarmed) (ex USAF) F18 Hornet aircraft which, although they cannot be launched or captured on the 100 foot flight deck, form a very menacing presence.

As a standing order there are no firearms allowed on board.

The 20 person crew is completely diversified, including members of all races, creeds, sex, and sexual orientation.
The crew, hand-picked from the Civil Service, is specially trained to avoid conflicts and appease any and all enemies of Britain at all costs!

An on - board Type One DNC Universal Translator can send out messages of apology in any language to anyone who may find Britain offensive. The number of apologies are limitless and though some may seem hollow and disingenuous, the Navy advises all apologies will sound very sincere.

The ship's purpose is not defined so much as a unit of national defence, but instead in times of conflict, the HMS Gordon Brown has orders to seek refuge in Blackpool . The ship may be positioned near the Labour Party Headquarters for photo - ops.

We Should be very proud.........

HMS Indefensible handed over to Royal Navy.

Received via email.

It's 2038. HMS Indefensible has been handed over to the Royal Navy...

Today in a grand ceremony at Portsmouth dockyard HMS Indefensible was commissioned into the Royal Navy. Described as the most stealthy warship in the world, she is now the only vessel in the Royal Navy and replaces 2 mothballed aircraft carriers, 6 destroyers and 4 submarines. Responding to criticism about the shrinking fleet, the MoD replied "It's not about numbers, it's about quality not quantity. HMS Indefensible represents a revolution in naval procurement, stealthy, light and agile she will provide a highly flexible platform. She is invisible to radar and almost immune to torpedo or missile attack. Her shallow draft makes her ideal for work in the littoral (coastal) areas. She is also highly efficient with virtually zero carbon emissions and zero fuel consumption."

Admiral Sir James Bland added "She is ready to respond instantly to events and can be deployed to trouble spots anywhere in the world. The RAF have promised to fly her to wherever she's needed provided (1)They are not busy (2)The weather is OK (3)There is a large airfield provided by a friendly foreign nation close by".

Constructed by Britain's only ship builder BVATe Systems in Birmingham, taking 8 years to build, and costing just £1.5 Billion she is a triumph of British engineering. Her forward section was built in China in 2 weeks and then shipped to the UK. The forward section was then joined to the stern built in Birmingham and the complex technical systems installed. However the programme was not all plain sailing and has not been without its problems "The original design included an outboard motor but early in the building process the Treasury insisted cost savings had to be made so out went the motor. After some time spent on computer-modelling and research we selected oars" said a BVATe spokesperson.

Although £1.2 Billion over-budget and 3 years late, Secretary of State for Defence, William Bragg says we can all be proud "The Type 48 programme has sustained 10,000 British manufacturing jobs in addition to 30,000 civil servants in the MoD project team. She will represent the leading edge of British manufacturing wherever she goes and is worth every penny" Bragg is also says he is hoping to see export orders soon although as yet there has been little interest.

Some observers have commented that her lack of any armament could be a problem but the MoD answered robustly "The Foreign Office advised us that carrying weapons can be seen as provocative and that actually firing a weapon at someone would definitely infringe their human rights. We considered this advice at an early stage in the design process and together with the fabulous cost-savings, the case for having no armament was overwhelming".

Her commanding officer, Commander Rupert Tubworthy-Pollock said "To be selected from the 1,200 officers still serving in the RN for the only seagoing command available is a great privilege. Bringing her out of build and into commission has been a huge challenge but I'm confident she will prove to be a great asset".

With a crew of just 2, she is a fine example of lean-manning, reducing running costs and lessening the RN's recruitment headaches. Her crew, AB "soapy" Watson said "On my last ship I had to share the mess with 40 other men but on the new Type 48 sharing is far a less of a problem. As I'm now the only rating in the Royal Navy I have a lot of responsibility".

HMS Indefensible is expected to complete sea trials shortly, go to Plymouth for Operational Sea Training, have a short refit in Rosyth and then and be deployed as part of the new Euro-Navy task force.

HMS Intrepid - It should never happen to a Lady.

Some of you may know that I served in the Royal Navy for sixteen years (1986-2002). So it was with great sadness that I found out that HMS Intrepid was being scrapped in Liverpool. Intrepid was my first ship. I went to sea on her as a stoker at the tender age of seventeen and I have many fond memories of my four years on her. She was an old steam ship - work hard - play hard. It's a shame to see her being torn apart. Pictures HERE.

Our Armed Forces - Respect costs nothing.

Keith, a reader of my blog asked if I would post this video. It concerns our servicemen and women and is very poignant. Warning, it is quite graphic.

Defenceless Royal Navy Destroyers - No Sea Dart missiles

Having served in the Royal Navy for sixteen years I find difficult to express the shame I feel after reading this article. No matter what excuses may come from the Navy or the MOD, this is totally unacceptable and downright disgusting for what was once a great maritime nation.

That HMS Exeter and HMS Southampton can sail without their missile systems operable (to save money!) brings shame to the Royal Navy and to the United Kingdom.

You cannot believe how angry I am right now.

Wounded servicemen are hounded out of swimming pool.

Has our once great country sunk so low? I don't think that I have ever been so angry in my whole life. Read this and weep for your lost country!

I know that I used this quote in an earlier post, but I think it sums up this story:

'The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war,no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional as to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation'' --George Washington--

General Lord Guthrie - Our defence has been underfunded for years.

I've just had the pleasure of reading General Lord Guthrie's excellent article on the Telegraph website. The article is entitled: "Our defence has been underfunded for years." Lord Guthrie makes it very clear that unless funding is immediately increased to our Armed Forces, we could see them seriously damaged for some time to come. Here is a small extract of the Generals article:

Lately, ministers have been boasting about the extra money that has been produced for defence, but whatever has happened, it is woefully inadequate as far as running the Services today is concerned. It is not a matter for self-congratulation.
We find ourselves in a very dangerous world at the moment. Long gone are the days when we could remain safe in our own country, isolated from troubles elsewhere.
If the Government is really serious about defence and security, as the Prime Minister clearly said last week, funding must be properly increased or the Government will seriously damage one of the state's greatest assets beyond quick repair.

You can read the full article by clicking HERE. Please take time to read the comments section, they are as insightful as the article itself.

Why are our Armed Forces nearly 7,000 personnel under-strength?

Figures released today show that the Armed Forces are nearly 7,000 personnel under-strength. The Army alone is under-manned by 3,600. Shadow Defence Minister, Dr Andrew Murrison said: "With troops engaged in two major conflicts these figures are extremely worrying. Labour has broken the military covenant, so more of our trained personnel are leaving, resulting in under-manning and overstretch particularly in key specialist units."Brown and Browne must admit that the Army is too small for the commitments they have entered into."We need a full Defence Review and a full-time Defence Secretary."

As I understand it, the defence budget for 2005/6 was about 2.5 per cent of the GDP (around £32 billion), this compares to 4.4 per cent in 1987/88. That puts the UK's spending on its overstretched armed forces behind that of Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey.

A Government spokesman claimed that the defence budget had increased in real terms since 2000. "Real Terms" - what exactly does that mean? well the same spokesman said: "Although the defence budget has declined as a proportion of GDP since the height of the Cold War, the defence budget has actually been increasing in real terms and it is simply that GDP has risen more quickly." What this means to me is that the government has failed to invest in our Armed Forces when the GDP was high. How have we failed to strengthen our forces during a time of plenty (according to Gordon Brown), when they are fighting at a level not seen since the Korean war?

We have less soldiers now than we did back in 1997, the Royal Air Force offensive squadrons have been cut from 16 to 11, and the Navy has lost eight destroyers and six frigates. I was in the Navy and I would not rejoin if they offered to treble my pay. The Armed Forces have become a dangerous place to be right now - not because of the enemies they face, but because of the way they are being treated by their own government. We may still have the best trained troops in the world, but you can't charge tanks on horseback.

Royal Hospital Haslar - The Great Betrayal.

The following is from one of my local Gosport Borough Councillors (Hardway Ward) Peter Langdon:

While assurances have been given by the Government that armed forces casualties receive first class treatment, media reports to the contrary and infections from superbugs c difficile and MRSA paint a different picture. It is no surprise therefore, that many thousands of people have signed the Downing Street petition seeking the re-instatement of a dedicated military hospital.

Birmingham’s Selly Oak Hospital and its military ward will close when the planned new Birmingham hospital opens in 2010. Therefore, the move from Haslar to Selley Oak has been a scandalous waste of tax payers money. In addition, the irrational £200m plan to move the Centre of Defence Medicine from Gosport to an airfield in Lichfield, some 18 miles from both Selly Oak and Birmingham Hospitals, has been abandoned for lack of funds. As a consequence Defence Medical Staff are scattered between South Hampshire and Birmingham and in this latter place have no proper home, accommodation, training or sports and other service facilities whatsoever.

Recently, a question in Parliament revealed a 2,065 shortfall in Defence Medical Services (DMS) manpower. With the organisational shambles now prevailing, it is no wonder they are voting with their feet!

A military organisation is dependant upon sound leadership, team spirit, morale, comradeship and teamwork. There must also be a proper home to provide identity and satisfy basic needs such as family life. None of these exist in Birmingham. The plan to move there has been a disaster.

Haslar, together with the field hospital and medical training at Fort Blockhouse, service accommodation, married quarters and recreational facilities, provides a proper home.

Queen Alexandra Hospital will have one less operating theatre and one less ward when its rebuild, currently in hand, is complete. Today, it is not unusual to find ambulances with sick patients queuing at A&E. It seems there will be no spare capacity at QA to take on the some 40 NHS operations undertaken daily in Haslar’s ten operating theatres, if this hospital’s planned closure in 2009 occurs.

80,000 and possibly 120,000 new homes are planned for South Hampshire in the next 20 years. That's a population increase equivalent to double that of present day Portsmouth. No hospital provision has been made for this population growth. The threatened closure of St. Richard's Hospital in West Sussex will, if this takes place, put further strain on Queen Alexandra Hospital. (Some 84,000 cases per year.)

For the reasons before, both the NHS and DMS clearly need Haslar. There is no reason why Haslar, Queen Alexandra and Southampton Teaching Hospital cannot work in partnership with the DMS. Doing so will save the Government the hundreds of millions of pounds needed to move Gosport’s facilities to Birmingham and also obviate the need to move the NHS minor injuries unit at Haslar to the Gosport War Memorial Hospital.

Training and proper care have made our armed forces pre-eminent in warfare for hundreds of years. Confidence in the operational capability of Defence Medical Services is a key plank in the overall framework.

The Military Covenant calls for personal sacrifice - including the ultimate sacrifice - in the service of the nation. In return, the armed forces must always be able to expect fair treatment. With wounded troops reduced to mere figures on a balance sheet, the present attitude to our forces is a disgrace.

Haslar must be re-instated as a Military hospital working in partnership with the NHS. That is what the all party Haslar Task force, chaired by Gosport’s MP Peter Viggers, seeks to achieve.

Gordon Brown's secret plans of massive Royal Navy Cuts.

I haven't got time to post properly on this as I should be in bed (on nights), but I cannot let this slip by. The Telegraph say that the Ministry of Defence has produced a plan to decommission five warships from next April, which would reduce the Navy's capability to the level where it could carry out only "one small-scale operation". The information has been supplied in an email from a whistleblowing official inside the MoD. They are also saying that the total number of ships in the Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary could fall from the present level of 103 to 76 in 2017 and only 50 in 2027 — a reduction of more than half.

This as obviously raised a lot of anger in their comments section.

Being ex-RN, I'm pretty bloody furious myself.

Labour Are Dumping On Our Fighting Men And Women.

James Cleverly asks: Will forces funding be an issue in the next election? This is well worth a read, click HERE.

Royal Navy - Super Carriers Are Go And Portsmouth Dockyard Stays Open.

The Royal Navy and the residents of Portsmouth have received some very good news: First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Jonathon Band has confirmed the decision to invest almost £4bn in super carriers HMS Queen Elizabeth and Prince of Wales. The new ships will be three times the size of Britain’s current carriers. The First Sea Lord said this decision ensured the service would: “continue to be one of the great navies of the world”.

The First Sea lord also confirmed that the new carriers and the Type 45 Destroyers would be based at Portsmouth. The Admiral went on to say: “This is a powerful statement by a world player. We intend to have a powerful navy in the future – we are a player on the world scene. This decision means that Portsmouth has a very exciting future as a base for the Royal Navy – and the Royal Navy has a great future, something Nelson would have liked.”

As an ex-sailor and Portsmouth resident this is excellent news. The Navy was drifting into decline and this announcement is just the boost the Navy and the country's defence capability needed.

You can read the full story HERE.

UPDATE: Ian of the PJC Journal has left the following comment on this post:

Unfortunately these ships will never see the White Ensign. When they are commissioned, the ring of stars will be the only flag allowed by our Navy, and every other European statexxxx region. If Brown fails to give this country a referendum on the European Constitution, we wont have a country left for a Navy to serve and protect.

I have to agree with Ian 100%. I encourage visitors to this blog who want to see the UK retain its sovereignty to attend the Pro-Referendum Rally being held in London in October. You can get the details of the Rally and register your support at the Pro-Referendum Rally Website by clicking HERE.

You can also sign the E-Petition asking for a Referendum on the EU Treaty by clicking HERE.

Royal Navy Round-Up - 300th Nuclear Patrol, HMS Daring and Floods.

300th Nuclear Patrol

It's been 39 years since HMS Resolution began the first nuclear deterrent patrol by the Royal Navy. The Defence Secretary Denis Healy called the undertaking: “the awesome responsibility”. This month HMS Vengeance returned to UK waters after completing the 300th deterrent patrol. The round-the-clock constant presence has taken up 50 million man hours and has seen the deterrent change from the Polaris to the Trident missile. Today's Defence Secretary, Des Browne said: “The completion of 300 strategic deterrent patrols highlights the major contribution the Submarine Service makes to the peace and security of the United Kingdom.”

HMS Daring sets sail

The first of the RN's Type 45 Destroyers, HMS Daring set sail under her own power this week. Daring now faces over a year of machinery and weapons trials to ensure she is fit for service. On successful completion of her trials, Daring will be officially handed over to the RN and enter service in 2009.

Sailors Fight the Flood

200 sailors assisted the fire brigade to prevent the loss of electricity supply to thousands of homes in flood-stricken Gloucestershire. The sailors worked through the night to sand bag two sub-stations at Walham and South Meads. Cdr Stuart Borland, coordinating the RN’s relief operation around Gloucester said: “It became apparent at first light that the teams had successful safeguarded the electricity sub-stations supplying a large part of Gloucester. Despite the long hours and conditions and rising waters, the spirits of personnel are very high. They’re keen to volunteer for whatever is required in the next few days.”

Royal Navy - Successfully Fire New Mk IV Tomahawk

The Royal Navy has successfully test fired the new Mk IV Tomahawk Cruise Missile from the T class submarine HMS Trenchant. The missile which is capable of hitting targets at distances greater than 1,000 miles destroyed the test target with pinpoint accuracy. The missiles are able to travel at speeds up to 500 MPH and can be re-targeted during flight while sending back video of the land below to the sub.

The Navy have purchased 64 new missiles which will be fitted to T class and the new Astute submarines at a cost of £70m. The new Astute class submarine fitted with these new cruise missiles and the new spearfish torpedo will be a major boost to Britain's defence capabilities.

For more information and photos of the test firing click HERE

Royal Navy Submarine HMS Astute was launched today

HMS Astute will be the Royal Navy's most stealthy and well armed submarine, capable of delivering pin-point strikes at 2,000km with Tomahawk cruise missiles. She will also be armed with the new Spearfish torpedo weapon system. The largest and most powerful nuclear attack submarine, Astute will be equipped with the world’s most advanced sonar system, communications and intelligence gathering equipment. A new advanced nuclear power core means HMS Astute will never have to be refuelled throughout her 25-year operational life. She will also produce her own air and water meaning she can circumnavigate the globe without needing to surface. Designed entirely in a three dimensional computer aided environment, Astute has been designed entirely with performance in mind, not size or cost.

Taking part in the launch ceremonies were frigate HMS Lancaster, destroyer HMS Exeter, plus patrol boats HMS Charger and HMS Biter. All four vessels are berthed at either Town Quay or Buccleuch Dock (Barrow) from today, with Biter and Charger open to the public tomorrow between mid-day and 4pm, and Lancaster and Exeter throwing open their gangways between the same hours on Saturday and Sunday. Entry is free.

More HERE

Royal Navy - Fourth Astute Class Submarine HMS Audacious is on order.

HMS Audacious, the Royal Navy’s fourth Astute-class submarine will go into build later this year. BAE systems have received £200m to commence work on the project which will take place in their Barrow-in-Furness facility.

Audacious is named after a 74-gun third-rate ship which served under Nelson, a Victorian ironclad which served on the China Station and, perhaps most famously, a Great War dreadnought which fell victim to a mine off Northern Ireland in October 1914.

The Navy are considering a further two Astute class submarines. Rear Admiral Stevens, Flag Officer Submarines said: "The services SSN (Ship Submersible Nuclear) community has made a decisive break away from its Cold War emphasis on anti-submarine warfare (ASW) to embrace the Navy's new operational concept of Maritime Contributions to Joint Operations. The challenge now is to realise the full potential of the SSN across its wider range of tasking. Operations in direct support of surface forces are becoming a far more important part of the submarine service's operations.”

For more facts and information about the Astute Class Submarine click HERE:

Baroness Thatcher Opens Falklands War Exhibition

Baroness Thatcher has today opened an exhibition at the Imperial War Museum dedicated to the Falklands War. The nine-month exhibition commemorates the 25th anniversary of the conflict and features memorabilia and personal items from both British and Argentinian veterans.

Admission to the exhibition is free.

You can view the Museum's online exhibition by clicking HERE.

You can also visit the official Falklands 25th anniversary web site by clicking on the Map above.

Royal Navy - Astute Class Submarine ready next month

HMS Astute, due to be completed next month, is the first of three Astute Class submarines being built for the Royal Navy. HMS Astute will be the Royal Navy's most stealthy and well armed submarine, capable of delivering pin-point strikes at 2,000km with Tomahawk cruise missiles. She will also be armed with the new Spearfish torpedo weapon system.

The largest and most powerful nuclear attack submarine, Astute will be equipped with the world’s most advanced sonar system, communications and intelligence gathering equipment.

A new advanced nuclear power core means HMS Astute will never have to be refuelled throughout her 25-year operational life. She will also produce her own air and water meaning she can circumnavigate the globe without needing to surface.

Designed entirely in a three dimensional computer aided environment, Astute has been designed entirely with performance in mind, not size or cost.

Minister for defence procurement Lord Drayson, said: “The Astute Class is designed for a wide range of roles to meet today’s need for flexibility. Work has already begun on the next two boats in the class – HMS Ambush and HMS Artful – they will become a cornerstone of UK defence capability and the benefits they will bring to our Royal Navy cannot be overstated.”

Cost: £3.5bn for three subs
Weight: 7,800 tons
Length: 97m
Time to build: 6 years 4 months
Power: pressurized water reactor, fuelled for life
Crew: 98