Category Archives: Sailing

Sailing, Security

U.S. Navy Supercomputers Predict Weather Threats

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Calm waters mean greater chance of attack, as I mentioned recently, so weather forecasts can give a major advantage. CNet reports on the latest technology:

[The Fleet Numerical Meteorology & Oceanography Center] benefits from its immediate proximity to weather and supercomputing experts at the Naval Research Laboratory, the National Weather Service, and the Naval Postgraduate School, all of which are in Monterey. That allows Fleet Numerical’s team of just 13 officers, 13 enlisted, and 128 civilians to do a job that the National Weather Service’s own forecasting center needs at least three times the resources to do, while the U.S. Air Force’s needs twice as much, Sauer explained.

[…]

Fleet Numerical’s most powerful supercomputer is a Dell Linux cluster system known as A2 Emerald with 27.3 peak teraflops. But that runs the center’s unclassified global modeling, which brings in giant amounts of data from countries all around the world. Its classified and Top Secret computers are smaller, and are geared towards much finer resolution regional and local modeling.

History, Sailing, Security

This Day in History: Escape From Alcatraz

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It was fifty-years ago tonight, June 11, 1962, when convicted bank robbers Frank Lee Morris, Clarence Anglin and John Anglin disappeared from Alcatraz. They were never found.

It took them a year to create the escape route, disguise it and create the necessary tools. Soap and toilet-paper turned into decoys, air ducts became doorways, and rubber raincoats and plastic bags made a raft. On the night of the escape a ventilation shaft behind air ducts to their cells gave them a route to the roof. From there they climbed down a chimney on the outside of the building and then paddled their raft towards Marin. Mythbusters recreated the scene and tested the raft’s seaworthiness.

Morris is credited with devising the plan during his first year at the deteriorating facility. He had been sent to Alcatraz in 1960 on a sentence that would have ended in 1974. Instead, he escaped and it was closed by 1963.

History, Poetry, Sailing, Security

D-Day Message by General Eisenhower

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I have seen little or no mention in the security community threads today to one of the most noteworthy events in military history. As we twitter about this password breach or that malware scare, I wonder if any benefit would come to take a moment and reflect on past events of June 6th, 1944.

Take a listen or read the carefully phrased words of General Eisenhower at the start of D-Day, when the weather cleared the way for a landing:

Eisenhower
Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force! You are about to embark upon a great crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and brothers in arms on other fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world.

Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped and battle hardened, he will fight savagely.

But this is the year 1944! Much has happened since the Nazi triumphs of 1940-41. The United Nations have inflicted upon the Germans great defeats, in open battle, man to man. Our air offensive has seriously reduced their strength in the air and their capacity to wage war on the ground. Our home fronts have given us an overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitions of war, and placed at our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men. The tide has turned! The free men of the world are marching together to victory!

I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full victory!

Good Luck! And let us all beseech the blessings of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking.

In the General’s back pocket was another carefully written speech, which fortunately was never needed…

Our landings in the Cherbourg-Havre area have failed to gain a satisfactory foothold and I have withdrawn the troops. My decision to attack at this time and place was based on the best information available. The troops, the air and the Navy did all that bravery and devotion to duty could do. If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt, it is mine alone