Another problem that started with Spruance and Ticonderoga classes is the amount of automation gave too few crew members to fight the ship and conduct damage control. That level of automation also resulted in too many problems that could not be fixed underway. Additionally to many desk warriors did not realize you can’t use smart machines and dumb operators.
Bingo
>>Additionally to many desk warriors did not realize you can’t use smart machines and dumb operators.
Smart machines do allow you to use dumb operators to a point. But it requires you to use very smart technicians and that’s the problem. The US Navy gives the best technical training of all the armed forces but the requirements to maintain modern automation has a certain amount of experience required in addition to training. I hire ex-Navy techs most of the time but the ones who are straight out of the service can’t keep up. They need a couple years of running at the speed of a factory to be really useful as good controls techs.
These ships are the same. By the time you get a good seasoned tech, you gotta let them go and replace them with a new A school grad. Back when I was an EM1(SS), the equipment was dumb enough that an A school grad could keep up with the demands of the machines.