Many people have probably followed the plight of the Russian sailors stranded 190 meters under water in a mini-sub. It was nice to see militaries around the world put aside their differences and come to the mariners’ aid.
But it’s worth pointing out this article lest anyone believe that the air of camaraderie in crises diminished the sense of machismo, competition, and old fashion "mine is bigger than yours" boosterism that is so central to our militaries. I quote:
Britain, responding to a request from the Russians, was sending a Scorpio remote-controlled underwater vehicle capable of descending 925 meters.
A U.S. Navy spokesman said a Super Scorpio, an unmanned deep diving submarine capable of reaching a depth of 1,515 meters, would be airlifted to the scene from San Diego naval base in California.
I’m glad to see that nobody was distracted from singing the praises of their expensive toys’ 900 meter plus diving capabilities by the fact that the stranded mini-sub in question was only 190 meters below the surface. It’s a shame that the British did not have time to arrange for an "Ultra-Scorpio." Something like that could have really saved the day.