About Capt. James Patton, Jr. USN (Retired)

Capt. Patton served on five nuclear-powered attack submarines, two ballistic-missile submarines, and commanded USS Pargo (SSN-650). A frequent Proceedings contributor, he was the technical consultant to Paramount Pictures for the film version of The Hunt for Red October, which was based on a book first published by the Naval Institute Press in 1984.

Recent Posts By the Author


Opinion: Stealth Matters

Opinion: Stealth Matters

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A screen capture from a Northrop Grumman advertisement. Northrop Grumman Image

A screen capture from a Northrop Grumman advertisement. Northrop Grumman Image

The U.S. Air Force selected Northrop Grumman Corp. to develop and build the new Long-Range Strike Bomber (LRS-B) late last year. Like other recent big defense contracts, that award is under protest from competitors. But it’s a good bet the Air Force source selection was a sound one. Why? Because stealth matters. Read More →