Photo of sensitive sub propeller hits the Web by mistake

By Andrew Scutro - [email protected]
Posted : August 20, 2007

A photograph of a sensitive piece of Navy technology — the propeller of a ballistic-missile submarine — now appears on the Internet, thanks to commercial efforts to photograph and map all corners of the Earth by aircraft and satellite.

And it appears there by accident.

Dan Twohig works as a deck officer on the ferry that runs between Seattle and Bremerton, Wash. He was thinking of moving to be closer to his job, so he began scanning the real estate on the Bremerton side of Puget Sound using the Microsoft mapping tool called Virtual Earth. He saw the ballistic submarine in dry dock and its exposed propeller.

“My initial reaction was ‘oops.’ Then I looked around awhile and looked at other things. If you look at the White House, it’s all blurred out. They protect that, but don’t protect what else is out there,” he said.

Twohig posted a link to the photo on his Web site; Navy Times is not publishing the name of the site. “My intention of bringing the prop photos to the attention of my readers was in no way malicious,” he said, adding that he wanted to highlight that the image exists for “the average Joe to find if he is looking for it.”

The Navy goes to great lengths to conceal the design of its submarine propellers, but the aerial photo now on the Internet clearly shows the blades.

While he confirmed that the photo does show an Ohio-class hull, Lt. Cmdr. Chris Loundermon, submarine force public affairs officer, said it’s unclear what submarine is pictured.

Though the photograph appears on a Microsoft site, photo credit is given to Pictometry International Corporation, which specializes in such aerial photography. Several messages left for a company spokesman were not returned.

The submarine maintenance facility is photographed in good detail from several angles. A further search through Virtual Earth shows a ballistic submarine in an East Coast shipyard with its missile tubes open.

Microsoft provided a statement attributed to Justin Osmer, a senior product manager at LiveSearch, through public relations firm Waggener-Edstrom.

“Our mapping products fully comply with U.S. laws governing the acquisition and publishing of aerial imagery,” according to the statement. “The clarity of the images is impressive, but beyond a certain zoom level, the images become ‘pixilated’ and blur. In addition, some Virtual Earth imagery can only be viewed from certain distances.

“Additionally, there are other instances where images have been intentionally blurred for security purposes. We review requests to do so on a case-by-case basis.”

A request to interview a Microsoft official about the program was not granted.

Naval Sea Systems Command did not respond to a request for information about government rules on overflights of naval shipyards and facilities by press time.

Pic

Need Pics!!!!

Damn.  too late!

Well.........WHERE'S THE PICTURE?!?!  

I am sure that someone can use their Google/Microsoft skills and find it.

You can be damn sure the Russians and the Chicoms have downloaded every bit of imagery out there (to say nothing of their own efforts)

I have little doubt that real-time imagery is not far off, and some judge will probably ok it. It's neat to look at your own property, place of work, etc online, but to be honest it's getting a little intrusive. Someone oughta stick a few webcams pointed at Bill Gates house and see how he likes it, same for the Google crew.

Image removed because some people seem to think
this information isn't already available to ANYEONE
who wants to see it.

It took me 2 minutes to find it, and post it,
and that was AFTER it had already been circulating
for a long time.  

Twohig posted a link to the photo on his Web site;

Loose lips fuck head!!!

Link

Why the **** is that picture still up there?

Freakin Microsoft.

Quoted: <picture of sensitive military technology>

Quoted: Quoted: <picture of sensitive military technology>

Once it hits the internet, it isn't sensitive anymore.

And since it is STILL on the site I grabbed it from,
the Government Officials must not be too concerned.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: <picture of sensitive military technology> Once it hits the internet, it isn't sensitive anymore. And since it is STILL on the site I grabbed it from, the Government Officials must not be too concerned.

Well spread it around anyway. Someone might have missed it.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: <picture of sensitive military technology> Once it hits the internet, it isn't sensitive anymore. And since it is STILL on the site I grabbed it from, the Government Officials must not be too concerned.

Two wrongs don't make a right.

The Navy goes to great lengths to conceal the design of its submarine propellers, but the aerial photo now on the Internet clearly shows the blades.

Quoted: Quoted: <picture of sensitive military technology>

Yeah, I'm sure Pakistan plans to comission 5 Ohio class SSBNs next week thanks to that picture

Quoted: Quoted: <picture of sensitive military technology>

What difference does it make now? Anyone or any country who wanted that info has no doubt seen it and passed it on to who knows who by now.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: <picture of sensitive military technology> Once it hits the internet, it isn't sensitive anymore. And since it is STILL on the site I grabbed it from, the Government Officials must not be too concerned. Well spread it around anyway. Someone might have missed it.

The only govt's capable of using the technology had the specs before the thing was even forged.

If it was so frickin sensitive why didn't they shield it from satellites?

Quoted: If it was so frickin sensitive why didn't they shield it from satellites?

Are you trying to imply that the Russians might have their own spy satellites that already look down on our military bases? That's unpossible.

Doesn't seem to be so special, judging from the pic.

If it was THAT easy to make a Super Duper Top secret propeller, I could have done it years ago.  If it is deceptively simple, then I assure you that the pic isn't giving much away.

It's a propeller folks!

Quoted: Quoted: If it was so frickin sensitive why didn't they shield it from satellites? Are you trying to imply that the Russians might have their own spy satellites that already look down on our military bases? That's unpossible.

It's a decoy.

We build those to fool the Russians into building them like that because we can hear those for 200 miles.

Quoted: Quoted: If it was so frickin sensitive why didn't they shield it from satellites? Are you trying to imply that the Russians might have their own spy satellites that already look down on our military bases? That's unpossible.

Not the point as far as I'm concerned.

Posting it on the internet when the guy knew that it was secretive information was stupid (not you The-Reaper, the other guy).

there are many photos out of the sub props, and its not a big deal honestly. the fact that a certain optical company who wrote the software that designed it, sold the software to russia 20 years ago is a big deal. heck i have seen pics of the propolsors on seawolf class boats. and if you want to see the most accurate stuff on subs, check out the subcommittee they build rc subs, i used to be a member. the navy conficated a guys model of the propolsor becuase it was too accurate, and i saw both the model and the pics it was good


ps i was a tmsn ss, so i have seen lots of good stuff

Psssst--Maybe its a DECOY Prop! The blades are the wrong way! The first time the Ruskies go to full power, the nut will spin and it will drop right off and they'll have to use the trolling motor to get back to base.

If the Navy didn't want it to be seen, they sure as shit wouldn't put it out in the open.

Gringop

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: If it was so frickin sensitive why didn't they shield it from satellites? Are you trying to imply that the Russians might have their own spy satellites that already look down on our military bases? That's unpossible. Not the point as far as I'm concerned. Posting it on the internet when the guy knew that it was secretive information was stupid (not you The-Reaper, the other guy).

If our government is that f ing stupid to bring a top secret prop out of the water on a clear day then we have a bigger problem than posting the pics on the internet.

I got to through out a bullshit on the secretive aspect of the prop.

They usually thow a tarp over it pretty shortly after they pump down the basin.  It's not a very good photo--the number of blades and general shape are about all you can glean from it.  It's a pretty crappy photo when you can't figure out which ship it is (from a short list of candidates) even when the name is printed in 18" tall letters on the forward brow.  I'm guessing either Jackson, Alabama, Michigan or Alaska.

You can find photos of open missile hatches all over the place.  Nothing all that interesting about the blue enclosure.

Ty

Full Navy Times article:

Photo of sensitive sub propeller hits the Web By Andrew Scutro - Staff writer Posted : Friday Aug 10, 2007 17:32:31 EDT   A photograph of a sensitive piece of Navy technology — the propeller of a ballistic-missile submarine — now appears on the Internet, thanks to commercial efforts to photograph and map all corners of the Earth by aircraft and satellite. And it appears there by accident. Dan Twohig works as a deck officer on the ferry that runs between Seattle and Bremerton, Wash. He was thinking of moving to be closer to his job, so he began scanning the real estate on the Bremerton side of Puget Sound using the Microsoft mapping tool called Virtual Earth. He saw the ballistic submarine in dry dock and its exposed propeller. “My initial reaction was ‘oops.’ Then I looked around awhile and looked at other things. If you look at the White House, it’s all blurred out. They protect that, but don’t protect what else is out there,” he said. Twohig posted a link to the photo on his Web site; Navy Times is not publishing the name of the site. “My intention of bringing the prop photos to the attention of my readers was in no way malicious,” he said, adding that he wanted to highlight that the image exists for “the average Joe to find if he is looking for it.” - why not bring it to the attention of the Navy first? Asshat. The Navy goes to great lengths to conceal the design of its submarine propellers, but the aerial photo now on the Internet clearly shows the blades. While he confirmed that the photo does show an Ohio-class hull, Lt. Cmdr. Chris Loundermon, submarine force public affairs officer, said it’s unclear what submarine is pictured. “Yes, that is an Ohio-class submarine, either an SSBN or SSGN, in dry dock in the Pacific Northwest at the intermediate maintenance facility on the Naval Submarine Base Kitsap-Bangor,” he said. Though the photograph appears on a Microsoft site, photo credit is given to Pictometry International Corporation, which specializes in such aerial photography. Several messages left for a company spokesman were not returned. Pictometry’s motto is, “See anywhere, measure anything, plan everything,” according to its Web site. The submarine maintenance facility is photographed in good detail from several angles. A further search through Virtual Earth shows a ballistic submarine in an East Coast shipyard with its missile tubes open. Microsoft provided a statement attributed to Justin Osmer, a senior product manager at LiveSearch, through public relations firm Waggener-Edstrom. “Our mapping products fully comply with U.S. laws governing the acquisition and publishing of aerial imagery,” according to the statement. “The clarity of the images is impressive, but beyond a certain zoom level, the images become ‘pixilated’ and blur. In addition, some Virtual Earth imagery can only be viewed from certain distances. “Additionally, there are other instances where images have been intentionally blurred for security purposes. We review requests to do so on a case-by-case basis. In addition, we do not provide real-time data or live satellite images. All the imagery has been collected at a fixed point in time over a period of the last few years.” A request to interview a Microsoft official about the program was not granted. Naval Sea Systems Command did not respond to a request for information about government rules on overflights of naval shipyards and facilities by Friday afternoon. Nathan Hughes is a military analyst at Stratfor, a global intelligence company. He A military analysts for a global intelligence company says it was a major mistake at the facility for that propeller to be exposed at all. “It’s very sensitive naval technology,” said Nathan Hughes, an analyst at Stratfor. You always hide that from above.” He says that such equipment has been concealed for decades since the Cold War and the first spy satellites. “The SSBN, especially, with it’s acoustic signature, they try to be as quiet as possible. That [propeller] is national secret. This is something that should not be seen from space or an airplane or any other way.” Today such imagery, like recent pictures of a new Chinese ballistic missile submarine, appear with greater frequency on the globally accessible Internet. “This is just the world we live in these days,” he says.

Wanna know more about Pictometry? You have to register first

Seems like their privacy is more important than anyone else's (or the nation's, for that matter)

Company History Click to see a full resolution (opens in new window) Pictometry is located in Rochester, New York, the "Imaging Capital of the World." Pictometry's remarkable business expansion and technical innovation reflects a visionary leadership team that has taken an idea in geospatial information into a high-growth corporation. The following timeline is based on the company's fiscal year and not necessarily the calendar year shown. 1993 – Awarded patent on new methodology of georeferencing images that allows for natural looking oblique capture angles. 1994 – Work begun on proof-of-concept system. 1996 – Proof-of-concept system complete. Steve Schultz begins development of a production capable capture and display system. 1998 – Production system operational. Initial capture of oblique image inventories started. 2000 - Pictometry International Corp formed. New CEO Richard Kaplan aligns product and business plan. Technology is reworked to create the current product line. Kaplan and Pictometry Technical Director Brian Jackson , begin initial sales presentations. Company achieves first sale and revenue generation. Company expands its executive staff with the additions of Linda Salpini as Vice President of Finance/Controller, Scott Hill as Senior Vice President of Operations, and Mike Neary as Senior Vice President of Administration. 2001 - First major installation - Arlington County , VA. Company closes eight other counties and several custom installations during its first complete fiscal year of operation. Steve Schultz promoted to Chief Technical Officer. Pictometry appoints new members to its executive staff to better manage its escalating business requirements: Dante Pennacchia as Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Frank Giuffrida as Senior Vice President of Engineering, and Charles Mondello as Senior Vice President of Corporate Development. 2002 - Company achieves over 75% growth for second fiscal year during a time of economic recession, massive layoffs in corporate America , and cuts in government spending. The company's customer list expands to over 40 counties and the State of Massachusetts . Company begins marketing to private industries such as engineering and architectural firms, title companies, real estate developers, and others. 2003 - Company triples its sales force of district managers and experiences dramatic growth of over 400% for its third fiscal year. Company also advances its business partnership program with other leading technology companies in GIS, appraisal, and public safety, who recognize the business value that Pictometry's oblique imaging solution adds to their customer's install base. 2004 - Company's customer base expands to over 100 counties. Pictometry develops a touch screen software interface for use in mobile deployments such as law enforcement and other first responder vehicles. The software is also taught at the National Fire Academy , an agency of the Department of Homeland Security. Numerous county appraisal agencies find Pictometry helps reduce expenses, improves operational efficiencies, and in many cases, pays for itself. 2005 - Company secures an exclusive 5-year agreement with Microsoft to provide aerial photos for Virtual Earth/Windows Live Local. Company achieves another record year of growth of over 180%. To date, the company has presented its innovative technology to over 1,000 organizations that include local, county, state, and federal agencies as well as private businesses. 2006 – Company secures a 10 – year deal with Blom-ASA of Norway, a publicly traded company, that will be using Pictometry technology to aerial photograph most of Western Europe. Through this international partner, the Ordnance Survey becomes the exclusive sales agent for Pictometry software and image libraries throughout Great Britain . Dante Pennacchia is promoted to Chief Marketing Officer. Reporting to him is Robert Carroll, who joins Pictometry as International Division President. The State of Rhode Island becomes Pictometry's second state customer as the state initiates a pilot program for Pictometry in their 9-1-1 Center. The company also secures a business partnership with Hitachi to become the Master Distributor for Hitachi 's HouseDiff service – a complementary software process that helps county assessors and other agencies efficiently monitor changes in land and property structures utilizing Pictometry's images.

Here's CEO Richard Kaplan:

Richard Kaplan, President and CEO and County Executive Maggie Brooks Pictometry International, a rapidly growing visual information systems company, is the world leader in digital, oblique aerial imaging and measuring software. Richard Kaplan is the company’s President and CEO. Last month, County Executive Maggie Brooks joined Richard Kaplan to announce that the company will invest $10 million to expand its operations and create 20 new jobs in Monroe County. Pictometry currently employs 90 people locally. Pictometry's patented imaging process captures digital images that combined with the companys interactive software solution, enables users to see everywhere, measure anything, and plan everything. The company has a growing customer base that includes more than 200 counties, state and federal government organizations, as well as private businesses. Pictometry's technology is used by County government in several areas including Public Safety, Planning and Development, Real Property, Environmental Services, and Transportation. Brooks said Pictometry’s technology has helped County government improve operational efficiencies, reduce expenses, and enhance intermunicipal cooperation, which is positive news for taxpayers. Brooks said, "Pictometry represents the kind of entrepreneurial success story we need to duplicate in order to compete in today's global economy. We must focus our resources on nurturing innovation and helping idea-generating companies market their technology and take their business to the next level."

And another:

Richard Kaplan jokes that he couldn’t even turn on a computer when he started working as president and CEO of Pictometry International Corp. in 2000. And yet, he knows how to build a privately held business and turn it into a success story that landed over 400 county governments as well as many commercial clients, including Microsoft Corp. “When I first looked at Pictometry, I never thought I could get it off the ground because it was just a concept—there was no product and no sales,” says Kaplan about his Henrietta-based company, which ranks No. 3 in Rochester’s Top 100 companies for 2006 sponsored by the Rochester Business Alliance. “But I enjoy working on business start-ups, and so I ended up creating a marketing plan for a new GIS (geographic information system) software which was developed by Stephen Schultz, a graduate student from RIT. “Even though I didn’t know anything about airplanes, let alone digital oblique imagery, I had the vision of how we could make it happen. Plus a good CEO always surrounds himself with smart people, and I had some technical geniuses like Steve on our staff.” In recognition of his business success and contributions within the community, RIT’s E. Philip Saunders College of Business has named Kaplan as recipient of the 2007 Herbert W. Vanden Brul Entrepreneurial Award. He will be honored at RIT on April 19. Past recipients of the award include Arunas Chesonis, CEO of PAETEC Holding Corp., E. Philip Saunders, chairman of Genesee Regional Bank and CEO of Griffith Energy Inc., and Wayne LeChase, CEO of LeChase Construction Services LLC. “Dick Kaplan was an easy choice for this year’s Vanden Brul Award,” says Saunders College of Business Dean Ashok Rao. “He is a ‘serial entrepreneur’ in the true sense of the word, and a successful one at that. “His latest venture, Pictometry International, has contributed significantly to the economic well being of our region, and has done so largely with graduates from RIT,” Rao notes. “More importantly, he is an effective and articulate spokesperson for the Rochester business community.” Kaplan says he was dumbfounded when he got news about the award. “I consider this to be the most prestigious award in Rochester for business and it was a great one to win.” Pictometry’s geospatial imaging is somewhat revolutionary, according to Kaplan. “The software offers bird’s eye views of property, buildings, highways, and you can even see the fire hydrant next to your house,” he explains. “Unlike getting information from satellites, like Google Earth, low-flying planes from a few thousand feet take photos of the landscape at 40-degree (3D-like) oblique angles. With our software, you can measure distance, height, elevation and area directly from the images. The system has been used for homeland security, law enforcement, 9-1-1 emergencies, transportation, utilities and businesses, and now the images are available to the public through Microsoft.” Like many entrepreneurs, Kaplan typically works 10-hour days and in between serves as vice president of the Rochester Angel Investment Network, chairman of the Rochester Broadway Theatre League, and is active in community organizations such as Sojourner House, Wilson Commencement Park, Camp Good Days and Special Times, Martial Arts Center of Rochester and the Center for Government Research. Surprisingly enough, Kaplan’s favorite vacation spot is Walt Disney World in Orlando. “To me it’s the eighth wonder of the world and I love everything about it—the Magic Kingdom and Space Mountain, MGM’s Tower of Terror, and Epcot.” In a few years, Kaplan and his wife, Marcia, will be able to take their three granddaughters to Disney. “My son, Darren, lives in Atlanta and he and his wife, Amara, have two daughters. And my daughter, Neely, and her husband, Aaron Pusatari, live in Rochester with their new baby girl.” Since Kaplan attended both RIT and the State University of New York at Buffalo, where he studied accounting and economics, he has not been a stranger to RIT—serving as chairman of the advisory board for the Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science and on the board of Venture Creations. “Plus, 60 to 70 percent of our employees are graduates of RIT,” says Kaplan. “If it weren’t for this university, Pictometry wouldn’t be here—we wouldn’t exist.”

Great. Another bean counter. Let's overfly military installations in our own country and provide hi-resolution imagery for everyone. Asshat.

I'm sorry I find it hard to believe that a super secret prop for one of our submarines would be exposed in broad daylight like that. The government goes to too much expense to keep it's secrets secret.

To not have that end of the sub covered would be against rule number one in the keeping things secret 101 book.

I think they have nothing to hide with that prop. It does appear to be one hell of a prop though. The real goods are the electronics inside that control the weapons on board.  

Like I said earlier in another thread. The current technology we "SEE" being used, such as the stealth fighters and bombers and things of that nature were being designed and tested back in the late 70's early 80's. The pilots for the stealth fighter program began training back in 1982 ( if my memory serves me right from watching the Discovery Channel)

So, if they're showing this, it can't be top secret. The top secret stuff is already underwater or in the air at night, (Hell maybe even during the day if they have perfected the light bending stuff) practicing mock drills. Remember back in the eighties when everyone was seeing the triangle shaped space ships with lights on each end. Those that thought those people were loosing their minds and just seeing things looked stupid when they took the wraps off the F-117  Huh, didn't ya

Hey, just sit back and enjoy looking at "OUR" BAD ASS ENEMY SUB KILLIN, ENEMY COUNTRY DEVISTATING, piece of the US NAVY!

It brings a tear to my eye, it's so beautiful!

I think the sensitive aspect of the design is not discernable by a photograph. All we can see is a shape. Looks cool as hell.

Quoted: Full Navy Times article:

Stupid Navy Times has the article listed in two different sections of the paper.
Figures that I would post the "condensed version".

Thanks for the post!

Quoted: Quoted: Full Navy Times article: Stupid Navy Times has the article listed in two different sections of the paper. Figures that I would post the "condensed version". Thanks for the post!

No prob!

It just bugs me that the guy who stumbled across it didn't think enough to call the Navy first and say "hey guys, we might have an issue here" rather than drawing attention to it on his website.

Agreed that the picture only gives clues to the shape, although sometimes a general idea is enough to solve a problem for someone else working on the same thing (in this case, how to keep it quiet). We know the Chicoms are actively after this (ever since they bought the multi-axis CNC machinery through Toshiba years ago). Why help them out?

No question the Navy should have had it covered, but MS and pictometry also bear some responsibility to keep certain things off the net. There are other places which are pixellated and for good reason. Considering the age of terrorism and what the nations most valuable assets are, it doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out what places should be on that list (although it does take more mental horsepower than resides at either of those two companies).

For those who say it's no secret, go out and find another picture of it.

It boggles my mind that I am able to look at U.S. bases in Iraq and Afghanistan. Any idiot can use the tools included with Google Earth to measure distance for mortar or rocket attacks.

Here's a pretty good article that includes a 1993 photo of a Los Angeles class attack subs screw.

The Taming of the Screw
www.americanhistory.si.edu/subs/anglesdangles/taming.html

There are two bits of irony connected with this story.... The second occurred during one of our visits to a boomer, when we spotted a large Toshiba television in one of the recreational spaces for the enlisted crew. This was the last thing I would have expected to see on an American submarine, given the company's history. I asked the Executive Officer about it and he only smiled, indicating he knew why I was asking. Maybe Toshiba was the low bidder?

Geez you guys... The people that would actually care about something like this probably knew way before you, I, or this guy Twohig.  Somewhere in China some guy in a silly military suit is looking at this crap saying "DUUUUPE!!! haw haw haw silly amewicans!"

Once the image has been posted and one person views it, it is impossible to censor.  Censoring it would not prevent anyone from seeing it who shouldn't, it would just prevent *us* from being able to see it.

You can't really make out much from the photo, anyway.

Quoted: Here's a pretty good article that includes a 1993 photo of a Los Angeles class attack subs screw. The Taming of the Screw www.americanhistory.si.edu/subs/anglesdangles/taming.html There are two bits of irony connected with this story.... The second occurred during one of our visits to a boomer, when we spotted a large Toshiba television in one of the recreational spaces for the enlisted crew. This was the last thing I would have expected to see on an American submarine, given the company's history. I asked the Executive Officer about it and he only smiled, indicating he knew why I was asking. Maybe Toshiba was the low bidder?

But that screw is nearly 40 years old. Good article though!


ETA: Pix of the author:

Quoted: It just bugs me that the guy who stumbled across it didn't think enough to call the Navy first and say "hey guys, we might have an issue here" rather than drawing attention to it on his website.

Just curious, whats the number for 'The Navy' ?

Quoted: Just curious, whats the number for 'The Navy' ?

1-800-TheNavy  

Quoted: But that screw is nearly 40 years old.

That's why he was able to use it.

if it was in dry dock then it was at a known position to any enemy that has the capability of hurting our subs at sea. the countries that fall into that category already have spy satelites and probably had their own pics of that sub in dry dock long before the commercial site ever uploaded the pics to the net

the russians have their own satelittes, they arent sitting around looking at virtual earth.  the navy knows this.  they wouldnt have left this exposed.  

Quoted: Quoted: If it was so frickin sensitive why didn't they shield it from satellites? Are you trying to imply that the Russians might have their own spy satellites that already look down on our military bases? That's unpossible.

INCONCEIVABLE!!!

That photograph is really pretty worthless if you're looking to copy the screw.  Modern screw designs have cross-sections that change (i.e. the chord and twist rate change) from one point to another on a blade.  At some points along the radius of the blade, it's a quite intricate design.  None of that is discernible from the photo.  Metallurgy and fabrication also play a big role, which you're not going to get from a photo.  

And I would imagine that a screw that works well for one hull design might not work well for another.  If you could actually steal the design from that photo, that screw wouldn't be out in the open for all to see.

Quoted: Quoted: It just bugs me that the guy who stumbled across it didn't think enough to call the Navy first and say "hey guys, we might have an issue here" rather than drawing attention to it on his website. Just curious, whats the number for 'The Navy' ?

http://www.ncis.navy.mil/contact.asp

Quoted: That photograph is really pretty worthless if you're looking to copy the screw.  Modern screw designs have cross-sections that change (i.e. the chord and twist rate change) from one point to another on a blade.  At some points along the radius of the blade, it's a quite intricate design.  None of that is discernible from the photo.  Metallurgy and fabrication also play a big role, which you're not going to get from a photo.   And I would imagine that a screw that works well for one hull design might not work well for another.  If you could actually steal the design from that photo, that screw wouldn't be out in the open for all to see.

Even up close, it's hard to tell what real shape of the screw blade is.

Ty

  ENGAGE CATERPILLAR DRIVE!

that live link sucks!  I can't zoom very far out, what gives?

Quoted: If it was so frickin sensitive why didn't they shield it from satellites?

+1000

There would be a cover on that.

I think it's a joke prop.

Hell that design has been around for thousands of years.