USN Zumwalt Launched

[CougarKing]

Futuristic Warship taking shape
www.utsandiego.com

The photo shown here was taken on July 29, 2013 by U-T San Diego from the public park next to BIW, which is located on the Kennebec River.

The destroyer Zumwalt is tentatively scheduled to be commissioned in 2015. The ship was photographed on July 29, 2013 from the public park next to Bath Iron Works. Gary Robbins

Artist's rendering the the Zumwalt-class destroyer. US Navy

 

[Gorgo]

That is a really odd-looking ship.  It's amazing what progress produces, ne?

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Not that new looking

 

[Edward Campbell]

That is a really odd-looking ship.  It's amazing what progress produces, ne?

My guess is that your children/my grandchildren will find that "look" quite normal.

Remember this?

The destroyer, FRASER, in which my father sailed in in the early 1930s

The destroyer, ASSINIBOINE, in which my father served in 1940

The first of the "new" destroyers in the 1950s: ST LAURENT

Our current, most 'modern' destroyer: IROQUOIS, commissioned in 1972

 

[GAP]

From the looks of it, they've just enclosed everything. Moved some stuff back, probably to balance center of gravity and other important stuff.

I wonder what the radar signature would be compared to the class they are replacing....

 

[Colin Parkinson]

With a planned crew of a 150, hey maybe we can even afford to run one...Wonder if they would lease us one? 

 

[Danjanou]

I wonder what the radar signature would be compared to the class they are replacing....

Quite low according to this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zumwalt_class_destroyer

"Despite being 40% larger than an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer the radar signature is more akin to a fishing boat"

With a planned crew of a 150, hey maybe we can even afford to run one...Wonder if they would lease us one? 

I think it would break our bank, "US$3.45 billion (unit cost),[1] US$7.0 billion (total unit cost including R&D)" and that's for 10 ships. Maybe though the cost would go down per unit if we offered to pick up 3 or 4  8)

 

[jollyjacktar]

Arleigh Burke's are fairly substantial girls.  At 40% bigger, I hope I get the chance to see one of these new ladies one day, would be a sight.

 

[tomahawk6]

These new DDG's are really cruisers.

 

[cupper]

Actually, I think a better historical comparison would be the Confederate ironclad CSS Virginia (aka Merrimac)

 

[tomahawk6]

I wonder if it will be firing the new railgun ?

 

[Halifax Tar]

Tomahawk,  do you see the USN moving towards a more littoral surface fleet with shore support at its core while leaving Open/Blue water ops to SSK/SSBN and CTGs ?

Just asking as my understanding of the rail gun would mean its highly efficient in a ground support role but not that hot for AAA duty.

 

[tomahawk6]

Tomahawk,  do you see the USN moving towards a more littoral surface fleet with shore support at its core while leaving Open/Blue water ops to SSK/SSBN and CTGs ?

Just asking as my understanding of the rail gun would mean its highly efficient in a ground support role but not that hot for AAA duty.

The rail gun with its range of over 200 miles would be useful against land and naval targets,but as you point out not aerial targets. For air defense these ships would need SAM's and be part of a task force.I would think it would also need a 5in gun to target fast attack boats.

http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,160195,00.html

 

[GAP]

I think the critical factor is the power source. No matter where you use  the railgun it has to be portable, and being portable means bringing it power source along with it. Ships have a power source readily available, land stations .....not so much. (Think Maginot Line)

You can't just plug it into your stove.....

 

[jollyjacktar]

If I'm not mistaken, pretty well all the naval action has been littoral since Korea.  Hitting things ashore with either guns or missles from fairly close in.  Ship to ship action hasn't really happened since the end of the second world war.  At least from what I see that seems to be the direction things have gone since 45.

 

[Halifax Tar]

If I'm not mistaken, pretty well all the naval action has been littoral since Korea.  Hitting things ashore with either guns or missles from fairly close in.  Ship to ship action hasn't really happened since the end of the second world war.  At least from what I see that seems to be the direction things have gone since 45.

Solid point JJT!  Having said that there have been gun boat / corvette clashes between N Korea and S Korea that may be more situational than a predictor though...

 

[Colin Parkinson]

I suspect they are planning this for but not with rail guns for now. Hopefully they have an idea of what requirements they will need for a rail gun, such as shielded trunking to the gun platform. I suspect that with the power cable requirements for a rail gun, it will have limited traversing ability. I doubt a slip ring arrangement will work as well, but that's just guess. I agree a mix of conventional guns, rail guns and missiles will be a good fit for these ships.

 

[CougarKing]

New U.S. artillery shell moving toward production
upi.com

The LRLAP is a 155mm shell fired from the Advanced Gun System for the U.S. Navy's next-generation DDG 1000 destroyer. Its purpose is to provide fire support to troops ashore from a stand-off distance and with minimal collateral damage. It features an advanced rocket motor and hardened electronics, including a global positioning system and inertial measurement unit for navigation.

 

[Robert0288]

I wonder if it will be firing the new railgun ?

Might also have the new laser as well

 

[CougarKing]

The effects of the recent US govt. shutdown on the defense-oriented shipbuilding industry, exemplified:

Defense News

US Navy: Shutdown Postpones DDG 1000 Christening
The christening of the first-in-class destroyer Zumwalt, which had been set for Oct. 19 at Maine’s Bath Iron Works, has been postponed by the government shutdown, the US Navy said in a Friday news release.

“It is incredibly unfortunate that we are being forced to cancel the christening ceremony for this great warship,” Navy Secretary Ray Mabus said in the release, “but the ongoing government shutdown prevents us from being able to honor Admiral Zumwalt’s memory with a ceremony befitting his and his family’s legacy of service to our Nation and our Navy.”

The Navy and the shipyard, owned by General Dynamics, are in talks to reschedule the ceremony, the release said. As of early Friday, the yard’s website providing details on the event had not been updated to reflect the schedule change.

(...)