Posted on 04/02/2016 10:28:20 AM PDT by Mariner
A reporter for Defense News is the first to spend time on the USS Zumwalt as it conducted builders trials off the coast of Maine. The 610 foot long, 16,000 ton stealth destroyer, the first of her class, is undergoing extra testing before delivery to the U.S. Navy.
The Zumwalt's iconic slab-sided profile, in which no radar antennas, weapons or masts are visible, reduces the ship's radar cross-section. Although most recent U.S. Navy surface ships incorporate some level of stealth, Zumwalt is by far the stealthiest. This has meant some pretty dramatic departures in warship design, which veteran reporter Christopher Cavas takes note of.
One of the reasons why the ship is so large-up to fifty percent larger than the previous Arleigh Burke-class destroyers-is that everything has to be hidden from radar. Despite Zumwalt's unarmed appearance the ship packs two 155-millimeter long-range guns and 80 missile silos. Although the ship can carry out most missions, including anti-air, anti-ship and anti-submarine warfare, it will be particularly adept at smashing targets on the ground with its two guns. For now however, the Zumwalt's weapons are currently inactive and isn't carrying any missiles.
(Excerpt) Read more at yahoo.com ...
Nobody at sea thinks this is a good idea.
Only 80 VLS tubes and no CIWS. Does anyone believe you can make 16,000 tons of steel "stealth"?
And, at $7.7 billion per unit($23bil for 3) and enormous waste of money. That's 7-8 new Virginia Class subs, 8-9 new Burke Class DDG's or 20-25 modern Frigates.
This is a clear case of Congress and Defense Contractors telling the Navy what they are going to get.
We already have something even stealthier and less vulnerable.
It’s called a submarine.
This sounds like another of those military-industrial complex deals Ike warned us about where the new ship or aircraft or weapons system is just an incidental byproduct.
The cash flow generated by the contract is the true product.
That's absolutely true. A lot of these expensive systems are just jobs programs -- and bribes to important senators. The Zumwalt, for example, had components made (money spent) in almost every state -- about 80 senators could claim jobs and money for their constituents because of this thing.
I happen to think it's a pretty cool ship. But expensive. And I don't think it was built so that we could assert military power. I think it's just because the government has an overwhelming need to spend money.
The F-35 is the same thing: a bad plane. Everyone knows it. But the big benefit from the F-35 is that it is hideously expensive. From a political viewpoint, that ridiculous cost is a plus: it means jobs.
Any surface warship, including the big carriers are floating obsolescent death traps. Once located by any one of numerous modalities, the ships will e swarmed with stealthy drones some as small as seagulls loaded with C4 plastique explosive and directed directly to target. Theoretically the entire US Navy surface combatant fleet can be sunk by a teenager with a joystick sitting in a basement in Tibet.
So, roughly the same firepower as a rowboat.
The bad strath technology in WW I. It is called a frickin’ submarine.
Having been on multiple sides of the acquisition Rubik’s Cube, 24 yrs. Navy active & reserve and 27 yrs. contracting, I’ve seen every miserable mistake made. The labyrinthine process, the Requirements Mafia and requirements creep/change, sequestration, failure to re-institute Federal budgeting/authorization/appropriation, constant interference from Congress & the Executive branch, the Test Mafia, DoD knotheads at every turn, it’s a wonder anything ever gets produced and deployed/fielded. It’s much like the mess that has become health care — a huge gulf between the warfighter/user and developer/builder, the two most important parties, cause interminable delays, drive up costs, and ultimately cause severe cutback or cancellation of programs. It the original number of ships, aircraft, vehicles were to be built, the non-recurring costs would be spread out and reduce unit cost significantly. But it’s the warfighters/users who suffer and the developer/builder who loses the long term orders (at a profit far less than what most think is being made, almost always less than 8%, and usually below 6%).
Yeah, maybe in 30 years...if the US Fleet doesn't shoot back.
We need surface ships too. This is a new stealthy model that packs quite a punch. I don’t see it as a military-industrial complex problem.
Our Navy is shrinking, and we need to get more boats in the water unless third-rate banana republic is now the flavor of the day.
I’d rather have new Virginia class boats and 3-4 Ohio class replacements.
I know there’s a new SSBM in development but there’s no way one of those is going out to sea for less than $2 billion per.
“no CIWS”
Madness.
Not to mention it is on the right track to be a floating, nearly defenseless, highly flammable, lightly manned, deathtrap. Or in other words as you say an insiders' joke on the men and women in the Navy, but part in parcel with the Perfumed Princes' need for shiny expensive toys which do everything and nothing well - and fool the public into believing that these things actually have a purpose and are worth the money because they look neat in a 10 second shot on the MSN news channels.
Stupidity on a breathtaking scale.
A waste of money on a criminal scale.
Some of those Civil War ship designers weren’t too far off the mark.
Not a big deal, this level testing is done without weapons. They havent handed it over to the military yet so where would non military get millions in weapons, much less be qualified to test them?
IIRC that bow plunges the ship underneath big waves and then down to the bottom in a storm.
I understand the whole “stealth” thing, and yes it is a military ship, but we used to build ships, airplanes, and cars for that matter, that had style
This Zumwalt thing looks like it could have been designed by my 9 year old. It is just plain ugly.
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