9,500 tons. Some Destroyer.
I sailed on 4,500 ton Destroyers.
We could use about 60 hulls in that 4,500 ton class. Of course, with all the modern voodoo.
Agreed. And the newer Burke Flight IIIs are going to be over 10,000 tons. I believe they are actually going to call those cruisers.
I am hoping we take Lockheed and others up on the multi-mission combatanbt, which is a frigate at the 4,000 ton mark. we need them to replace the Perrys and to augment the surface fleet for medium threat environment, and to assist in escort duties. The LCSs are going to be hard pressed to do any of those missions.
They will perform well in the lotorals against FACs and pirates and drug loards...but not likely in medium threat or those escort duties. The ASW package may help them actually do a credible ASW escort job...but they need more endurance.
Anyhow, the multi-mission combatant FFG is something we do need a bunch of.
The USS FORREST SHERMAN (DD-931) class destroyers came out at the end of the Korean War in 1953. They started the USN on its growth cycle from 4,600 tons and 418 feet to the current DDG-51 class 8,400 ton, 510 feet. [When you add two helos, you get a huge growth spurt.]
My days on tin cans were in the stone age: USS HALSEY POWELL (DD-686) Fletcher class at 2,900 tons (fl) and 376 feet. Later on a Sumner class USS WALDRON (DD-699) and USS STRONG (DD-758) at 3,200 tons (fl) and 376 feet. The World War 2 built destroyers had very few creature comforts but they were tough ships that lasted a long time and served well.