Posted on 01/15/2024 5:44:12 PM PST by Red Badger
US Navy to upgrade four Arleigh Burke-class destroyers with updated kit but China’s superior fleet size would likely win any sea war
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The US Navy is significantly upgrading four Arleigh Burke-class destroyers with advanced radars and electronic warfare systems in an apparent stopgap bid to counterbalance China’s growing naval might.
This month, The Warzone reported that the US Navy has named the USS Pinckney, USS James E Williams, USS Chung Hoon and USS Halsey for the upgrades.
The upgrades will include the new AN/ALQ-32(V)7 Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program (SEWIP) Block III electronic warfare suite, thermal management systems, the new AN/SPY-6(V)4 radar and an improved version of the Aegis Combat System.
The SEWIP Block III suite features active electronically scanned array technology, allowing powerful bursts of radio-frequency energy to launch electronic attacks on multiple targets. The US Navy is also acquiring two other radars in the SPY-6 family for integration on other ships.
The Warzone says that the US Navy is upgrading an initial four Arleigh Burke destroyers to the so-called Mod 2.0 configuration in two phases, with the first phase receiving all components except for the new radar.
Other ships in the class will be upgraded to the Mod 2.0 configuration after the first four Arleigh Burke destroyers. The US Navy is also acquiring new Flight III Arleigh Burkes, which will become the US Navy’s primary air defense command and control platform afloat.
At the same time, the US Navy is planning to develop a larger class of destroyers, known as DDG(X) with a displacement of around 13,500 tons, in fiscal year 2032 without disrupting Arleigh Burke production.
The DDG-51 Mod 2.0, or DDG 2.0 standard, may be a stopgap solution until newer Arleigh Burke Flight III and DDG(X) hulls come into service, providing high-end surface warfare capabilities to replace the Ticonderoga class.
Our advantage is that they are built with Chinese parts and workmanship.
There is no China fleet gap. The US Navy has by far the most powerful blue water fleet in the Pacific, Japan is second, and China third.
I recently read where we may have to contract out our shipbuilding of military ships due to cost overruns and delays. Japan and Korea.
Subs are the game changers.
Yes, as one FReeper put it, the Navy has two types of ships: Submarines and Targets..............
The Red Chinese have always led the world in lying.
They have no desire to see most of that brand new fleet at the bottom of the ocean. They hope to psyche the US and it’s allies out of fighting.
Would it help to pull the 4 remaining Iowa class battleships out and refit them?
Has to be cheaper than scratch.
China has a 200:1 advantage in navy construction capacity.
That level of quantity difference will overcome any quality deficit.
“There is no China fleet gap. The US Navy has by far the most powerful blue water fleet in the Pacific, Japan is second, and China third.”
Correct on all counts.
And NOBODY should give any credence whatsoever to an analyst that doesn’t know what a SLQ-32 is.
China is still mostly a green navy. They don’t have even a fraction of the reach of US if they wanted to attack anything outside of the 60 mile zone of their country.
The Iowas are worn out. The turbines are worn out, and the gun barrels are worn out
Replacing machinery on them would cost more than building new ships.
According to the guy who is the curator of the USS New Jersey Museum ship.
This article also doesn’t mention the 60+ new frigates the Nvy is having built which are good ships
Besides he’s still a student at Friendship University of Russia.
No sh!t.
China has the advantage of the "home court". We have to travel across the Pacific and they don't.
Is there any source for 16-inch gun propellant or any 16-inch shells. I remember reading that in both cases their use during the Vietnam War, Lebanon & the first Gulf War both propellant an shells were WWII vintage. I doubt if there’s a manufacturing source anywhere.
“China has the advantage of the “home court”. We have to travel across the Pacific and they don’t. “
Our air power makes all the difference.
The USAF, Japanese AF and USN dominate the skies.
China is a superior naval power to America?
Did you hear about Ukraine hitting ships with drones and missiles
That’s the future
-PJ
Exactly. Just because the Chicoms have ships, doesn’t say anything about the quality of those ships or the seamen who man them, officers who lead them.
I’ve heard from more than a few that Chinese officers can buy their commissions.
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