Tonk would want to be at the helm of this one.
Tonk, know you'll always be with the Quartermaster and Helmsmen.
Oooh-ee! I want one of them!
Way C-O-O-L-!!!!!!!!
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Lord Vader your ship is ready .
Very cool, but also very over budget (as is Lockheed’s competing ship). There’s talk the Navy will cancel it.
One look at that hull and you know it’s gonna be fast.
http://instapinch.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/in-dock-prior-to-launch.JPG
http://instapinch.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/indy-afloat.JPG
http://instapinch.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/pierside-austal-6.JPG
Tonk would want to be at the helm of this one.
Tonk, know you'll always be with the Quartermaster and Helmsmen.
Perfect for ramming.
I fear you may be missing the main point of the new Littoral Combat Ships. Appearances aside, the main new feature of these ships is that there is a very small number of crew required. These ships are far more automated than anything previously conceived.
I suspect there are Admirals who would trade places with senior O-4 LCDRs to command this ship.
I am sorry to see it named the Independence, only because the first war ship I ever visited was the REAL USS Independence
in Norfolk, back in 1963. It is/was quite a ship. I had a great tour by an old ham radio friend who was a legal officer at the naval base. The Intrepid, a smaller carrier was docked beside the Independence.
http://www.strategypage.com/military_photos/chinese_stealth.aspx
Nice time for the USN to try to play catch-up to the Chicoms.
Reminds me of the Monitor and the Merrimack!
GenDynamics can be proud of the “Independence!”
The slanted sides remind me of the C.S.S. Virginia(Merrimack).
This is a whole new paradigm for warship design. Very much cool!!
May she always triumph over her challengers.
Jules Verne would have been proud.
Charlie don’t surf.....