US Navy reverses course, to seek 3rd Stealth Destroyer

HamptoonRoads.com ^ | 19 August 2008 | JERRY HARKAVY

[Jeff Head]

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) _ The Navy has changed course and decided to push for construction of a third DDG-1000 destroyer that would be built at Bath Iron Works, Sen. Susan Collins said Monday.

The Maine Republican said Navy Secretary Donald Winter informed her of the decision that comes one month after the Navy said it was scrapping the Zumwalt destroyer program once the first two are built. The Navy said at the time that it was opting instead to build more of the current-generation DDG-51, or Arleigh Burke, destroyers.

Collins quoted Winter as saying that in addition to seeking another DDG-1000, the Navy plans to reprogram some funding to purchase spare parts for DDG-51s that could also be used to restart production of that class of ships.

"This is great news for Bath Iron Works," she said in a telephone interview. "It means that the third (DDG-1000) ship is very likely to go forward, and yet there's also the potential of building more DDG-51s."

[Jeff Head]

Three will ensure that one can be deployed at all times, and that two can be surged.

It will be a great platform for the new technologies, but not enough vessels to be decisive in a major crisis or conflict...though it will certainly augment the major forces we can apply.

[al baby]

The USS Obama?

[Mr. Jazzy]

One has to wonder if recent activities of the Russian fleet in the Black Sea have any influence on this decision.

Hmmmm.

[Mr. Binnacle]

Cold War

[Army Air Corps]

Nah, the USS Obama would be painted UN blue and be completely unarmed.

[ClearCase_guy]

Glad to hear this. The original plan was to build 32 of these, and at some point we will have to bite the bullet and build a quantity of advanced ships. Perhaps we will have figured at the rail-gun technology by then.

[Jeff Head]

USS Zumwalt, DDG 1000, in honor of Elmo Russell Zumwalt, Jr. (November 29, 1920 – January 2, 2000) who was an American naval officer and the youngest man to serve as Chief of Naval Operations.

[Parley Baer]

I agree. With the cold war heating up again it is a good move.

[Jeff Head]

Could well be. I wish we were building at least 12 of them.

Sounds like the Arleigh Burke line will porobably conitnue. Though I wish we would build the enhanced version.

[Westlander]

[FlyVet]

That is a sexy-looking boat, although I can't get used to the idea that such a craft is not bristling with guns.

I suppose it is instead bristling with ECMs that can burn out the front end of an incoming missile receiver.

[Westlander]

USS BJ CLINTON

[GBA]

I’m more into aviation so I’ve got a bunch of bias, but I can appreciate a nice looking use of stealth. Still...four guns and cruise missiles, it seems underarmed compared to destroyers of old. How would it be used?

[Parley Baer]

Hehehe. I served on the USS Enterprise and would have loved to have launched Teddy off the bow. Then we could see how good a swimmer the Captain of the SS Oldsmobile was.

[Westlander]

USS JIMMUH CARTER

[Westlander]

[SeeSharp]

Yeah that looks disturbing to me too. What do they use now instead of the CIWS point defense guns (those R2D2-looking gatling guns).

[50cal Smokepole]

Bath Iron Works is a legend in shipbuilding. They deserve to have a bone thrown their way as long as it serves our national interests. Too many defense contractors are losing their "minds"....
LPD 18’s fighting ability ‘degraded’ (US Navy ship building in deep trouble)

[HardStarboard]

If there is ever a USS Obama, it will be unmanned. No self-respecting sailor would ever serve on her.

[CodeMasterPhilzar]

I suppose it is instead bristling with ECMs that can burn out the front end of an incoming missile receiver.

Maybe behind a panel/opening there will be an advanced CIWS. A while back Raytheon demonstrated the basic CIWS without the gun. In its place was a commercial welding laser. (solid state?) Supposedly they were able to shoot down mortar rounds with it. I would guess anything with ordnance on it would be susceptible to the heating and premature detonation.