More photosPosted on 09/10/2012 2:12:26 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
GALVESTON — Several thousand onlookers will crowd Pier 21 in Galveston next week, eager for a glimpse at a new breed of Navy warship and the crew that will man her.
The vessel is a football field in length and so fast designers compare her to a sports car on supersized steroids. She’ll arrive at Port 21 as the Fort Worth and gain the official title of the USS Fort Worth after commissioning ceremonies Sept. 22.
Ernie Connor, U.S. Navy retired, director of the Galveston Naval Foundation, described how events will take place during the ceremony.
“Congressman Kay Granger says, ‘Captain, man our ship and bring her to life,’” Connor said. “Sailors will man the ship, light off the various systems, and then, as the newest ship in the Navy, she and her crew stand ready to complete her role as part of the mightiest Navy in the world.”
The Galveston group is the host of the commissioning ceremony.
Granger, a Republican from Fort Worth, led a small army pushing for the name “Fort Worth” to be placed on the new ship, a maverick among more staid Navy vessels.
Where older warships similar in size carry crews of more than 200, the USS Fort Worth operates with a crew of 40, using cutting-edge technology and switchable modules to reconfigure the high-speed vessel for different missions.
[SNIP]
On a recent visit to Galveston, Cmdr. Randy Blankesnhip, commanding officer of the Fort Worth’s Blue Crew, and Lt. Cavell Thomas invited the public to tour the ship, meet the crew and ask questions.
“Our crew is really looking forward to the hospitality of the city,” Blankenship said.
[SNIP]
(Excerpt) Read more at galvestondailynews.com ...
Great pic at 39. Love to see how the transom converts to a ramp and integrates to the overhead interior crane system. It says it can do underway launch and recovery, so the ramp must lower into the water.
Both classes are under armed, crews are too small, and of doubtful use in a fight. To survive, they must never leave the battle group protective ‘bubble’. The long service FFG-7 class frigates are going away without replacement and the LCS is a ‘swoose’ design — half swan and half goose that cannot do either job well.
“I believe 5 sailors can operate the entire ship.”
Maybe the Navy will outsource those 5 jobs to a low-cost country like...China...to help reduce costs. Hell, that’s what all “American companies” are doing these days.
Wrong ship. That’s the competitor. It’s a Freedom class, not an Independence class.
And yes, the navy built two incompatible designs for the same mission. Double your costs - it’s just taxpayer money to buy votes for incumbent politicians.
Your comments are right on target IMHO.
It looks to me that the center of the stern has large hinges both port and starboard of the centerline. I would guess saloon style doors with a ramp ready to come out.
Your thoughts? Did you see that?
Some more articles, with pics, relating to the USS Freedom transom:
http://militarytimes.com/blogs/scoopdeck/2010/02/16/freedoms-water-wings/
From before the butt cheeks were added (showing side hatch open)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/goatlockerguns/4102693377/
With the butt-cheeks added
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rimpac2010/4821439069/
Googling for “USS Freedom” stern ramp gets some nice images
Stern ramp open
http://www.flickr.com/photos/skyliner72/3613426579/
Discussion of stern ramp
http://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/archive/2010/March/Pages/LittoralCombatShip.aspx
Yeah, I agree, if I trust my eyes to extrapolate those marks. It’s logical, what else would they do? Ramp comes out with rollers built for a particular large RIB like an 11m, draws it into the hull and integrages with the the overhead rail crane to store it in a handy spot.
Great links, thanks, esp the bottom one. Terrific article.
The monohull’s stern ramp system seems ideal, but those two “water-wing” boxes welded on either side of the transom might prove to be a liability to boat launch and recovery, or not. The water-wings seem a crude afterthought, probably after the boat weighed in over estimates. If this becomes a class, I’ll bet they revise the hull and eliminate the water-wings.
I'd expect them to stay. Would require a major redesign to get that bouyancy into the ship. They don't appear to interfere with launch and recovery
I'd expect them to stay. Would require a major redesign to get that bouyancy into the ship. They don't appear to interfere with launch and recovery
The top article in #48 has
Cmdr. Randy Garner, the ship’s Gold Crew skipper and the man in charge for Freedom’s trial deployment to 4th Fleet, said the “tanks” ride above the waterline and would only come into play “to give the ship additional buoyancy, if, for some reason, we were lower in the water.” Which is to say, if the Freedom took damage in combat and started to sink, Navy engineers think its water wings would help the ship stay afloat, or at least delay its sinking until everyone could get off.If you had combat damage that compromised the water-tightness of the transom, and the ship started to sink, having the mission bay fill with water would be very unhappy-making.
It better be a good door, and not a design copied from North Sea car ferries of a few years ago.
I have some old knowledge of recovering RIBs and other inflatables up ramps. It really is about ideal. The trimaran requires positioning under a crane system, then being yanked up by some wires. While this is far better than a single-point crane or even side davits, it still leaves a lot to be desired.
But I’d love to T&E it. Oh, yes I would. I envy the SEALs adn SWCCs who are assigned to play cowboy on that T&E, working all of the bugs out! I imagine dropping from the wires while underway is a blast.
But all four lift points better release at exactly the same time. Imagne if an aft wire “hangs up” for a few seconds after the other three lift points have let go. Underway.
That would get sporty. Still love to try it.
Youtube has some nice videos on USS Freedom and USS Independence
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YZaG70P0-c
BTW, that video includes footage of boat launch and recovery through the transom
Nice video, made before the waterwings were added. I really like the big RIB up the transom method, but I’d also like to see the trimaran’s cable system. The transom doors on the monohull would be a weak point if it takes battle damage and can’t function, or worse, can’t close. To some extent, the waterwings might protect the vulnerable doors from fire. They also might subdue cross seas for launch in rough weather. (Or they might amplify them in certain circumstances.)
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