Posted on 05/07/2008 8:24:11 PM PDT by Toddsterpatriot
We’ve been hearing rumblings about the U.S. Navy’s triple-hulled ships, but here’s one that was launched last month, the U.S.S Independence. Built by General Dynamics, it’s called a “littoral combat ship” (LCS), and the trimaran can move huge weapons around faster than any ship in the Navy. Ironic that with all that high tech built in, the ship reminds us of the Merrimac ironclad from Civil War days.
Littoral means close to shore, and that’s where these fleet-hulled babies will operate, tailor-made for launching helicopters and armored vehicles, sweeping mines and firing all manner of torpedoes, missiles and machine guns.
These ships were designed to be relatively inexpensive — this one’s a bargain at $208 million — and the navy plans to build 55 of them. This trimaran is the first of the new fire-breathing breed, ready to scoot out of dry dock at a rumored 60 knots. It's like a speedy and heavily-armed aircraft carrier for helicopters.
If it can cruise at 60mph it can take the long route around weather and be anywhere in on the globe within 9 or 10 days.
I at that speed I hope they don’t hit any lost shipping containers that are floating just below the surface.
Speed.
Oh baloney. With what fuel and supplies?
I repeat: It is not designated "Littoral" for nothing
“A few months ago, an uninvited Chinese submarine surfaced next to one of our carriers during a naval exercise, “
Better than 50/50 that we knew it was there and let it surface rather than reveal we had been tracking it all along.
“Oh baloney. With what fuel and supplies?”
A ship that size can carry it’s own supplies. Fuel can be pre-positioned at way points.
Sprint speed is 50kts.
Economical speed is 20+kts, at which range is 4300nm. Figure 4 weeks just like any greenhouse gas generating ship,
It;s an innovative design but not magic.
That ship has "Bite Me!" written all over it.
Frickin AWESOME!
Good question and I don't know for sure. But I assume it is a more stable platform to launch missiles and launch and retrieve helicopters.
Also, if it can really make 60 knts, the hullform must have something to do with that...no monohull (that I have heard of) that size can make that speed.
>A ship that size can carry it’s own supplies.
Then it would not be classed as Littoral.
Cite Naval reference to show your assertation that this ship can carry its own fuel and supplies to reach anywhere on the globe in 9 or 10 days, yet is classed as littoral is correct.
>Fuel can be pre-positioned at way points.
- Baloney
“>Fuel can be pre-positioned at way points.
- Baloney”
The US Navy has been refueling ships at sea for over 100 years. Why is this ship any different in that regard?
As pointed out by another poster I was incorrect in that 60mph speed I used in my calculation. So it takes them a month instead of 10 days to go 1/2 way around the world.
OK, This ship is classified as littoral. That doesn’t mean it can’t cross an ocean or exceed it’s published provisions capacity if needed. The current provision capacity is rated at 21 days.
That would be a shame.
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