|
I discussed this a bit earlier.
The USN, RN and MN in the 1960's had many similar issues to consider for their next series of surface combatant escorts.
For the US and MN the failure of the new US Typhon missile program combined with ASW(+helo) concerns drove each countries programs.
The USN falling back to the Sea Sparrow BPDM plus the improved Standard missile and the MN to the Crotale BPDM in liue of a more advanced missile.
And a bit later ASuW which looked to Harpoon and Exocet AShMs respectively as the answer vice guns.
The Typhon family of missiles (to replace the 3-T series) failure set back the USN AAW missile-escort programs while the French had adopted the USN Tartar missile left with a quandry on how to proceed with adding more AAW capability w/o building larger combatants that using the indigenous Masurca system would require.
The RN OTOH had the ugly spector of downsizing to consider which derailed their large escort program the T-82. Plus the fact thay had a large class of frigates, the Leander class, still evolving and under construction into the early 1970's.
The USN concentrated first on the Garcia/Brooke class then moving to the Knox class folowed by the Spruance and OH Perry classes.
The French built the Aconit which while it had two ASW weapons(plus ASW Torpedos) and two 100mm guns she had no AAW missile system, AshM or helo.
Like the Knox class it had only one screw, geared turbine and two boilers the French unlike the USN was quick to reject this type of propulsion system completing only the one ship.
The USN Knox class was outfitted(many after completion) with Sea Sparrow, Harpoon fired form the ASROC launcher and LAMPS I replacing the failed DASH program.
The RN developed plans to convert the Leander class into three versions one for ASW with Ikara, one for ASuW with Exocet AshMs and later a Seawolf AAW(albeit short-ranged) conversion that also incorporated Exocet.
While at the same time embarking on two new programs the Amazon class general-purpose frigate and the relatively small Sheffield DDGs with Sea Dart for AAW.
In addition to a relatively large ASW-optomised ship program which evloved into a more general-purpose frigate for Batch III of the Type 22 class.
This program led to a relatively smaller, cheaper program the Type 23.
The USN answer of course was the FFG 7 class which incorporated ASW(helos and TT only), Harpoon (ASuW) and SM-1 AAW missiles both fired from the Mk 13 launcher all in one hull and the MFE(1967) conclusion of an ASW/AAW versions built on a common hull resulting in the Spruance class DDs but no AAW version until Iran ordered that version but which eventually ended up as the USN Kidd class.
France went quite larger after Aconit with a conventional propulsion plant of two shafts, two turbines and four Boilers for the three Tourvilles which incorparated two helos, Exocet, Crotale PDMS(replacing one of three original 100mm guns), two 100mm guns and a Malafon ASW missile system.
Close on the heels of this program the French opted then to go smaller again with the ASW/AAW versions of the C70 program which resulted in the ASW optomised, but clearly bent towards general-purpose, Georges Leygues class DD and much later the Cassard class DDG with SM-1.
The MN also built a very austere class of avisos, the A-69s, for coastal vice open ocean ASW and overseas possession patrol.
The Dutch, Germans and Italians responded Kortenaer/Standard/Mastrale class frigates all general-purpose frigates with an emphasis on ASW.
The USN hung to the single-shaft for the OHPs while at the same time building the AEGIS Ticonderoga class DDG re-designated CG built on the Spruance hull while designing the Burke class DDGs.
The USN also had another failed program the mid-1960s conventionally-powered DDG program.
However the program was reinstated as a nuclear-powered version which would have would have begun replacement of the three early WWII-cruiser non-Talos/Flagship AAW conversions.
In addition to providing the required # of nuclear powered escorts for the USS Enterprise (CVN) .
Those three ships were repeatedly postponed by McNamara but which eventually resulted in the two Callifornias built with Mk-13 launchers and the SM-1 missile and the third built to the new Virginia class design which was based on the MFE studies proposal of a nuclear version of the DX/DXG design which became the Spruance/Kidd classes and with AEGIS the Ticonderoga class DG/CG.
I hope I explained events in a relatively concise and logical manner as the above is synthesised from a variety of sources most notably Conways All The Worlds Fighting Ships 1947-1982, Combat Fleets(various editions), Janes Fighting Ships(various editions) and The Ships and Aircraft of the US Fleet(various editions).
|