Reply With QuoteMaybe they're becoming the sea-based version of the B-2 bomber? Otherwise, there doesn't really seem to be a well defined mission for them.
https://www.military.com/dodbuzz/201...-stratcom.html
So... basically they are now surface-surface missile barges...Originally Posted by surfgun
Maybe they're becoming the sea-based version of the B-2 bomber? Otherwise, there doesn't really seem to be a well defined mission for them.
https://www.military.com/dodbuzz/201...-stratcom.html
USS Michael Monsoor Successfully Completes Acceptance Trials
2/5/2018
BATH, Maine (NNS) -- The Navy's next generation destroyer, the future USS Michael Monsoor (DDG 1001), successfully completed acceptance trials Feb. 1.
The U.S. Navy's Board of Inspection and Survey reviewed the ship and its crew during a series of demonstrations both pier side and underway, evaluating the ship's construction and compliance with Navy specifications.
Many of the ship's onboard systems including navigation, damage control, mechanical, electrical, combat, communications and propulsion systems were tested to validate performance met or exceeded Navy specifications.
"DDG 1001 performed exceedingly well during acceptance trials," said Capt. Kevin Smith, DDG 1000 class program manager, Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships. "The industry and Navy team worked together to incorporate lessons learned from DDG 1000. The trials once again demonstrated how truly powerful and exceptional these ships are." Link
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About a month old but good news at least.
Far better it is to dare mighty things, than to take rank with those poor, timid spirits who know neither victory nor defeat ~ Theodore Roosevelt
Shades of CGN-9 concepts. Nukes for Zumwalt Class.
https://www.military.com/dodbuzz/201...-stratcom.html
Last edited by surfgun; 01 Mar 18, at 19:08.
Good news that the ship is seaworthy. I'll be happy to hear that there is a defined primary mission, and some ammunition to go with the weapons. Until they figure out what to do about that AGS, I expect they'll be staying close to home.
They have several years of work-ups post-commissioning. Perhaps a solution will have been found, but I won't hold my breath.
I just noticed Tophatter's link http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=104242
That lead me to the official USS Zumwalt page http://www.navy.mil/ah_online/zumwalt/
That would lead one to believe the AGS and LRLAP are alive and well.
Or that they are too lazy or too buys to update the website.....
I believe AGS is alive and well but LRLAP is dead. It might get replaced by the HVP.
Here's the best news to come from the Zumwalts in a long time....
https://news.usni.org/2018/07/11/sec...ged-sea-trials
Wow...
Two less ships in the fleet today--
https://news.usni.org/2018/08/21/nav...alt-destroyers
At least the count better reflects reality in this case. Without weapons systems delivery and acceptance, the ships are mostly just very expensive (maybe hard to find) targets.
Or an expensive cruise ship from San Diego to Pearl
what a waste.....
http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone...ego-for-trials
SS Zumwalt (DDG-1000) is a controversial ship, to say the least. After much fanfare among the mainstream press, the truth about the ship's watered-down design, tiny fleet size, useless deck guns, and the implications of these factors, among others, became much more clear. As we reported two years ago, in yet another cost-cutting move, the Navy decided to forego the ship's very stealth concept—which is the major reason the ships look the way they do, cost as much as they do, and have certain design tradeoffs for doing so—and bolt on communications systems and some sensors in a very unstealthy manner. These corner-cutting measures even included the addition of a rickety looking mast above the ship's deckhouse. Now we are getting our first glimpses of this disappointing configuration.
Zumwalt, which has been undergoing its combat systems outfitting for over a year and a half, emerged from its pier in San Diego Bay and took to open waters on September 11th, 2018. The vessel's otherworldly appearance drew a lot of attention. As a result, we have our first images of the near fully outfitted ship underway.
As you can see, there are EHF and UHF satellite communications systems (ball like structures) tacked onto either side of the ship's deckhouse. Atop it, towards the forward edge of the deckhouse are two Tactical Common Data Link communications systems. Between them is the new mast, and no it isn't a temporary structure. To the rear of the ship, above the hangar, we see the cupolas for the 30mm Bushmaster cannons. These were also downgraded from the far more capable 57mm guns as another late-in-the-game cost-saving move.
Also worth noting, although it may not significantly impact the radar cross-section of the ship, is the bubble like structure atop the deckhouse and forward of the ships flush-mounted exhaust. This houses the X/Ka band satellite communications antenna system.
Generally speaking, these modifications vibe with this graphic released by the Navy that shows the vessel's final, revised, and cheaper configuration that we originally posted in 2016:
Zumwalt is slated to continue its combat system tests and other trials through 2021 when it will supposedly be ready for combat. Its sister ship, the USS Michael Mansoor (DDG-1001) has been undergoing initial sea trials out of Bath Iron Works in Maine, during which it had a major engine failure that required the complete replacement of one of its Rolls Royce MT30 gas turbines. The repair cost at least $20M. The MT30 is based on the Trent 800 engine found on the Boeing 777. The Zumwalt class's highly powerful hybrid powerplant is one of its most advanced and exciting features.
USS Lyndon B. Johnson (DDG-1002), the third and last ship in the tiny fleet of ships, is under construction. It will feature a heavier and more radar reflective deckhouse and hangar deck made out of steel instead of composite materials—another cost-cutting measure. The decision could impact seakeeping as well as the ship's radar signature.
The Navy is still working to define the role of these ships within their larger fleet. It has recently declared that they will be focused more on surface strike than anything else, but the big question is what will their longevity be within the surface combatant fleet overall?
With fat budgets under the Trump administration, there is money to attempt to push these ships into an operational state and possibly sustain them once there, but that could very well change. As they age and become more expensive to maintain, and especially if budgets retract to their pre-Trump levels, it's questionable if all three would remain in operational service or if they would be used operationally at all—possibly acting as a test force for future technologies instead. Because of these ships' unique hardware and software and tiny fleet size, it isn't hard to imagine one or two being cannibalized to keep at least one active in any capacity.
We'll just have to see how this all plays out. The entire program is a missed opportunity of sorts and another damning example of the paradoxical 'Pentagon death spiral.' But the Zumwalt class's decline in capability and force size has been even more extreme than other programs that experienced a similar fate, such as the B-2 Spirit.
A fully realized DDG-1000 could have been an amazing fighting ship. The Navy will likely realize this once they see what even the dumbed-down Zumwalt class can do. But with the Navy betting big on the far less ambitious Flight III Arleigh Burke class destroyer, there is very little chance that expanded production of the Zumwalt class will come to pass.
There may be some hope, at least when it comes to the DDG-1000 hullform, though. The Navy needs a new cruiser-sized vessel and they desperately want a hullform that is off-the-shelf. The only one available in the size they are looking for with immense power generation capabilities is DDG-1000. If the ship's controversial tumblehome hull design doesn't prove too restrictive during actual operations—or if it can be redesigned with a flared bow—maybe the Zumwalt class will rise again in a vastly remodeled, and probably even less stealthy, cruiser form.
A special thanks to Joshua Gathright for letting us use his photos. Check out his page Random Naval History on Facebook, it's a great follow!
Contact the author: Tyler@thedrive.com
Last edited by bfng3569; 17 Sep 18, at 17:42.
At this point, the USN might as well replaced it with a barge loaded with cruise missiles...
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