U.S next generation warships

By EduardValencia
in Real World News

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Grand Master

EduardValencia

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So, just what shape will the U.S. Navy's next generation warships take? Well, right now two teams are working on competing designs for one of those--the Navy's next generation destroyer, DD-21.To promote competition and stimulate innovation for the design of DD 21 Land Attack Destroyer--something the Navy calls, "a 21st century multi-mission surface combatant with a land attack focus," the Navy is using a "priced-based" acquisition strategy.

The DD 21 is part of the SC-21 Program---a family of Surface Combatants for the U.S.Navy's surface forces for the 21st Century . Other family members include the Air Dominance Cruiser (CG 21).

The DD 21 is defined by the Navy not simplyas a ship, but as a system consisting of the ship, all the equipment, crew, computer environment, shore infrastructure for port and at sea support, and all the Navy, joint service, nation and coalition system interfaces to execute its missions over its service life. The DD 21 system must possess the operational flexibility to meet the Land Attack and multi-mission forward presence, deterrence and war-fighting requirements within the littoral environment, and employ self-defense against the ever-changing and diverse above, on and below the sea threats.

DD 21 must also be capable of taking advantage of and maintaining the benefits of what a current Pentagon buzz phrase calls the "Revolution in Military Affairs," stimulated by the rapid advances in informationand information-related technologies, and exploit them through automation and

system architectures that must be capable of disseminating information to widely dispersed and dissimilar units in order to achieve an overall Dominant Maneuver, Precision Engagement,Full-Dimensional Protection, and Focused Logistics concept of operation.

The competing DD 21 teams are the "Blue Team," led by General Dynamics' Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine, with Lockheed Martin Corporation as the systems integrator; and the "Gold Team," led by Litton's Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula, Miss., with Raytheon Systems Company as the systems integrator.

The Navy expects to select one team to complete the system design in Fiscal Year 2004. The first destroyer of the anticipated 32-ship DD 21 class is scheduled for delivery in FY 2008.Stealth, of course, will probably play a key role in the hull design. This past March, the Navy reactivated its Sea Shadow craft to support evaluation of future Navy ship designs and technologies, including automation for reduced manning, propulsion concepts, and characteristics of surface ship stealth.

The emphasis on reduced manning is an indicator that DD 21 will be smart as well as stealthy, drawing from the lessons learned thus far from the USS Yorktown (CG 48) and the Smart Ship program.

GAS TURBINE ELECTRIC SHIP

One of the more interesting concepts being explored for the DD 21 is the use of GE LM2500 gas turbine engines as prime movers for the Integrated Power Systems (IPS). This would be a first time Navy application of GE's LM2500 gas turbines in an electric drive configuration.

A GE LM2500 driving an electric generator provides the power for the IPS Full Scale Advanced Development system designed by Lockheed Martin's Ocean Radar and Sensor System Division. The testing is being conducted by the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division.

The IPS design is under consideration as the new propulsion and ship service electrical architecture for a wide range of applications, including surface combatants, amphibious ships, and auxiliaries. IPS ships would use a common set of generators to provide power to the propulsion and combat systems. The distribution system performs the conversions necessary to tailor the power for each load.

According to the Navy, advantages of an IPS electric ship include the reduced number of prime movers, fuel savings, reduced maintenance, smaller crews, and increased flexibility in power usage and ship arrangement.

"If the current moves to adopt more extensive or Integrated Full Electric Propulsion are to proceed in future warship classes, this has to occur on build, given the impact of installing electric motors and the advantages of separating primers," says Dr. David Andrews, director, Frigates and Minecountermeasures in the U.K's Ministry of Defense Procurement Executive.Dr. Andrews made his comments in an article for NATO: Into the Millennium. Further, points out Andrews, "adopting an Electric Ship Concept, which goes beyond propulsion to the total power distribution in the ship, is so profound to the ship design that this also is not readily amenable to technology insertion.

"However, such an architecturally compliant concept can be seen as a major enabler in achieving an adaptable ship configuration. Another feature which it is sensible to build into a design is that additional silo space beyond that required for the initial missile silos are not easily added after the size and structural configuration of the vessel has been determined."

MULTIFUNCTION RADAR

This past June, Gold Team member, Raytheon Company, Lexington, Mass., was awarded a $140 million U.S. Navy contract for engineering and manufacturing development of the next generation Multi-Function Radar (MFR), which will equip future aircraft carriers and destroyers.

"MFR is the cornerstone of the U.S. Navy's program to develop an advanced solid state radar suite for carriers and destroyers of the next century-CVN-77 and DD-21," said Jack Cronin, Raytheon's director for Advanced Naval Programs.

Under the terms of the 60-month, section 845 cost plus award fee contract, Raytheon will develop the MFR prototype radar and qualify it through operational tests. Following qualification, the MFR is scheduled to be integrated into CVN-77, DD-21 and numerous other 21st century ship classes. Total production is estimated to exceed 45 radars. Engineering and production of MFR will take place at Raytheon facilities in Andover, Mass., Forest, Miss., and Dallas, Texas.

"This is a pivotal win for Raytheon that will usher in a new generation of X-Band solid state technology for the surface navy," said William H. Swanson, chairman and chief executive officer of Raytheon Systems Company. ML

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Grand Master

JK1150

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That's nice and all, but how is this going to fight terrorists who have neither an organized  army or a nation to attack?

All I'm trying to say is the Money would be better spent elsewhere.

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terrorists aren't the only threat we face. also, the money is being spent elsewhere, but naval research will continue reguardless. we can't fall behind.

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