The US and NATO aggression against Yugoslavia, Iraq, Libya, the prospect of invading Syria clearly showed that the end of " cold war does not at all mean the advent of an era of universal peace.
Proof of this is the US policy in the development of its armed forces, in particular such an important component of them as the Navy. If during the Cold War the main task of the US Navy in the event of a crisis was action against the Soviet fleet in the vast oceans and the main emphasis was on fighting submarines, now the focus is shifting to the actions of the fleet in coastal waters.
To implement this doctrine, the development of ships designed for "fleet against coast" operations is being carried out at an accelerated pace. One of them is a multipurpose destroyer DDG-1000 "Zamvolt" (Zumvalt).
DDG-1000 "ZAMVOLT" - DESTROYER OF THE XXI CENTURY
Destroyer "Zamwalt" emerged from a project over capital ship future - DD-21, which began to be developed by the United States in the 90s. last century, but for financial reasons was never fully implemented.
In 2011, the first destroyer of the DDG-1000 series Zamvolt was laid down. These multifunctional ships are designed primarily to perform a wide range of tasks in the coastal zone: from fire support for units of the Marine Corps and other ground forces (previously this function was performed by the now retired Iowa-class battleships), air and missile defense to evacuation of the civilian population and provision of diplomatic missions. During the development of the destroyer, the emphasis was placed on the possibility of gaining dominance in the coastal maritime zone, air defense and strikes against ground targets. As an integral part of the combined expeditionary force, the Zamwalt destroyers will carry out a forward presence and "projection of force" of the United States anywhere in the world.
After commissioning, the Zamvolt should become one of the most effective combat surface ships in the world. What are the differences that make it the "ship of the future"?
First of all, when designing the DDG-1000, the maximum reduction in radar visibility was put at the forefront. This is achieved by a number of engineering solutions: the most smooth deck without unnecessary details, a “chopped” hull with a pyramidal superstructure made of composite radio-absorbing materials, parallelism of all lines. The special design of the exhaust system and the complete elimination of masts also reduce the visibility of the ship in the radar and infrared spectra. The hull of the DDG-1000 has the outlines typical for the ships of the early 20th century: the side turned inward and an unusual breakwater bow. This is done so that radio waves, falling on the hull of the ship, are reflected into the sky, and not into the water. As a result, the destroyer's effective scattering area when irradiated with a radar decreased to the level of the RCS of a fishing schooner. Thus, "Zamvolt" becomes largely "invisible" to modern means of electronic intelligence.
Separately, we should dwell on the architecture of the add-on, which carries a number of innovations. The superstructure is made without protruding parts. At the same time, all radar emitters and communication antennas are integrated into it. Rotating parts are completely absent.
A single ship-wide computer network will link all nodes and systems of the destroyer, providing control of the ship, weapons, maintenance etc. At the same time, the DDG-1000 is designed according to the principle of "open architecture". Zamvolta pioneered the so-called "Common Ship Computing Environment", which is a practical implementation of the US Navy's Open Architecture Strategy. The latter will allow the US Navy in the future to completely transfer its ships to the use of standardized software, which will become, regardless of the computer hardware used, a universal basis for controlling any ship.
Thoughtful integration of ship systems, further automation and maximum simplification of control made it possible to reduce the crew of the ship to 148 people - about half as much as on the previous generation destroyer Orly Burke.
WEAPONS OF THE ZAMVOLT DESTROYERS
Role artillery main caliber in the armament of the Zamvolta is especially important, since the "destroyer of the future" is positioned as a fire support ship for ground forces and marines. The unrealized projects DD-21 and the “arsenal ship” were supposed to have more serious fire support capabilities. After the Iowa battleships, which performed these functions, were withdrawn from the fleet, parts of the US Marine Corps can only rely on the support of the artillery of small ships. This caused serious concern to the leadership of the US Marine Corps, which began to insist that it was Zamwalt that would take over the functions of fire support.
Zamvolt will be equipped with two 155-mm single-barrel gun mounts new type AGS (AdvancedGunsystem) developed by BAE Systems The expected range of fire against fixed ground targets will be up to 83 nautical miles (about 154 km), with a rate of fire of 10 rounds per minute per barrel and automatic reloading (920 rounds of ammunition, 600 of which are in the automatic loader). In terms of firing range, the artillery of the Zamvolta significantly exceeds the AU of all existing ships. For comparison: the artillery fire range of the Orly Burke destroyers is only 12 nautical miles.
The use of LRLAP high-precision active-reactive guided munitions and the use of a global positioning system will provide unprecedented shooting accuracy. It is supposed to use both high-explosive ammunition and projectiles with increased penetrating ability to destroy highly protected targets (concrete bunkers, etc.).
To prevent overheating of gun barrels, their water cooling is provided. The gun casings, like all other structural elements of the ship, are made using stealth technologies. For the purpose of radar camouflage, the gun barrels are retractable into the turret.
All this will allow Zamvolt, moving along the enemy coast, to quickly and extremely effectively hit the enemy’s coastal infrastructure and military facilities: port facilities, naval bases, fortifications, etc. Range, accuracy and rate of fire make just two AGS mounts equivalent in power to a battery of 12 land howitzers.
In the future, it is possible that the gunpowder artillery installations of Zamvolta will be replaced by rail ones.
Melee Artillery"Zamvolta" is represented by two automatic guns Mk.110 caliber 57 mm. Their rate of fire is 240 rds / min. These AUs are nothing special. They are considered anti-aircraft artillery, but their capabilities are clearly insufficient in the fight against modern means of air attack. Their presence in the armament of the ship is rather expedient for close self-defense in clashes with pirates, smugglers and similar elements. The ship is also equipped with four 12.7 mm machine gun mounts.
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The DDG-1000 will be able to attack land, sea and air targets with missiles deployed in universal launcherMk.57. Its ammunition load, loaded into four 20-cell launch silos (80 cells in total), consists of Tomahawk and Tactical Tomahawk guided missiles (for strikes against ground targets or ships), advanced FLAM missiles for strikes against ground targets, anti-aircraft ESSM missiles, ASROC anti-submarine missiles. The range of destruction of ground targets by missiles "Tactical Tomahawk" can be up to 2400 km. The ammunition load of 80 missiles is less than on the destroyer Orly Burke (96 missiles). Ammunition had to be sacrificed, firstly, because the UVP Mk.57 is designed for heavier launch containers (up to 4 tons), and secondly, the very architecture of the launcher has changed. Her armored cells are located along the perimeter of the deck along the sides. In the event that one cell with a missile is hit, this will avoid the detonation of ammunition and minimize damage to the internal systems of the ship.
Worthy of special attention capabilities of "Zamvolt" in the field of air defense / missile defense . Here, first of all, the issue of equipping the destroyer with Standard missiles: SM-2, SM-3, SM-6, which are used to intercept ballistic missiles, is relevant.
At one time in the United States, a project was being developed for the promising air defense cruiser CG (X). However, in January 2005, John Young, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research and Development, being completely confident in the capabilities of the new Zamvolta radar, said that he did not see the need for a separate air defense cruiser. The opinion prevailed that the new "super-destroyer" would be able to completely close this niche.
However, on July 31, 2008, Vice Admiral Barry McCullough (Chief of Maritime Operations and Integration of Resources and Capabilities) and Allison Stiller (Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Ship Programs) stated that Zamwalt could not fully provide air defense , since it cannot use SM-2, SM-3 and SM-6 missiles. To this, representatives of Raytheon (one of the main development companies) stated that the radar and combat system of the DDG-1000 are essentially the same as those of ships compatible with SM-2 missiles, which means that there are fundamental obstacles to using there are no Standard missiles.
In fact, when the United States began developing its missile defense system, ships were equipped only with the Aegis CMS by Lockheed Martin, and it is natural that all missile defense software was created and operates on the basis of the latter. Zamvolt is equipped with another combat information and control system - TSCE-I. Thus, although both platforms - DDG-1000 and DDG-51 (Orly Burke) - are compatible with Standard missiles, only the DDG-51 platform is suitable for strategic missile defense (ballistic missile interception) purposes. The TSCE-I system is only planned to be finalized in this direction.
Aviation group The destroyer may include one MH-60 anti-submarine helicopter or two SH-60 anti-submarine helicopters, as well as several Fire Scout helicopter-type UAVs. Drones will provide intelligence gathering, assessment of the results of fire strikes, and possibly even strike at some targets. The air group will be based in a spacious helicopter hangar, and the landing area will occupy the entire aft part of the deck.
INTELLIGENCE AND COMBAT CONTROL SYSTEMS
Almost all of the weapons described above are nothing fundamentally new, with the exception of some promising missiles. What then is the combat advantage of the "destroyer of the future" over conventional surface ships? The answer becomes obvious when considering the Zamvolt electronics.
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The performance characteristics of the destroyers DDG-1000 "Zamvolt" |
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Displacement |
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Booking |
Launch cell protection |
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Power point |
2xGTU Rolls Royce Marine Trent-30 with a capacity of 78 MW (105,000 hp) |
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Speed |
30 knots (55.56 km/h) |
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148 people |
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Armament: |
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Missile |
UVP Mk.57 4x20 cells |
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Artillery of the main caliber |
2х155-mm AU AGS |
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Melee Artillery |
2х57-mm AU Mk.110 4x12.7 mm machine gun mounts |
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Air group |
1-2 anti-submarine helicopters, several UAVs |
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Electronics |
Multifunctional radar AN / SPY-3 IUSW Submarine Countermeasures System |
A huge advantage of the DDG-1000 is its multifunctional AN/SPY-3 radar. For the first time on an American warship, a radar with an active phased array antenna will be installed - six flat phased arrays that provide a three-dimensional view of the air and surface situation in the 360 ° range of azimuths around the destroyer.
But the full benefits of AN / SPY-3 are manifested in the conduct of combat with guided missiles. The fact is that all modern ships, even those equipped with the Aegis CICS, are capable of simultaneously firing at only a limited number of targets, since each missile fired needs a separate signal from the target illumination radar. The destroyer of the Orly Burke type has three such radars, the cruiser Ticonderoga has four, and the cruiser Project 1164 Atlant has only one. At the same time, no more missiles can be in the air than there are target illumination radars on the ship.
Zamvolt, equipped with the latest AN / SPY-3 phased array radar, is free from these restrictions. AN/SPY-3 active phased arrays consist of thousands of radiating elements grouped into several hundred transceiver modules. Each such module allows you to form a narrow beam to study a certain quadrant of space. The Zamvolta radar is equivalent to hundreds of conventional radars, and the capabilities of computing systems exceed all possible needs. Thus, "Zamvolt" can simultaneously fire hundreds of air targets, ballistic and cruise missiles, releasing their missiles like a machine gun.
In addition to the functions of review, tracking and target recognition, AN / SPY-3 active phased arrays are designed for direct control of the ship's weapons: programming autopilots of missile systems, target illumination for semi-active homing heads of Standard-2 and ESSM anti-aircraft missiles, artillery fire control.
Also, AN / SPY-3 is capable of performing the functions of a navigational radar, automatically scanning the sea surface in search of floating mines and submarine periscopes, conducting counter-battery warfare and electronic intelligence.
One multifunctional AN / SPY-3 radar will be able to replace several types of radars used today on US Navy ships, including:
- AN / SPY-1 air traffic control radar of the Aegis system,
- AN/SPG-62 target illumination radar,
- navigation radar AN/SPS-67,
- AN / SPQ-9 artillery fire control radar.
With a lot of advantages, AN / SPY-3 has the only drawback - an extremely high cost.
Since the DD-1000 will have to operate in coastal areas, where mines and diesel-electric submarines are of particular danger, new technologies have been developed to counter this under the IUSW-21 (Integrated Undersea Warfare) program, i.e. Zamwalt will be the first American ship, specially designed and equipped to deal with an underwater enemy in the coastal zone. The IUSW system combines two groups of sonars: high-frequency sonars are designed to evade sea mines, and medium-frequency (AN / SQQ-90) - to detect and combat submarines, as well as protect against torpedo attacks.
The Zamvolta sonar system is better suited than the destroyer Orly Burke's sonars for operations in shallow water, but is inferior to the latter in efficiency in deep water areas.
Zamvolta's "Common Ship Computing Environment" includes 16 single-board computers running a Unix-like LynxOS system (developed by LynuxWorks), placed in high-strength containers protected from shock, vibration and electromagnetic fields.
POWER PLANT
The ship's power system is powered by two Rolls-Royce gas turbine power plants. marinetrent-30 with a total capacity of 78 MW. The ship's propulsion system is based on modern asynchronous electric motors, which will allow Zamvolt to reach speeds of up to 30 knots (about 55 km/h).
As warships improve and become more complex, the expenditure of energy actually for the movement of the ship will be an ever smaller part of their total number. More and more energy will be spent on the functioning of ship systems and mechanisms. The unprecedented performance of radar, computing and other electronic systems will require the corresponding capacity of the ship's power plant.
Nevertheless, the Zamvolta power plant has the required characteristics. Moreover, in the future, it is possible to install rail or laser guns on the ship instead of the current gun mounts, the operation of which will require even greater energy costs.
Unlike existing warships, Zamwalt will be equipped with an integrated IPS power plant. (Integratedpowersystem), which will be able to redistribute energy between the various systems of the ship, based on their current needs. Zamwalt has already been called a "fully electric ship." Distinctive features of IPS are reduced noise level and efficiency.
VITALITY
The ship is equipped with an autonomous fire extinguishing system AFSS (AutonomicFireSuppressionsystem). It includes sensors, cameras and automatic fire extinguishing equipment and allows you to react to a dangerous event within a minimum time. This increases the survivability of the ship both in peacetime and in war time, while reducing the number of crew members required for repair and restoration work.
PROJECT HISTORY AND CONSTRUCTION PROSPECTS
The program of the "destroyer of the XXI century" DD-21 began to be developed back in 1991. After receiving certain developments, in 2001 the program was stopped, and based on it launched new program DD(X), as a result of which Zamvolt appeared. The contract for the development of the new ship was received by Northrop-Grumman, and Raytheon became the main integrator of electronic and combat systems.
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In 2005, the construction of a series of the first seven DDG-1000 ships was approved. A total of 32 ships were planned to be built. However, an acute shortage of finance crossed out plans for the mass construction of expensive ($3.2 billion each, plus $4 billion - life cycle cost) "destroyers of the future". After lengthy hesitation, it was decided to build only three Zamwalt-class ships. At present, the military-political leadership of the United States sees the modernization of the existing Orly Burke destroyers as more appropriate.
On November 17, 2011, the lead ship of the series, DDG-1000 Zamvolt, was laid down. The construction was entrusted to Baz Iron Works. Readiness at the moment is 80%. October 29, 2013 the ship was launched. Delivery is planned for 2015.
The second ship - DDG-1001 "Michael Monsur" - was laid down on May 23, 2013 by Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding, readiness - 48%, delivery is scheduled for 2016.
The construction of the third ship DDG-1002 "Lyndon Johnson" will also be carried out by "Baz Iron Works".
All three ships are likely to be deployed in the Pacific Ocean.
Despite the high combat power of the Zamvolts, the extreme small number of this series of ships is unlikely to allow them to significantly affect the balance of power in the oceans. At the same time, the concepts and technologies applied in the Zamwalt destroyers will be decisive in the US military shipbuilding for the next 50 years.
(Prepared based on materials from the site http://www.raytheon.com for the portal "Modern Army" www.site)
- the first journalist to visit the revolutionary US Navy destroyer Zumwalt (DDG 1000), called by experts the "battleship of the 21st century." The report contains a lot of new information about the ship and a number of exclusive photos. We make an exclusive review of this material, supplementing it with information that gives the most complete information about the vessel.
Christopher Kavas attended sea trials of the 16,000-ton destroyer on 23 March. As before, they passed in the area of Portland, Maine, from where the ship set sail. Upon completion of the testing, the ship entered the Kennebec River and went to the shipyard of the city of Bath - the place of its "birth".
Like many other US military vessels, Zumwalt must go through a series of tests and improvements before its full operation begins. Acceptance tests will take place in April. If they are successful, on May 20 the ship will be officially handed over to its crew - at the disposal of the US Navy. In September, after several months of crew training, the ship will leave the shipyard. The official commissioning ceremony (Baltimore, Maryland) is scheduled for October 15, and in December the destroyer will arrive at the fleet base in San Diego, California, where it is permanently based.
In accordance with the plan for 2007, for six months, starting in January, the ship will be under maintenance in San Diego: the refinement will be carried out taking into account the experience and information received by specialists in previous months. In California, the main thing will be done: in 2017, Zumwalt will complete the installation of weapons systems, sensors and software updates. The hull of the ship, its mechanical and electrical systems were built in Maine, but almost all the weapons on it will be placed in San Diego. Combat systems will be tested only at the beginning of 2018, and only after that the largest destroyer in the history of the United States Navy will be ready for use. Two-stage production was assumed from the moment the contract was signed.
The ship has a length of 185 m, a width of 24.6 m and a displacement of 13,200 tons. Zumwalt destroyers are the largest modern non-aircraft carriers warships in the world after the Soviet nuclear missile cruisers of project 1144, built at the Baltic Shipyard from 1973 to 1989 (their displacement is 26,000 tons)
Zumwalt is currently owned by Bath Iron Works (BIW), the General Dynamics shipyard in Bath, where the ship has been built since 2008. Work on its concept began even earlier. During testing, the Zumwalt was flown by a team of BIW civil engineers and shipbuilders, led by Captain Earl Walker, who has over 30 years of experience. Also present were specialists from the defense company Raytheon (the main supplier of Zumwalt combat systems) and other weapons manufacturers.
Bath Iron Works specialists. Photo: Christopher Kavas, Defense News.
The journalist spoke about the chronology, course, specifics of the tests, as well as some of the unique features and capabilities of the ship, most of the information about which is strictly classified.
Tests of the first stage, called "Alpha", took place in early December and lasted about a week - a full-fledged test voyage took place for the first time on December 7th. Without the critical first step, it made no sense to move on to the second, called "Bravo." Then, during the "alpha" tests, there was a demonstration of about 20 basic functions and tasks of the ship, said Captain James Downey, who was in charge of the PMS 500 program dedicated to the DDG 1000 of the US Naval Systems Command (NAVSEA). Zumwalt returned to Portland several times to change engineers on board.
The December test passed the Naval Quality Assurance Service (INSURV) and was considered a success. The non-standard breakdown of the process into two stages was due to the unprecedented amount of high-tech equipment: about 10 large “hi-tech groups” and dozens of smaller elements.
Photo: Christopher Kavas, Defense News.
Kavas visited the ship's third night out at sea, during the second series sea trials, held on March 21-24. They went through successfully. Over 100 missions were completed during the Bravo stage testing, said Capt. James Kirk, who will become the first commander (commanding officer, CO) of Zumwalt.
The destroyer left Casco Bay for the Atlantic Ocean. Zumwalt was escorted by Moray, a small US Coast Guard boat. This is usually done for security reasons, but this time it had a team from NAVSEA on board to test the stealth qualities. This is no less important than the correct operation of the engines.
According to Kavas, the white navigation light is located on the bow of the ship, and not on the mast, as is customary - the stealth design of the destroyer allows you to place it only there, since one of the features of the ship is just the smoothest surface of the hull without unnecessary protruding elements. The only thing that towered above the flat, flat front deck were the huge forward turrets, which house two 155mm Advanced Gun System (AGS) cannons, the largest (in decades) naval guns installed as standard equipment on a ship.
Along the edges of the ship and along the aft flight deck are several rows of 80 missile slots. They are placed in a new order designed to protect the ship with missile cells "blast shields" (they protect missiles during combat), leaving the median line clear for the artillery system.
When moving on the ship, there are no fences and lifelines, although during your stay in the port you can manually install racks with railings. Those who dare to go on deck at sea must firmly grasp the safety line.
The destroyer emerged from the bay with a navigational radar, an AN/SPY-73 centimeter-range radar, revolving on the top of the fore deck mast. However, at sea, the mast was removed into the body like a periscope - for reasons of stealth.
During the sailing, described by Defense News, about 130 members of the future destroyer crew were on board, which is quite unusual for tests conducted by shipyards. In the coming months, Zumwalt will become a second home for the crew, but already now BIW has allowed the military to get the first experience of operating a vessel. The future crew was very excited about this opportunity, and they managed to cope with even more tasks than planned. This unique experience gave him special advantages - it allowed him to better study the most complex, revolutionary structure of a ship equipped with the latest technologies - and, most importantly, this happened with the direct participation of people who developed, built and tested the destroyer.
“We have been waiting for this for 33 months,” said Command Master Chief Dion Beauchamp.
The crew was on board the Zumwalt for the second time. For the first time he was allowed to visit the ship during the first, December phase of testing. Then the military was present on the destroyer for less time. Now they've been running Zumwalt for over 22 hours. The vessel, as then, left Portland, and upon completion of testing arrived at the shipyard. But this time the ship returned to Bath only the next day, and its trials lasted almost a day.
In their experiment, BIW went even further: in addition to the crew of the destroyer being tested, several engineers from the future crew of the second Zumwalt-class ship under construction, USS Michael Monsoor (DDG-1001), were present on the ship. They got acquainted with the power plant.
Recall that it is planned to build two more ships of the Zumwalt series. The third in the series will be Lyndon B. Johnson (DDG-1002), which in two years can install a "sci-fi" rail gun. In the early stages, the US Navy announced the possible construction of 32 destroyers of this type, but due to the complexity of the latest technologies used on the Zumwalt, their number was reduced to 3.
Crew members of the DDG-1000 participated in a number of operations and tests, steered the ship, studied the functioning of the engines. They examined and checked the operation of the anchor: it and its associated mechanisms are completely inside the vessel. The anchor extends down through the bottom of the ship.
Crew members check the operation of the anchor. Photo: Christopher Kavas, Defense News.
According to Beauchamp, various systems destroyers are so deeply integrated that the crew learned not just to manage individual pieces of equipment, but to operate a huge “system of systems”. The total length of the program code is about 6,000,000 lines.
Beauchamp is very experienced: he previously served on an aircraft carrier, a cruiser and two frigates, but, according to the command master chief, even he had to learn and master 19 new technologies for future work on Zumwalt.
The requirements for the crew, according to Beauchamp, are very high: only sailors with the best results are accepted there. However, only one crew member is under 21 years old.
Dave Aitken, chief fire control officer, was also on the ship, but he stepped away from his usual duties, as combat Zumwalt systems have not yet been installed and will start functioning only in two years. During these tests, the main focus was on the destroyer's hull, mechanics, engineering aspects, so other tasks were found for Aitken and his team, which included working with BIW engineers.
“The sailors learned from the Raytheon guys,” Aitken said. “During the test, a man from Raytheon stood behind them and watched them work with the consoles.”
Electromagnetic railgun for Zumwalt-class destroyers. Photo: MC2 Kristopher Kirsop/Navy.
Aitken's people participated in the work of the IT department with the "computer" infrastructure of the destroyer, operated integrated systems, including communication systems. In the future, after the weapons are installed, the fire control department will have a better understanding of how they will fit into the Zumwalt "system of systems".
During the exercises, the destroyer functioned properly, all the planned goals and indicators were achieved. There were no problems whatsoever, Downey noted. The BIW team will now review the information received and prepare for acceptance testing. In fact, as the head of the PMS 500 noted, the March testing was their “rehearsal”. In April, INSURV will evaluate the work of the ship and, in all likelihood, will recommend it for official acceptance into the Navy.
The weather conditions during the tests were difficult, but the ship demonstrated a high level of stability. It was accelerated to speeds above 30 knots (more than 55 km / h) - with a maximum speed of 33.5 knots (62 km / h). With a sharp turn, the roll angle was 7-8 degrees. This greatly impressed Kirk, who expected a much greater slope. The ship's hull with its unusual blockage (it tapers 8° above the waterline) is incredibly stable - this shape is determined by the need to reduce the ESR (effective scattering area) - the main indicator that determines the level of visibility of the vessel.
Downey noted that he had no doubts about the stealth qualities of the destroyer and its EPR. According to him, everything looks even "too good." "Detect" Zumwalt radar is very difficult. It is noteworthy that during the tests, for reasons of navigational safety, reflectors were installed on the ship. Thus, civilian ships could see the stealth destroyer on their radars.
The decks are not intended for the permanent stay of people, therefore, all those devices and structures that are usually found on the decks of warships have been moved inside or reduced to the maximum. Everything necessary for the daily activities of the crew is located inside the destroyer. This, as you might guess, is also due to the low visibility of the Zumwalt.
Radar absorbing materials about an inch thick, which surrounded the hull and superstructure, made it possible to minimize the number of protruding antennas. This innovation, along with other stealth components, makes the destroyer as stealthy as possible.
The ship had 388 people, although in the future its crew will be 147. During the planned 40 years of operation of the USS Zumwalt, such a number of people on board will be transported very, very rarely.
It should be noted that thanks to the high-tech hardware and software stuffing, the work of the destroyer is as automated as possible. Thanks to this, the size of the crew was reduced. 147 people is very little. For comparison: the crew of the Russian guards missile cruiser Moskva, similar in size to Zumwalt, is about 500 people.
Laser weapons.
An extensive bridge is located on the second level (O2) of the superstructure. The standard watch on the bridge is three officers. There are places for two junior watch officers (Junior Officer of the Watch, JOOW, and Junior Officer of the Deck, JOOD). For the officer of the watch, OOD, there is no seating: he must stand and walk on the bridge.
Between the watch seats is a manual control system. All places are equipped with computer panels. The ship's heading can be set by the autopilot, or by using the mouse and keyboard, or by turning the "little black knob" used as the ship's wheel.
The places equipped on the bridge are surrounded by consoles. Junior watch officers in their places monitor the screens that record the operation of internal systems and navigation displays. Windows and consoles are separated by a fairly wide passage.
Around the top are eight large flat panel displays. This is one of the most detailed and impressive information systems located on the bridges of today's warships. There you can connect to any data: a variety of sensors, secret intelligence, cameras showing different parts of the destroyer.
On the sides of the consoles of junior watch officers there are separate places for the commander and his senior assistant (on the right side) or the commodore (on the left). Directly above them are three large flat-panel displays.
At the back, there are seats for people responsible for intelligence and mission planning.
At the rear of the wheelhouse, on both sides, there are two "alcoves" designed to control the ship by the captain or officer of the watch while entering the dock, replenishing the ship's supplies and leaving the dock.
There are two wide opening windows through which two people can look far down to the ship's waterline.
USS Michael Monsoor
The multitasking Zumwalt Control Center (SMC, Ship Mission Center) is huge and is two decks high. It extends from the steel-encased O2 level to the base of the multi-part superstructure that crowns the ship (the O3 level). The three flat panel displays at the front of the room are immediately eye-catching. There, 19 watchmen operate four rows of console stations.
The overall layout of the consoles is somewhat reminiscent of the latest Aegis Baseline 9 PRO (using similar CDS displays and workstations), but they take up much more space. The first and second rows are responsible for missile and artillery systems, cyber operations, anti-submarine warfare. The positions of control and management occupy the third row: there are places for the commander, tactical officer and watch mechanical engineer. The fourth row of consoles is managed by personnel responsible for engines, mechanics and IT support.
Above, at the rear of the SMC, is a glass-enclosed second deck reserved for command personnel or personnel responsible for classified data or mission planning. There they can work without attracting the attention of watchmen who are below, but at the same time watching the same CDS displays.
On the left and right sides of the SMC are additional closed rooms, where consoles and panels are also equipped, allowing you to engage in detailed planning of the ship's mission or individual operations.
Kavas also describes the under-deck spaces. Particularly noteworthy is the "Broadway" located in the back of the hull - a spacious passage on the right side of the vessel, which makes it easy to move ammunition and ammunition to storage areas.
Broadway. Photo: Christopher Kavas, Defense News.
Broadway is wide enough for forklifts to pass through. It is similar to the passages used in the last generation of US battleships, where they were called exactly the same word.
"Broadway" continues all the way to the artillery depots serving the AGS guns. On the opposite side - a spacious room where you can place the simulators next to the rest room.
In the middle of the ship, on the second deck, there are wardrooms for officers and crew and quarters for chief petty officers (goat locker). They are served by one galley (100% "electric").
The two engine rooms include two power plants, consisting of Advanced Induction Motors (AIM) and a Rolls-Royce MT-30 gas turbine, which together produce 39 MW - a total of 78 MW (more than any American destroyer). The so-called. the principle of "fully electric ship", "electric ship", "Full Electric Propulsion": a common primary source of electricity generation is used, which provides both the movement of the ship and the power supply to all ship systems without exception. The powerful British Rolls-Royce gas turbines mentioned above, built on the basis of modern asynchronous engines, drive electric generators, after which the electric power is again converted into mechanical energy using propeller motors. "Electric ships" - a rarity for the naval forces. Prior to this, the only precedent for a “fully electric ship” was the British Daring.
Each Advanced Induction Motor is directly connected to one of the ship's two propeller shafts, eliminating the need for a gearbox (which in turn reduces noise and vibration). Engine rooms are controlled remotely. High power generation will be needed to operate the rail guns.
Cables suitable for one of the Advanced Induction Motors. In the center it connects to one of the propeller shafts. Photo: Christopher Kavas, Defense News.
On the left side of the stern is Additional center management (Secondary Ship's Mission Center, SSMC). It is capable of performing similar functions to the SMC and the bridge, but on a smaller scale, and will be used as a "survivability post" (damage control center, DCC).
At the stern there is a boat compartment with sufficient volume to accommodate two 11-meter rigid hull inflatable boats(RHIB). A complex mechanism made of a titanium "cradle" and a ramp is used to lower them or take them through the stern gate.
Boat bay. Photo: Christopher Kavas, Defense News.
Nearby are beds for 14 people from the special operations group. There is also a place where they can store weapons and personal belongings.
The flight deck is not framed with safety nets. Instead, a technical innovation is used - "personnel safety barriers" (PSB). They minimize the signals from the ship. PSBs are automated, unlike those nets on ships and cruisers that have to be raised and lowered by sailors. The “security barriers” of the new destroyer are raised when the landing helicopter is “caught” by the ASIST (The Aircraft Ship Integrated Secure and Traverse helicopter recovery and handling system) helicopter landing assistance system. ASIST securely "clings" to the helicopter and moves it to the hangar, equipped with a powerful double door, which may be taken as the basis for new doors on other ships.
“She is very reliable. It’s very difficult to break something in it, says Downey. “This door is very easy to use.”
Newest double hangar door. Photo: Christopher Kavas, Defense News.
In the future, the Zumwalt will host many weapons systems, including 20 new-type Mk-57 universal vertical launchers (VLAs), which will replace the widespread Mk-41 ULAs: a total capacity of 80 missiles of various classes: Tomahawk or anti-submarine ASROC-VLS missiles, or ESSM medium-range anti-aircraft missiles.
In addition to the aforementioned long-range 155-mm artillery mounts, 30-mm anti-aircraft guns for conventional ballistic projectiles or LRLAP high-precision ultra-long-range active-rocket munitions capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 100 km will appear on the deck.
As mentioned above, Zumwalt-class ships are likely to be equipped with laser weapons and railguns (railguns).
The electromagnetic railgun, an electrode mass accelerator, uses electricity instead of explosives and accelerates the projectile to a speed of 6-7 times the speed of sound (up to 8.5 thousand km / h) with a launch distance of up to 200 km, creating enough kinetic energy to destroy targets . It is believed that this is a technology doomed to huge success: it will be possible to create effective and efficient weapons by spending much less money on it than on guided bombs and missiles.
At least one helicopter and three UAVs can be based on the ship. The cost of the USS Zumwalt was, according to various estimates, from $3.5 billion to $4.4 billion.
English Zumwalt class guide missile destroyers
A new type of US Navy missile-armed destroyer (also formerly known as the DD(X)), with a focus on attacking coastal and land targets. This type is a smaller version of the ships of the DD-21 program, which have been discontinued. The first Zumwalt-class destroyer, DDG-1000, was launched on October 29, 2013. Destroyers of this series are multipurpose and are designed to attack the enemy on the coast, fight against enemy aircraft and fire support for troops from the sea.
The program is named after Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt, Chief of Naval Operations.
Story
Among US warships under development, the DDG-1000 should precede the Littoral Combat Ship and possibly follow the CG(X) cruiser, competing with the anti-aircraft CVN-21. The DDG-1000 program is the result of a significant reorganization of the DD21 program, the budget of which was cut by more than 50% by Congress (as part of the SC21 program of the 1990s).
Initially, the Navy hoped to build 32 of these destroyers. This number was later reduced to 24 and then to seven due to the high cost of new experimental technologies to be included in the destroyer. The U.S. House of Representatives remains skeptical of this program (for financial reasons) and therefore initially gave the Navy money only to build one DDG-1000 for a "technology demonstration". Initial funding for the destroyer was included in the 2007 National Defense Authorization Act.
However, $2.6 billion was allocated in 2007 to fund and build two Zumwalt-class destroyers.
On February 14, 2008, Bath Iron Works was selected to build USS Zumwalt, number DDG-1000, and Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding to build DDG-1001, at a cost of $1.4 billion each. According to Defense Industry Daily, the cost could rise to $3.2 billion for each vessel, plus $4.0 billion for life cycle every ship.
On July 22, 2008, it was decided to build only two such destroyers. A few weeks later, a decision was made to build a third destroyer of this type.
Name |
Number |
Shipyard |
Bookmark |
Launching |
Entry into service |
Zamwalt
|
1000 | Bath Iron Works | November 17, 2011 | 29.10.2013 | 2016 (plan) |
Michael Monsoor
|
1001 | Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding | May 23, 2013 | 2016 (plan) | 2016 (plan) |
Lyndon B. Johnson
|
1002 | Bath Iron Works | April 4, 2014 | 2017 (plan) | 2018 (plan) |
After commissioning, the Zamwalt-class destroyers will be used in conjunction with the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.
On December 7, 2015, the first of the three destroyers, Zamvolt, estimated by that time at $4.4 billion, went to sea for sea trials.
Design
These ships should receive a new generation power plant, which is a combined diesel-gas turbine engine with full electric propulsion (the principle of "all-electric ship", within which a common primary source is used to generate electricity in order to provide propulsion and power supply to all ship systems without exception).
The hull and superstructure of the ship are surrounded by radio-absorbing materials approximately one inch thick, and the number of protruding antennas has been reduced to a minimum. Composite superstructure materials contain wood (balsa).
Thanks to the highest degree of automation, the crew of the ship is only 140 people.
The armament of the ship consists of 20 universal launchers Mk-57 with a total capacity of 80 Tomahawk missiles, two long-range 155-mm artillery mounts and 30-mm anti-aircraft guns. The destroyer provides for the basing of a helicopter and unmanned aerial vehicles.
The displacement of the ship is approaching 15 thousand tons, which makes the Zamvolts the largest modern non-aircraft-carrying warships in the world after the Soviet / Russian nuclear missile cruisers of project 1144, whose displacement reaches 26 thousand tons.
The cost of the program for the US Navy will be $22 billion (the figure will be adjusted, but it is expected that the increase in costs will not exceed 15%).
performance characteristics
Main characteristics
Displacement: 14,564 long tons (gross)
- Length: 183 m
- Width: 24.6 m
- Draft: 8.4 m
- Armoring: possible Kevlar protection of individual nodes
-Engines: 2 x GTU Rolls-Royce Marine Trent-30
- Power: 78 MW
- Travel speed: 30 knots (55.56 km/h)
- Crew: 148 people
The floating pyramid of Cheops, as if arrived from another dimension. What era does this ship belong to? Who and why created this outlandish design? Perhaps everything is much simpler. The appearance reflects the essence - a grandiose financial pyramid that absorbed over 7 billion dollars at a time.
Definitely, "Zamvolt" has something to be proud of: the largest and most expensive destroyer in the entire history of the existence of this class of ships. And this record will remain at least until the beginning of the 2030s. Its sinister silhouette leaves no one indifferent. But what secrets lurk inside this "starship"?
Stealth? Railgun? linux?
The missile and artillery stealth ship is being built using the latest technologies, many of which were first introduced in the navy. The key direction was chosen to reduce visibility in the radio wave range of the EM spectrum, in which most detection tools operate. In the architecture and appearance of the Zamvolt, the features of stealth technology aggressively appear.
Pyramidal superstructure. Powerful obstruction of the sides - due to which radio waves are reflected towards the sky, which excludes their repeated reflection from the surface of the water. Stealth housings for artillery pieces. The complete absence of masts, radiocontrast mechanisms and equipment on the upper deck. A breakwater nose that allows you not to “climb the wave”, as ordinary ships do, but, on the contrary, hide from enemy radars among the crests of the waves. Finally, the entire body of the Zamvolta is finished with ferromagnetic paints and radio-absorbing coatings.
These techniques are well known among shipbuilders around the world. Russian corvettes and frigates of a new generation (for example, the Guardian), the French ships Lafayette, the Swedish stealth corvettes of the Visby type ... But in the case of the Zamvolt, the situation is special: for the first time in the history of the fleet, all elements of the stealth technology ”were implemented in such a grandiose, all-encompassing volume on such a large ship.
14.5 thousand tons - another cruiser will envy the size of the destroyer "Zamvolt"(as a comparison: the total displacement of the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet, the missile cruiser "Moskva" is "only" 11 thousand tons)
There is no doubt about the effectiveness of techniques to reduce visibility for enemy radars: stealth technology is widely used in the creation of naval and aviation equipment around the world.
Much more interesting is the very concept of "Zamvolt". A missile and artillery destroyer with the dimensions of a cruiser is not a 600-ton Swedish corvette. How to hide such an "elephant" in the middle of an open area?
The creators of Zamvolt explain that this is not about complete invisibility, but only about reducing visibility - as a result, Zamvolt will be able to detect the enemy before he notices the stealth destroyer. In official press releases, it is noted that the effective dispersion area (ESR) of a 180-meter destroyer corresponds to the ESR of a small fishing felucca.
Artillery
For the first time in 50 years, an artillery gunship was built. Zamvolt is the first and so far the only modern cruiser and destroyer armed with guns over 5 inches in caliber. The destroyer's bow is fitted with a pair of 155 mm (6.1 in) Advanced Gun System (AGS) automated mounts that fire precision-guided munitions at a range of 160 km. The total ammunition load of the installations is 920 shells.
The revival of naval artillery is a direct consequence of the discussion about providing fire support to amphibious assault forces and delivering strikes on the enemy's coast (more relevant than ever in the era of counter-terrorist operations and local wars).
An artillery shell has a number of important advantages over an aerial bomb or a cruise missile.:
- all-weather application;
- quick response to calls - in a couple of minutes the indicated place will be razed to the ground;
- invulnerability to enemy air defense systems;
- no need for a super-expensive carrier (4/5 generation multirole fighter and a trained pilot) - as well as no risk of losing the carrier on the way to the target;
- a much lower cost of shells compared to the Tomahawk cruise missile - with the same capabilities in providing fire support to the marines.
Moreover, the accuracy of modern artillery shells with a GPS or laser beam guidance system is in no way inferior to similar aircraft and missile ammunition.
It is noteworthy that a system with an unusually large caliber was again chosen as an auxiliary artillery system for the self-defense of the destroyer - the automatic 57 mm Bofors SAK-57 Mk.3 installation (a pair of such guns is installed in the stern of the Zamvolta superstructure).
Unlike traditional rapid fire , SAK-57 fires only 3-4 shots per second, but at the same time it fires special "smart" ammunition, whose fuses are initiated when flying close to the target. And the power of its shells is sufficient not only for self-defense in the near zone, but also for use in naval combat against boats and other enemy weapons at a distance of up to 18 km.
Radars
Initially, a “fancy” DBR radar complex was created for Zamvolt with six AFARs operating in the centimeter and decimeter ranges. This provided unprecedented range and accuracy in detecting any type of air, sea or exoatmospheric targets in Earth orbit - within the DBR radar's field of view.
By 2010, when it became clear that the Zamvolts were too expensive and could not replace existing destroyers, the DBR radar concept was drastically reduced. As part of the Zamvolta detection tools, only the AN / SPY-3 multifunctional centimeter-range radar with three flat active headlights, located on the walls of the destroyer's superstructure, remained.
At the end of October, the lead destroyer of the Zumwalt project was launched at the American shipyard Bath Iron Works. The USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000), named after Admiral Elmo Zumwalt, is one of the most daring American military shipbuilding projects of recent times. Great hopes are placed on the ships of the new project and high demands are made. The priority of the project and the atmosphere of secrecy surrounding it can be considered the main reasons that the launch of the completed ship into the water took place without pompous ceremonies and took place under the cover of night. According to reports, all celebrations should take place a little later.
On the way to DDG-1000
The Zumwalt project dates back to the early nineties. Then the US Navy developed requirements for promising ships that were to enter service at the beginning of the 21st century. In connection with such terms of the beginning of the service of the ships, promising programs received the designations CG21 (cruiser) and DD21 (destroyer). A little later, the cruiser and destroyer development programs were renamed CG(X) and DD(X). The requirements for new ships were quite high. Both cruisers and destroyers had to perform a wide range of combat and non-combat missions. Depending on the situation and the need, any of the promising ships was supposed to attack enemy ships or submarines, protect formations from air attack, evacuate the population from dangerous zones, etc.
Already the first calculations showed that the cost of such a universal ship may not be within a reasonable framework. In this regard, Congress insisted on the closure of one of the programs. Based on the results of the analysis, it was decided to abandon the CG(X) cruisers and focus all efforts on the creation of destroyers. Thus, after the decommissioning of all Ticonderoga-class cruisers in the US Navy, the destroyers Arleigh Burke and DD (X) were supposed to be used as multi-purpose ships with missile weapons.
For financial reasons, one project was closed, and soon problems began with the second. Full compliance with the requirements of the customer, according to calculations, should have led to a significant increase in the cost of design work and the construction of ships. It was originally planned to build 32 destroyers of the new type. However, an assessment of their cost and budget possibilities led to several reductions in the planned series. A few years ago, Congress cut the appropriations for the Zumvolt destroyers to a level sufficient to build only three ships. It is worth noting that after that there were proposals to complete the construction of the lead destroyer and close the overly expensive project, but the Pentagon was able to defend three ships. It should also be noted that by the time the design work on the Zumwalt project began, the requirements had been changed towards simplification. Because of this, the existing prospective project has several major differences from the planned DD(X).
Preparations for the construction of the lead ship DDG-1000 began in the fall of 2008, and the laying ceremony took place in November 2011. At the end of October 2013, the first destroyer of the new project was launched. Preliminary work for the construction of the hull of the second ship DDG-1001 (USS Michael Monsoor) started in September 2009 at the Ingalls Shipbuilding plant. In 2015, it is planned to hand over the lead destroyer to the customer and continue building the next ships. The order of the third destroyer DDG-1002 is planned for the 2018 financial year.
According to available data, the cost of each of the three new destroyers, taking into account the cost of creating the project, can exceed $7 billion. For comparison, the new ships of the Arleigh Burke project cost the treasury about 1.8 billion, which is more than three times less than the cost of the Zumvolts. At the same time, it should be taken into account that the timing of the construction of the third promising destroyer, which is planned to be ordered only in 2018, may accordingly affect its price. Thus, there is every reason to believe that the total cost of the program will constantly increase.
Ship skin
The new Zumwalt-class destroyers will serve in the US Navy for the next few decades. It is the groundwork for the future that explains the many original and bold technical solutions that immediately catch the eye. The most notable feature of the new ships is their appearance. In the past few decades, engineers have been trying to reduce the visibility of ships for radar systems and have achieved some success in this. In the case of the Zumvolt destroyers, visibility reduction became the main task in designing the contours of the hull and superstructure. A promising American destroyer looks like a long and narrow platform, in the middle of which there is a superstructure of complex shape. All the contours of the surface of the ship are a complex system of planes conjugated with each other at different angles.
The hull of the ship has a relatively low side, which reduces visibility. It should also be noted that the sides are tilted inward. Due to the use of low sides, the authors of the project had to use the original stem of a characteristic shape. Such hull contours provide high running performance and at the same time reduce the visibility of the ship for radars. In the middle of the 2000s, the AESD Sea Jet demonstrator boat was built, on which the capabilities of the original hull shape were tested. The test results of the experimental boat showed the correctness of the calculations. However, there are still doubts about the real characteristics of the new destroyer. There are suspicions that the bow of the ship will burrow into the water.
The ship USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000) turned out to be large: the length of the hull is about 183 meters, the maximum width is 24.6 m. The displacement of the destroyer is approximately 14.5 thousand tons. It is noteworthy that with such dimensions and displacement, the Zumvolt ships turn out to be larger than not only the Orly Burke destroyers, but also the Ticonderoga cruisers.
In terms of their combat capabilities, promising ships should also surpass existing cruisers and destroyers. The abandonment of the CG(X) program led to the transfer to destroyers of some of the functions previously assigned to cruisers. Although in the course of determining the technical and financial appearance of the project, the promising destroyer lost some elements of equipment and weapons, in terms of its characteristics it should be ahead of ships of existing types.
As the main power plant on the USS Zumwalt, two Rolls-Royce Marine Trent-30 gas turbine engines with a total capacity of 105,000 hp are used. The engines are connected to electric generators that supply energy to all systems of the ship, including two electric motors that rotate the propellers. Such an architecture of the power plant made it possible to provide relatively high running characteristics of the ship. Claimed maximum speed destroyer exceeds 30 knots. In addition, two generators provide electricity to all ship systems. The parameters of the electrical system make it possible in the future, as part of the modernization, to equip the ships with new equipment and weapons.
The main armament of the Zumvolt destroyers is the Mk 57 universal vertical launcher. This system is a further development of the similar Mk 41 launcher used on modern cruisers and destroyers. The Zumwalt ship will carry 20 Mk 57 modules placed in different parts of the hull. Each of the modules has four cells for missiles. The launcher cell can accommodate from one to four missiles, depending on their size. It is proposed to load missiles of various types into 80 cells of launchers: anti-aircraft, anti-submarine, etc. The specific composition of the ammunition load will be determined in accordance with the tasks that the ship must perform.
The main anti-aircraft ammunition of the Zumwalt destroyers will be the RIM-162 ESSM missile. It was previously stated that the SM-2, SM-3 and SM-6 missiles would be included in the ship's ammunition, but at the moment there is no new information about such weapons of the ships. It is possible that work is underway to prepare missile systems for use on promising destroyers, and the expansion of the available range of weapons will take place only after the lead ship is accepted into the Navy. To attack enemy submarines, Zumvolt-class destroyers will carry RUM-139 VL-ASROC anti-submarine missiles.
An interesting feature of the weapons complex of Zumwalt destroyers is the fact that at the moment there is no information about the use of anti-ship missiles. Obviously, the existing RGM-84 Harpoon missiles were considered unsuitable for use on promising destroyers. A similar approach was also applied in the formation of requirements for the latest series of Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.
In the bow of the destroyer DDG-1000, it is planned to install two AGS artillery mounts with 155 mm caliber guns. The AGS system is a gun turret with advanced underdeck units. An interesting feature of this artillery mount is the ammunition. Despite the caliber, the AGS system will not be able to use existing 155mm ammunition. The LRAPS projectile was created especially for the new naval artillery mount. Active-reactive ammunition is similar to a rocket: its length exceeds 2.2 meters, and after exiting the barrel, it must unfold wings and a stabilizer. With its own weight of 102 kg, the projectile will be able to carry an 11-kilogram warhead. Using inertial and satellite navigation systems, the LRAPS projectile will be able to hit targets at a distance of at least 80 km.
The total ammunition capacity of the two artillery mounts will be 920 rounds. The autoloader stowage of both AGS systems will hold 600 rounds of ammunition. The large length of the projectile forced the use of several interesting solutions in the design and operation of automatic loading. So, ammunition will be fed to the gun in a vertical position. To do this, before loading the barrel of the gun must rise to a vertical position. Shooting is possible with elevation from -5° to +70°. The original automatic loader, according to official data, provides a rate of fire of 10 rounds per minute. Declared the possibility of firing in long bursts.
In the past, it has been argued that destroyers Zumwalt could become the world's first ships carrying an electromagnetic gun. Similar developments already exist, but they are far from being used on military equipment. One of the main problems of this promising is its colossal power consumption. When using the power generators installed on the new destroyers, almost all electronic systems would have to be turned off for some time to fire from an electromagnetic gun. It is quite clear that such features of the work put an end to the application of such systems in practice.
The artillery armament of promising destroyers consists of two AGS installations and two Swedish-made Bofors Mk 110 anti-aircraft guns. It is noteworthy that the caliber of these guns is much larger than the caliber of previously used anti-aircraft systems. The reason for the use of 57-mm guns can be considered the fact that the power of 20- and 30-mm shells is not enough to guarantee the destruction of modern and advanced anti-ship missiles. Thus, the greater power of 57 mm shells can compensate for the lower rate of fire at 220 rounds per minute.
In the stern of the Zumwalt ships, there is a hangar for helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles. The destroyers will be able to carry one SH-60 or MH-60R helicopter, as well as up to three MQ-8 drones. Thus, a small aviation group will be able to monitor the environment and take on some of the functions of the ship's electronic complex.
To monitor the situation and control weapons, Zumvolt-class destroyers will receive a Raytheon AN / SPY-3 multifunctional radar station with an active phased antenna array. It was previously planned to install a second Lockheed Martin AN / SPY-4 radar on new ships, but later it was abandoned. The use of two stations at once, operating in different ranges, was considered too expensive and did not provide a corresponding increase in performance. Thus, ships under construction will be equipped with only one radar station.
Zumwalt destroyers will be able to search for submarines and mines. To do this, they will be equipped with three sonar systems AN / SQS-60, AN / SQS-61 and AN / SQR-20. The first two are installed in the ship's hull, the third has a towed hydroacoustic station. It is alleged that the characteristics of the sonar systems of the new destroyers will be significantly higher than that of the equipment of existing ships of the Arleigh Burke type.
Quality and Quantity
Based on the available data, it can be assumed that the promising Zumwalt-class destroyers will become the most advanced among all US Navy ships. Nevertheless, the existing advantages of a technical and combat nature, under certain circumstances, can be completely offset by the existing disadvantages. The main disadvantage of the new project is the high cost. The cost of the lead ship, including development costs, is estimated at $7 billion. Thus, the new destroyer costs about the same as the cost of the last American Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77). Such a high cost of destroyers was the reason for a radical reduction in the planned series.
Even if austerity congressmen do not push for the elimination of one or even two Zumvolt-class destroyers, the total number of these ships in the US Navy will remain too small. Just three destroyers - even if they are head and shoulders above all existing ships in terms of their characteristics - are unlikely to have a serious impact on the overall potential of the Navy. In other words, the latest destroyers run the risk of becoming what is commonly called a white elephant or a suitcase without a handle. An expensive project, which, in light of recent funding cuts, may look unreasonably high, while maintaining existing views, will not be able to give the expected results in terms of fleet combat capability.
In the context of the Zumwalt project, the Pentagon's plans for the ships of the Arleigh Burke project look interesting. According to statements in recent years, the construction of these destroyers will continue, and they will serve until the seventies of the XXI century. How long the Zumvolt destroyers will serve is not yet clear. Nevertheless, even without taking into account the service life, we can confidently say that most of the combat work will fall on the ships of the old project.
To justify the new ships, it should be said that the Zumwalt project used a large number of new technical solutions and technologies. Therefore, promising destroyers will become a platform for testing equipment, weapons and technologies that will be used on the ships of the future.
According to the websites:
http://globalsecurity.org/
http://naval-technology.com/
http://raytheon.com/
http://navyrecognition.com/
http://navweaps.com/
http://baesystems.com/