Sunday, November 20, 2016

Does The U.S. Navy's Newest Destroyer Really Need Shells For Its 'Big Guns'?

THE USS ZUMWALT SPORTS TWO POWERFUL "ADVANCED GUN SYSTEMS" (THE TWO PILLBOXES UP FRONT) -- BUT HAS FEWER THAN 90 BULLETS BETWEEN THEM. IMAGE SOURCE: U.S. NAVY.

Motley Fool: Lockheed Loses, and Raytheon Could Gain, as Navy Disarms the USS Zumwalt

Guns without bullets don't shoot very well. Companies without contracts don't do much better.

On Oct. 15, 2016, the U.S. Navy commissioned its largest gun-toting surface warship since battleships prowled the seas: the USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000).

Technically a destroyer, Zumwalt is actually bigger than the Navy's current fleet of Ticonderoga-class cruisers -- weighing in at 14,800 tons to the Tico's 9,800. It also carries more powerful guns than the Navy's big cruisers: two 155-mm Advanced Guns System (AGS) cannon, each capable of firing a 225-lb. Long Range Land-Attack Projectile (LRLAP) and striking a target 80 miles distant with pinpoint accuracy. There is, however, one small problem with these guns...

They have no bullets.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: $800,000 per projectile .... what were they thinking?

2 comments:

Roger said...


Agreed. This appears to be a case of can't see the forest for the trees. Fixation on results and not the cost. With so many less than impressive results from the defense industry's efforts, I wonder what the input from the end user is. We do know that the F-35 is a one size fits all result of three service branches' input and so far I question the outcome of that input. Compromise, compromise has lead to an airplane that could conceivably lead to a nimble, radar non-reflective 1918 Focker tri-plane giving the F-35 a run for it's money in a dogfight. Especially if the F-35 runs low on fuel in a few minutes and has to exit the battlefield after a brief exhibition of it's costly technology.

Roger

Stephen Davenport said...

These destroyers are weird, I think the powers to be read to much science fiction. Hopefully the new administration reels this type of stuff in. We do not need super duper sci-fi technology, just good reliable technology that is less expensive that works with great training.