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National Interest: Here's What the Navy Might Use Its Stealth Zumwalt Class Destroyers For
But are they any good?
Key point: The Zumwalt destroyers aren't very useful and it is unclear what role they will fill.
The three new Zumwalt-class destroyers are in trouble. Originally envisioned as a fleet of more nearly three dozen destroyers, and the weapons that justified them, the Zumwalts have faced delays, cuts and staggering cost increases. As the ships teeter on the verge of white elephant status, could they become relevant again by taking on a new role, that of a stealthy ship killer?
The Zumwalt-class destroyers were originally envisioned as a fleet of thirty-two destroyers designed to attack targets far inland with precision-guided howitzer shells. Designed in part to support amphibious landings by the U.S. Marine Corps, the Zumwalts were meant to make up for the lack of big-gun firepower caused by the retirement of the Ohio-class guided-missile submarines.
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Update: Zumwalt-class stealth destroyer gun dead, vessel mission being redefined (UPI)
WNU Editor: For a destroyer that does not have a gun, its mission is going to be limited.
2 comments:
Can't these ships be submerged?
Anyways, i believe the ship was expected to have a mounted rail-gun, rather then a howitzer. That been said, the stealth factor of this ship is pointless in the face of satellites or land bombardment. Simple call from any infantry unit is going to give away its location.
Stealth surface ships ....
Id rather have a submarine, a submarine with land bombardment capabilities.
But fuck man, 1million a shell?
Is what it is, best way to keep a secret is to pretend the secret is a worthless POS.
I wouldn't want to load it up with more missiles, Stealth is pointless if you have to redock and reload all the time or your giving away your location by sending traceable missiles. Ship should be centered around speed, range and ease of reloading. Howitzer ammunition should be easily sourced from all allied nations but your still combating Chinese naval task forces and even if you sink one or two, they are going to fire back at your fishing boat.
I dono, ballistic missiles are always going to outrange shells, and American air defenses are debatable, this ship would be better suited to anti air operations. If it intercepted a large aerial formation and annihilated it, you could change a war.
Likewise biggest threat to marines is from the air in terms of helicopters and strike aircraft. Marines can use mortars to push forward, but would be limited on manpads.
11:29 is spot on
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