Redrighthand
New Member
Ah thanks. That makes sense. The article I'd read seemed to more imply that the Navy wasn't capable of defending itself from small, fast "swarm" attacks. Seemed a bit silly.
US Navy News and updates
- Thread starter AegisFC
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And with a combat radius of 480km the Apache can cover a large part of the area from US coastal bases
The U.S. Navy General Guidance for the Classification of Naval Vessels and Battle Force Ship Counting Procedures was issued on 14th June 2016
https://news.usni.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/SECNAVINST-5030.8C.pdf#viewer.action=download
https://news.usni.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/SECNAVINST-5030.8C.pdf#viewer.action=download
A neat video of the USMC half-scale DARPA UHAC demonstrator. When deployed to the Gator fleet, each UHAC can accommodate 3 Abrams MBTs and traverse terrain and obstacles that would stymie an LCAC.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RotuVYKQNzo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RotuVYKQNzo
I find it hard to take this thing seriously.
It obviously has difficulty traversing even calm water with any kind of directional control and it is as slow as a wet week.
Seems like a waste of time
MB
It outranges and outspeeds the troops in their AAVs. It can climb over 10-foot obstacles. Yeah, it looks goofy but the final product will eliminate the cab, will have a lower profile, will be armed and armored.
US marines unveil amphibious vehicle that can scale 10-foot walls | Daily Mail Online
US marines unveil amphibious vehicle that can scale 10-foot walls | Daily Mail Online
John Fedup
The Bunker Group
How big is the version that will actually carry 3 Abrams MBTs? The half-scale demonstrator doesn't look half-scale to me as it couldn't hold a single MBT. Perhaps only the propulsion component is half-scale?
The article Iinked list the dimensions ie. 84 feet long and 34 feet high. I've seen early renderings showing 3 x MBT s mounted transversely but it appears they will be lined up single-file in the final design.
Note the M-1 hull is 26 feet long and 32 feet with gun in forward position.
Note the M-1 hull is 26 feet long and 32 feet with gun in forward position.
John Fedup
The Bunker Group
I watched the YouTube video first and just now viewed your other link. It provides a much clearer understanding. It will be a useful piece of kit assuming it can do everything as envisioned.
Another welcome example of common-sense repurposing of an existing tech to boost the lethality of the Mk 45 gun. There's been a lot of that going around recently within the DoD and armed services. incorporating a mmw seeker will be a neat enhancement.
Raytheon's Excalibur N5 Round Could Triple the Range of US Navy 'Big' Guns | The National Interest Blog
The Navy is seeking longer-range precision weapons for its deck-mounted “5-inch” guns to better destroy enemy targets, defend maritime forces on the move in combat and support amphibious operations.
Every Navy Cruiser and Destroyer is armed with “5-inch” guns to attack land and sea targets from the deck of a ship. In existence since the 70s, the weapon can be used to attack enemy targets or lay down suppressive fire so that maritime forces can better maneuver or reposition while in battle.
However, the 5-inch guns, called Mk 45, have a maximum effective range of only about eight or nine miles, and the current rounds lack precision so many rounds need to be fired in order to ensure that targets are destroyed.
A new Raytheon-developed GPS-guided Excalibur N5 round, however, can pinpoint target out to about 26 nautical miles, Paul Daniels, Raytheon business development, Excalibur, told Scout Warrior in an interview.
"We're more than tripling the max effective range of the Mk 45 five inch guns and providing Excalibur precision with less than 2-meters miss distances at all ranges,” he said. “Think of the area that you can cover as a commander of a ship -- that is about 8 nautical miles, 200 squared nautical miles around your ship to more than 2,000 square miles,” Daniels said.
Raytheon's Excalibur N5 Round Could Triple the Range of US Navy 'Big' Guns | The National Interest Blog
The Navy is seeking longer-range precision weapons for its deck-mounted “5-inch” guns to better destroy enemy targets, defend maritime forces on the move in combat and support amphibious operations.
Every Navy Cruiser and Destroyer is armed with “5-inch” guns to attack land and sea targets from the deck of a ship. In existence since the 70s, the weapon can be used to attack enemy targets or lay down suppressive fire so that maritime forces can better maneuver or reposition while in battle.
However, the 5-inch guns, called Mk 45, have a maximum effective range of only about eight or nine miles, and the current rounds lack precision so many rounds need to be fired in order to ensure that targets are destroyed.
A new Raytheon-developed GPS-guided Excalibur N5 round, however, can pinpoint target out to about 26 nautical miles, Paul Daniels, Raytheon business development, Excalibur, told Scout Warrior in an interview.
"We're more than tripling the max effective range of the Mk 45 five inch guns and providing Excalibur precision with less than 2-meters miss distances at all ranges,” he said. “Think of the area that you can cover as a commander of a ship -- that is about 8 nautical miles, 200 squared nautical miles around your ship to more than 2,000 square miles,” Daniels said.
Raytheon is developing a laser-guided version of the projectile, the Excalibur S. This variant incorporates a digital semi-active laser seeker, allowing it to hit moving targets and engage and strike targets without accurate location information. It also reduces the risk associated with GPS jamming.Much more common sense would be to simply procure or license produce Vulcano rounds...
Especially if Excalibur lacks the IR seeker version of the Vulcano family.
This will be incorporated into the 5" Version.
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Longer range than Excalibur, but doesn't it have a smaller explosive charge?Much more common sense would be to simply procure or license produce Vulcano rounds...
Especially if Excalibur lacks the IR seeker version of the Vulcano family.
The Navy is modernizing the Mk 45 guns on it's surface combatants to increase it's lethality and keep it relevant for decades to come Previously in this thread mention was made of the revolutionary HVP PGM and it's role as a cost-effective answer to incoming missile threats.
BAE Systems to Modernize Mk 45 Naval Guns under $50 Million Award | Business Wire
BAE Systems to Modernize Mk 45 Naval Guns under $50 Million Award
ARLINGTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The U.S. Navy has awarded BAE Systems a $50 million contract option to upgrade four additional Mk 45 Naval Guns on guided missile destroyers (DDG 51s), converting the guns to a fully-digital Mod 4 configuration. The option, exercised under an initial 2015 award, brings the full value of the contract to $130 million for a total of 10 modernized gun systems.
Key updates to the Mod 4 configuration include a mechanically strengthened gun mount and a completely digitized control system. The stronger mount allows the gun to achieve 50 percent higher firing energy, and the new digital control system provides significantly more computing power while utilizing a user interface similar to that of a smartphone. These major enhancements enable the seamless integration of targeting and fire control data, such as GPS, positioning the Mk 45 to fire precision guided munitions at unprecedented ranges.
“The proliferation of high-volume, low-cost threats is driving the need for multi-mission, cost-effective precision fire from naval guns like the Mk 45,” said Joseph Senftle, vice president and general manager of Weapon Systems at BAE Systems. “...
The updated Mk 45 guns are expected to remain in service for decades to come, making the cost-effective Mod 4 conversion and the continued development of advanced munitions — such as the Hyper Velocity Projectile and Standard Guided Projectile — essential components of future surface warfare.
more..
BAE Systems to Modernize Mk 45 Naval Guns under $50 Million Award | Business Wire
BAE Systems to Modernize Mk 45 Naval Guns under $50 Million Award
ARLINGTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The U.S. Navy has awarded BAE Systems a $50 million contract option to upgrade four additional Mk 45 Naval Guns on guided missile destroyers (DDG 51s), converting the guns to a fully-digital Mod 4 configuration. The option, exercised under an initial 2015 award, brings the full value of the contract to $130 million for a total of 10 modernized gun systems.
Key updates to the Mod 4 configuration include a mechanically strengthened gun mount and a completely digitized control system. The stronger mount allows the gun to achieve 50 percent higher firing energy, and the new digital control system provides significantly more computing power while utilizing a user interface similar to that of a smartphone. These major enhancements enable the seamless integration of targeting and fire control data, such as GPS, positioning the Mk 45 to fire precision guided munitions at unprecedented ranges.
“The proliferation of high-volume, low-cost threats is driving the need for multi-mission, cost-effective precision fire from naval guns like the Mk 45,” said Joseph Senftle, vice president and general manager of Weapon Systems at BAE Systems. “...
The updated Mk 45 guns are expected to remain in service for decades to come, making the cost-effective Mod 4 conversion and the continued development of advanced munitions — such as the Hyper Velocity Projectile and Standard Guided Projectile — essential components of future surface warfare.
more..
I speculated several years ago that modern gun fired guided projectiles could make FF and DD types (as opposed to FFG and DDG) viable again, especially if combined with multi role gun type CIWS and / or directed energy weapons. Large missile VLS could become something you would only see on large offensive / land attack and air warfare combatants.
Imagine a survivable, LO, 1950s configuration DD with two or three 5", two to four 3" and a couple of gun or DE CIWS, ASW torpedoes and either a helicopter or a rotary UCAV instead of a LCS derived frigate. It would be a highly capable, networked addition to the task force / group, supplementing the larger missile ships, screening against swarm attacks and coastal fires in littoral zones, excelling in NGS as well as being a survivable networked sensor node. Such a ship would still be in excess of 3000t (4-5000t) not being inconceivable, but with its primary gun armament, low maintenance multimode radars (CEAFAR etc) and EO sensors, should be able to make do with smaller crews.
I wonder how events would have turned out if HVP tech had been foreseen during deliberations for DDG-1000? If a Burke could be upgraded in he future to provide precision fire support for the Marines then the case for the AGS is undercut making it a more difficult sell. Water under the bridge of course.
John Fedup
The Bunker Group
The two RR MT-30 gas turbines in the DDG-1000 have the power requirements needed for the future rail gun and laser weapons. Could the Burkes realistically be upgraded with the sufficient power needed for these future weapons while still maintaining hotel and propulsion loads? Also, the HVP tech velocity pales in comparison with the railgun.