Capt James Kirk, USS ZUMWALT

[webmaster]

When I was enlisted, there was a CDR James Kirk that worked on PACOM staff back in 1990s, being an irreverent YN3 I asked him when he was going to make CAPTAIN? He gave a long suffering sigh and just stared at me... I beat a hasty retreat.

I can only imagine some of the practical jokes and general fun you could have with nicknames and joking about this command selection. While not aviation, looks like an awesome ship, and I hope Captain James Kirk has a great tour with the USS ZUMWALT!

http://www.king5.com/news/national/New-Navy-destroyer-Capt-James-Kirk-230040231.html

John

Do you think his middle name is Tiberius also? Maybe he can get his name changed if not?



And yes, I have waaay too much time on my hands today.

 

[BusyBee604]

While not aviation, looks like an awesome ship, and I hope Captain James Kirk has a great tour with the USS ZUMWALT!.

Speaking of the USS ZUMWALT (DDG-1000), an interesting construction progress report, including photos of the huge, stealthy Super Can, and it's "float check" two days ago at Portsmouth Navy Shipyard, ME

http://blogs.defensenews.com/interc...ld-r-ford-cvn-78-the-newest-aircraft-carrier/

Also includes the same type report on our next CVN Crown Jewel, USS GERALD R. FORD (CVN-78), with equally fine photos, at Newport News, VA.

USS ZUMWALT (DDG-1000)

BzB

 

[webmaster]

I have purposefully been disconnected of all things Navy of late, took me 7 months to go back onto base after my retirement, and that was to get a new Dirty contractor ID card. But I have been curious today on the fate of many of the new budget beasts that are coming to fruition. Everything from the P8A (drove by the base the other day, and the whole ramp is covered in them in front of the "new" hanger and of course VP-30), to the new CVN and now DDX. I personally just enjoyed reading CDR Salamander's post on DDX, along with some of his links to other articles. http://cdrsalamander.blogspot.com/2013/10/skunk-at-big-z-party.html I didn't realize that we were only building three DDX (or DD100) whatever you call it. Seems akin to what happened to Seawolf back in the day and budget battles.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

I have purposefully been disconnected of all things Navy of late, took me 7 months to go back onto base after my retirement, and that was to get a new Dirty contractor ID card. But I have been curious today on the fate of many of the new budget beasts that are coming to fruition. Everything from the P8A (drove by the base the other day, and the whole ramp is covered in them in front of the "new" hanger and of course VP-30), to the new CVN and now DDX. I personally just enjoyed reading CDR Salamander's post on DDX, along with some of his links to other articles. http://cdrsalamander.blogspot.com/2013/10/skunk-at-big-z-party.html I didn't realize that we were only building three DDX (or DD100) whatever you call it. Seems akin to what happened to Seawolf back in the day and budget battles.

Only 3, well I guess that makes sense since I read an article that said this project was on time and on budget, we can't have that now can we.

 

[HooverPilot]

Cruised with Capt (then CDR) Kirk in 2009. He is an awesome guy, for a SWO.

 

[Randy Daytona]

Is this correct? Two 155mm cannons - but no ammunition for it because the current ammo cost $800,000 per round?

Washington – Barely two weeks after the US Navy commissioned its newest and most futuristic warship, armed with two huge guns that can hit targets 80 miles away, the service is moving to cancel the projectiles for the guns, citing excessive costs that run up to $800,000 per round or more.

http://www.defensenews.com/articles/new-warships-big-guns-have-no-bullets

 

[azguy]

Is this correct? Two 155mm cannons - but no ammunition for it because the current ammo cost $800,000 per round?

Washington – Barely two weeks after the US Navy commissioned its newest and most futuristic warship, armed with two huge guns that can hit targets 80 miles away, the service is moving to cancel the projectiles for the guns, citing excessive costs that run up to $800,000 per round or more.

http://www.defensenews.com/articles/new-warships-big-guns-have-no-bullets

“We are looking at multiple different rounds for that gun,” the Navy official said, adding that “three or four different rounds” have been looked at, including the Army’s Excalibur munition from Raytheon, and the Hyper Velocity Projectile (HVP), a project under development by the Office of Naval Research and BAE Systems.

$800K for a gun round is crazy -- a Blk IV TLAM is only twice that. Time to look for a cheaper option.

 

[Randy Daytona]

“We are looking at multiple different rounds for that gun,” the Navy official said, adding that “three or four different rounds” have been looked at, including the Army’s Excalibur munition from Raytheon, and the Hyper Velocity Projectile (HVP), a project under development by the Office of Naval Research and BAE Systems.

$800K for a gun round is crazy -- a Blk IV TLAM is only twice that. Time to look for a cheaper option.

For perspective: Excalibur shells costs $89,000 per round, compared with $300 for a conventional 155mm shell.

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/military/2008-08-24-excalibur_N.htm

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/m795.htm

 

[Recovering LSO]

“We are looking at multiple different rounds for that gun,” the Navy official said, adding that “three or four different rounds” have been looked at, including the Army’s Excalibur munition from Raytheon, and the Hyper Velocity Projectile (HVP), a project under development by the Office of Naval Research and BAE Systems.

$800K for a gun round is crazy -- a Blk IV TLAM is only twice that. Time to look for a cheaper option.

Nothing wrong with the acquisition process at all...

 

[Pags]

Kabuki theater for all my friends. They'll buy the damned round because it would be stupid not to buy a round that had been proven to work in testing and that the boat will shoot during CSSQT. They'll just wait for bigger gorillas (OSD, Congress) to wrestle with LockMart.

 

[BigRed389]

Is this correct? Two 155mm cannons - but no ammunition for it because the current ammo cost $800,000 per round?

Washington – Barely two weeks after the US Navy commissioned its newest and most futuristic warship, armed with two huge guns that can hit targets 80 miles away, the service is moving to cancel the projectiles for the guns, citing excessive costs that run up to $800,000 per round or more.

http://www.defensenews.com/articles/new-warships-big-guns-have-no-bullets

Considering the low production volume of DDG-1000, it's not surprising that any program that is uniquely linked to it is going to be royally screwed.

It actually makes sense if you step back...HVP is the only round that makes sense as a "future" round, and LRLAP is comparatively a dead end. It's a one off 155 round nobody else uses or is much interested in.
HVP at least has potential to make it onto a DDG-51 class some day...and is a stepping stone to the railgun.

 

[azguy]

It actually makes sense if you step back...HVP is the only round that makes sense as a "future" round, and LRLAP is comparatively a dead end. It's a one off 155 round nobody else uses or is much interested in.
HVP at least has potential to make it onto a DDG-51 class some day...and is a stepping stone to the railgun.

Yeah, I was doing some Google-fu to get the cost of an HVP round. Couldn't find it, but I definitely see a HVP+ round as a good, cheaper, alternative to LRLAP.

 

[Pags]

Yeah, I was doing some Google-fu to get the cost of an HVP round. Couldn't find it, but I definitely see a HVP+ round as a good, cheaper, alternative to LRLAP.

Other than the fact that LRLAP exists (and works!) today. Anytime you see "being developed by ONR" read that as "a pipe dream that worked on a computer and is at least 10yrs and hundreds of millions of dollars (and maybe a Nunn-McCurdy breach for good measure) from being an actual 'full up round.'"

 

[BigRed389]

Other than the fact that LRLAP exists (and works!) today. Anytime you see "being developed by ONR" read that as "a pipe dream that worked on a computer and is at least 10yrs and hundreds of millions of dollars (and maybe a Nunn-McCurdy breach for good measure) from being an actual 'full up round.'"

But it needs to go into a gun that is literally only carried on 3 ships. While costing almost as much as Tomahawk with a LOT less performance. And still putting the firing ship in considerable risk.

 

[Pags]

But it needs to go into a gun that is literally only carried on 3 ships. While costing almost as much as Tomahawk with a LOT less performance. And still putting the firing ship in considerable risk.

You make a good point that USN painted itself into a corner with the # of ships that will use this round and will make it very hard to get economies of scale for ANY round.

However, because the guns are unique snowflakes, all rounds purchased for the class will be also have to be unique snowflakes. Even if HVP becomes a real round for 5" guns it does not necessarily mean that you can easily upscale it to 155mm. Any effort to adapt the round to a different gun will require a lot of engineering.