Posted on 05/07/2008 8:24:11 PM PDT by Toddsterpatriot
We’ve been hearing rumblings about the U.S. Navy’s triple-hulled ships, but here’s one that was launched last month, the U.S.S Independence. Built by General Dynamics, it’s called a “littoral combat ship” (LCS), and the trimaran can move huge weapons around faster than any ship in the Navy. Ironic that with all that high tech built in, the ship reminds us of the Merrimac ironclad from Civil War days.
Littoral means close to shore, and that’s where these fleet-hulled babies will operate, tailor-made for launching helicopters and armored vehicles, sweeping mines and firing all manner of torpedoes, missiles and machine guns.
These ships were designed to be relatively inexpensive — this one’s a bargain at $208 million — and the navy plans to build 55 of them. This trimaran is the first of the new fire-breathing breed, ready to scoot out of dry dock at a rumored 60 knots. It's like a speedy and heavily-armed aircraft carrier for helicopters.
The shape of that thing looks a little bit stealthy.
news article dated 6 weeks ago:
Navy’s $5.2 billion Littoral Combat Ship, which has had such extensive troubles that the service expects the cost of its first two ships to exceed their combined budget of $472 million by more than 100 percent.08:17, 1 April 2008
“The Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Class Squadron (CLASSRON) was formally established Feb. 15 in San Diego.
Vice Adm. Terrance Etnyre, Commander, Naval Surface Force, joined Capt. John Riley, the new CLASSRON commodore, to cut the ribbon at the new command’s headquarters.
While the first two ships of the LCS class are still under construction, the staff of the new CLASSRON will still be extremely busy with all of the challenges associated with developing new processes to support these 21st-century warships.
The first four ships in the class each have blue and gold crews that will consist of 40 personnel. The aviation detachment will be comprised of 20 personnel, and the mission modules that can be changed depending on the ship’s tasking will comprise of 15 personnel.”
http://www.c3f.navy.mil/newspage_LCS_CLASSRON_Established.htm
How about an aircraft carrier for $45million built within six months of an order:
http://www.alibaba.com/product-free/11226603/Mobile_Coastal_Defence_Systems.html
Maybe they’d let us back on active duty for a cruise. I’ll lie about your age if you’ll lie about mine... ;-)
The General Dynamics Littoral Combat Ship design is based on a proven Austal (Henderson, Australia) high-speed trimaran hull that is currently operating at sea.
http://www.austal.com/
General Dynamics Littoral Combat Team
http://www.gdlcs.com/
57 mm is only a six-pounder gun. There was a time when we built things with sixteen-inch guns, each capable of firing a 2700 pound projectile. When you have nine sixteen inch guns (or 12 guns, as planned for the Montana class), you don’t NEED a helicopter to demolish anything within 25 miles (more with rocket-assisted projectiles).
Is this for the Coast Guard, or to do drug interdiction in the Caribbean?
They aren't thinking of steaming a tri-hull over the ocean to say, the Red Sea, are they?
How will they transport this thing?
And what will support it?
yeah I agree. They should be able to put it in a fiberglass shell just to keep the water off it.
Effin A!
That is one mean ship.
Stop the Chinese invasion of Taiwan?
Crewing of a traditional type ship usually consists of in excess of 250 men, but an MCDS unit can operate on a ships crew of 10 / 15 men plus the necessary weapons technicians-thus creating a vast saving in manpower and running costs.
Aircraft / Helicopter Carrier
Technology is sweet.
I see they learned their lesson well. m:o)
You know for just a few dollars more they could have put primer on the boat to keep the paint from peeling off.
Deal.
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