New Navy destroyer’s seaworthiness questioned

[jpak]

Source: Portland Press Herald

BATH — The largest destroyer built for the U.S. Navy cuts an imposing figure: massive, with an angular shape, hidden weapons and antennas, and electric-drive propulsion. But underneath the stealthy exterior resides a style of hull that fell out of favor a century ago in part because it can be unstable.

The Navy will soon learn how this modern take on the “tumblehome” hull holds up when the first-in-class Zumwalt heads out to sea in December for builder trials in the rough-and-tumble North Atlantic.

Amy Lent, of the Maine Maritime Museum, which works closely with the shipyard, said taxpayers needn’t worry because the Navy and shipbuilder Bath Iron Works have “tested the hell out of it.”

“This is an enormous investment. There’s so much at stake. They’re not slapping something together and sending it out to sea,” she said. “I think they’re pretty confident. They know what they’re doing.”

<more>

Read more: http://www.pressherald.com/2015/11/29/new-navy-destroyers-seaworthiness-questioned/

---

[valerief]

1. I'm sure it's already served its purpose--to make rich people richer. nt

[7962]

8. Well, it DID employ a lot of folks at Bath Iron Works

[TheBlackAdder]

10. +$2.2 Trillion. Oh, I meant +1

[marble falls]

12. A trillion here, a trillion there, what's a trillion or two between cronies?

[Hoyt]

2. Looks like a Civil War ironclad.

[jpak]

3. It is probably unsurvivable due to its lack of Standard Missiles and hardware

It has Evolved Sea Sparrow missiles - but these are short range and can't really deal with modern Russian and Chinese cruise/ballistic anti-ship missiles.

[Hoyt]

4. With our modern air force, long range missles, drones, etc., I don't see a lot of use for the navy,

except to park offshore in a show of force (if one's country is into that junk).

This one looks like a sitting duck to me. I guess if one is into wars and stuff, submarines might be useful and aircraft carriers too if you don't have air bases all over the world, which we do.

The sad fact, a lot of our best paying jobs are in the arms industry.

[PersonNumber503602]

6. Aren't their similar issues to the LCS ships too?

[jpak]

7. Yes - they are basically worthless

But they can run away at 50 knots or so...

[PersonNumber503602]

16. I heard they are basically turning future LCS into what would be frigates

It just seems weird that they didn't do that from the start. It seems like almost every major defense project has something weird with it. I fully understand and support the development of defense projects, but it seems like everything has less to do with defense and more to do with money. :/

[KoKo]

20. ...! Yep...does seem that way these days..n/t

[gladium et scutum]

11. She is built

with 80 vertical launch cells. These cells will carry RIM-66 Standard II missiles, RIM-162 Sea Sparrow missiles, BGM-109 Tomahawk missiles, and RUM-139 ASROC missiles. The exact mix of missiles may depend on mission assignment. She also carries 2 155mm guns. She is as survivable as any current Navy surface warship. That is if, the many advanced systems aboard here work as intended.

[KoKo]

19. She's Big and the Hull may not take the North Seas....

Its a definite concern....for so much taxpayer money spent on it. And, the expectations.

[gladium et scutum]

21. I would expect

NavSeaSysCom would have modeled her hull performance in all types of seaways.

[FairWinds]

9. Veterans For Peace . .

is not amused.

And it is unfortunate that so many people associated with
maritime museums seem to be militarists.

Veterans For Peace pays for its navy without
soaking the tax-payers.

[NV Whino]

13. Featuring the new, modern, sleek design

What could possibly go wrong?

[lastlib]

14. Yeah, trust 'em!

“This is an enormous investment. There’s so much at stake. They’re not slapping something together and sending it out to sea,” she said. “I think they’re pretty confident. They know what they’re doing.”

Sure, this ship is going to serve its purpose--making a lot of MICers much wealthier!

[bluedigger]

15. They fail to give the Zumwalt's Captain his due.

[KoKo]

17. Interesting...they said that about the hull of the Titanic, also.

From the article:

The Navy will soon learn how this modern take on the “tumblehome” hull holds up when the first-in-class Zumwalt heads out to sea in December for builder trials in the rough-and-tumble North Atlantic.

Amy Lent, of the Maine Maritime Museum, which works closely with the shipyard, said taxpayers needn’t worry because the Navy and shipbuilder Bath Iron Works have “tested the hell out of it.”

[YOHABLO]

18. Well if Amy says, we've got nothing to worry about then.

[Zing Zing Zingbah]

23. BIW didn't build the Titanic though

BIW has been building ships for the Navy for over a century now, if that counts for anything.

[Jesus Malverde]

22. Wiki link and video

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tumblehome