Arnred Forces of the World

USNa Part 2

-..::: rer size, a carrier carries only a poant-

-:'-- -. :^C close-in armament, relying on her air-
: :' :-: .scorts for deep{ield defence. ldeally she
-:, = 3.:nner nng of four cruisers and an outer
- - -' ::ssbly 10 destroyers, the former geared to
'-' - '^-.''. warfare and the latter to a mix of anti-
j '- :^l ant -submarine warfare.
:-
, ::.
s cruisers are 'double-enders', in that they
-
. - 'ea-defence SAM system fore and aft and,
' == '
':r-:e rne dangers of a co-ordinated saturation
:'-:-. :re of each group should be AEGIS-
:: -:::r This system was designed to identify and
"-.,'-J: numbers (reportedly200) of aerialtargets
. *-, ,,^eruslY.
--= :lG S-equipped ship can process its infor-
--.,- ^ear-instantaneously to identify friend from
',: ::s3ss each threat and, via the Naval Tactical
, - , S.srem (NTDS) control and allocate the fire-
: - ',:' l' the group's defences while controlling
''.-: . a rcraft.
- r:, s first-rate cruisers are developed from the
-- - ::"-powered Bainbridge and her steam- lack of numbers, often fast frigates, Typically, the USS Mississippi, the third Virginia' class ctuiser.

- - .:-:d sisters of the 'Leahy' class. To accommo-
:-:. r Second SAM system, these 5,700-tonners
'.-: '.v drspensed with ASW armament but,
, -::^ed by only about 16 m (52.5 ft), the same
: - - 3vout has developed, via the 'Californias' to
'- , 'grnia' (CGN 3B) class. These, at about 1 1,000
=
'
- ::i tons, have an excellent balanced armament
-
- ,; ^. even with two Standard M R launchers, they
.-- : sr li handle probably no more than four targets
:' : : -e. Construction was, therefore, halted atfour
former are older ships like the 'Coontz' and 'Adams'
class ships for antr-aircraft warfare and the new
'Spruance' class shrps for ant-subrnarine warfare.
The last can carry two LAMPS lll (Light Airborne
Multi-Purpose System Mk lll) Sikorsky SH-608
Seahawk he icoplers. Such aircraft are able to
deploy both ASW sensors and weapons, besides
having a measure of onboard data-processing capa-
bility to supplement the data-L nk with the nnother
ship. They can act also for identification of targets
was designed as a highly capable carrier escort.
Each of the twin missile launchers is capable of
firing a variety of missiles, both surface- to- air and
ASW.
on grounds of capability rather than size.
ln addition to the 80-km (50-mile) Harpoor- .';=-
escorts will be acquiring the Tomahavr < :-- ':
missile after the mid-1 980s. Assuming tha: i3'l=:-
ing ls no problem, these will offer, e"ec: ": .

- -:. rJr of a new AEGIS cruiser (the CGN 42 class)
:- -g laie 1980s. The extra complication of the
- -::'rnlcs will, to some extent, be offset by the
:- -.: rn of a vertical launch system (VLS) in place of
and mid-course coi-rection duties to realize the full another layer on the defence onion.
over-the-horizon range of the shrp's Harpoon SSMs.
Layered defence
A new departure would be the carrying of air-to-
surface missi es iASMsr 'or use aga'nst rrino' com- The principleof layereddefenceforataskg':,: s

-,- ',nctron launchers. Dependent upon mission,
'- : :ri'angement will house SSMs, SAMs and
-:'.'s stacked vertically below the upper deck in
-=. 'esembles a milk crate in layout,
- .-e outer defence ring are ships of lessercapa-
- .. Ceally destroyers, but, as a result of present
.:. S:andard MR medium-range air defence missile
+e','es the forward Mk 26 launcher of a'Virginia'
:-.:'-s cn:rser. The latest versions of the Standard
::" s sile have greatly enhanced range and much
.- ::e sophrslr'ca ted electronics.
bat vessels although, at the moment, European
fleets seem to be ahead n this application.
The USS Arlergh Burke (DDG 51 ) is currently build-
ing as lead shp for another extensve destroyer
series to replace older classes in sequence. They
will feature both VLS and a simplif ied AEGlS and will
in effect be a less expens ve substltute for the cur-
rent AEGIS vehicle, the 'Tlconderoga' (CG 47) class.
of which about 20 are planned. These enormously
expensive double-enders are built onto a 'Spruance'
hLrll and rracnirery. and are categor zeo as cruisers
a vital part of its overall philosophy, for the So' :::
constantly exercise co-ordinated satu ration a::: : < s
using a variety of platforms such as long-ra.9: : =
craft, surface ships and submarines. These ::-
loose missiles to follow high and low traiec::-:.
over a wide choice of ranges, possibly ti"re -:s:
dangerous being the missiles from SSGNS. ',.'- :-
could follow up with torpedoes for good n"eas--:
c:r ::
Each must be annihilated, for nuclear heads
fitted to all larger Soviet anti-ship weapons a': :
single 'leaker' could spell disaster.
Armed Forces of the World
-':l:f e early warning (AEW) from the carrier
--:-: enable the combat air patrol (CAP) to inter-
--: - :- er-remy air strike at extreme ranges before it
-.- .-rch ts ASM. Similarly, airborne radar should
::.::: enemy surface forces before they can target
-: ::s< group, laying the hostile ships open to
.- , - .e.atiack by Tomahawks at up to 250 km (155
- :s W de y spread air strikes will, however, be
:=.:-c the capaclty of the CAP and will corne into
.- = :-o t of AEGIS. Standard ERs will be loosed by
.-: lJiei-screen at 50 km (31 miles); the threat of
.-:s: berng nuclear-trpped will keep the attacking
. -:':'i well separated. Survivors crossing the outer
-:
,,,,' I be taken under attack by its point-defence
-- :s 'es at about the same time that they come into
-: .ange of the medium-ranged weapons of the
--:'. ng Point-defence systems, which can tackle
,-:ss ng targets. are carried by both the inner
::':'ces and the carrier herself. A current weak-
-:ss n the American inventory is the lack of an
":cr ve ow-levelanti-missile missile, of the calibre
' .re Britlsh Seawolf. The standard weapon is the
=: Sparrow, but this needs replacement because
' .s slow reaction times and lack of low-level per-
':--ance As a result, the last-ditch defenceswould
.
-= neavrly on close-in weapon systems (CIWS)
.'. - :n, currently, is the Vulcan Phalanx. This Gatling- Lighter forces USS Elliott, a'Spruance'class destroyer, makes a
..:e gun can loose about 400 rounds in two short Lacking the 'glamour' necessary to attract fund- high-speed turn. These large destroyers, the most
ing in competition with larger prolects, the frigate, numerous US destroyer programme since thewa4
- -.sls in the time that the average transsonic SSM are primarily ASW ships.
. .,,,ithin ts range. Critics of the systern point out as understood in Western European terms, hardly
i-:: even with high-density penetrators the 20-mm existed in the US Navy before the early 1960s. By
---rds lack killing poweragainsta hardened missile then, most surviving World War ll destroyer escorts versa: tv o; tne pair of embarked LAMPS lll heli-
: - r tnat, with elevation limited to B5', the terminal- were totally obsolete. cccre's :^e 'O iver Hazard Perry' class ships have
ng SSM could evade it.
- ,-nere The pair of 'Bronstein' class prototypes intro- bee^ ab e io d scard ASROC and embark a dual-
remains, of course, the unseen defence of duced the slim, highJreeboard hull and the ASROC i.rrcr a' a-icier with a 4O-round magazine capqble
:::tronic countermeasures (ECM) and decoys, stand-off anti-submarine missile, matched for range of na^: -g 3.ln tne TO km (1O-mile) Standard MR
.. ^ cn can be highly effective in seducing a missile by the enormous bowmounted sonar, a comb na- SAI',.r:' :-: 3f <r t5O-mile) Harpoon SSM. This
. ,ay from its chosen target. Unfortunately, with tion that proved successful enough to influence a I mc.a,.3r3-: ' : -round capability is bought at the
',-a iy every ship in the task group employing all succeeding classes. Anti-submarine potency was expe-s: :' a:-l ex ry, any fault in the system thus
--.ar,s ar ts disposal, it is highly likely that sSMs will improved in the following 'Garcia'class by includ ng rcbr r: r-: :^: c'two malor weapons. A further
. -o y switch targets. No exercise can properly an organic helicopter, though half the group ),':i.i.:'. : .-:. .'e' porer^t al sees the ships
:':C ct the likely outcome of a well co-ordinated ('Brooke' class) were completed with an area ic*e -:r ::.: :o o Lne oJter screen of a task
,:.:c< aga nst a well-armed and alert task group but, defence SAM system. QrcJ: 3 ': : 'a' ,,,. cn ti'ley were never designed.
:- ost certainly, the day will be decided, one way or A rather contentious feature, single-screw prc- s i ,.3vS ga ned at a price, however, and
' ': ot^e r, n a matter of m nules. pulsion, has been retained (despite the fact that r tn: O ''e' -at'.1a ?effV' class frigates are vulner-
lacks redundancy and fine manoeuvr ng contro l :r . r : - :i.i- 3'eSSeO .loTne rO ShOrt 'angeS.
J55 Lockwood, one of 46 'Knox' class frigates through the following 46-strong 'Knox' class lnto tne -r:'. are sc.eaJreC to rece ve C WS but lack any
operated by theUS Navy, Iaunches aHarpoon i:
: n tj-sft jp mrssile from the dual-purpose octuple
current 'Oliver Hazard Perry' programme, of sim lar cc Ce'ence svsrem, re y ng on the single 76-mm
il arpoon/ASROC launcher. Criticized by some for numbers. ln the Iatter class, shortcomings are offset 3- "gun an'dsn cs, a weapon too snnall to be of
neir single-screw propulsion, the'Knox' class to some extent by the incorporation of a pa r oi -se 'or bombardment or ant -sh p f unctions yet too
iorms the backbone of US frigate strength. retractable azimuthal thrusters. Because of the s o!'! to be cred b e aga nst aerial targets.