Pic of the Day: DDG-1000’s Keel Laying

[unhappycamper]

General Dynamics Bath Iron Works Laying down the keel of our new $5 billion dollar Zumwalt-class destroyer.


Pic of the Day: DDG-1000’s Keel Laying

Happy Friday, everyone! Enjoy this picture of General Dynamics’ Bath Iron Works (BIW) laying the keel of the USS Zumwalt, DDG-1000, recenlty in Bath, Maine. The Zumwalt class is the Navy’s first new class of destroyer in a generation and is a pretty revolutionary change in the design of large U.S. surface combatants.



unhappycamper comment: Memo to 99%: We're doing this for your security and prosperity. :sarcasm:

[snappyturtle]

1. I wonder how many bridges could have been made safe with $5 billion? nt

[krispos42]

2. And we're going to build exactly 1 of them?

Um... yay?


I like having a strong Navy. But this is a bit too much. I'd rather see a couple of dozen Cyclone-class PC's built. We need those for doing stuff like keeping Somalian pirate under control, not multi-billion-dollar destroyers.

Some upgraded Cyclones would be even better... you could do this by removing the 25mm autocannons and replacing them with one or two twin mounts that can fire Hellfire laser-guided missiles and Hydra unguided rocket pods. Those Hydras have a range of 3 miles and are pretty cheap, and the Hellfires can go 5 miles. Perfect for dealing with pirate and such, especially when you retain the .50s, the .30s, and the 40mm grenade launchers.

Or maybe something a bit larger. Something like small Perry-class, only with a vertical-launch capability of say, 24 VLS cells holding a mix of Harpoon, Sea Sparrow quad-packs, and maybe a couple of ASROCs; a pair of twin 40mm/70 radar-laid autocannons; and a RIM-116 or Phalanx for point-defense. Throw on some mounts for a few crew-served Ma Deuces or Mk-19s, and you've got a pretty kick-ass package.

We don't need the Aegis system so much any more. We can build more Ticonderoga-class vessels if need be.

[unhappycamper]

3. At the moment, we have three Zumwalt-class destroyers under contract. n/t

[krispos42]

4. Great. Just great.

*sigh*


If we need more missile carriers, we can just build more Ticos at one/third the cost.

[malthaussen]

5. Heinz Guderian tells us

... that when he objected to leg infantry divisions receiving organic self-propelled anti-tank guns, the response was "Now, now, the infantry deserves a few cars, too."

When has the military ever preferred using reliable old equipment to getting shiny new toys?

-- Mal