The Workings Of A 16"/50 Caliber Turret

This is a workup to this Friday's Flashback. Three guesses what the topic will be.

Japanese Navy Sinks The Varyag

That's what this photo of a model the Hyuga shows in the far left center. It also shows JF-17s dumping fuel, and a pair of AAVs on the fore deck of the Hyuga. Click to enlarge.

Analysis of Alternatives: The Littoral Combat Ship

     Back in 2012 I ran a post that called for the cancellation of the Littoral Combat Ship on the grounds that none of it's required modules have become operational, and the fact that the LCS is underarmed. Here are what I belive are solid alternatives to the LCS.

1. Visby-class corvette.

     The Visby-class was developed in Sweden for ASuW and ASW. The Visby-class runs about 184 million dollars each. Specs:

Displacement:	640 tonnes
Length:	72.7 m
Beam:	10.4 m
Draught:	2.4 m
Propulsion:	CODOG 2 × 125SII Kamewa Waterjets 4 × Vericor TF50A gas turbines, total rating 16 MW 2 × MTU Friedrichshafen 16 V 2000 N90 diesel engines, total rating 2.6 MW 3 x generators of 270kW each
Speed:	35+ knots
Range:	2500nm @ 15 knots
Complement:	43
Sensors and processing systems:	Ericsson Sea_GIRAFFE AMB 3D surveillance radar Ceros 200 fire control radar system Condor CS-3701 tactical radar surveillance system GDC Hull-mounted sonar Hydroscience Technologies towed array sonar system GDC variable depth sonar
Electronic warfare & decoys:	Rheinmetall TKWA/MASS (Multi Ammunition Softkill System)
Armament:	1 × Bofors 57 mm Mk3 8 × RBS15 Mk2 AShM 4 × 400 mm torpedo launchers for Type 45 torpedoes Mines and depth charges Provision for but not fitted with 2 × 6 127 mm ALECTO anti-submarine rocket launchers (cancelled) 8 × Umkhonto SAM(cancelled)
Aviation facilities:	Helicopter pad

Modify the Visby-class to carry a RIM-116 in lieu of Umkhonto SAMs, Mk48s or Mk50s in lieu of Type 45 torpedoes (along with 324mm or 533mm torpedo tubes as needed). Exchange the RBS15 for two quad Harpoon launchers, and the Bofors 57mm gun for an OTO Melera 76mm gun. Exchange the electronics and propulsion for U.S. equipment where possible and affordable. Then we have a lightweight, fast ship built specifically for combat in the littorals at a lower cost than the LCS.

2. Saar 5 corvette

The Saar 5-class corvette was designed by the Israeli Navy, as the latest in the Saar series which traces it roots back to Germany's WWII E-Boats. The mission of the Saar 5-class is ASuW, with a touch of AAW.  The price of a Saar 5 corvette is 260 million dollars. Specs:

Class & type:	Corvette
Displacement:	1,227 tonnes (full load) 1,075 tonnes (standard)
Length:	85.64 m (280.97 ft)
Beam:	11.88 m (38.98 ft)
Draft:	3.17 m (10.40 ft)
Propulsion:	Combined Diesel or Gas 2 MTU V12 1163 TB82 diesel engines General Electric LM2500 gas turbine
Speed:	20 knots (37 km/h) (diesel engines) 33 knots (61 km/h) (gas turbine)
Range:	3,500 nautical miles (6,500 km)
Complement:	64 officers and crewmen 10 aircrew
Sensors and processing systems:	Elta EL/M-2218S air search radar Elta EL/M-2221 fire-control radar EDO Type 796 sonar Rafael towed sonar array
Electronic warfare & decoys:	Argon ST AN/SLQ-25 Nixie decoy Elbit chaff rocket launchers Rafael RF corner reflector Elisra NS-9003A/9005 RWR
Armament:	8 RGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles 64 Barak 1 surface-to-air missiles Phalanx CIWS 6 Mark 32 torpedo tubes (Mark 46 torpedoes)
Armor:	Steel and aluminum
Aircraft carried:	Eurocopter Panther, unmanned helicopter[1]
Aviation facilities:	Helipad and helicopter hangar

      Global Security lists the ship as being armed with a Phalanx 20mm CIWS (as shown in the picture above). Changes to the design would be to replace Israeli electronics with American where possible and affordable, and possibly the addition of a 76mm gun. 

3. New build Perry-class frigates

     The Perry-class is a strudy design that can take a beating and keeping on moving (see the USS Samuel B. Roberts). Designed to escort amphibs and merchant convoys in a WWIII scenario they had an emphasis on AAW, but still highly capable in the area of ASuW. The last Perry-class frigate, the USS Ingraham, cost about 785 million dollars when adjusted for inflation (cost comes from the 1983-84 issue of Jane's Fighting Ships). Specs for the Ingraham:

Displacement:	4,100 tons (4,165 t) full load
Length:	453 ft (138.1 m), overall
Beam:	45 ft (13.7 m)
Draft:	27 ft (6.7 m)
Propulsion:	2 × General Electric LM2500-30 gas turbines generating 41,000 shp (31 MW) through a single shaft andcontrollable-pitch propeller
Speed:	29+ knots (54+ km/h)
Range:	5,000 nm (9,300 km) at 18 knots (33 km/h)
Complement:	15 officers and 190 enlisted, plus SH-60 LAMPS detachment of roughly six officer pilots and 15 enlisted men
Armament:	1 × OTO Melara Mk 75 76 mm/62 caliber naval gun 2 × Mk 32 triple-tube (324 mm) launchers for Mark 46 torpedoes 1 × Vulcan Phalanx CIWS 4 × .50-cal (12.7 mm) machine guns.
Aircraft carried:	2 × SH-60 LAMPS III helicopters

      The only change to the design would be to add a Mk 41 VLS in lieu of the Mk 13 launcher that was deleted from later Perrys.
      Each of the ships discussed above could be built under license in U.S. shipyards, in fact only the Visby-class has not been built in a U.S. shipyard. In the mid-90s the Israelis had Ingalls buld the Saar 5-class. Each of these classes, barring the Perrys, are cheaper than the LCS which costs 680.7 million dollars. Each of these classes has a greater combat capability than the LCS, and greater survivability in combat. Each of these classes is better than the LCS and offers a solid alternative.

Mossberg MVP: Bolt Action With An AR Magazine

     In 2011 Mossberg came out with a new line of bolt-action rifles referred to as the MVP series. Basically a scout rifle, but with a twist. The MVP series is built to use an AR-15 magazine.

 I first found out about these rifles at this year's NRA convention here in Houston. The MVP Varmint runs $599.99 at Academy, if you can find one. All four MVPs come in .223/5.56 with .308 versions due out this summer. Pics below.

The strength of that angled sliver on the bottom on the bolt could be a concern, as it is what pushes the round out of the magazine.

     This is rather interesting because it dramatically increases the amount of ammunition immediately available to someone carrying a bolt-action rifle. I'm going to have to get my hands on an MVP.

Read more about the MVP at The Truth About Guns.

Bill Sweetman On The Su-35

I should mention that no Su-27 deriative has seen combat with the single exception of the Ethiopian-Eritraean War about 15 years ago. The Flanker is almost completely untested in combat.

 

Hat tip to Alert 5 for spotting this.

Containership Breaks Up Off Yemen

It would appear that the containership MOL Comfort snapped in two three days ago off the coast of Yemen. The cause is thought to be overloading the bow and stern, leading to the ship splitting in half. Not good. All 11 crew members were evacuated safely to Sri Lanka.

Possible Israeli Mega Arms Deal for 5+ Billion Dollars

     From Defense News: 

TEL AVIV — Israel’s Defense Ministry is asking the US government to guarantee billions of dollars in low-interest bridge loans for a Pentagon-proposed package of V-22 Ospreys, F-15 radars and precision-strike weaponry that it ultimately intends to fund with future military aid from the US.

US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, when visiting here in April, announced that Washington “would make available to Israel a set of advanced new military capabilities” to augment Israel’s qualitative military edge.

At the time, Israeli defense and industry sources criticized the premature publicity generated by the Pentagon-proposed package, insisting negotiations on cost, quantities, payment terms and delivery schedules had not yet begun.

But in the past two months, MoD efforts to secure a US-backed loan for eventually US-funded systems on offer have intensified, with preliminary responses from relevant authorities in Washington expected later this summer, sources from both countries said.

Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon aimed to advance the issue in meetings with lawmakers and Jewish leaders on Capitol Hill on Thursday. On Friday, Ya’alon is scheduled to fly to the Pentagon aboard an Osprey, where he will be greeted by Hagel ahead of their talks.

Under the novel, Israeli-proposed funding plan, US government guarantees would allow MoD to initiate near-term contracts for advanced, Pentagon-offered weaponry with cut-rate cash from commercial banks. Israel would pay only interest and servicing fees on the government-backed loan, with principle repaid from a new, 10-year military aid package that President Barack Obama — during a visit here in March — promised to conclude before the current bilateral aid agreement expires in 2018.

Israel is slated to receive $3.1 billion in annual Foreign Military Financing (FMF) grant aid through 2017, minus some $155 million in rescissions due to US government-mandated sequester. Those funds, sources from both countries say, have already been tapped to cover payments on existing contracts for Israel’s first squadron of F-35I joint strike fighters, heavy armored carriers, trainer aircraft engines, transport planes and a host of US weaponry.

Read the rest at Defense News. What the Isrealis are asking for is 5 billion dollars in free military equipment, maybe as much as 8 billion if a second squadron of F-35Is is included in the deal. I'm all for selling the Israelis military equipment, and supplying them in wartime. However, in a time when our own military is rapidly heading for the point where it will fall apart, I cannot support loaning the Israelis 8 billion dollars so they can buy U.S. military equipment. That 8 billion dollars could better be used in Navy shipbuilding, DoD R&D, buying aircraft for the services, or even paying off the debt. This deal is nothing more than giving the Israelis free military equipment.

Keeping The "Gunfire" In Naval Gunfire Support

The report posted below was written by a LCdr. Mark Kelsey back in 1991. The report basically outlines the history of Naval Gunfire Support and the requirement s needed to maintain a potent gunfire support capability. The report is in some ways dated, but most of it is still applicable today. The first half is a history of naval gunfire support, but the second half if the meat of the report. 

Hat tip to Global Security for the report.

Keeping The "Gunfire" In Naval Gunfire Support

AUTHOR LCdr. Mark C. Kelsey, USN

CSC 1991

SUBJECT AREA - Operations

                        EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

    Evolving concepts of the amphibious assault will exploit

capabilities to land forces in relatively unopposed areas from over-

the-horizon (0TH) wherever and whenever possible.  However

circumstances may still require assaults against defended beaches and

landing zones.  In a worst-case combat environment, the seaward

approaches to the objective will be defended by a combination of

surface-to-surface missiles, coastal defense guns, and mines.

    With budget pressures expected to reduce the aircraft carrier

force level to 12 carriers -- and possibly as few as 10 -- in FY-95

and with dramatic reductions in forward-deployed forces, the Naval

Surface Fire Support (NSFS) platforms may be the only supporting arm

available to provide the responsive, close and continuous all-weather

fire support during the early phases of the amphibious assault.

    Unfortunately, the current NSFS inventory cannot satisfy this

requirement.  First, the range of the current 5-inch/54 and 5-inch/38

guns is too short to isolate the beachhead from coastal defense

weapons.  Second, the accuracy of the 5-inch gun is insufficient

against mobile armored forces and hardened point targets.  Finally,

the lethality of the 5-inch gun is inadequate against these same

targets.

    Increases in the present level of NSFS, now at its lowest since

the late l94Os, are necessary.  The technology is available for large

improvements in the very near future.  Just as the "amtrac" provided a

technological answer to a crucial tactical requirement that led to a

strategic victory, so to can the adoption of the imaginative,

practical solutions provided herein, make up for the shortfall in

NSFS.

    But if we are not prepared to pay for fire support on a scale

which is adequate to underwrite success in opposed landings, then we.

should accept squarely that, whatever capability we now possess, it

will no longer be one of power projection ashore.

Can YOU Wear Medals On Your Pants?

     And we think our awards system is messed up.

H/T To Sense of Events for spotting this.

Analysis & Questions About The Boston Marathon Bombing

     As of 2200 CST, 3 Americans are dead and 141 are injured because of two bomb blasts along the Boston Marathon route. One was located directly at the finish line, and a second was located before the finish line by about one block and detonated 10 seconds after the finish line bomb. The police have a 20 year old Saudi national in custody, and he is considered a person of interest.
     Now, the blast came from a backpack bomb located in a trash can, and from reports it was also loaded with ball bearings and the like. The blast is relatively small, not as big as some IEDs, but big enough to do a helluva a lot of damage. I'm curious as to what explosive the bomber used, and how much of it. If it was a backpack bomb, it could not have been more than ~15lbs, allowing for about 5lbs of metal for shrapnel.
      That only covers the bombing, if this "person of interest" is a Saudi chances are he is a Muslim. If so, that means it was religiously motivated. Notice how Obama has refrained from calling this an act of terrorism. I'm also curious how he (the bomber) got in-country without flags going up over a possible terror threat.
     This could have been a lot worse, but with only 3 dead so far it's not that bad. However, as more info comes out concerning the run up to the bombing, expect o of this to be damning for he Federal government.

North Korea Can Put Nuclear Warheads On Missiles

     From Fox News:

Obama administration officials scrambled to downplay the errant disclosure of a classified portion of an intelligence report finding that North Korea has advanced its nuclear knowledge to the point that it could arm a ballistic missile with a nuclear warhead. 

The analysis, disclosed Thursday at a hearing on Capitol Hill, says the Pentagon's intelligence wing has "moderate confidence" that North Korea has nuclear weapons capable of delivery by ballistic missiles but that the weapon was unreliable. 

The revelation was significant, because it has not been previously reported or believed that the country had the ability to miniaturize and deliver a nuclear weapon. 

But top U.S. officials repeatedly stressed that the finding does not mean North Korea has the capabilities to launch a nuclear missile with any reliability at this point. 

"It is inaccurate to suggest that the (North Korea) has the capability articulated in that report -- they have a missile but that is very different than having the militarization, nuclearization, etcetera," Secretary of State John Kerry said Friday, after landing in South Korea as part of a tour of Asian countries. Highlighting is mine.

     Obama has stated over the last couple weeks that the U.S. will tolerate a nuclear armed DPRK, and now we find out that they've had this capability for a significant period of time. This means the Obama administration has been bullshitting the American for an unknown period of time. Not only that, but unless Obama takes out the Nork's nuclear capability (not gonna happen) it will show the world the U.S. is all bark, no bite.  Then we have the piece of bull from John Kerry (second bolded section), the mere fact that they have a missile should be grounds for glassing their ballistic missile and nuclear facilities. This is not good, that whole peninsula is a bomb about to go off.

Ships You Never Knew Existed: Insect-class Gunboats

A class of Royal Navy gunboats built for fighting on the Danube. Also, the Insect-class gunboat the HMS Cockchafer holds the record for Most Awkward Warship Name. 

North Korea Plots to Strike Austin, TX

Take a looksee:

"The images show a chart marked "US mainland strike plan" and missile trajectories that the NK News web site estimates terminate in Hawaii, Washington DC, Los Angeles and what they claim is Austin, Texas."

Too bad the Norks don't have any birds (missiles) with the legs to hit Austin. (sarcasm) I think it's time for Kim Jr. to go take his medications and take a nap. 

Photo Credit: The Telegraph

Vuurwapen Blog Eviscerates InfoWars

Watch all of it, piece by piece dissection of the rumor that the DHS is buying billions of rounds of ammo and thousands of MRAPs.

Varyag's CIWS Firing

This photo from Asian Defense claims to show one of the Varyag's CIWS firing. I'm inclined to say that, assuming this article is of the Varyag, this is one of the Varyag's fore CIWS, due to the location of a FL-3000 next to it.

Here are a Couple of pics showing the Varyag's aft CIWSs on her port and starboard sides.

Port:

Starboard:

Photo Credit: Asian Defense, and China Defense Blog

It's A Magazine!

H/T to Solomon over at SNAFU!.

Nuclear Reactors In The Navy, CGs And Up

     What with Sequestration and all, the Navy has been forced to cut numbers of CGs and cut back on CVN deployments. This post is written for a hypothetical just world where Sequestration won't happen, and the Navy is focused on fighting conventional opponents. Several decades ago the Navy wanted a totally nuclear Navy with every ship powered by a nuclear reactor. This fell through about the 1970s when reactors started to be demonized, and also the high costs associated with running reactors. However, a return is needed to the reactor for large surface warships, cruisers, and the hypothetical BBG.

     1. DDGs, FFGs, and smaller. These vessels are small by definition and have to built in large quantities, and thus have to powered using conventional powerplants. Nuclear reactors simply aren't feasible because of the large numbers needed. 

     2. CVNs. Carrier have to nuclear powered because they have to maintain high speeds for long periods of time to launch and recover aircraft. Thus, they require nuclear reactors to supply the power needed for long sprints. Conventional propulsion is feasible, see the Midway-class, but it not the best for  current CVs.

     3. CGs. This is where things get a bit hypothetical. I would like to see a class of "heavy cruisers" of Long Beach size (hypothetical designation CSGN, yes the old Strike Cruiser), massive ships meant for missile warfare equipped with large numbers of VLS cells. These ships would be nuclear powered, not to keep up with the carriers, but rather for the much increased endurance and higher average speed over conventional power plants. At the same time a class of "light cruisers" about the size of the Ticonderoga-class (hypothetical designation CLGN) to provide striking power to SAGs while the CSGNs escort the carriers. These would be essentially the same as the Tico-class, but armed perhaps with a Mk 71 MCLWG for gunfire support. 

     Like I said this is for a just world, but this could go a long way to beefing up the Navy's AAW and ASuW capability. 

The Origin of The A-10

Actually, the A-10 was a brainchild of the Fighter Mafia, but that matters not with this post.

The 72 Club: 2/15

It's been too long.

Meteor Airburst Over Russia

      Today a 7,000 ton meteor blew up over Russia injuring 1000 people. Russia claims to have hit the meteor with ABM defense, but that is unconfirmed and unlikely. Scott Lowther over at The Unwanted Blog ran the numbers and the equivalent nuclear weapon to this meteor would have had a yield of 271kT, about 13 times larger Hiroshima. See some dashcam videos of the event: