Source: Reference News Network
Reference News Network reported on January 27 that the US "Popular Machinery" monthly website published an article titled "The Navy's Next Generation Of Guided Missile Destroyers Shrink in Stealth Performance" on January 25, and the author is Kyle Mizogami. The full text is excerpted below:
Earlier this month, the U.S. Navy unveiled a preliminary conceptual design for the next-generation guided-missile destroyer, the DDG(X). The as-yet-unnamed warship was designed and developed on the basis of the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, which will replace the older Burke-class destroyers and the larger Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruisers. The first DDG(X) could enter service in the early 2030s.
The DDG(X) program was born to meet the Navy's need for "large surface warships", which are warships with displacements of more than 10,000 tons and a size similar to cruisers. DDG(X) refers specifically to destroyer (DD), guided missile (G), and future (X). Once launched, they will no longer be the battleships of the future and will be renamed DDGs.
The difference between the existing Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruisers and the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers is mainly reflected in the weapons. The larger Ticonderoga-class cruisers are equipped with two 127 mm naval guns, while the Allie Burke-class destroyers are equipped with only one naval gun; the former has 122 vertical launch units, while the latter has only 90 or 96 launch units. In terms of sensor and overall capability, there is not much difference between the two.
According to the U.S. Naval Institute News website, the DDG(X) will be equipped with a 127-millimeter naval gun, two Hiram short-range defense systems, a 150-kilowatt laser weapon and about 96 vertical launch units. The ship will also be equipped with larger, more powerful radars, as well as flight decks and hangars for take-off and landing helicopters and drones.
The destroyer's design also retains a payload module, which will provide more launch units in the future. The front 32-unit vertical launch system could be replaced by a 12-unit hypersonic missile launcher; the 2 Hiram weapon systems, which fire a total of 42 short-range missiles, could be replaced by a firepower system consisting of two 600-kilowatt laser weapons, which could theoretically fire unlimited amounts.
The Navy also plans to increase the ship's endurance. The DDG(X) was designed for "expanding Arctic operations," and the Navy wanted to improve its fuel efficiency, allowing it to perform longer patrol missions. Earlier this month, at the annual Surface Naval Association symposium, the Navy presented a document showing that the special design of its bow could support Arctic operations. To accommodate the sea ice environment, the bow may have been reinforced. Its bulbous bow design reduces drag and improves fuel efficiency.
DDG(X) is surprising in several ways. First, the Navy did not use the stealthy, angled design of the Zumwalt-class destroyers. The Zumwalt class's excellent stealth capabilities allow its radar to reflect signals the size of a fishing boat, but for some reason the U.S. Navy did not adopt this design. New destroyers will certainly have some designs that reduce radar features, but for a warship that could remain in service until the 1970s, it's curious to miss.
Another unexpected design was that the destroyer had only 96 vertical launch units, while the cruiser they were replacing had 122 launch units. However, the retained payload module apparently includes a launch unit. The Navy has also shown interest in unmanned missile boats as a cheap way to boost fleet firepower.