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Thursday 26 August 2010

Spruance Class Destroyers

The Spruance-class destroyer was developed by the United States to replace a large number of World War II-built Allen M. Sumner- and Gearing-class destroyers, and was the primary destroyer built for the U.S. Navy during the 1970s.

Serving for three decades, the Spruance class was designed to escort a carrier group with a primary antisubmarine warfare mission. First commissioned in 1975, the class was designed with gas-turbine propulsion, all-digital weapons systems, automated 5-inch guns and Tomahawk cruise missiles. Rather than extend the life of the class, the Navy opted to accelerate its retirement. The last ship of the class was decommissioned in 2005, with most examples broken up or destroyed as targets.

Class
The class was designed for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) with point defense anti-aircraft warfare (AAW) missiles; upgrades provided anti-ship and land attack capabilities. The ships were initially controversial, especially among members of the United States Congress who believed that their unimposing looks, with only two guns and an ASROC or Armored Box Launcher (ABL) missile launcher per ship implied that the vessels were weak compared to Soviet or older US designs which had more visible guns or launchers for the Standard medium range missiles. Late updates would include launchers for the Tomahawk surface-to-surface missile. They were successful for their intended ASW roles, but lacked stealth and missile capabilities of later Aegis equipped destroyers.

Despite their "DD" designation indicating gun destroyers, their primary armament was the missiles they carried, and arguably they should have been designated DDG (or perhaps CG, given that they were comparable in size to cruisers) under the US Navy's hull classification symbol system.

The "Spru-cans" were the first large U.S. Navy ships to use gas turbine propulsion; they have four General Electric LM2500 gas turbines to generate about 80,000 horsepower (60 MW). This configuration (developed in the 1960s by the Royal Navy and known as COmbined Gas And Gas, or COGAG) was so successful that its hull and physical plant were used for the later Kidd-class destroyers. A slightly lengthened version of the hull was also used for the Ticonderoga-class cruisers.

As of 2010, all US Navy surface combatants (except LCS-1) use the LM2500 COGAG arrangement, usually with two such turbines per shaft.

The entire class of 30 ships was contracted on June 23, 1970 to the Litton-Ingalls shipyard in Pascagoula, Mississippi, under the Total Package Procurement concept originated by the Whiz Kids of Robert McNamara's Pentagon. The idea was to reap the benefits of mass construction, but labor and technical problems caused cost overruns and delayed construction. One additional ship, USS Hayler, was ordered on September 29, 1979. Hayler was originally planned as a DDH (Destroyer, Helicopter) design, which would carry more Anti-Submarine helicopters than the standard design of the Spruance class. Eventually this plan to build a DDH was scrapped and a slightly modified DD-963 class hull was put in commission. Four additional ships were built for the Iranian Navy with the Mark 26/Standard AAW missile system but were completed as Kidds for the U.S. Navy.

An air capable mini STOVL aircraft carrier with fighters and ASW helicopters based on the Spruance hull was seriously considered but the Navy never took delivery.

Upgrades
The Spruance design is modular in nature, allowing for easy installation of entire subsystems within the ship. Although originally designed for anti-submarine warfare, 24 ships of this class were upgraded with the installation of a 61 cell Vertical Launch Missile System (VLS) capable of launching Tomahawk missiles. The remaining seven ships not upgraded were decommissioned early. At least ten VLS ships, including Cushing, O'Bannon, and Thorn, had a 21 cell RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile launcher mounted on the starboard fantail.

  • David R. Ray tested the RAM system in the 1980s, but had the system removed after the tests.
  • Oldendorf was the test platform for the AN/SPQ-9B Anti-ship Missile Defense (ASMD) Firecontrol Radar to be outfitted on the San Antonio class amphibious transport dock. The AN/SPQ-9B is used to detect all known and projected sea skimming missiles.
  • Arthur W. Radford tested the Advanced Enclosed Mast/Sensor system which helped in the mast design of San Antonio class amphibious transport dock ships.
  • Merrill served as the Navy's test platform for the Tomahawk Cruise Missile Program receiving armored box launchers and test launching a Tomahawk March 19, 1980. Merrill carried two ABLs and an ASROC launcher into the 1990s until the ASROC launcher was removed.
Spruance class destroyers fired 112 land attack Tomahawks during Operation Desert Storm.

Fate

The US Navy planned to replace its current destroyers and cruisers with the new Zumwalt class destroyer The last Spruance-class destroyer on active service, USS Cushing, was decommissioned on September 21, 2005. It was then offered to the Pakistan Navy, but was sunk as a target 29 April 2009. Per the 2010 U.S. Defense budget, three DDG-1000s are being built, and the stealth-designed and standard missile equipped Arleigh Burke class is the Navy's only operational class of destroyers. (DDG-1000) ships. In order to save $28 million a year the Navy accelerated retirement of the ships, though they could have served to 2019 if they had been maintained and updated.

Some were broken up, but rather than being preserved in storage like some older classes, the majority of the class finished their lives as targets. Most were deliberately sunk in various fleet exercises.

The USS Paul F. Foster replaced the USS Decatur in 2005 as the Self Defense Test Ship. It is a refurbished ship, operated by remote control which avoids the safety constraints and other problems associated with manned ships being targeted by or towing targets by live weapons. The prearranged attack is in practice aimed at a decoy barge pulled 150 feet behind the SDTS in case of damage.
 
Ships of the class

Ship Name
Hull No
Service





Spruance
DD-963
1975-2005
Paul F. Foster
DD-964
1976-2003
Kinkaid
DD-965
1976-2003
Hewitt
DD-966
1976-2001
Elliot
DD-967
1977-2003
Arthur W. Radford
DD-968
1977-2003
Peterson
DD-969
1977-2002
Caron
DD-970
1977-2001
David R. Ray
DD-971
1977-2002
Oldendorf
DD-972
1978-2003
John Young
DD-973
1978-2002
Comte de Grasse
DD-974
1978-1998
O'Brien
DD-975
1977-2004
Merrill
DD-976
1978-1998
Briscoe
DD-977
1978-2003
Stump
DD-978
1978-2004
Conolly
DD-979
1978-1998
Moosbrugger
DD-980
1978-2000
John Hancock
DD-981
1978-2000
Nicholson
DD-982
1979-2002
John Rodgers
DD-983
1979-1998
Leftwich
DD-984
1979-1998
Cushing
DD-985
1979-2005
Harry W. Hill
DD-986
1979-1998
O'Bannon
DD-987
1979-2005
Thorn
DD-988
1980-2004
Deyo
DD-989
1980-2003
Ingersoll
DD-990
1980-1998
Fife
DD-991
1980-2003
Fletcher
DD-992
1980-2004
Hayler
DD-997
1983-2003

USS Sprance (DD-963) is seen here alongside Faslane
















Inside the USS Roosevelt (DDG 80) at Faslane















Departing Faslane
























































Los Angeles Class Submarine

The Los Angeles class, sometimes called the LA class or the 688 class, is a class of nuclear-powered fast attack submarines (SSN) that forms the backbone of the United States submarine fleet. With 45 submarines on active-duty (and 17 retired), this class has more boats than any other nuclear powered submarine class in the world. The class was preceded by the Sturgeon class and followed by the Seawolf and Virginia classes. Except for USS Hyman G. Rickover (SSN-709), submarines of this class are named after US cities, breaking a long-standing Navy tradition of naming attack submarines after sea creatures.

The final 23 boats in the series, referred to as "688i" boats, are quieter than their predecessors and incorporate a more advanced combat system. These 688i boats are also designed for under-ice operations: their diving planes are on the bow rather than on the sail, and they have reinforced sails.

Capabilities
According to the U.S. government, the top speed of Los Angeles-class submarines is over 25 knots (46 km/h, 29 mph) and the precise speed is classified. Some estimates put the top speed at 30–33 knots.  

Submarine: A Guided Tour Inside a Nuclear Warship, puts the top speed of a Los Angeles class submarine at 37 knots. Tom Clancy, in his book

Similarly, government sources give the maximum operating depth as 650 feet (200 m), while Patrick Tyler, in his book Running Critical, suggests a maximum operating depth of 950 feet (290 m). Although Tyler cites the 688-class design committee for this figure, the government has not commented on it. The maximum diving depth is 1,475 feet (450 m) according to Jane's Fighting Ships, 2004-2005 Edition, edited by Commodore Stephen Saunders of Royal Navy.

Weapons and fire control systems
Los Angeles class submarines carry about 25 torpedo-tube-launched weapons and all boats of the class are capable of launching Tomahawk cruise missiles horizontally (from the torpedo tubes). The last 31 boats of this class also have 12 dedicated vertical launch (VLS) tubes for launching Tomahawks.

Engineering and auxiliary systems
There are two watertight compartments in the Los Angeles class of submarines. The forward compartment contains crew living spaces, weapons handling spaces and control spaces not critical to recovering propulsion. The aft compartment contains the bulk of the ship's engineering systems, power generation turbines and water making equipment. Some submarines in the class are capable of delivering SEALs through either the Dry Deck Shelter (DDS) system or the Advanced SEAL Delivery System (ASDS). A variety of atmospheric control devices are used to remain submerged for long periods of time without ventilating, including an Electrolytic Oxygen Generator (EOG) nicknamed "the bomb".

While on the surface or at snorkel depth the submarine may use the ship's auxiliary or emergency diesel generator for power or ventilation (e.g., following a fire). The diesel engine in a 688 class can be quickly started by compressed air during emergencies or to evacuate noxious (non-volatile) gases from the boat, although 'ventilation' requires raising of a snorkel mast. During non-emergency situations, design constraints require operators to allow the engine to reach normal operating temperatures before it is capable of producing full power, a process that may take from 20 to 30 minutes. However, the diesel generator can be immediately loaded to 100% power output, despite design criteria cautions, at the discretion of the submarine commander via the recommendation of the ship's Engineer, if necessity dictates such actions to a) restore electrical power to the ship, b) prevent a reactor incident from occurring or escalating, or c) to protect the lives of the crew or others as determined necessary by the commanding officer.

Normally, steam power is generated by the ship's nuclear reactor delivering pressurized hot water to the steam generator, which generates steam to drive the steam driven turbines and generators. While the emergency diesel generator is starting up, power can be provided from the ship's battery through the Ship Service Motor Generators (SSMGs). Likewise, propulsion is normally delivered through the ship's steam driven main turbines that drive the ship's propeller through a reduction gear system. The ship has no main shaft conventional engines.

In the media
Los Angeles-class submarines have also been featured prominently in numerous Tom Clancy novels and film adaptations, most notably the USS Dallas (SSN-700) in The Hunt for Red October.  In the film Terminator Salvation, Resistance Headquarters is located aboard a Los Angeles-class submarine, according to the novelization and several behind-the-scenes books. The class has also been the subject of video games and simulations, such as Electronic Arts' 1997 release, 688(i) Hunter/Killer.

Ships of the class

Ship Name
Hull No Service



Los Angeles 688 1976–2010
Baton Rouge 689 1977–1995
Philadelphia 690 1977–2010
Memphis 691 1977–
Omaha 692 1978–1995
Cincinnati 693 1978–1995
Groton 694 1978–1997
Birmingham 695 1978–1997
New York City 696 1979–1997
Indianapolis 697 1980–1998
Bremerton 698 1981–
Jacksonville 699 1981–
Dallas 700 1981–
La Jolla 701 1981–
Phoenix 702 1981–1998
Boston 703 1982–1999
Baltimore 704 1982–1998
City of Corpus Christi 705 1983–
Albuquerque 706 1983–
Portsmouth 707 1983–2005
Minneapolis-Saint Paul 708 1984–2007
Hyman G. Rickover 709 1984–2007
Augusta 710 1985–2008
San Francisco 711 1981–
Atlanta 712 1982–1999
Houston 713 1982–
Norfolk 714 1983–
Buffalo 715 1983–
Salt Lake City 716 1984–2006
Olympia 717 1984–
Honolulu 718 1985–2007
Providence 719 1985–
Pittsburgh 720 1985–
Chicago 721 1986–
Key West 722 1987–
Oklahoma City 723 1988–
Louisville 724 1986–
Helena 725 1987–
Newport News 750 1989–
San Juan 751 1988–
Pasadena 752 1989–
Albany 753 1990–
Topeka 754 1989–
Miami 755 1990–
Scranton 756 1991–
Alexandria 757 1991–
Asheville 758 1991–
Jefferson City 759 1992–
Annapolis 760 1992–
Springfield 761 1993–
Columbus 762 1993–
Santa Fe 763 1994–
Boise 764 1992–
Montpelier 765 1993–
Charlotte 766 1994–
Hampton 767 1993–
Hartford 768 1994–
Toledo 769 1995–
Tucson 770 1995–
Columbia 771 1995–
Greeneville 772 1996–
Cheyenne 773 1996–

USS Miami is seen here departing Faslane

Arleigh Burke Class Destroyers

The Arleigh Burke class of guided missile destroyers (DDGs) is the first destroyer of the United States Navy built around the Aegis combat system and the SPY-1D multi-function phased array radar. The first ship was commissioned on 4 July 1991. After the decommissioning of the last Spruance-class destroyer, USS Cushing, on September 21, 2005, the Arleigh Burke class ships became the U.S. Navy's only active destroyers and the class has the longest production run for any US Navy surface combatant.
The class is named for Admiral Arleigh "31-Knot" Burke, the most famous American destroyer officer of World War II. Admiral Burke was alive when the class leader was commissioned.

The Arleigh Burke class are among the most powerful destroyers ever built in the United States. Only the Spruance class destroyers were larger (563 feet). The Burke class destroyers are more heavily armed than previous guided-missile destroyers. However it is important to remember that the mission of the Burke class is significantly different than the Spruance class. The larger Ticonderoga class ships were constructed on Spruance class hullforms, but are designated as cruisers due to their radically different mission and weapons systems.

The Arleigh Burke's designers incorporated lessons learned from the Ticonderoga class guided-missile cruisers. The Ticonderoga class cruisers were supposedly becoming too expensive to continue building, and too difficult to upgrade. Visually, the angled rather than traditional vertical surfaces and the tripod mainmast of the Arleigh Burke design are part of "stealth" technologies, which improve the ship's ability to evade and/or destroy anti-ship cruise missiles.
 
With the Arleigh Burke class, the US Navy returned to traditional all-steel construction. Combining a steel hull with an aluminum superstructure had been an innovation to reduce topweight, but the lighter metal proved vulnerable to cracking. Aluminum is also less fire-resistant than steel. A 1975 fire aboard USS Belknap gutted her aluminum superstructure. Later battle damage to Royal Navy ships during the Falklands War supported the decision to employ a steel superstructure.

A Collective Protection System makes the Arleigh Burke class the first U.S. warships designed with an air-filtration system against nuclear, biological and chemical warfare.

So vital has the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMD) role of the class become that all ships of the class are being updated with BMD capability. Production of Burkes is being restarted in place of the Zumwalt class destroyers.

Development
In 1980 the US Navy initiated design studies with seven contractors. By 1983 the number of competitors had been reduced to three; Bath Iron Works, Todd Shipyards and Ingalls Shipbuilding. On 3 April 1985 Bath Iron Works received a US$321.9 million contract to build the first of class, USS Arleigh Burke. Gibbs & Cox was awarded the contract to be the lead ship design agent. The total cost of the first ship was put at US$1.1 billion, the other US$778 million being for the ship's weapons systems.  She was laid down by the Bath Iron Works at Bath, Maine, on 6 December 1988, and launched on 16 September 1989 by Mrs. Arleigh Burke. The Admiral himself was present at her commissioning ceremony on 4 July 1991, held on the waterfront in downtown Norfolk, Virginia.

The "Flight IIA Arleigh Burke" ships have several new features, beginning with the Oscar Austin (DDG-79). Among the changes are the addition of two hangars for ASW helicopters, and a new, longer Mark 45 Mod 4 5-inch/62-caliber naval gun (fitted on Winston S. Churchill (DDG-81) and later ships). Later Flight IIA ships starting with USS Mustin have a modified funnel design that buries the funnels within the superstructure as a signature-reduction measure. TACTAS towed array sonar was omitted from flight IIA ships and they also lack Harpoon missile launchers. Ships from DDG-68 to DDG-84 have AN/SLQ-32 antennas that resemble V3 configuration similar to those deployed on Ticonderoga class cruisers, while the remainder have V2 variants externally resembling ones deployed on some Oliver Hazard Perry class frigates. V3 has an active electronic countermeasures component while V2 is passive only. A number of Flight IIA ships were constructed without a Phalanx CIWS because of the planned Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile, but later the Navy decided to retrofit all IIA ships to carry at least one Phalanx CIWS by 2013.
USS Pinckney , USS Momsen, USS Chung-Hoon, USS Nitze, USS James E. Williams and USS Bainbridge  hve superstructure differences to accommodate the Remote Mine-hunting System (RMS). Mk 32 torpedo tubes were moved to the missile deck from amidships as well.

Modernisation

The US Navy has begun a modernization program for the Arleigh Burke class aimed at improving the gun systems on the ships in an effort to address congressional concerns over the retirement of the Iowa-class battleships. This modernization was to include an extension of the range of the 5-inch (127 mm) guns on the Flight I Arleigh Burke-class destroyers (USS Arleigh Burke to USS Ross) with extended range guided munitions (ERGMs) that would enable the ships to fire projectiles about 40 nautical miles (74 km) inland.  However the ERGM was cancelled.

The modernization program is designed to provide a comprehensive mid-life upgrade to ensure that the class remains effective. Reduced manning, increased mission effectiveness, and a reduced total cost of ownership are the goals of the modernization program. Modernization technologies will be integrated during new construction of DDG-111 and 112, then retrofitted into DDG Flight I and II ships during in-service overhaul periods. The first phase will update the hull, mechanical and electrical systems while the second phase will introduce an open architecture computing environment. The result will be improved capability in both ballistic missile defense (BMD) and littoral combat.

The class was scheduled to be replaced by the Zumwalt class destroyer beginning in 2020, but increasing threat of both long and short range missiles caused the Navy to restart production of the Arleigh Burke-class and consider placing littoral combat mission modules on the new ships.

In April 2009, the Navy announced a plan that limited the Zumwalt class to three units while ordering another three Arleigh Burke class ships from both Bath Iron Works and Ingalls Shipbuilding.  On 2 December 2009, Northrop Grumman received a $170.7 million letter contract for DDG-113 long lead time materials. Formal awarding of the main construction contract is expected in 2010.

Flight III ships will be built starting in FY2016 in place of the canceled CG(X) program. The Flight III destroyers will have 14 foot diameter radars (up from 12 feet currently) and various other design improvements, such as larger size and much larger missile tubes. These Air and Missile Defense Radars (AMDR) will use digital beamforming.

In July 2010, BAE Systems announced that they had been awarded a contract to modernise 11 ships.

Operational History

One Arleigh Burke class ship, the USS Cole, was damaged while docked by an attack in which an improvised explosive device was delivered by suicide bombers on a boat on October 12, 2000 in Aden, Yemen. The ship was repaired and returned to duty in 2001.

Ships of the class


Name Hull No Status 
Arleigh Burke DDG-51 Active
Barry DDG-52 Active
John Paul Jones DDG-53 Active
Curtis Wilbur DDG-54 Active
Stout DDG-55 Active
John S. McCain DDG-56 Active
Mitscher DDG-57 Active
Laboon DDG-58 Active
Russell DDG-59 Active
Paul Hamilton DDG-60 Active
Ramage DDG-61 Active
Fitzgerald DDG-62 Active
Stethem DDG-63 Active
Carney DDG-64 Active
Benfold DDG-65 Active
Gonzalez DDG-66 Active
Cole DDG-67 Active
The Sullivans DDG-68 Active
Milius DDG-69 Active
Hopper DDG-70 Active
Ross DDG-71 Active
Mahan DDG-72 Active
Decatur DDG-73 Active
McFaul DDG-74 Active
Donald Cook DDG-75 Active
Higgins DDG-76 Active
O'Kane DDG-77 Active
Porter DDG-78 Active
Oscar Austin DDG-79 Active
Roosevelt DDG-80 Active
Winston S. Churchill DDG-81 Active
Lassen DDG-82 Active
Howard DDG-83 Active
Bulkeley DDG-84 Active
McCampbell DDG-85 Active
Shoup DDG-86 Active
Mason DDG-87 Active
Preble DDG-88 Active
Mustin DDG-89 Active
Chafee DDG-90 Active
Pinckney DDG-91 Active
Momsen DDG-92 Active
Chung-Hoon DDG-93 Active
Nitze DDG-94 Active
James E. Williams DDG-95 Active
Bainbridge DDG-96 Active
Halsey DDG-97 Active
Forrest Sherman DDG-98 Active
Farragut DDG-99 Active
Kidd DDG-100 Active
Gridley DDG-101 Active
Sampson DDG-102 Active
Truxtun DDG-103 Active
Sterett DDG-104 Active
Dewey DDG-105 Active
Stockdale DDG-106 Active
Gravely DDG-107 Launched
Wayne E. Meyer DDG-108 Active
Jason Dunham DDG-109 Launched
William P. Lawrence DDG-110 Launched
Spruance DDG-111 Launched
Michael Murphy DDG-112 Keel Laid
Callaghan DDG-113 Contracted
Scott DDG-114 Contracted
Chandler DDG-115 Contracted 

USS The Sullivans is seen here departing Faslane



























































































USS Roosevelt seen here departing Faslane the same day