I have been reading The Last Ship by William Brinkly which was adapted into a TNT television series some years ago that ran for five seasons. The book interests me as it was set in a post nuclear war world and featured an Arleigh Burke DDG that was part of the strategic forces with nuclear armed TLAMs and nuclear power. I noticed Aegis was absent from this ship, but it featured 122 VLS cells and 68 nuclear Tomahawks of which it expended twelve in the brief world war plus ASROC, Standards and TLAM-Cs as a loadout. The ship was a strategic asset like SSBNs.
I was curious what would a nuclear-powered AB look like and feature if it was built today. The book came out in 1988 so it had obsolete systems. The two-reactor plant had cores good enough for only two years steaming in order to develop 140,000 shp for 38 knots.
Things have changed since then with the Columbia class SSBN reactors capable of at least 60,000 shp feeding a turbo electric drive and a nuclear integrated power system to at least match Ohio performance in a bigger submarine. The S1B has a life of the ship core that is good for 20 years steaming, a 2-year midlife overhaul and 20 more years of steaming for a total of 42 years of service. Costly refuelings are a thing of the past with these new reactors used in Virginia SSNs, Columbia SSBNs and perhaps Ford class carriers.
Aegis has gotten better since 1988 and the SM-3 and SM-6 provide ballistic missile defense, and we also have a world of drones, UAVs, USVs and UUVs. Hauling around nuclear Tomahawks in large numbers seems dubious but there is an effort to develop a sea based nuclear cruise missile.
Reactors and steam plant equipment take up room that the Burke does not have so a lengthening of the ship is required and because reactor weights are higher in a surface ship and increase in beam is needed also for stability. How much I don't know so I'm putting this out as a question, how would you characterize such a vessel. What kind of power plant, sensors and weapons would you fit if it was built in the near future?
I was curious what would a nuclear-powered AB look like and feature if it was built today. The book came out in 1988 so it had obsolete systems. The two-reactor plant had cores good enough for only two years steaming in order to develop 140,000 shp for 38 knots.
Things have changed since then with the Columbia class SSBN reactors capable of at least 60,000 shp feeding a turbo electric drive and a nuclear integrated power system to at least match Ohio performance in a bigger submarine. The S1B has a life of the ship core that is good for 20 years steaming, a 2-year midlife overhaul and 20 more years of steaming for a total of 42 years of service. Costly refuelings are a thing of the past with these new reactors used in Virginia SSNs, Columbia SSBNs and perhaps Ford class carriers.
Aegis has gotten better since 1988 and the SM-3 and SM-6 provide ballistic missile defense, and we also have a world of drones, UAVs, USVs and UUVs. Hauling around nuclear Tomahawks in large numbers seems dubious but there is an effort to develop a sea based nuclear cruise missile.
Reactors and steam plant equipment take up room that the Burke does not have so a lengthening of the ship is required and because reactor weights are higher in a surface ship and increase in beam is needed also for stability. How much I don't know so I'm putting this out as a question, how would you characterize such a vessel. What kind of power plant, sensors and weapons would you fit if it was built in the near future?
statistics: Posted by sciquest — 12:06 AM - Today — Replies 1 — Views 61