The United States Navy in the Cold War Era: What ifs.

[dragoon500ly]

A second generation supersonic Vought SSM-N-9 Regulus II cruise missile with a range of 1,200 nautical miles and a speed of Mach 2 was developed and successfully tested, including a test launch from Grayback, but the program was canceled in favor of the UGM-27 Polaris nuclear ballistic missile.
The Regulus II missile was a completely new design with improved guidance and double the range, and was intended to replace the Regulus I missile. Regulus II-equipped submarines and ships would have been fitted with the Ships Inertial Navigation System (SINS), allowing the missiles to be aligned accurately before take-off.

Forty-eight test flights of Regulus II prototypes were carried out, 30 of which were successful, 14 partially successful, and four failures. A production contract was signed in January 1958 and the only submarine launch was carried out from Grayback in September 1958.

Due to the high cost of the Regulus II (approximately one million dollars each), budgetary pressure, and the emergence of the UGM-27 Polaris SLBM (submarine-launched ballistic missile), the Regulus II program was canceled on 18 December 1958. At the time of cancellation Vought had completed 20 Regulus II missiles with 27 more on the production line. Like its fore-bearer, the Regulus II ended its service life as target drones.

[dragoon500ly]

With the introduction of Tomahawk, the Sturgeon, Los Angeles, Improved Los Angeles, and Virginia-class SSNS were used to carry the missile in is anti-ship and land attack versions.

For the most part, Tomahawks would be fired from the torpedo tubes. The Improved Los Angels and Virginia-class boats use a Vertical Launch System with twelve Tomahawks.

The Ohio-class SSGN concept converts Trident missile tubes 1 and 2 to be permanently modified for five-man SOF lock-in/lock-out and for attaching ASDS (Advanced SEAL Delivery System) and DDS (Dry Dock Shelters). The remaining 22 Trident missile tubes are modified to accept modules/canisters that can store seven TLAM (Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles) or other strike missiles. However, if the ASDS or DDS are mounted, not all tubes can be used for missiles.

The three configurations are:

Maximum Strike---launch tubes 3-24 are fitted with missile canisters (154 TLAMs); all 154 missiles can be fired within six minutes.

Strike/SOF---launch tubes 5-24 are loaded with 140 TLAMs. Tubes 3 and 4 are loaded with SOF stowage canisters; two ASDS vehicles carried.

Strike/SOF---launch tubes 7-24 are loaded with 126 TLAMs. Tubes 5 and 6 are loaded with additional SOF stowage canisters; Tubes 1-4 are blocked by two DDS.

Additional temporary bunks and hot bunking can provide accommodations for up to 100 SOF personnel for short periods. Normally, 66 SOF personnel are carried.

Plans are in place for the SSGNs to be capable of supporting, launching, and recovering UUVs (Unmanned Undersea Vehicles) and UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles).

[dragoon500ly]

The Assault Ballistic Rocket System (ABRS) is being proposed for installation on the Navy’s NEWPORT-class landing ships to provide fire support for amphibious assaults. The unguided rocket and launcher are adopted from the U.S. Army’s Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS).

nder current proposals, each LST would be fitted with two 12-rocket launch systems on the ship’s after decks. Up to 156 reloads could be provide in 12-rocket containers. Additional proposals have been made to backfit the ABRS to SPRUANCE-class destroyers and the concept of a LST conversion to a “rocket monitor,” carrying several launchers. No procurement decision has been made by the Navy.

Weight: 686lbs per rocket

Length: 12ft 11in (3.94m)

Diameter: 8.9in (227mm)

Propulsion: solid-propellant rocket

Range: 10+nm

Guidance: ballistic

Warhead: 352lbs conventional (644 M-77 grenades)

[dragoon500ly]

The Anti Submarine Warfare Stand Off Weapon (ASW SOW) is intended to replace the submarine-launched SUBROC anti-submarine weapon beginning in the early 1990s. Whereas SUBROC is a nuclear-only weapon, the ASW SOW may have a nuclear and conventional capability. In the later configuration carrying the Mark 50 Advanced Lightweight Torpedo. The ASW SOW should be capable of ranges out to at least the second convergence zone (approximately 60nm) or double the range of the SUBROC.

The ASW SOW would be launched form the standard 21in (533mm) submarine torpedo tubes. The missile would be encapsulated, with the capsule shed when it reaches the surface, after which the missile travels on a ballistic trajectory to the target. Over the target, the warhead or torpedo would be released.

During the concept stage the Navy envisioned a common ASW stand-off weapon for surface ships and submarines. The technical and program difficulties proved too great, however, and the surface-launched weapon became the Vertical-Launch Anti Submarine Rocket (VLA).

Weight: approx. 2,700lbs

Length: approx. 21ft (6.4m)

Diameter: approx. 21in (533mm) encapsulated

Propulsion: solid-propellant rocket

Range: approx. 60-90nm

Guidance: ballistic then terminal acoustic homing with the Mk 50 ALWT

Warhead: Nuclear (W55 warhead) or Mk50 ALWT

[chico20854]

Originally Posted by dragoon500ly

The Anti Submarine Warfare Stand Off Weapon (ASW SOW) is intended to replace the submarine-launched SUBROC anti-submarine weapon beginning in the early 1990s. Whereas SUBROC is a nuclear-only weapon, the ASW SOW may have a nuclear and conventional capability. In the later configuration carrying the Mark 50 Advanced Lightweight Torpedo. The ASW SOW should be capable of ranges out to at least the second convergence zone (approximately 60nm) or double the range of the SUBROC.

Was this the same project as the Sea Lance?

[dragoon500ly]

Originally Posted by chico20854

Was this the same project as the Sea Lance?

This was the original concept of what would become Sea Lance. The primary difference was that ASW SOW was intended from the start to be primarily a nuclear delivery system, then the option of the Mark 50 ALWT as an alternative warhead.

Later (mid-80s) it was determined that the concept of one weapon for both surface and submarine had too many technical and program difficulties and the decision was made to split with Sea lance being the sub-version and the Vertical Launch ASROC (VLA) developed as the surface version.

Of interest is that Boeing's internal name for this was originally Seahawk until the Navy designated it Sea Lance.

[dragoon500ly]

GUIDED MISSILE DESTROYERS: Advanced Destroyer Design DD(X) Units Fiscal Year Status 1 ship 05 Planned 1 ship 06 Planned 1 ship 07 Planned 2 ships 08 Planned 3 ships 09 Planned 8 ships per year 10-13 Planned 8 ships per year 14-18 Planned

Displacement: approx. 14,000 tons full load

Length: approx. 183.0m overall Beam: approx.24.0m

Draft: approx. 8.4m

Propulsion: 4 Rolls-Royce MT30 gas turbines; approx. 100,000+shp;
electric drive; 2 shafts

Speed: approx. 30+kts Personnel: approx. 127-175

Aircraft: 1 or 2 MH-60R Seahawk; 3 Vertical Take-off Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (VTUAVs)

Weapons: Peripheral VLS for SM2MR/TLAM (approx. 80 missiles); (1)2 155mm Advanced Gun Systems (AGS); 2 Mk110 57mm/70-caliber Radars: SPY-3 multifunction Sonar: not determined

Note: The planned follow-up to the ARLEIGH BURKE call as the Navy’s primary surface combatant. The lead design agent for the program if Northrop Grumman’s Ingalls Shipyard and includes Raytheon, Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Bath Iron Works as subcontractors. The contract for $2.9 billion is for the design, construction and testing of eleven major subsystems of the ship. Construction of the lead ship is not included in the award. This is a departure from the aborted ZUMWALT/DD 21 program, whose construction of the lead ship, series production, service-life maintenance and other cost-reduction features.

The DD(X) design has a wave-piercing, tumblehome hull configuration and a block, low-radar-cross-section superstructure. The guns will have two AGS with a reported 600-round magazine per gun. The design will have ‘peripheral’ VLS cells rather than the usual centerline ‘blocks; configuration of the Mk 41 VLS. Also referred to as the AVLS, it differs from the Mk41 in having four-cell modules installed along the perimeter of the ship rather. This arrangement will reduce the ship’s vulnerability to a single missile, shell or bomb hit.

All previous USN gas-turbine destroyers, as well as the TICONDEROGA class cruisers, had General Electric LM2500 gas turbines. DD(X) will be the first modern US warship with an all-electric drive and an integrated power architecture. Employing electric drive is expected to: reduce ship costs; reduce ship signatures, especially noise; reduce fuel consumption; reduce maintenance requirements; reduce manpower requirements and increase available power for sensors and weapons.
The key element of the integrated power architecture is a single-source generator for all of the ship’s power requirements. Instead of a reduction gear to convert the turbine power into propulsive power as in previous cruisers /destroyers the DD(X) engine will power an electric generator, the electricity produced is then carried via cable to a motor drive, this eliminates the requirement for the gas turbines to be aligned with propellor shafts, permitting considerable flexibility in ship design. In addition, the turbines can be operated at their most fuel-efficient speeds with the motor drive making changes in shaft turns/speed.