![]() ![]() The original plan called for six Visbys in two classes - one for surface combat and the others for submarine hunting and mine detection - but cutbacks in the early 1990s by the Swedish government cut the fleet to five vessels. Some of the components are made of bronze instead of stainless steel to further reduce their magnetic signature. Water jets are about 10 to 15 decibels quieter than props, and to further minimize noise the Visbys use impellers with seven blades instead of five. Propulsion comes from two diesel engines and four gas turbines that power a pair of water jets. The vessels are capable of speeds exceeding 35 knots. "You actually need waterjets for these vessels, as they're more efficient than propellers at high speeds." "The need for agility and a high top speed meant that a light weight was an essential factor," Hjorth says. ![]() The plastic and carbon fiber hull displaces 600 tons of water, about half that of conventional, steel-hulled ships of a similar size. The first of the new vessels, the USS Zumwalt, will be christened in 2013.They're nimble, too. ![]() And it incorporates several stealth features, including: a wave-piercing hull that leaves almost no wake an exhaust suppressor to reduce the vessel’s infrared (heat) signature and an exterior that slopes inward at a steep angle, creating a radar signature said to be no larger than a fishing boat’s.Įscalating research and development expenses compelled the Navy to scale back its initial plan for 32 ships to 3 (each of which now costs more than $7 billion). The new destroyer was designed to operate both in the open ocean and in shallow, offshore waters. The first of these 600-foot, 15,000-ton vessels is being built by General Dynamics in Maine at the Bath Iron Works, which had to construct a $40 million facility to accommodate the project. presence will include the Navy’s next-generation warship, the DDG-1000 Zumwalt class destroyer, named after the former chief of naval operations Adm. naval forces will be stationed in the Pacific-a historic high that reflects Asia’s increasing strategic importance to the United States, as well as concerns over China flexing its power in the region. By the end of the decade, 60 percent of U.S. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |