I will casually add my inputs
HvyCgn9 wrote:
1/ A new cruiser class should be nuclear, two S8G reactors as used by the Ohio class should do it...these are reportedly very quiet reactors too, have them driving turbo generators hooked up to big brushless electric motors rather than steam turbines (but not in azipods). With Nuke power it will be able to get to target areas inn a timely fashion. (with out dragging a tanker along for the ride)
A CGN would have to be a capital ship. It would need to take the place a battleship.
HvyCgn9 wrote:
2/ Primary weapons: I would go with 3x 61 cell mk41VLS (2 fwd 1aft)with mixed AAW,ASW,TBMD/ASAT and some Tomahawks, resurrect the mk71 8" (with updates in electronics and mechanicals from the later block mk45) with forward and aft mounts, plus 4 quad harpoons ((16 missiles)or replacement type if they build one...)
If we are this far and this much investment, I would imagine that the ship could embark 160 Mk41 VLS with 2x Mk71 Mod2 8"/60caliber guns, perhaps 3-4 76mm SR guns.
HvyCgn9 wrote:
3/ Secondary weapons:(ie self defence stuff):throw some quad packs of ESSM in the VLS's, a pair of fore and aft mounted RAM launchers and a pair of port and stbd Block 1B or better CIWS, plus 4 20mm remote mounts and assorted crew operated mini guns....
I would suggest 6 CIWS stations, 4 port and starboard 2 fwd and aft.
HvyCgn9 wrote:
4/ Air assets/ships boats: Hanger for 2 helos up to SH60 size (anything bigger is not required) plus space for small UAV's, a pair of std size 26'? Rhibs port side and a larger 35'ish Rhib stbd no fancy boat hangers, just a couple of decent size/capacity extendable cranes.
Depending on what the mission would be, from 11m RHIBs to CB-90/RCBs embarked.
A ship like this would also have to function as a flag ship for area operations.
HvyCgn9 wrote:
5/ Sensors: either some form of SPY1D (or what version they are up to..) or drag out some spare NTU sensor packages (all the gear which an NTU ship such as CALIFORNIA had before she was decomm'd and a decent sonar
Depending if you wantd it to be a strike ship or an area AAW ship, that would dictate NTU vs Aegis.
HvyCgn9 wrote:
6/ Ship size/design: look old skool: some thing nearly as long (say 700') as CGN9(721') but with the style of compact superstructure of an Arleigh Burke (sans stacks) with weapons layout similar to California (a double ended design) add in some hull armor sufficient to take hits from up to say 100mm AP rounds or small missiles. I would scale up California's hull design by 100' to 696' long with beam increased to 70'(ish)...
WOW! That would certainly make it a CAGN!
Best of luck!