task force 58 wrote:
Dave, the design for the ship is influenced by the CGN`s. Do you think that is a good idea? Hopefully will get more work done during November.
Hey, Task Force.
In my opinion, the conversions of existing hulls has been fully explored, and anything else is just reorganizing previously done stuff (ie, the 4 Iowas, completing the Kentucky as a BBG, etc). What I think you could really explore is, instead of a "modernized" Iowa, instead make a "Modern build" Iowa. The cosmetics of reduced radar cross section, super structure, your choice of radars, missile placement, primary, and secondary battery, I believe are the most interesting. I am on the same page as Sutho being that a "battleship" has a main battery of major caliber weapons arranged in turrets, otherwise it's not a "battleship"; it's a "battle cruiser". Practically, rail guns won't match 16" weight on target, and the ability for 16" guns to hit targets 30-40 miles away with base-bleed guided munitions is very practical for the heavy weight of a single 16" (equal to 500lb+ JDAM). However, if you could swing a secondary battery of rail guns, you might have promise/use for rail guns there.
I would suggest defining a mission that calls for the delivery capability of a "battleship" and design around those missions. Otherwise, you'd be looking at a "large cruiser" or "battle cruiser" instead. The current arrangement of an Iowa is a good place to start, because nearly everything is optomized. However, I disagree with Sutho that the VLS should be in the main hull. The main deck is the only place the main armament of the battleship can be placed. The super structure is large and has a LOT of void areas in it where you can arrange a large number of Mk41 VLS and conventional or phased array radars.
Conventional, combination gas turbine/nuclear, is your choice. The CGNs were just good for keeping up with CVNs, otherwise there was nothing special about them. None of them had any appreciable offensive power. A battleship, however is all offensive. The nuclear plant would be good for providing all the power you may need for speed through water and ability to recharge energy weapons (rail or laser). The best thing to me about nuclear power is that you don't have to refuel the ship's propulsion plant all the time. However, being able to refuel helos makes carrying a lot of JP5 very sensible.
Suggestion:
I am interested to see what you have in mind. Something I have considered for my some-day build is, if you want to have helos on board, I would suggest you look at merging the Vittorio Veneto-class BB's stern with the Iowa's. That would literally consist of elevating Turret 3 a little and dropping the stern by a max of 1 deck. If it's a Montana-sized ship, you could have the CA/CL style helo hangar below decks. Those did not suffer the same rain-penetration problems the CGNs had. I would also assemble the new BB's side armor similarly to how the Vittorio Veneto had theirs arranged in large, removeable/replaceable sections.
Good luck! I look forward to your thoughts.
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