Seasick wrote:
From what I have read the design of the foremast on the Spruance class was heavily influenced by the requirement of having the AN/SPG-60 up very high.
Wow. They go to an awful lot of trouble for some things, don't they? The mast winds up being so tough simply to hold itself up. I must say, though, that if combining the SPS-48 onto the ship as well, the SPG-60 position on the forward mast is an excellent place for the SPS-49. We of course know this from the Kidd-class, but we also see this on the highly modified USS Paul F. Foster, the self-defense ship.
Would you consider making your WHIF DD-963? I would be happy to help you out with a few of parts if they could help you
Seasick wrote:
The Ticonderogas had a much smaller fore mast because of no requirement for the AN/SPG-60, and the AN/SPG-62 didn't need to be at the high elevation. The mainmast was switched to a tripod to save weight starting with CG-49.
The 62s are really cool. I would very much like to see one on the move. Matching the movements of the SS-N-22, it must really whip around. I know Phalanx does. I have seen a Phalanx mount play a real shoot-down it had recorded during an exercise. I am not saying Phalanx will shoot everything down, because YouTube has shown us it won't, but it was amazing watching how shockingly nimble that mount is.
Seasick wrote:
The responce time for the NATO Sea Sparrow is short. One of the reasons that RAM has been adopted. Turn the Mk49 on to direction of the threat and launch the RIM-116 RAM.
I am aware ESSM can really move, and so can RAM. I guess the next potential point of failure is the director. Of the carriers' self defense packages I have armed, they only pack ESSMs, no more NATO Sea Sparrows. I am not saying they're not still floating around out there, but just not where I am.
Something I have really found interesting is the Ship-Mod concept that was very well developed during between the '70s and'80s. Perhaps even during the '60s, I don't recall at the moment. This is also where the designation of "A-sized VLS Module" or "B-sized VLS module" comes from. There were three weapon sizes established: AA, A, and B going from smallest to largest. The Ship-Mod ships were designed to have holes of those sizes in the deck so corresponding weapon systems could be installed like Lego pieces. Radars, illuminators, and computer systems would be swapped out in a similar manner. A "Strike" or "CIC" would be pulled out like a big box or plugged in based on the upcoming mission configuration of the ship.
That would make a pretty cool model, too.