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totallyaverage

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Everything posted by totallyaverage

  1. That particular F-35 uses the older (pre-LRIP 8) RAM overcoat. You can see the tape lines on the refueling probe. It's probable an early test airframe where they don't care about the condition of the skin that much.
  2. The author could have used some fact checking: There are 35 LCS planned, not 38. Hull numbers don't always accurately reflect fleet sizes. It is possible that Congress forces more LCS with the next budget, but as of today there are 35 authorized. All LCS are already due to receive NSM regardless of mission package (save perhaps the test ships). Comparing the LCS to the Type 054A or Gorshkov is absurd; they are nothing close to the same in role. LCS is more accurately compared to the Type 056 or Gremyashchiy-classes in role, even if the specifics differ and LCS is much more expensive. He also failed to mention that mission package development has been horribly underfunded by Congress since 2015 as a reason for the recent delays. Other problems with this article: Canceling the ASW and MCM packages is a bad idea. Aside from the USN needing more numerous and advanced ASW capabilities, the package is developing new equipment that will be fitted onto FFG(X) and stands a chance of being backfitted onto other classes in the fleet (similarly, all LCS are due to receive the SLQ-62 lightweight towed array regardless of package). Cancelling development would serve less than no purpose, it would completely work against modernizing the fleet and cost more money in the long run. Similar case with the MCM package: even if it were decided not to use it aboard LCS, that kit can be transplanted onto a new platform (for example, the Expeditionary Mobile Base, medium-large unmanned surface vessels, or a new, dedicated hull) rather easily. The SUW package is probably the least valuable of the three, with its usefulness largely limited to the Middle East. Not useless, but not worth dedicating the fleet over. Personally I would fit the majority of LCS with the ASW package, with a small number (8-12) with the SUW package. Also fit all LCS with SEWIP Light if they have the margin. Fully develop the MCM kit and fit it to a class of self-deployable MCM ships. Hey presto, we have a fleet of small ships that much better align with our needs.
  3. A point of note: DDG-127 will be a Flight IIA TI ship, and will commission before the Flight IIIs. This is due to some rather complicated scheduling reasons (TL;DR: once the USN has assigned a hull number, they can't simply change them around). Also, unless there is an (entirely possible) major issue with Large Surface Combatant, ships after DDG-138 are unlikely to be authorized. And it doesn't look like AMDR-X is going to happen anymore. DDGs will likely at some point start receiving the Next Generation Surface Search Radar that will go on FFG(X).
  4. That is not their FFG(X) proposal. It's a proposed VLS module and SEWIP Block II refit to the existing LCS-1 class ship. This is their FFG(X) proposal (from SNA 2018)
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