Navy to Retrofit 3 New San Diego-Based Warships to Launch Hypersonic Missiles

[Rogue Valley]

Navy to Retrofit 3 New San Diego-Based Warships to Launch Hypersonic Missiles

3.22.22
The Navy plans to replace the giant guns on three futuristic San Diego-based warships with launchers for new hypersonic missiles. The USS Zumwalt and USS Michael Monsoor are already in San Diego, and the future USS Lyndon B. Johnson will be based here as well. According to the nonprofit United States Naval Institute, plans are to remove the two 155mm guns from each destroyer and replace them with missile tubes for the Common Hypersonic Glide Body being developed for the Army, Air Force and the Navy. Few details have been released, but the hypersonic missiles are expected to fly at 17 times the speed of sound to attack targets nearly 2,000 miles away. Unlike ballistic missiles, they will be maneuverable in flight to avoid anti-missile systems.

San Diego-based General Atomics is one of the defense contractors working on the hypersonic program. Russia and China claim to already have working hypersonic missiles, although U.S. officials say the ones reportedly used against Ukraine were actually traditional ballistic missiles launched from aircraft. The Zumwalt will be the first destroyer converted to launching hypersonic missiles, with work completed by 2025. Though called destroyers, the three ships in the class are about the size of small World War II battleships. They are designed to focus on land-attack missions while evading detection through stealth technology.

Bravo. These should eventually replace all of our Tomahawk missiles.

 

[Peter]

The UK is also doing a massive upgrade of the Type 45 air defence destroyer to combat hypersonic missiles.

British Type 45 Destroyers are Getting an Epic Missile Upgrade

The Common Anti-Air Modular Missile (CAMM) program is a family of next-generation surface-to-air missiles developed by British defense manufacturer MBDA UK.

nationalinterest.org

It's certainly something a lot of countries are worried about.

 

[Questerr]

Navy to Retrofit 3 New San Diego-Based Warships to Launch Hypersonic Missiles

Bravo. These should eventually replace all of our Tomahawk missiles.

They should force Lockheed to pay for it after the company failed to deliver ammo for the guns on those ships.

 

[Dayton3]

They should force Lockheed to pay for it after the company failed to deliver ammo for the guns on those ships.

How was the failure Lockheeds? And wasn't the "failure" more a matter of not making the ammo affordable?

 

[Questerr]

How was the failure Lockheeds? And wasn't the "failure" more a matter of not making the ammo affordable?

Indeed. The promised the Navy (aka the taxpayers) they would deliver functioning ammo at a specific price, then when the Navy was locked in to building guns that could only use that ammo, they jacked up the price by more than 50 times.

 

[Dayton3]

Indeed. The promised the Navy (aka the taxpayers) they would deliver functioning ammo at a specific price, then when the Navy was locked in to building guns that could only use that ammo, they jacked up the price by more than 50 times.

Did they give reasons?

 

[Luce]

Did they give reasons?

Does it matter? They couldn't deliver on their contract.

 

[Dayton3]

Does it matter? They couldn't deliver on their contract.

Most contracts are not as binding as you think they are.

 

[Luce]

Most contracts are not as binding as you think they are.

Tell me of your expertise in contract law.

 

[Dayton3]

Tell me of your expertise in contract law.

I studied it in college.

 

[Luce]

I studied it in college.

To get a teaching degree?

Fascinating.

 

[Dayton3]

Indeed. The promised the Navy (aka the taxpayers) they would deliver functioning ammo at a specific price, then when the Navy was locked in to building guns that could only use that ammo, they jacked up the price by more than 50 times.

and the U.S. Navy said they were going to build a lot more than THREE Zumwalt class destroyers. When the U.S. Navy cut the Zumwalt class program to only three ships it radically jacked up the unit prices of the ammunition being ordered for their guns.

Lockheed isn't responsible for the idiosyncrasies of U.S. naval procurement.

Long Range Land Attack Projectile - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Dayton3]

To get a teaching degree?

Fascinating.

I never got a teaching degree. I got a business administration degree which required so many hours of Business Law.

 

[Antiwar]

"The Zumwalt will be the first destroyer converted to launching hypersonic missiles, with work completed by 2025."

Thanks for the comic relief. The first phase of Operation Hyper Speed might be completed by 2030, years after World War Three has started. These zillion dollar weapons will finish any survivors off and put them out of their misery (if they even work properly), toot sweet.

"UUUUUNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGG"

 

[Questerr]

and the U.S. Navy said they were going to build a lot more than THREE Zumwalt class destroyers. When the U.S. Navy cut the Zumwalt class program to only three ships it radically jacked up the unit prices of the ammunition being ordered for their guns.

Lockheed isn't responsible for the idiosyncrasies of U.S. naval procurement.

Long Range Land Attack Projectile - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The production line should have been seized and produced by the government at unit cost with zero markup going to corporate profits.

 

[Antiwar]

Left-libertarians should seize the means of weapons of mass destruction production.

 

[Questerr]

Left-libertarians should seize the means of weapons of mass destruction production.

155mm artillery shells are not weapons of mass destruction.

But then again, what do you know? You think countries have to be too weak to defend themselves in order to not be militarist.

 

[Antiwar]

I didn't say 155 mm shells, straw left-libertarian. I took your most excellent idea further "left-libertarian."

 

[Questerr]

I didn't say 155 mm shells, straw left-libertarian. I took your most excellent idea further "left-libertarian."

Ah so you aren't talking about the topic I was. You're just trolling.

 

[Dayton3]

The production line should have been seized and produced by the government at unit cost with zero markup going to corporate profits.

Why? Given the Zumwalt class was canceled after only three ships built I doubt the Navy was that interested in having them or their six total guns and ammunition.

 

[Questerr]

Why? Given the Zumwalt class was canceled after only three ships built I doubt the Navy was that interested in having them or their six total guns and ammunition.

Because now they have six guns that can't even fire that we spent billions of dollars on.

 

[Dayton3]

Because now they have six guns that can't even fire that we spent billions of dollars on.

That was our government's choice. Not Lockheed Martins.

 

[Hamish Howl]

That was our government's choice. Not Lockheed Martins.

Easily fixed.

No more contracts for Lockheed Martin.

 

[Antiwar]

Ah so you aren't talking about the topic I was. You're just trolling.

The thread topic is Operation Hyper Speed. If you want to discuss your most excellent socialist seizure of the means of military ammunition production of a specific size-- go ahead, make your day.

 

[Antiwar]

Easily fixed.

No more contracts for Lockheed Martin.

That 'Easy' button from whatever office supply store sure comes in handy.