Article

2016-01-12 -Short Attention Span Theater-

U.S. Navy Reveals Details About Lasers on Next-Gen Ships

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Posted by gorb 2016-01-12 13:16|| || Front Page|| [11132 views ] Top

#1 "every time we build a single-mission ship it tends to get decommissioned before its life expectancy."

To be more accurate, it's more a "primary-mission ship with secondary mission capabilities." And the reason they get decommissioned is more political than strategic.

Notice that nowhere in this is any mention of anti-submarine warfare, or the potential threat from the PLAN. ASW is tedious, stressful and time-consuming. Apparently the surface warfare community is leaving it to the bubble-heads.

Posted by Pappy 2016-01-12 13:59|| 2016-01-12 13:59|| Front Page Top

#2 This brings to mind Orwell's 'Floating Fortress' anchored between Iceland and the Faroe Islands.

Primary-Mission only.

Posted by Mullah Richard 2016-01-12 16:21|| 2016-01-12 16:21|| Front Page Top

#3 And the worst part is that for _effective_ ASW work a lot of the crucial gear, like quiet engines and sonars, can't really be retrofitted onto the ship afterwards a la the Great LCS Fiasco.

Posted by Thing From Snowy Mountain 2016-01-12 16:55|| 2016-01-12 16:55|| Front Page Top

#4 Still think a laser is more sizzle than steak. I work with lasers and they are temperamental beasts. There are advantages to not needing projectiles but I think that would pale when it comes to self-lazing, dirty optics, and a million other issues that might take the system down when they most need it.

Hopefully they have something super-robust that I haven't thought of.

Posted by rjschwarz 2016-01-12 18:44|| 2016-01-12 18:44|| Front Page Top

#5 Lasers may be cutting edge tech, but there is still nothing prettier that a full broadside from the USS New Jersey (unless you want to count a full 30 bomb drop off the much beloved Skypig)

Posted by USN, Ret. 2016-01-12 19:36|| 2016-01-12 19:36|| Front Page Top

#6 It won't be long before there isn't a submarine in the world that isn't followed by a relay of drones.

Posted by phil_b 2016-01-12 20:39|| 2016-01-12 20:39|| Front Page Top

#7 some drawbacks - lasers are line-of-sight, so no over-the-horizon capability like missiles.

Posted by Squinty Forkbeard1306 2016-01-12 22:06|| 2016-01-12 22:06|| Front Page Top

#8 So...there aren't any yet.
A fluff piece.

Posted by Skidmark 2016-01-12 23:14|| 2016-01-12 23:14|| Front Page Top

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