Bye bye Ticonderoga Class, the u.s navy's
next generation destroyer is coming. The u.s navy has officially started
developing a new guided missile
destroyer class. The tentatively titled DDG(X) will
replace the older Ticonderoga Class
guided missile cruisers and early
arleigh burke class guided missile
destroyers. The ships will be the backbone of the
navy's fleet into the Mid-21st century
protecting carriers and high-end ships
while also providing offensive firepower
of their own.
The navy kicked off DDG(X) by
establishing a new program office to
oversee development, defense news reports. The office will manage DDG(X) is design
technical data package development, construction, testing fleet introduction
and sustainment plans with an eye toward
ordering the first ship in 2028. If everything stays on track the first
ship should enter navy service around
2032.
The navy operates 22 cold war era Ticonderoga Class guided missile
cruisers and 69 arleigh burke class
destroyers. The navy produced the ticonderogas
between 1980 and 1991 and expected to
have replaced them by now, but a lack of
funding over the last 20 years when land
wars dominated has stymied the
development of a replacement. The arleigh burke class meanwhile has
basically been in continuous production
since 1988, upgraded with new technology
in a helicopter hangar.
The navy views the ticonderogas as
bodyguards for high-value warships. The
service built the Ticonderogas with SPY-1A air defense radars, the aegis
combat system and 122 missile silos to
repel mass missile attacks targeting
aircraft carriers and their battle
groups. The arleigh burke destroyers have a
similar loadout but with newer SPY-1D radars and 90 to 96 missile silos. The burke destroyers can pinch hit as
fleet defenders if necessary and also
hunt submarines and conduct attacks
against land targets with cruise
missiles.
DDG(X) has big shoes to fill. The navy's
new thinking appears to cast the ship as
the main escort for carrier and
amphibious groups while the new
constellation class guided missile
frigates and literal combat ships take
on lesser roles. The new destroyer will emphasize a new
hull form an efficient integrated power
system and greater endurance, according
to defense news. The power system will be
essential for integrating the laser
weapons that will probably go on DDG(X).
The new destroyer will likely have at
least one or two lasers, short-range
weapons with adjustable power levels
that can blind drones or shoot down
incoming missiles. The DDG(X) will also likely have a multi-purpose
five-inch gun and large silos capable of
carrying the navy's new hypersonic
missiles. The ships will need standard sized MK, 41 silos for air defense missiles, long-range anti-submarine rockets, cruise
missiles and anti-ship missiles.
The loss of the Ticonderoga Class with
their 122 silos means the next
generation ship will likely have at
least 100 silos and maybe more. The ship's armament will probably
include ship launched lightweight and to
submarine torpedoes, a hangar and flight
deck capable of supporting one or two
mh-60 seahawk helicopters and facilities
for launching and recovering smaller
uncrewed surface and subsurface ships.
The facilities could also support
uncrewed aerial vehicles. The age of the Ticonderoga Class which should be
retiring right now means the navy must
keep the DDG(X) program on time and on
track. The ship could share many of the same
features as the latest version of the
arleigh burke class in order to reduce
risk.
