CongressDaily AM
January 9, 2009
USS John Warner Is Next Attack Sub
The Navy will name its next Virginia-class attack submarine after just-retired Sen. John Warner, R-Va., a former Navy secretary, the Pentagon announced Thursday.
Warner, former chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, left Congress this week after 30 years in the Senate.
Warner joined the Navy in 1945 when he was 17 and later was a Marine Corps officer in the Korean War. He became undersecretary of the Navy in 1961 and moved up to Navy secretary in 1972.
According to the Navy, "the USS John Warner will have the capability to attack targets ashore with highly accurate Tomahawk cruise missiles and conduct covert long-term surveillance of land areas, littoral waters or other sea-based forces." The 377-foot submarine weighing 7,800 tons will be built by Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding in Newport News, Va., in partnership with General Dynamics/Electric Boat Corp.
USS John Warner Is Next Attack Sub
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Re: USS John Warner Is Next Attack Sub
Hmmm... And another attempt by the navy to make their super-expensive subs sound more advanced. That tech has been around for more than five years! I mean, the capabilities are great, but for what price? I personally liked the older Los Angeles Class better, they wer a good, sturdy design and could have modifications and new blocks easily. These new vessels are so expensive for what new capabilities they get. The normal Torpedoes, reactors, and other basics for new T-LAMs, better sensors, new propulsion systems, and maybe quieter running. Why not just put these into an older hull, like they already did with the Ohio Class? One terrorist mine and there goes two point five billion dollars down the drain!
AND THE SEA SHALL GRANT EACH MAN NEW HOPE, AS SLEEP BRINGS DREAMS.
Re: USS John Warner Is Next Attack Sub
You are making some statements here that imply you actually know something about submarine sensors, quieting and in general the modifications made to the Ohio class.
Since I'm an ex submariner, I'm wondering where you are coming from on this and whether there is any basis in you statement that it's possible to put entirely new ESM, sonar arrays, and quieting into a Log Angeles hull.
I wouldn't think it would be possible.
Since I'm an ex submariner, I'm wondering where you are coming from on this and whether there is any basis in you statement that it's possible to put entirely new ESM, sonar arrays, and quieting into a Log Angeles hull.
I wouldn't think it would be possible.
Re: USS John Warner Is Next Attack Sub
I'm a navy geek. I pay attention to things that I see here and there. I know about the SSGN conversion back in 2002-06.
As for the Virginia class:
There are many other articles about these improvements in magazines, and other internet articles. I don't mean to sound like I'm an expert, I'm not by any means. I just like the navy and pay attention to where it's going. The new ships are great, but for what cost in our rapidly deflating economy? Oh... If you're thinking I'm some construction manager with a big mouth, forget it. I haven't even passed through College yet! Ha! There's a jest.
I'm making an assumption that the new sonars are just as bulky as the old ones... And the ESM stuff... Same thing. Couldn't you just take the old periscope out and put the new one in... But I forgot about the new control pannels and computing stuff for it... I don't know. That's a stretch to fit that in. Point taken.
Point also Taken about the quieting buisness, though those good ol cold war ships are still quiet to begin with, what are we really hiding from these days? I can't see Somalian Pirates coming up with sonar good enough to sense a quiet Los Angeles in a long time, even ever. The Russians don't really have many modern subs coming online, their economy is in the toilet too, but getting better with each passing year. Everyone else doesn't have really enough of an economy or bad political connections to pose a seroius threat. But that was what Neville Chamberlain said before WWII...
The last few batches of Angleleses were fitted with VLS tubes in front. Same as the Virginia class. I don't know why they make the new missiles sound special, they have to be the same size, 21in x 20.51ft.
Again no offense,
Best Regards,
Legend
As for the Virginia class:
There are many other articles about these improvements in magazines, and other internet articles. I don't mean to sound like I'm an expert, I'm not by any means. I just like the navy and pay attention to where it's going. The new ships are great, but for what cost in our rapidly deflating economy? Oh... If you're thinking I'm some construction manager with a big mouth, forget it. I haven't even passed through College yet! Ha! There's a jest.
I'm making an assumption that the new sonars are just as bulky as the old ones... And the ESM stuff... Same thing. Couldn't you just take the old periscope out and put the new one in... But I forgot about the new control pannels and computing stuff for it... I don't know. That's a stretch to fit that in. Point taken.
Point also Taken about the quieting buisness, though those good ol cold war ships are still quiet to begin with, what are we really hiding from these days? I can't see Somalian Pirates coming up with sonar good enough to sense a quiet Los Angeles in a long time, even ever. The Russians don't really have many modern subs coming online, their economy is in the toilet too, but getting better with each passing year. Everyone else doesn't have really enough of an economy or bad political connections to pose a seroius threat. But that was what Neville Chamberlain said before WWII...
The last few batches of Angleleses were fitted with VLS tubes in front. Same as the Virginia class. I don't know why they make the new missiles sound special, they have to be the same size, 21in x 20.51ft.
Again no offense,
Best Regards,
Legend
AND THE SEA SHALL GRANT EACH MAN NEW HOPE, AS SLEEP BRINGS DREAMS.
Re: USS John Warner Is Next Attack Sub
Many of us here are navy geeks. I respect that you are one, but submarines in particular are a favorite topic of mine since I made a number of special operations patrols as a communications technician.
I don't think the weapons are anything special, but the hull form and quieting may be difficult to upgrade without a new submarine class. The newest ones are doing away with the "ball" in the bow for several reasons.
You can definitely upgrade the electronics by upgrading.
One reason to keep building new submarines at a certain minimum rate is if you don't the companies that are part of the processes have to change to something else and you lose the expertise and institutional memory needed to build them. If you are going to have modern submarines you almost have to keep building them, even if you could upgrade the old ones instead. That doesn't mean the old ones don't receive upgrades; they do.
I don't think the weapons are anything special, but the hull form and quieting may be difficult to upgrade without a new submarine class. The newest ones are doing away with the "ball" in the bow for several reasons.
You can definitely upgrade the electronics by upgrading.
One reason to keep building new submarines at a certain minimum rate is if you don't the companies that are part of the processes have to change to something else and you lose the expertise and institutional memory needed to build them. If you are going to have modern submarines you almost have to keep building them, even if you could upgrade the old ones instead. That doesn't mean the old ones don't receive upgrades; they do.