Page 35: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (December 2022)

GREAT SHIPS of 2022 the ? eet. The Flight III incorporates a signi? cantly different defense for carrier strike groups. The replacement for the Ti- and improved SPY-6(V)1 radar than the SPY-1 found on ear- conderogas will be the new “large surface combatant,” now lier AEGIS cruisers and destroyers. The new technology of called “DDGX.” the more capable SPY-6(V)1 Air and Missile Defense Radar The Navy has told the Congress that it is committed to a (AMDR) is the major difference. There are also signi? cant smooth and successful transition from DDG 51 to DDG(X) upgrades to the ship’s electrical power and cooling systems, starting around FY 2030. “The transition will preserve the but not enough space, weight power and cooling for the antici- critical shipbuilding and supplier industrial base by executing pated energy weapons. a collaborative design process with current DDG 51 shipyards

As part of the DDG 51 restart, DDGs 113 to 124, along with and transitioning to a proven limited competition model be-

DDG 127, are Flight IIA ships with AEGIS Baseline 9 capa- tween these shipyards at the right point in ship construction.” bilities. DDGs 125, 126 and DDG 128 and follow are Flight Both the new DDGX and Constellation class (FFG 62) frig-

III DDG-51s with AEGIS baseline 10 to exploit the enhanced ates will have versions of the scalable SPY-6 radar and the capabilities of the SPY-6 radar system. latest Aegis baseline.

While the Navy will continue to build more Arleigh The DDG modernization program continues to deliver a

Burkes, it faces a shortfall of Ticonderoga-class guided mis- comprehensive mid-life upgrade to ensure the DDG 51 class sile cruisers, which are needed to provide air and missile will maintain mission relevance. “DDG Mod” brings the old- er ships up to the latest AEGIS baseline and combat system “advance capability build,” and creates commonality among both new construction ships and modernized in-service ships.

But no matter how much the Arleigh Burke systems are upgraded or modernized, there is ? nite room within the hull, and there is limited margin for the space, weight, power and cooling necessary to equip these platforms with future energy weapons such as lasers, high-power microwaves and electro- magnetic rail guns without tradeoffs of existing systems.

While the Navy needs more ships, in part because the Ti- conderoga-class has reached its expected service life (ESL),

Navy leadership acknowledges that the industrial capacity of

American shipyards could limit how many new surface com- batants could be built, and how long it will take to build them.

The guided-missile destroyer

USS Mustin (DDG 89) ? res a

Standard Missile 2 missile from the ship’s forward and aft missile decks during a missile exercise. Mustin is one of seven guided missile destroyers assigned to Destroyer

Squadron 15 and is forward deployed to Yokosuka, Japan.

U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Devon Dow/Released www.marinelink.com 35

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