21st century battleship thought experiment

BlackDragon98

Freikorps Kommandant
Banned - Politics
EMP shielded tech
EMPs are not a magic "turn off technology" button, it's thus far proven far easier to shield electronics against EMP than it has been to force a pulse through that shielding, and there's no indication that's going to change anytime soon.
Computer virus hits the system and wipes out everything.
Russia did that to Ukraine during their little war in the Donbass and Crimea.
China is far ahead of most countries in terms of cyberwarfare.

Best refurbish USS Missouri just in case.
Cause no matter how high tech things get, a 16" shell will still blow to Kingdom Come.
 

Zachowon

The Army Life for me! The POG life for me!
Founder
Computer virus hits the system and wipes out everything.
Russia did that to Ukraine during their little war in the Donbass and Crimea.
China is far ahead of most countries in terms of cyberwarfare.

Best refurbish USS Missouri just in case.
Cause no matter how high tech things get, a 16" shell will still blow to Kingdom Come.
Still not gonna happen.
 

Battlegrinder

Someday we will win, no matter what it takes.
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Obozny
Computer virus hits the system and wipes out everything.
Russia did that to Ukraine during their little war in the Donbass and Crimea.
China is far ahead of most countries in terms of cyberwarfare.

Best refurbish USS Missouri just in case.
Cause no matter how high tech things get, a 16" shell will still blow to Kingdom Come.

1. As Zach said, that won't happen. You can't just infect "the system" with a virus and wipe out everything, there is no "the system", modern ships have computers in separate, isolated networks to prevent exactly this kind of thing.

2. If it does, and you fire up the older stuff...great. You have an obsolete warship, they have all the weapons and technology that made that warship obsolete in the first place. Not a great matchup.
 

Zachowon

The Army Life for me! The POG life for me!
Founder
They would have to get the virus aboard the ship manually in order for such a thing to jappen.
 

Bacle

When the effort is no longer profitable...
Founder
At this point, we may need the reserve fleet and Iowa's just to keep our surface fleet operational:
 

Captain X

Well-known member
Osaul
I hear they're having issues keeping all their ships manned properly. It's apparently the reason they keep falling asleep at the wheel and running into things. ;)
 

Aaron Fox

Well-known member
I hear they're having issues keeping all their ships manned properly. It's apparently the reason they keep falling asleep at the wheel and running into things. ;)
The biggest problem is that Congress went back to its 'fuck the military' BS back in the '90s. Clinton tried to fix that problem by doing the old 'invest in the economy to grow the economy' method but the GOP's 'Tax Cuts Uber Alles' mentality put a dink on that plan alongside the dotcom bubble bursting. Then there were the almost 10 years of stupid war-making that happened that drained and strained everything...

... then Congresscritters get surprised that the US military, in general, has a retention problem.

My '21st Century Battleship' is simply taking an Alaska-type hull, have a fission (or fusion, if available) power plant capable of moving the ship at carrier speeds, some conventional 5-inch guns, some large-caliber railguns (at most four), two ESSM VLS banks. two ASROC VLS banks, two offensive missile VLS banks, two Standard 2/3/6 VLS banks, about half a dozen laser cannons (hopefully UV Pulse lasers, because if they're not ready then you're boned), a half a dozen DARDO twin-40mm CWIS mounts with HEPF ammunition or the 57mm gun with HEPF ammunition, and half a dozen seaRAM pods. Its mission is fire support and is, essentially, a giant floating defensive battery for missile spam. Add top-of-the-line sonar, radar, and (hopefully) LIDAR; a composite metal foam framework; and probably Battletech-style armor to round everything out with the usual helicopter support.

You'll probably only get one per fleet due to the possible expense though.
 

Bacle

When the effort is no longer profitable...
Founder
Facepalm.

Whoever is the First LT on those ships need to have their ass sacked. Back in my day you did not have rusty ships sailing around.
Back in your day they weren't trying to operate most non-subs or non-carriers with skeleton crews.

Our surface combatants, outside of CVs, have been second priority for a bit, and the Navy hasn't been able to pay well enough to retain non-coms.

It's sad state of affairs, that's for damn sure.
 

Sailor.X

Cold War Veteran
Founder
Back in your day they weren't trying to operate most non-subs or non-carriers with skeleton crews.

Our surface combatants, outside of CVs, have been second priority for a bit, and the Navy hasn't been able to pay well enough to retain non-coms.

It's sad state of affairs, that's for damn sure.
My old ass is gonna have to go back in to help fix things ain't I.
 

Bacle

When the effort is no longer profitable...
Founder
My old ass is gonna have to go back in to help fix things ain't I.
Not sure it would help, the budget issues and officer-cult atmosphere that is causing most of the problems are nearly to the point of being systemic in the surface Navy now.

Untill Congress gives the Navy more money, and non-coms get better pay/perks, the issues won't go away.
 

Sailor.X

Cold War Veteran
Founder
Not sure it would help, the budget issues and officer-cult atmosphere that is causing most of the problems are nearly to the point of being systemic in the surface Navy now.

Untill Congress gives the Navy more money, and non-coms get better pay/perks, the issues won't go away.
Crap. Damn Congress Critters done screwed the pooch. In 1990 we had the Greatest Navy the world had ever known. And now it is just heartbreaking. :(
 

Aaron Fox

Well-known member
To be fair the making Tillman Battleship designs actually taught the USN some useful things which were used in the first South Dakota class and the later Standards
While true, it is problematic for the US's geopolitical goals (i.e. 'cost of trade is practically free') right now.
 

paulobrito

Well-known member
Not sure it would help, the budget issues and officer-cult atmosphere that is causing most of the problems are nearly to the point of being systemic in the surface Navy now.

Untill Congress gives the Navy more money, and non-coms get better pay/perks, the issues won't go away.
If the Navy receives more money, it is wasted in more expensive toys (aka pork for the big companies that give jobs for politicians and admirals) and not in more and better paid non-coms. That's how it works.
 

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