Next-generation U.S. Navy destroyers to have better sensors, longer-range weapons, and laser weapons
WASHINGTON – Destroyers as a category of ship exist for two distinct yet related missions. From the category’s conception in the late 19th century to the present, they’ve been built to escort bigger, more powerful or vulnerable ships, and use their weapons to deter or destroy smaller threats. Popular Science reports. Continue reading original article
The Military & Aerospace Electronics take:
18 Jan 2022 -- The other mission of destroyers is as a platform for offensive weapons, primarily guided missiles, which can launch at ships, buildings, or vehicles at great range.
A next-generation concept showcases the present and near-future enabling technologies that the Navy sees as essential to combat operations in oceans over the coming century. The concept was accompanied by a list of all the ways in which this new destroyer, for now designated as DDG(X), would surpass the capabilities of the already existing and reliable Arleigh Burke class.
The Arleigh Burke class, which entered service in 1991, is expected to serve into the 2060s. To complement and then replace it, the DDG(X) class promises better sensors, longer-range weapons, more missiles, and laser weapons. Not content to just imagine a better destroyer, the concept document wants it to operate at a lower cost, thanks to a new and more efficient power supply.
John Keller, chief editor
Military & Aerospace Electronics
