The Influence of History

There is a cliched saying that, "Amateurs study tactics while professionals study logistics." But as there is growing interest and debate about the future of naval warfare between great powers, the influence of logistics appears to have been relegated to an afterthought. The world has not seen a full-scale naval war for almost 80 years, and technology has changed dramatically since then. In fact, technology continues changing at a breakneck pace, and numerous game-changers currently wait in the wings, ready to take their position on center stage. But as we ponder the ramifications of hypersonics, lasers, railguns, cyberwar, space-based weapons, and the whole gamut of unmanned systems, we need to remember that no amount of future weapons will eliminate the need for logistics. For the USN, logistics is a particularly critical need given America's chosen strategy of operating forward and challenging the enemy in their own backyard. However, as the number of speeches, reports...

The Spruance -class destroyers have probably the most complex missile loadout history of any non-air defense ship. Unfortunately, the numerous changes and variation have surprisingly little available documentation and I have been forced to rely heavily on photographs to fill in the gaps. Therefore, many of the dates in this post are only estimates. The Spruance -class was designed during the late 1960’s as a modern warship to replace the large number of WWII-era Fletcher , Allen M Sumner , and Gearing -class class destroyers that were swiftly becoming obsolete. Force structure analysis during the design process revealed that while air defense systems significantly increased unit cost, it was ASW that drove force size requirements. Therefore, it was decided to supplement DDG and DLG production with a more affordable DD design that eventually became the Spruance -class. In a drive for greater efficiency, the DD would also share its hull with a DDG design. While the related DDG was neve...

The 052-series destroyers have represented the cutting edge of Chinese naval technology in the post-Cold War period. The original Type 052 destroyer joined the fleet in 1994 and, although its capabilities were limited, it is considered China’s first modern warship. The basic design proved solid and went through several variations, each dramatically improving its combat systems and missile armament. In its latest iteration as the Type 052D, it forms the backbone of the Chinese surface fleet and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Type 052 The original Type 052 was a basic 155 meter multipurpose destroyer with an emphasis on antisurface warfare. The two members of the class incorporated many foreign technologies and were more experimental platforms than serious warships. The offensive missile battery consisted of an impressive 16 YJ-83 antiship missiles in canister launchers amidship. With a range of 200 kilometers and a 420-pound warhead, these missiles gave the Type 05...

The Arleigh Burke -class guided missile destroyer was the first of a new generation of warships. Although designed and designated as destroyers, the size and capability of these ships meant that they ended up effectively filling the role previously occupied by the missile cruisers. As the years have passed, the modular nature of their combat systems has allowed them to easily accommodate new weapons and missions, until today they stand alone as the most capable multi-mission surface combatants afloat. Arleigh Burke Flight I Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) commissioned in 1991 with just three missiles: SM-2, the conventional land attack Tomahawk , and Harpoon. Although it is almost certain that she was she was designed for the nuclear and antiship versions of Tomahawk, those were withdrawn from service with the end of the Cold War and were likely never carried by any ship of the class. Further, delays with the Vertically Launched ASROC (VLA) program meant that weapon was also was not avail...

A JMSDF Helicopter Destroyer (140-series hull number) and Missile Boat (800-series hull number) The JMSDF utilizes a hull designation system that is on the surface quite similar to that of the USN. However, a second look will reveal that it does not follow the same rules. Hull designations are not unique (there have been two of DD-101 through DD-119) and numbers are assigned out of order (DD-101 immediately followed DD-158). But on closer examination, one will discover that it actually conveys more information than the USN system. The principle that must be remembered is that, in contrast with the USN, it is the numbers that are the key while the letters are actually somewhat redundant. All JMSDF ships, regardless of letter designations, follow the same set of rules for number designations. The first rule is that the leading digit of a ship’s number (when combined with the total number of digits) reveals her general class - for instance, all destroyers have a number in the 100 r...

Gyatt (DDG-1) The United States Navy’s first guided missile destroyer was the converted  Gearing -class destroyer  Gyatt (originally given the designation DDG-712 during her conversion, she was renumbered DDG-1 five months after recommissioning). Gyatt rejoined the fleet in 1956 with a Mk8 twin arm Terrier launcher and a fourteen round magazine replacing her torpedoes and aft 5" mount. However, she was always something of a test platform to determine the practicality of putting missiles on destroyers and in 1962, just six years after recommissioning, the Terrier launcher was removed and Gyatt reverted to her original destroyer designation Gyatt (DDG-712) in 1956: 14x Terrier Charles F. Adams-class While Gyatt conversion had tried to put too big a missile on too small a ship, the Navy still desired guided missile destroyers and the development of the smaller Tartar missile made it possible. The first purpose built guided missile destroyers were the Charles F. Adams -...