Stealth ships steam ahead

The Swedish Navy is testing out a new ship which is believed to be the most "invisible" yet. The Royal Navy and the US Navy both have plans of their own for similarly futuristic "stealth" ships.

• Length: 73 metres
  
• Displacement: 600 tonnes
  
• Crew: 43
  
• Speed: 35 knots
  
• Hull: Carbon fibre reinforced plastic
  
• Cost: �100m ($184m)
  

The Visby is designed to have a low key radar signature
Ever since radar was invented by the British during World War II, military boffins have been trying to think of ways to beat it.

The first Visby corvette, designed by the Swedish shipbuilders Kockums and built at their Karlskrona yard, has just completed sea trials with the Royal Swedish Navy. It will come into service in January and will be followed by four more.

The new ship is also controlled by state-of-the-art computers using a Windows NT operating system. (COMMENT: This may be a slight weakness!)

American designers are working on the US Navy's own fleet of stealth ships, the DD(X) destroyer, which is due to enter service in 2011.

Northrop Grumman Ship Systems is leading a consortium which has been given the $2.8bn contract to build the futuristic ships.

Northrop Grumman spokesman Brian Cullin told BBC News Online: "The DD(X) will be as revolutionary as the Dreadnought was when the British introduced it at the turn of the last century."

He said the DD(X) would save the US Navy a fortune in running costs because it would have 200 less sailors to operate it than the existing Arleigh Burke class.

• Length: 208 metres
  
• Displacement: 14,000 tonnes
  
• Crew: 125-150
  
• Speed: 30 knots
  
• Hull: Steel
  
• Cost: $2.8bn (�1.5bn)
  
• Replaces: Arleigh Burke destroyers
  

Source BBC Website - see Full article

The U.S. already has a stealth ship.
www.fas.org..." target="_blank" class="postlink" rel="nofollow">www.fas.org...

I dont know about a British version anyone have any info on that?

Originally posted by Janus
The U.S. already has a stealth ship.
www.fas.org..." target="_blank" class="postlink" rel="nofollow">www.fas.org...

I dont know about a British version anyone have any info on that?

The sea shadow was not an active service vessel but a test bed, though it is noteworthy that it was recently re-activated for test duties.

If you read the BBC article it goes on about how stealth has infleuenced the design of the Type 23 and Type 45 warships (mainly to do with the angling of the superstructure).

Ah sorry i didnt read the full article, im spreading my time between my pc and decorating the house, sorry about that i will read the full link when i get a chance.

Don?t want to sound mad or something but what ship is this on the link they revere to it as a stealth ship

www.worldthinktank.com...
Stealth%20ship.jpg

4 pic down.

Link:www.worldthinktank.com...]worldthinktank


Mod edit to change over-sized image/photo to a direct link.

[edit on 21-7-2005 by Seekerof]

I wounder what level of protection the Visby offers it's crew against shrapnel and such since it seems to be made in large parts of "Hull: Carbon fibre reinforced plastic "?
I can imagine it's a great ship until someone actually detects it.. Then they'll sink it with anything larger than a .22

its got a nice paint job. should stand out a mile

Anyway i thought the future is in space

Originally posted by vaswegpg
Don�t want to sound mad or something but what ship is this on the link they revere to it as a stealth ship


Stealth%20ship.jpg

4 pic down.

Link:worldthinktank

It is a French La Fayette-class frigates (See Global Security - La Fayette)which are the world's first operational warship designed from the keel up for stealth and survivability. These multimission vessels feature a modular design that can be readily adapted to the specific requirements of each client navy. Fourteen units have been ordered by France, Taiwan and Saudi Arabia. A number are already in service, the remainder under construction.

The ship in the photo is Guepratte (F 714) -(did a google search on F714 Stealth)







[edit on 11-6-2004 by Popeye]

Originally posted by Janus
The U.S. already has a stealth ship.
www.fas.org..." target="_blank" class="postlink" rel="nofollow">www.fas.org...

I dont know about a British version anyone have any info on that?

I heard Sea Shadow could go more than 100 km/h, because by speeds over 50km/h the ship hull acts like a wing and the ship is slightly lifted.

These new ship look BEAUTIFUL!!!!

Out,
Russian

The US has been developing such for quite sometime. Here is the very first US prototype; only a few hand-drawn sketches remain of this once super-secret craft/vessel:
US Naval Historical Center

external image





seekerof

[edit on 21-7-2005 by Seekerof]

*looks at the pics and nods*

Hmmmm.... Mmmm.....

*scratches head*

No comment.

the ships could have stealth optic cammo to blend into the water??

Well I don't know the french and others ambition but the swedish ships are not designed to optically blend into the water. It's incredibly hard to do that.. Most ships play on the "break up the outline" trick as you probably know. But the swedish concept is also to use the coasts and islands off sweden as part of the camouflage. Less open water and more skulk among the cluttering of islands..




A patrolboat takes 5-12 minutes to hide with the onboard nets. And that was with the old only visual-only nets that tended to get stuck EVERYWHERE. I swear I saw it snag on a smooth surface..

Originally posted by Popeye
If you read the BBC article it goes on about how stealth has infleuenced the design of the Type 23 and Type 45 warships (mainly to do with the angling of the superstructure).

I think Arleigh Burke-class was first serial production ship in which design they used stealth. (at least little)

First of Singapore's six Lafayette class "Delta" version stealth frigate being launched into the harbour at Brittany, France. This one is called the RSS Formidable.

They will be termed as the "Formidable" class of frigate in Singapore and all will be operational by 2009. The one shown above is as yet incomplete as most of the combat and other systems are not fitted yet. That's why there is a complete abscence of mast and other protruding things. I think they do this to make sure the boat floats before they add in all the expensive stuff.

Completed may look like this:


The remaining 5 will be built by Singapore. This "Delta" or Singapore version of the Lafayette stealth frigate apparently has substantial improvements over the original as specified by our country. Supposedly even more invisible to radar than the original.

Probably has Harpoon anti-ship missiles like the rest of the fleet.

This article here navyleag.customer.netspace.net.au... written by someone associated with the Australian Navy suggests that Singapore has the 3rd strongest navy in Asia after Japan and the US Pacific Fleet.

[edit on 14-6-2004 by tvdog]

[edit on 14-6-2004 by tvdog]

Not forgetting the stealth capabilties of the Chinese type-52c guided missile destroyers



Heavily influenced by the french from what I gather

I'm curious were you got this info, because to me it looks more like an American design rather than a French one. It looks like a quality job unlike what the French are making right now, right now the French want to build their ships to the commercial standard rather than the military standard. Which is a lot cheaper but not as advanced as the US is used to building their ships.

Originally posted by vaswegpg
Don?t want to sound mad or something but what ship is this on the link they revere to it as a stealth ship

www.worldthinktank.com...
Stealth%20ship.jpg

4 pic down.

Link:www.worldthinktank.com...]worldthinktank

www.naval-technology.com...
one more ship france built ( its the same ) but more detail on the ship design


Mod-edit to change oversized image/photo to direct link

[edit on 21-7-2005 by Seekerof]

Originally posted by tubby bells
its got a nice paint job. should stand out a mile

Anyway i thought the future is in space

dude the paint is part of the armour.
also grey does blend in with the sea BTW.