CVN-21 The US Navy's future aircraft carrier

Compare 13% to 20% reductions in manpower in the first ship to 30 to 40 % reductions in manpower in the second ship. Compare total ownership cost reductions of 8 to 18 % in the first ship to 20 to 50 % reductions in the second ship.

The CVN-21; a catalyst for change.



Essentially, CVN-21 carriers are expected to generate savings in two major ways. One is through an array of design and automation changes to various areas of the ship that reduce the required number of sailors aboard. The other is through reduction in the number of major maintenance overhauls required. NAVSEA expects these changes to save $5 billion per ship over the ships' projected 50-year lifetime. Meanwhile, measures are being taken aimed at improving the carriers' effectiveness and survivability electromagnetic aircraft launching system (EMALS) will replace the steam-powered system used on current ships. The current steam catapults are large, heavy, and operate without feedback control. They impart large loads to the airframe via sudden shock, and are difficult and time consuming to maintain. Additionally, the trend towards heavier, faster aircraft will soon result in energy requirements that exceed the capacity of steam catapults.
EMALS offers a 30% increase in launch energy potential, as well as substantial improvements via reduced weight, smaller volume, and more flexibility; plus increased controllability, availability, reliability, and efficiency. Self-diagnostics can be embedded in it, simplifying maintenance. The other thing that simplifies maintenance is the removal of the 614 kg of steam required for each aircraft launch, plus hydraulics and oils, water for braking, and associated pumps, motors, and control systems. Because an EMALS-based system will take up far less space, it also provides design flexibility. EMALS launchers can be moved far more easily, downsized and incorporated into a ramp to provide additional launchers for short take-off aircraft, etc.
Finally, its steadier acceleration reduces launch strains on naval aircraft, which helps extend their airframe life. That isn't calculated as part of cost savings for the ship, but it definitely adds up over time.
Rear Adm. Dwyer has estimated that these changes will enable the size of the CVN-21 ships' crews to be reduced from about 3,000 to 2,500 and possibly as low as 2,100. Note that some 2,500 personnel are also carried in the air wing, and will not be subject to reductions from any of the methods described here.



These are some new technologies being introduced into the last Nimitz carrier.

A new automated JP-5 jet fuel system with programmable consoles and an improved filtration system (for significant reduction in operational/maintenance workload)


A new vacuum collection sewage system that utilizes fresh water instead of sea water for flushing. This creates fewer long term corrosion problems, and reduces the quantity of sewage from water closets and urinals by ratio of 10 to 1.


Enhanced radio center automation, which involves integrating communications apertures and C4I systems within the radio room to enable an automated full service integrated network that operates at greater effectiveness and efficiency.


A composite mast made from a lighter, composite material instead of steel that reduces topside weight (up to 20 tons) and reduces electromagnetic blockages. It also includes accelerated introduction of new antenna technology: mast clamp current probe antennas will eliminate numerous HF antennas.

Some propulsion plant changes to reduce manpower and maintenance requirements, though this will not represent a full conversion to the new CVN-21 nuclear power plant.


http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/2005/11/design-preparations-continue-for-the-usas-new-cvn21-supercarrier-updated/index.php

The beauty of this next generation carrier is its progressive design. Each new carrier is suppose to incorporate new cost saving technologies ; If it be reduction in crew size or a more efficient carrier design. You can see this progression in the two CVN-21 carrier charts above. I personally wonder what new improvements we will see in the third carrier. Another great thing that might be possible is unmanned vehicles that can drive up and load munitions onto airplanes. This would provide two benefits. One benefit would be a reduction in personnel, another would be reduction of people on the carrier deck moving around. This would help increase sortie rate. With the coming of unmanned air combat vehicles there will also be a reduction in combat wing personnel. The possibilites of future carrier designs are unlimited.

Guided Mortar Munitions

Some impressive technological gains have enhanced accuracy, lethality and combat safety for the modern mortar systems.
Projectile guidance technology has already been used since 1994 in 120 mm mortars, with the IR homing Bofors/Saab Strix (picture below) and the Eastern Block 120 mm Gran (picture at left) mortar rounds. Strix produced by SAAB/Bofors, can engage targets at a range of 7 km, operates in an autonomous heat-seeking mode which can intelligibly recognize targets and discriminate targets among decoys and burning targets. .

Cargo munitions are introducing an innovative new advantage for mortars. One of the munitions promoted for use by the AMOS mobile mortar system is a 120 mm cargo munition jointly developed by the Swiss company RUAG and Israel Military Industries (IMI). The M971 mortar bomb carries 32 x M87 dual purpose (anti-personnel/anti-material/armor) submunitions. Each bomblet has can penetrate up to 105mm of steel and releases 1200 preformatted fragments. According to IMI a single cargo round covers a lethality area of 100x100 meters. The bomblets are equipped with dual-action self destruct fuses to minimize hazardous duds. Another cargo bomb is produced By Instalaza of Spain. Mat-120 is equipped with 21 submunitions, each with an electronic impact fuze that also has self-destruct function.
A "semi-smart" mortar munition is under development at Soltam Defense for 120mm tubes. Designated M150/M151 HE-TAG "Mor", the new design implements laser homing technique for improving the accuracy of the mortar fire against "time-urgent" area targets, rather than hitting point targets at pinpoint accuracy. The idea is to fire a single mortar round on target to neutralize it, thus saving the costly ammunition spent in traditional ranging process. A homing device is fitted to the tip of the bomb, which scans the ground during its terminal trajectory phase searching for the designated target area. Once the laser spot has been acquired, moving tail fins are deployed to correct the bomb's trajectory to impact on the spot. The M150 has a range of 7,2km, the M151 fired from a longer barrel reaches 9,5km.

http://defense-update.com/features/du-1-04/mortar-munitions.htm



Basically were developing cluster mortar munitions. Special forces units could use them to iniate attacks on enemy complexes and achieve chaos and destruction of many enemy combatants. This would give the attack units even more of a chance of victory. The United States is also working on an advanced mortar munition called the Precision Guided Mortar Munition. The main aim of this munition is precision. The use of this munition would be if a special forces unit wanted a time critical strike on a building were a high value suspect would be. Instead of calling in an air strike they could just destroy the target themselves with precision mortar munitions.

Vehicle Mounted Shot Spotter for Iraq.

August 28, 2005 If there’s one thing worse than having snipers shooting at you, it’s getting shot at and not knowing. That’s the bizarre situation US Forces have encountered in both Iraq and Afghanistan as they travel the vast distances in convoys, unable to tell if a bullet has just flown past amidst the noise, dust, and rumble of up to 100 war machines around them. DARPA and BBN Technologies decided to tackle this increasingly common problem and came up with the device at right. It’s called the Boomerang Mobile Shooter Detection System and alerts soldiers of incoming sniper fire to give them the opportunity to retreat to safety or return fire before they are hit. The Boomerang units attach to a vehicle and use seven small microphones, arranged like the spine of a sea urchin, to detect both the muzzle blast and the shock wave from a speeding bullet. Once a sniper's bullet is detected, Boomerang's display panel, which is located inside the vehicle, alerts soldiers through audio and visual signals that a bullet has been fired, its direction and elevation. Boomerang is currently being trialled on 50 Humvees in Iraq.

http://www.gizmag.com/go/4497/




One of the great things the war in Iraq is teaching us is how to fight terrorists in urban environments. Its also giving us the chance to develop technologies to counter IEDs and sniper fire. The boomerang is one of those examples. My hope is that this technology gets fielded on more vehicles and we can counter the Iraqi sniper threat. It could also have a use in detecting snipers in mountain and jungle terrain. With this technology we can also develop tactics and learn how to interpret the signals from the computer gives us even better. All in all its encouraging that were learning from the war in Iraq and developing new technologies.