Lexington Institute on the CG(X)

Don’t forget they also would like to get KEI to sea. (Of course it has to make it off the drawing board first. 😉 )

That is the one function I could see for a ship like this. A kind of 21st century Kirov. Huge and armed with KEI for ABM (and other interception tasks that may arise) and the planned land attack version for surface tasks, to support the carrier groups.

http://lexingtoninstitute.org/docs/795.pdf

Is a little bit OT, but since among the CG(X)’s task will also be BMD for a CBG, it kind of fits.

A couple of remarks:
# I’m really amazed that they want to build that vessel with non-nuclear propulsion. (Even though I recently read somewhere, that the CGN(X) will be the BMD cruiser, and the CG(X) the CBG escort cruiser).
With 30MW for the initial radar alone, I’d not even think about going conventional. That’s two LM2500 for the radar alone. If you add a laser gun or rail gun you’d need another gas turbine, plus four to propell the ship. That’s six LM6000 or eight LM2500+.
# The idea of basing the CG(X) on the DD(X) is questionable. With that top-heavy radar and the need to have at least two more gas turbines – I don’t know.
# Also the question of missiles. The currently longest SM is around 6.55m, a future interceptor of 8 or 9 meter length is possible (Sprint was 8.2m, Spartan almost 17m long). Not sure you can fit such a thing into the same hull as DD(X)

Don’t forget they also would like to get KEI to sea. (Of course it has to make it off the drawing board first. 😉 )

This is all a very very long way off. At best we are in the early concept phase…….probably less than that.

The problem with nuclear is cost, but with this vessel cost may be so high they may as well go nuclear anyway if anything like it is officially planned. In which case the USN had better start getting a low end GP frigate ready or end up with a future surface combatant fleet barely into double figures….