hmm, Kashtan is about the best thing around at the moment. Wouldn’t think twice when they would ask me wether I want AK-630 or Kashtan. Kashtan it is!! The AK-630s have to work in pairs anyway. So basically you have only 2 CIWS, you would replace them by two Kashtans too, but then you will have an equal amount of guns+ 64 missiles. Indeed deck penetration is necessary and a rather large room is required for the controll too. Yet it doesn’t weigh in against the advantages. Barak requires even more space.

what makes it Formidable? Simple answer, NOTHING.
What made it formidable? The interface between the searchradar, tracking radar (same), illuminators and weapons. It comprised every single step of the defence. It could be put on fully automatic, engaging automatically the targets that were considered as most dangerous by the system and put on semi-auto, where a human hand was still involved.
Also the first use of the SPY-1 radar, which was about the first radar able to track up to 700 targets at a time (I think). Which was of course a major improvement. And the non-rotating antenna, giving full time cover of all sectors.

The thing in MarocMirage’s picture is just the floating dry-dock. Here it’s lowered:

It’s for safety, to make sure the thing doesn’t go to the bottom directly. And you can use them to transport a ship too, although heavy lift ships are better suited for that role.

LPD, depends what you call a LPD…

Russians have nothing in this purpose. The only thing close to it, would be the Slava and Kirov cruisers, with the S300F(M). Mostly their destroyers, Sovremenny and Udaloy are used in a combo, one anti-ship/anti-air (Sovremenny) and one purely anti-submarine (Udaloy).
The new designs of Corvettes and frigates seem to have a version that is equiped with S300FM too. Yet it doesn’t have any active phased array radar and will hence probably lack certain capabilities.

The difference was the base temperature of the water. I suppose they cool it a bit more? Don’t know how though. Should ask that one.
Accessible sources? Like? I got it from Navy personnel.

The speed change is easy to explain. In WWII, they needed speed to manoever, outmanoeuver torpedoes and of course gunshots. You can’t outmanoeuver a Harpoon, let alone a supersonic missile. So, the speed isn’t that much of a requirement anymore. Range has become slightly more important.
The major difference between them is the suite. As the Burke, and F-100 has the SPY-1, which is a passive phased array, used for long-range surveillance in combination with three illuminators (for Burke, don’t know about Alvaro).
The Zeven Provinciën and Sachsen use Smart-L, for long range surveillance and APAR, an Active Phased Array Radar, for illumination. The APAR is a step (and generation, which is also the reason why US developped SPY-3 which is also an active one) ahead of SPY-1, it is used for illumination and can target 12 to 16 targets at one time. While the others are rather limited by their number of seperate illuminators,which also have to turn towards the threat, which takes precious time nowadays.

As for APAR, a juicy remark on that. It was flawed in the beginning. When it first entered service, it was only tested with North Sea Water as a cooling system. Afterwards, it became clear that when they left to go out more South, they couldn’t cool the APAR, rendering it useless. They have now solved the problem I think (don’t know how though). Also, the first helicopter that landed on Zeven Provinciën sank through the helo deck. You can make mistakes, but mistakes this big???

IMHO she’s still the same buttugly ship she was before. The Phalanx seems to be still there, so is the Sea Dart and the Gun. Why the change of magazine? Is it for adding internal strength?
Do you have experience on these ships Steve? It looks like that’s not a heavy sea at all… Considering her relatively low freeboard and the waves surrounding it. It looks more like a longitudinal bad stability, hence starting with slight pitching, increasing by going forward. I could be mistaken though, but that’s my first impression on this. That’s also why I ask whether you have experience, to confirm my thoughts…
What kind of sonar is it? Hull mounted? (I think previous one was hullmounted right?) or bowmounted?

I told you a thousand times Steve, you’re always welcome!!! We regretted your leave, but we aren’t angry about it, everyone has his own life and time to spend!
Yeah, it’s remarkable to see every forum following the others. Quite boring in fact, same sh!t different day…