Foredeck Telescopic Navigation Radar Mast

[Little h]

USS Zumwalt DDG 1000

1 Zumwalt 161208-N-OR184-0044 USNI usni.org (2).jpg

1 Zumwalt DDG-1000-USS-Zumwalt-025 seaforces.org (2).jpg

Seems like a good idea .... but:-

The ship moved out of the harbor with an SPS-73 navigation radar rotating atop a mast on the foredeck, but as it began to sway with the sea the mast was retracted, periscope-fashion, into the hull.


The source of the excerpt (above) is here

______________________________________________

By that brief account this installation (the mast) was not a raging success. One wonders who or what department was responsible for the procurement of the mast.


AN/SPS-73 Navigation Radar; see some details at Radar Basics

[ivorthediver]

Thank you Harry thats a very interesting post .

I know you would have honed in on the Radar element , but did you also read the reference made to the Marines combat vests carrying inbuilt photo electric Mini Grid systems developed by the USN Naval development niche ?

I'm sure you will correct me if I'm wrong, but they claim that these combat vests which were designed to reduce the load carried by their Marines have integrated water purification systems , to enable longer range patrols without having to be burdened with additional water vessels , and the vest creates power for the combat equipment [ radios , gps, laser sites ?, inter combatants comms , night vision goggles , and each unit can be a "collective" by transferring power to one and another and transferring this power to each other [ presumably by blue tooth ] ......all of which is mind blowing .....and yet wonderful from the individual Marines standpoint.

It makes you wonder how long it will be before each mariner on board would end up as an automatous unit aboard the vessel and not requiring comms as we know them ......

[Little h]

USS Michael Monsoor DDG 1001

It appears that the retractable/telescopic radar mast was not abandoned - but was installed on the 2nd Zumwalt Class DDG

as seen from off the port bow

DDG-1001-USS-Michael-Monsoor-006 seaforces.org (2).jpg

as seen from off the stbd bow

DDG-1001-USS-Michael-Monsoor-007 large seaforces.org (3).jpg

as seen from the back of the foredeck fwd of the deckhouse structure

DDG-1001-USS-Michael-Monsoor-010 seaforces.og (2).jpg

Attribution; all attachments derived from images posted on seaforces.org/usnships//DDG-1001-USS-Michael-Monsoor

[Little h]

Thank you Harry thats a very interesting post .

I know you would have honed in on the Radar element , but did you also read the reference made to the Marines combat vests carrying inbuilt photo electric Mini Grid systems developed by the USN Naval development niche ?

It makes you wonder how long it will be before each mariner on board would end up as an automatous unit aboard the vessel and not requiring comms as we know them ......

At which point such units will be known as androids or humanoid robots - controlled via satellite from a hangar in Cambridgeshire - landed via USV or UUV controlled from Northwood via Cambridgeshire

[ivorthediver]

A Truly sobering thought eh Harry , still technology marches on at a pace and we shouldn't be surprised if its within our lifetime .....old as we are ......lets face it the USA has so many agencies working under their own directives anything is possible

[Little h]

USS Lyndon B Johnson DDG 1002

Launched 9th December 2018

The 3rd (and final) ship in the Zumwalt Class DDG; will we see her make it a triple offering of (extendable/retractable) telescopic navigation radar masts, mounted in the foredeck?

[ivorthediver]

Indeed we will Harry , but what other little refinements is she kitted out with undergoing trials that we have yet to hear of one can only speculate on , but I'm sure there will be others that surface in the fullness of time .....bring them on .....and lets us know [ unless we have them already of course , then WE can refine them further eh

[Little h]

USS ZUMWALT DDG1000

Herewith an image (with good resolution) of the telescopic mast with surmounted by the radar antenna derived from an original carried on the website of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command USINDOPACOM.

Attachment; derived from an original photograph - taken from the edge of the jetty alongside which the ship was moored off the port bow and looking upward and aft.

161208-N-OR184-0106 U.S. Indo-Pacific Command USINDOPACOM (2).JPG

An image (of reasonable resolution) taken off the stbd bow appears in a previous post on this thread.