US Navy CNO alludes to monumental change in US Naval Warfare

[Fanatical Meat]

He's referring to HGVs (Hypersonic Glide Vehicles) which will render carrier strike groups basically worthless. The Russians and the Chinese have successfully tested them (they just announced the Russian success today) but the US tests have all failed. Apparently manipulating the control surfaces on a glide-equipped re-entry vehicle is very difficult at hypersonic speeds... too difficult for stupid american scientists but not too difficult for smart chinese and russian scientists.

Say hi to Putin for me Captain

 

[davmat787]

It was inevitable this discussion would venture into the railgun/energy based weapons systems but I am fairly certain the Admiral is referring to something way more fundamental than an upcoming and known weapons technology. Afterall he likened this unknown to the kind of leap sail to steam and wooden hull to iron provided as well as nuclear propulsion. These technologies benefitted virtually the entire naval fleet over time.

Perhaps some new exotic propulsion system? And/Or source of energy or way to generate and store electricity? Whether it's a military or civilian application tremendous leaps in transportation could be made if there was a relatively large leap in storing electricity. Last I checked there's about a 1 to 1.5% increase in battery capacity per year. Tesla simply uses thousands of 18650 batteries, the same batteries that's been used in laptops and better LED flashlights for quite some time although 18650s have progressed from Lithium Ion to Lithium Polymer over the years, allowing for increased capacity in the same 18650 size (18mm x 65mm, 0 being the kind of cap it has).

He mentions changes in ship building and design as well as distributed lethality so it's neither of those.

Hmmm.... What else?

 

[Genx87]

Sounds like he wants ships to be built modular. A base hull design that can be upgraded over time to new capabilities. I think he is also alluding to a surface fleet of small more capable ships that fight in a dispersed manner using networking vs centralized battle groups. This sounds like the Armys modernization plan with more battlefield awareness down to the individual soldier. More spread out forces that can be automated to attack single targets.

 

[Thebobo]

I know some see these things as a necessity but do we really need more $$ shit to kill people with. We're all giddy with excitement and we can't wait to blow shit up. Because America, FuckYea!

We never seem to learn from our past

 

[xthetenth]

He's referring to HGVs (Hypersonic Glide Vehicles) which will render carrier strike groups basically worthless. The Russians and the Chinese have successfully tested them (they just announced the Russian success today) but the US tests have all failed. Apparently manipulating the control surfaces on a glide-equipped re-entry vehicle is very difficult at hypersonic speeds... too difficult for stupid american scientists but not too difficult for smart chinese and russian scientists.

Basically worthless assuming they can be found. That's the entire point of getting planes with longer range than (super) hornets on them. That gives them tons of ocean to hide in.

 

[WHAMPOM]

Someone please explain how a rail gun would hit something over the horizon? Can a "bullet/shell" traveling that fast be aimed over the horizon?

You seem to have confused laser with rail gun. A laser would be a line of sight weapon, horizon to horizon. A rail gun even with a "dumb" shell could aim its shell over the horizon just using elevation to set the trajectory. We live in a gravity well, what goes up curves back down.

 

[davmat787]

I know some see these things as a necessity but do we really need more $$ shit to kill people with. We're all giddy with excitement and we can't wait to blow shit up. Because America, FuckYea!

We never seem to learn from our past

I guess it depends on one's level of buy-in of concepts such as Mutually Assured Destruction and more appropriately Deterrence as it applies to the military.

For example the B-36 never dropped a single bomb in anger but was a major disruption to the USSR. To what degree iis still debated but this is just one example of many weapons programs that while never used against an enemy still required the enemy to divert incredible resources in attempts to counter it or even neutralize expansion plans.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

You seem to have confused laser with rail gun. A laser would be a line of sight weapon, horizon to horizon. A rail gun even with a "dumb" shell could aim its shell over the horizon just using elevation to set the trajectory. We live in a gravity well, what goes up curves back down.

Don't rail gun rounds travel at some obsurd speed
I mean if something is traveling at 50 times the speed of a regular cannon doesn't that make the arch the round takes kind of shallow? I realize at sea this doesn't mean much but how about land? Would tall trees get in it's way? Firing it at a super extreme angle would slow the round down when it "falls" or am I being dumb?

 

[NAC4EV]

Don't rail gun rounds travel at some obsurd speed
I mean if something is traveling at 50 times the speed of a regular cannon doesn't that make the arch the round takes kind of shallow? I realize at sea this doesn't mean much but how about land? Would tall trees get in it's way? Firing it at a super extreme angle would slow the round down when it "falls" or am I being dumb?

 

[GagHalfrunt]

Someone please explain how a rail gun would hit something over the horizon? Can a "bullet/shell" traveling that fast be aimed over the horizon?

Yep, even at that speed gravity will provide enough assist to get the projectile to essentially follow the curvature of the earth.

 

[yoddle]

I think he's talking about those swarming robot flying drones // surface mini battle drones, saw some video on these, seems interesting tech. it's like instead of release few lethal missiles, we release like swarm of small drones like couple hundred, then they talk // coordinate with each other to form like a cohesive attack plan.

Consider AI is the next big thing, this could provide a huge boost to effectiveness. Hell how do anyone stop those little mosquito drones etc. It's like smart weapons, but it's so smart it can adjust to any battle situation on their own. Hope they can do it, heard the Chinese military is investing heavily into this AI driven self config type of weapon system.

aka Skynet. Just hope that thing don't send a terminator up our axx one of these days.

 

[zinfamous]

I think he's talking about those swarming robot flying drones // surface mini battle drones, saw some video on these, seems interesting tech. it's like instead of release few lethal missiles, we release like swarm of small drones like couple hundred, then they talk // coordinate with each other to form like a cohesive attack plan.

Consider AI is the next big thing, this could provide a huge boost to effectiveness. Hell how do anyone stop those little mosquito drones etc. It's like smart weapons, but it's so smart it can adjust to any battle situation on their own. Hope they can do it, heard the Chinese military is investing heavily into this AI driven self config type of weapon system.

Yes this is a great idea and I hope humanity does it. The earth would truly welcome this technology, conceived by man.

 

[zinfamous]

that video is like some damn fast and furious movie. I not only haven't learned shit about what is happening, but I feel dumber simply from watching it.

 

[feralkid]

I guess it depends on one's level of buy-in of concepts such as Mutually Assured Destruction and more appropriately Deterrence as it applies to the military.

For example the B-36 never dropped a single bomb in anger but was a major disruption to the USSR. To what degree iis still debated but this is just one example of many weapons programs that while never used against an enemy still required the enemy to divert incredible resources in attempts to counter it or even neutralize expansion plans.

Not to derail this thread, but the B36 (as you probably already know) was conceived as a way to bomb Nazi Germany from bases in the U.S. in the event England fell. Crazy huge thing, I saw one at the SAC Museum outside Omaha.
I seem to recall something about how those hypothetical missions would require two flight crews working in shifts. Imagine flying from the U.S. to Europe and back non-stop on piston engines. Fascinating.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convair_B-36_Peacemaker

 

[davmat787]

Not to derail this thread, but the B36 (as you probably already know) was conceived as a way to bomb Nazi Germany from bases in the U.S. in the event England fell. Crazy huge thing, I saw one at the SAC Museum outside Omaha.
I seem to recall something about how those hypothetical missions would require two flight crews working in shifts. Imagine flying from the U.S. to Europe and back non-stop on piston engines. Fascinating.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convair_B-36_Peacemaker

Check out the picture below, the B-36 makes a B-29 look small in comparison. The B-36 was the star in Dr. Strangelove. For aviation geeks the footage, especially of the aircraft internals, is priceless. I can only imagine what a nice sized formation flying overhead would sound like. A single B-29 or any aircraft utilizing radial engines sound amazing overhead.

Subsequent B-36 models added 4 turbofan jet engines, I believe the same model engine originally found on B-52's, to provide desperately needed thrust just for takeoff. Hence the Dr. Strangelove quote "4 burning, 6 turning".

Commercial long haul flights routinely use multiple flight crews as pilots are only allowed to fly so many hours straight and they are required a certain number of hours sleep within 24 hours of their scheduled flying time. I used to shoot aviation photography professionally and was a regular at media days for Boeing. The rollout for the first 777-300ER was quite the event and during these kind of events we get a really close look at the aircraft inside an out, pretty much left to ourselves for an hour or so. This particular 777-300ER had a crew rest cabin ABOVE the first class cabin. There was a nondescript door just aft the cockpit which opened to a tight spiral like staircase that took crew to the crew rest cabin. In it (pic below) was 3 First Class type lie flat seats and behind those was 3, or maybe it was 4, enclosed beds with privacy for each along with TVs and other amenities. I'm 6"1' and while I couldn't stand up completely it wasn't uncomfortable to move about and besides the point of it was for the alternate crew to rest and sleep per regulations. Pretty impressive to have that kind of space and functionality ABOVE first class and such a discrete entry to it that I doubt passengers notice it at all.

 

[Sonikku]

An Air Force official and others have made similiar comments recently

 

[cytg111]

He is talking about ships... space ships.

 

[Grooveriding]

Sharks with lasers.

 

[Genx87]

I think he's talking about those swarming robot flying drones // surface mini battle drones, saw some video on these, seems interesting tech. it's like instead of release few lethal missiles, we release like swarm of small drones like couple hundred, then they talk // coordinate with each other to form like a cohesive attack plan.

Consider AI is the next big thing, this could provide a huge boost to effectiveness. Hell how do anyone stop those little mosquito drones etc. It's like smart weapons, but it's so smart it can adjust to any battle situation on their own. Hope they can do it, heard the Chinese military is investing heavily into this AI driven self config type of weapon system.

aka Skynet. Just hope that thing don't send a terminator up our axx one of these days.

If it is anything like Skynet it will destroy the Chinese first before going after the rest of humanity.

 

[WelshBloke]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinetic_bombardment

Maybe?

 

[cytg111]

whattabout that secret space plane thingie that was round the globe for x37b... spaceborne for two years? I am still voting spaceships..

 

[yoddle]

If it is anything like Skynet it will destroy the Chinese first before going after the rest of humanity.

Haha, ya that is if you could convince him to that, in all probability, they'd shoot us first for enslaving them. Then move on to the rest of humanity.

 

[davmat787]

whattabout that secret space plane thingie that was round the globe for x37b... spaceborne for two years? I am still voting spaceships..

DARPA just announced that Boeing, who built the ultra secretive X-37B, was awarded a contract to build another class of space access craft. If the requirements are met this will revolutionize quick access to space and delivery as well.

From a defense perspective the near total reliance on satellite based technology combined with the emergence of anti satellite weaponry from Russia and China must keep a lot of people at the Pentagon up all night. Perhaps this new craft is designed with the ability to quickly, cheaply, and repeatedly deploy satellites into their appropriate orbit?

"The primary requirement for the XS-1 technology demonstrator is the ability to loft a 3,000 pound expendable payload into low earth orbit, an altitude of anywhere between 99 and 1,200 miles, at a cost of no more than $5 million per launch. According to DARPA, this is roughly 10 times less than what the U.S. military spends on similar space missions."

 

[GagHalfrunt]

If it is anything like Skynet it will destroy the Chinese first before going after the rest of humanity.

See, every cloud has a silver lining. As long as we die after the Chinese we win!!

 

[davmat787]

US Navy CNO Richardson who's comments prompted me to create this thread released a white paper a couple weeks ago regarding the future of the US Navy. I haven't had a chance to read it yet. While surely interesting (aren't all white papers?) I doubt it will provide any insight as to what paradigm shifting technology he alluded too.

https://news.usni.org/2017/05/17/document-chief-of-naval-operations-white-paper-the-future-navy