The United States Navy in the Cold War Era: What ifs.

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The Mark 71 8-inch/55 caliber Gun

Developed in the early 1970s to replace the impending loss of capability with the decommissioning of the Iowa-class battleships and the Des Moines-class heavy cruisers. The Mark 71 Major Caliber Lightweight Gun (MCLWG) was developed to be fitted to the proposed strike cruisers and to be refitted to selected destroyers.

The Mark 71 is a single barrel adaptation of the triple barreled Mark 16 8-inch/55 found on the Des Moines-class cruisers. The prototype gun mount had a weight of 86 tons and was roughly 20% heavier than the Mark 42 5-inch/54 it would replace. The prototype could fire up to twelve rounds per minute from a 75-round automatic ready service magazine for fixed ammunition when operated by one man. A specially modified Mark 155 computer provided 8-inch/55 ballistics for the Mark 68 gun fire control system. The Mark 71 mount would have a elevation of -5/+65 degrees (30 degrees per second) with a traverse of -160/+160 degrees (also at 30 degrees per second) with a maximum range of 32,000 yards.

Technical evaluation occurred aboard the USS Hull (DD-945), a Forrest Sherman-class destroyer in 1975, with operational testing through 1976. The Operational Test and Evaluation Force determined that inaccuracy made the gun operationally unsuitable, and concluded the lightweight 8"/55 gun would be no more effective than a 5-inch/54 gun firing theorized Rocket Assisted Projectiles, which ultimately never materialized. The report recommended against production or installation of the lightweight 8-inch/55, and program funding was terminated in 1978.

The USS Hull was used for weapon testing from 1975 to 1978 and was the only destroyer ever to be fitted with a 8-inch gun. The mount was removed in 1979 and is now at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Dahlgren, Virginia.

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The 6.1-inch/62 caliber Advanced Gun System

An naval gun designed for the Zumwalt-class destroyers of the USN. It is designed for long-range naval gunfire support against shore-based targets. A total of six were built with two being installed on each of the three Zumwalt-class vessels. The USN has made the decision to build any further Zumwalt-class destroyers and has no plans to deploy the AGS on any other ship. The AGS can only use ammunition designed specifically for the system, and only this one type was designed at a November 2016 cost of $800,000 to $1,000,000 per round, in other words the AGS has no ammunition and cannot be used. The AGS is slatted for removal by 2023.

The AGS was originally developed as the Vertical Gun for Advanced Ships (VGAS) and its rounds were developed as guided-munitions for this role. The VGAS was then modified for a more conventional turret arrangement. AGS is designed to delivery a high rate of fire with the VGAS precision munitions. The turret mount allows the use of unguided munitions, which were never developed. AGS is NOT designed to use the same munitions as conventional artillery, so it requires each type of round to be designed and specifically built.
The Long Range Land Attack Projectile (LRLAP) round for the AGS was to be a major advance. It features separate projectile and propellant portions and was to be highly precise, with a circular error probable (CEP) of 50m or less. Firing tests of the LRLAP reported a range of 68mi. However, due to the very high cost, LRLAP was canceled in 2016 with no plans to replace. In early 2021, the USN was exploring replacing the AGS on the Zumwalts with hypersonic missiles and in March 2022, the Navy announced that the two AGS turrets would be removed to allow the installation of a Vertical Launch System that will accommodate the Common-Hypersonic Glide Body missiles. As the Zumwalts enter their maintenance periods in late 2023, the switch will take place.

The turret weighs 104 tons and the mount has an elevation of +70/-5 degrees. Maximum rate of fire is ten rounds per minute with a range of 83nmi.

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Operation Bumblebee

Running from 1 June 1946 to 28 July 1948.

This was the U.S. Navys effort to develop surface-to-air missiles with the intent to provide a mid-range layer of fleet air defense, between the short-range anti-aircraft guns and the long-range fighters. A major element pf Bumblebee was the Navys need to attack bombers before they could launch standoff anti-shipping weapons, as these aircraft might never enter the reach of shipboard guns.

Bumblebee was originally concentrated on a ramjet powered design and the Applied Physics Laboratorys PTV-N-4 Cobra/BTV (Propulsion Test Vehicle/Burner Test Vehicle) was first flown in October 1945. Cobra would eventually emerge as the RIM-8 Talos, which entered service on 28 May 1958 aboard the light cruiser USS GALVESTON. As part of the development program, several other vehicles were also developed. One of these was the RIM-2 Terrier, which entered service on 15 June 1956, two years before Talos. Terrier was first installed on the heavy cruiser USS CANBERRA. The Terrier was later modified as a short-range missile system for smaller ships and entered service in 1963 as the RIM-24 Tarter. These three missiles were known in the fleet as the oe3 Ts.

Bumblebee was not the only early Navy SAM project, the SAM-N-2 Lark was rushed into production as a short-range missile to counter the Kamikaze threat, but never matured into an operational weapon. The RIM-50 Typhon was developed to replace the 3 Ts, but was canceled during development. The 3 Ts would be ultimately replaced by the RIM-66/67 Standard, a development of the Tarter.

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The RIM-2 Terrier

This a two-stage medium-range naval surface-to-surface missile and was the earliest SAM to equip the USN. It underwent major upgrades during its service life, beginning as a beam-riding guidance with a 10 nautical mile range (19km) at a speed of Mach 1.8, and ending as a semi-active radar homing guidance with a range of 40nmi (74km) at speeds as high as Mach 3.
The Terrier weighed 3,000lbs (1,400kg)[1,180lbs for the missile and 1,820lbs for the booster]. It was 27ft (8.2m) long, with a diameter of 13.5in (34cm) and was normally fitted with a 218lb (99kg) controlled-fragmentation warhead or it could be fitted with a 1kt W45 nuclear warhead.

When the Terrier was fired it could be followed by its corkscrew contrail, as it progressed to the center of the beam. Reception of its location in the beam was accomplished by a small "Turn-style" antenna at the rear of the missile, this antenna also received the commands for detonation, and self destruct. The self destruct command was sent a few milliseconds after the detonation command. Its HT-3 variant as a Semi-Active homing missile, it followed the reflected energy from the target; however if jamming was encountered it would passively home in on the jamming signal.

The RIM-2E introduced semi-active radar homing, for greater effectiveness against low-flying targets. The final version, the RIM-2F, used a new motor which doubled effective range to 40nmi (74 km).

The RIM-2E introduced semi-active radar homing, for greater effectiveness against low-flying targets. The final version, the RIM-2F, used a new motor which doubled effective range to 40 nmi (74 km).

The Terrier was the primary missile system of most US Navy cruisers and guided missile frigates built during the 1960s. It could be installed on much smaller ships than the much larger and longer-ranged RIM-8 Talos. A Terrier installation typically consisted of the Mk 10 twin-arm launcher with a 40-round rear-loading magazine, but some ships had extended magazines with 60 or 80 rounds, and the installation in BOSTON and CANBERRA used a bottom-loading magazine of 72 rounds.

On April 19, 1972, a Terrier missile fired by USS STERETT shot down a North Vietnamese Air Force MiG-17F in the Battle of Dong Hoi.

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The Benedix RIM-8 Talos

This a long-range naval surface-to-air missiles and was the second SAM to be mounted on USN ships. The Talos used radar beam riding for guidance to the vicinity of its target, and semiactive radar homing (SARH) for terminal guidance. The array of four antenna which surround the nose are SARH receivers which functioned as a continuous wave interferometer. Initial thrust was provided by a solid rocket booster for launch and a Bendix ramjet for flight to the target with the warhead serving as the ramjet's compressor.

The Talos saw relatively limited use due to its large size and dual radar antenna system; there were few ships that could accommodate the large missiles with the AN/SPW-2 missile guidance radar and the AN/SPG-49 target illumination and tracking radar. The 9.9-meter-long, 31/2-tonne missile was comparable in size to a small fighter aircraft. The Talos Mark 7 Guided Missile Launching System (GMLS) was installed in three GALVESTON-class cruisers (converted CLEVELAND-class light cruisers) with 16 missiles in a ready-service magazine and up to 30 missiles and boosters in a storage area above the main deck. Nuclear-powered USS LONG BEACH and three ALBANY-class cruisers (converted BALTIMORE-class heavy cruisers) carried Mark 12 Guided Missile Launching Systems fed from a 52-round magazine below the main deck.

The Talos weighed 7,800lbs (3,500kg) [missile weight 3,400lbs and booster weight 2,000lbs]. Length was 32ft (9.8m) and a diameter of 28in (71cm). Warhead was a 211kg (465lb) continuous-rod HE warhead or a W30 nuclear warhead (variable 25 kt). Operational range was 50nm (92km) with an operational ceiling of 80,100ft (24,400m) with a max speed of Mach 3.

The initial SAM-N-6b/RIM-8A had an effective range of about 50nm, and a conventional warhead. The SAM-N-6bW/RIM-8B was a RIM-8A with a nuclear warhead; terminal guidance was judged unnecessary for a nuclear warhead, so the SARH antenna was omitted. The SAM-N-6b1/RIM-8C was introduced in 1960 and had double the range, and a more effective conventional continuous-rod warhead. The RIM-8D was the nuclear-warhead version of the -8C. The SAM-N-6c/RIM-8E "Unified Talos" had a warhead that could be swapped while embarked, eliminating the need to waste magazine capacity carrying dedicated nuclear-tipped variants. The RIM-8E also carried an improved continuous-wave terminal homing seeker, and had a higher ceiling reach-out. Some RIM-8Cs were retrofitted with the new seeker, and designated RIM-8F. The RIM-8G and RIM-8J had further radar homing improvements and a new fuel that extended the range to 130nm.

The Talos saw action in Vietnam, with a total of four MiGs being shot down by the USS CHICAGO and USS LONG BEACH. On 23 May, 1968, a Talos fired from the LONG BEACH shot down a Vietnamese MiG at a range of 65 miles. This was the first downing of a hostile aircraft by a missile fired from a ship. The hit also destroyed a second MiG which flew through the debris. In September 1968 Long Beach scored another MiG destroyed at a range of 61 miles. On May 9, 1972 Chicago's forward Talos battery scored a long-range kill on a MiG.

In addition to its anti-aircraft capability, the Talos also had surface-to-surface capabilities.

The RIM-8H Talos-ARM was a dedicated anti-radar homing missile for use against shore-based radar stations. Initial testing of the RIM-8H was performed in 1965, and soon after it was deployed in Vietnam on CHICAGO, OKLAHOMA CITY, and LONG BEACH, attacking North Vietnamese SAM radars. OKLAHOMA CITY fired the first successful RIM-8H combat shot in US Navy history in early 1972. It was also the first combat surface-to-surface missile shot in US Navy history.

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The General Dynamics RIM-24 Tarter

This was a medium range surface-to-surface naval missile. The Tarter was the third of the oe3 Ts that would equip the USN.

The Tartar was born of a need for a more lightweight system for smaller ships, and something that could engage targets at very close range. Essentially, the Tartar was simply a RIM-2C Terrier without the secondary booster. The Tartar was never given a SAM-N-x designation, and was simply referred to as Missile Mk 15 until the unified Army-Navy designation system was introduced in 1963.

The Tartar was used on a number of ships, of a variety of sizes. Initially the Mk 11 twin-arm launcher was used, later ships used the Mk 13 and Mk 22 single-arm launchers. Early versions proved to be unreliable. The Improved Tartar retrofit program upgraded the earlier missiles to the much improved RIM-24C standard. Further development was canceled and a new missile, the RIM-66 Standard, was designed to replace it. Even after the upgrade to a new missile, ships were still said to be Tartar ships because they carried the Tartar Guided Missile Fire Control System.

A dedicated anti-ship version for the Federal German Navy carrying a Bullpup warhead was abandoned when Germany purchased MM38 Exocet instead.

Weight was 1,310lbs (590kg), length was 180in (460cm), diameter was 13.5in (34cm), warhead was a 130lb (59 kg) continuous-rod.
Range varied from 8.7 nm (16.1 km) (RIM-24A); 16 nm (30 km) (RIM-24B); 17.5 nm (32.4 km) (RIM-24C), with a maximum speed of Mach 1.8

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The Patrol Airship

In May 1987, the USN selected a joint venture of Westinghouse Electric Company and Airship Industries Limited of England to build a series of patrol airships.

The design selected provided for a conventional configuration, with an internally fitted radar antenna, and a control compartment mounted beneath the gas bag. Helium was chosen as the lift medium. The diesel engines, with propellors mounted in circular guards or shrouds, are to be used to cruise with the turbojet for sprint operations. A second turbojet engine was proposed that would provide a maximum speed in excess of 90+ knots. In flight refueling would be from surface ships.

Initial operational capability was planned for 1992. But the program budget was cut in later spending.

Length: 423ft (129.0m) Diameter: 136 1/2ft (41.6m) Height: 150ft (45.7m) Volume: 2.35 million ft3 Propulsion: 2 CRM BR-1 diesels; 2,000hp each (propellers) 1 General Electric CT7-9 turbojet, 1,800lbs Speed: 45 knots cruising (no-wind conditions); 83 knots maximum Endurance: 72 hours (without in-flight refueling)l 30 days (with in-flight refueling) Ceiling: approx. 10,000ft operating; approx. 15-18,000ft maximum Crew: 12-15 Armament: None Radar: APS-138 air/surface surveillance

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25mm Close-In Weapon System, Sea Vulcan

The Sea Vulcan is an adaptation of the GAU-12/U Gatling gun fitted to the AV-8B Harrier II. Intended for small combatants, it was mounted in the Navys SES-200 in 1987 for shipboard evaluation.

Produced by General Electric, the five-barrel CUWS uses a linkless ammunition feed system. The magazine holds 500 rounds. The Sea Vulcan can be used with a variety of fire control systems.

The gun System has been proposed with four Stinger MANPADs as the Blazer 25 for the USARMY to mount on the M-2 Bradley combat vehicle. This is to be the principal gun mount candidate for the trouble-plagued Sea Viking special operations support craft.

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AAAM (Advanced Air-to-Air Missile)

Intended to replace the AIM-54 Phoenix in the mid-1990s. The USN awarded contracts to two teams in 1987 for technology demonstration and validation of the AAAM concept.

The AAAM will be designed primarily to counter the Soviet Backfire and Blackjack strike aircraft armed with long-range, stand-off missiles. The AAAM is also intended to counter anti-ship cruise missiles. Missile speed will be faster than the Phoenix on the order of Mach 3+ with a range of 100+nm.

Tentative planning calls for the F-14D to carry up to eight AAAMs, with the F/A-18C to carry at least four.

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LRDMM

The proposed LRDMM (Long-Range Dual-Mode Missile) was envisioned as a long-range (100+nm) missile from Aegis ships. The missile would have been used against incoming anti-ship missiles launched at long ranges, attack bomber aircraft, and electronic jamming aircraft. At one point, it was also envisioned that the airframe could be used for the ASW Stand-Off Weapon (SOW).

The project would be ended due to technical difficulties and uncertainty over how to conduct the outer air battle to defend battle groups against attacking Soviet cruise missile aircraft.

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Sea Lance

Formerly the ASW Stand-Off Weapon (SOW), the Sea Lance is a submarine-launched weapon that provides a rocket booster for a Mark 50 ASW torpedo. Although often labeled a successor to SUBROC, the Sea Lance would initially have only a conventional (torpedo) warhead, whereas the SUBROC carries only a nuclear depth bomb. The Sea Lance warhead may thus inhibit its use at longer ranges because of the limited target localization capability of the Mark 50. Plans to provide a nuclear warhead for Sea Lance have been delayed indefinitely.

The Sea Lance is designed for attacks out to the third sonar Convergence Zone (CZ), i.e., approximately 90-100nm. However, when fitted with the Mark 50 torpedo, the effective range will probably by only the first CZ, i.e., some 30-35nm. The weapon is stowed in and launched from a standard 21-inch torpedo tube in a canister, much like the Harpoon anti-ship missile and the CAPTOR encapsulated mine. When the capsule reaches the surface, the missile booster ignites, in effect launching the missile on a ballistic trajectory toward the target area. At a designated point the torpedo separates from the booster, is slowed to re-enter the water and seeks out the hostile submarine.
During the concept stage, the Navy envisioned a common ASW stand-off weapons for surface ships and submarines. The technical and program difficulties proved too great, however, and the surface-launched system became the Vertical0Launch ASROC (VLA).

The Sea Lance is currently one-year behind scheduled, primarily due to the decision in 1986 to emphasize the conventional torpedo as a warhead rather than the nuclear depth bomb.

Weight: 3,100lbs Length: 20 1/2ft (6.25m) Diameter: 21 inch (533mm) Range: 100+nm Guidance: ballistic, terminal acoustic homing w/Mk 50 torp Warhead: Mark 50 torpedo

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EX-45 Remote Gun Mount

This remote mount can be fitted with a Mark 19 AGL, a .50-caliber M-2, a 5.56mm M-249 SAW or other automatic weapons. The first two EX-45 mounts provided to the fleet (fitted with .50-caliber machine guns) were installed in the high-speed vessel SWIFT (HSV-2) and a Coast Guard cutter.

Developed by the Office of Naval Research, this mount is a three-axis, gyro-stabilized weapon mount coupled with a laser rangefinder and closed-circuit television. It can be fitted in ships and land vehicles, as well as in small combat craft, including the Marine Corps Small Unit Riverine Craft (SURC).

Afloat testing was conducted in 2004.

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Electro-Magnetic Gun

The U.S. Army, Navy, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) have ongoing EMG or rail gun programs. The Fiscal Year 2004 defense authorization required that the Secretary of Defense establish a collaborative program among those organizations for the evaluation and demonstration of EMG technologies and concepts.

The Navys program is currently oriented toward providing a long-range EMG as a fire support weapon. It will be possible to install the weapon in the planned DD(X) and CG(X) programs due to these ships are planned to have electric-drive propulsion.

The propelling charge of the EMG has an electrical energy output from 60 to 300 megajoules (MJ), and the projectile acceleration rate is 30,000-45,000Gs. In contrast, the current 5in/54-caliber gun has a muzzle energy of 10MJ and with a rocket-assisted projectile increases this to about 18MJ; the planned 6.1in AGS will have a muzzle velocity in access of 33MJ. The EMG would require a power supply of 15-30 megawatts, and approximately 6 gallons (22.7 liters) of the ships fuel would be required to fire each round.
In operational use, the EMG would fire in bursts of ten rounds, using command-guided projectiles or conventional ammunition.

The EMG would fire an inert round, which would use kinetic energy to damage its target. A multiple warhead is possible. The round would have no propellant, as it will be propelled entirely by the electromagnetic process. GPS guidance is projected.

The EMG is also being considered for a shipboard terminal self-defense system against attacking cruise missiles.

There is little publicly available, but these are accepted estimates:
Muzzle Velocity: Mach 6+ Rate of fire: 6-12 rounds per minute Maximum Range: 200+nm

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6.1-inch/52-caliber Vertical Gun for Advanced Ships

This weapon was a proposal for the DD 21 land-attack destroyers. Twin 6.1-inch (155mm guns) with a range of about 100nm (185km) and their magazines were to be fitted in a modular mounting that could replace Vertical Launching System (VLS) missile modules.

The gun system was to be fully automated with 1,400 rounds per module (i.e., for two guns). Projectiles up to 6 1/2 ft (1.9m) long and weighing 300lbs (136kg) could be handled by VGAS. The sustained rate of fire was to be 15 rounds per minute, per barrel.

In any event, the Navy made the decision not to pursue the development of VGAS.