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From: tek@CS.UCLA.EDU (Ted Kim (Random Dude))
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: A question about Spruance-class ships
Message-ID: <13937@cbnews.ATT.COM>
Date: 13 Feb 90 03:19:46 GMT
References: <13765@cbnews.ATT.COM>
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From: tek@CS.UCLA.EDU (Ted Kim (Random Dude))

In article <13765@cbnews.ATT.COM> v059l49z@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu writes:
>
>Seeing that some of the Spruance-class destroyers have the VLS system in
>place of the ASROC launcher, what missles are carried in there since I
>am of the understanding the ASROC version for VLS is still in development.
>I know they are going to carry Tomahawk, but the Sea Sparrow launcher is
>retained.  Is the VLS full of Tomahawks?

The Mk 41 VLS can carry: Tomahawks and SM2MRs. However, the SM2MR
cannot be used in the Mk 41 VLS Spruance ships, because some
electronic boxes was not purchased with the Mk 41 VLS units. They,
could be added later though. (Spruances have SPG-60 illuminators.)

Currently, that leaves only Tomahawks. If fully loaded, these
Supruance VLS units have quite a mean surface strike capability. 

In the future, Mk 41 VLS should be able to carry a greater variety of
missiles. Standoff ASW capability would be provided in the form of VLS
ASROC and/or Sea Lance. (Last I heard, Sea Lance is becoming more
popular at the expense of VLS ASROC, because of its greater range and
because it can be used in subs too.) 

Eventually, some form of SM2ER should be available also. The ER
booster is bigger than the MR one. In current versions of the ER, the
booster plus its fins are too big to handle in the missile magazines.
So the booster is stored without its fins. Just before the missile is
rammed onto the launcher, the fins are manually attached. Basically,
only the Mk 10 launcher can deal with all of this. The way around the
problem is to have a booster that uses thrust vectoring instead of
fins. The vectoring version (Block 4?) should also be available for
VLS. 

Finally, there are various people looking into putting the point
defense missiles into the VLS. Since these missiles are smaller than
the other types, most schemes involve stuffing a few in each cell.

-ted

Ted Kim                           
UCLA Computer Science Department  Internet: tek@penzance.cs.ucla.edu
3804C Boelter Hall                UUCP:    ...!{uunet|ucbvax}!cs.ucla.edu!tek
Los Angeles, CA 90024		  Phone:   (213) 206-8696