DDG 1000's composite deckhouse was revealed this week down in Gulfport. The uniquely angled 48.8m long, by 21.3m wide, by 19.8m high balsa-wood core carbon fiber super-structure is designed to provide the Navy's newest guided-missile destroyer a low radar and infrared signature.  The deckhouse, combined with a low-profile tumblehome hull will likely achieve this goal, but is it truly fair to say that this design is "stealthy?"  Today's enemies will not operate long range maritime patrol aircraft and radar satellites like the Soviet Union did to locate U.S. fleets on the open ocean 30 years ago.  They will, however, use a network of tattletale fishing dhows equipped with satellite phones, cheap tactical UAVs, and HUMINT networks in nearby logistics ports with twitter accounts and smart phones to find ships operating in narrow seas such as the Arabian Gulf.  A singulary-unique profile 14,000 ton combatant is not likely to be able to hide from these intelligence platforms, no matter how innovative her design may be.  One hopes that the three staggeringly expensive DDG-1000 destroyers will validate many new naval technologies, but how to hide a ship in the littorals during 21st Century irregular warfare will not likely be one of them.

Ingalls Photo of the Week: Ingalls shipbuilders at the Gulfport Composite Center of Excellence watch as the DDG 1000 deckhouse begins its journey from the factory to the barge that will deliver it to Maine. Photo by Steve Blount. The opinions and views expressed in this post are those of the author alone and are presented in his personal capacity. They do not necessarily represent the views of U.S. Department of Defense, the US Navy, or any other agency.

 

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Oh, yeah! That should be a good way to make a cheaper and cost-effective LCS: balsa wood!!!

Easy repairs, just get out your Elmer's Glue, so much easier than re-forming the puddles of aluminum. http://www.elmers.com/product/detail/E1322

 

I admit to having used Elmer's both to bond Balsa and also to seal it. Plus the smell will bring all of those sailors back to their childhoods at school.

IMHO, the biggest threat to 'stealth' in this day and age is perhaps not a radar, FLIR, etc.

 

But rather keeping your current location off Twitter, Facebook, etc., and away from your enemy's data mining efforts.

 

Granted the roughest of locations is not enough to kill the ship outright, but we know that the Zumwalt intends to operate close to shore and already "in harm's way". Even mere "ship spotting" by a local fisherman could put the ship, her crew, and moreover, their mission, at risk.

 

To bastardize a phrase from Major Alan "Dutch" Schaefer: "if you can hear about it, you can kill it".

Another pic of the DDG-1000 deck house (from DefenseNews' Intercepts blog):

 

 

Easy repairs, just get out your Elmer's Glue, so much easier than re-forming the puddles of aluminum. http://www.elmers.co...ct/detail/E1322

 

I admit to having used Elmer's both to bond Balsa and also to seal it. Plus the smell will bring all of those sailors back to their childhoods at school.

 

Yes, but it would also be flammable. Not a good idea on a warship.