Burton K Wheeler
Moderator
Third in a series of alternate 1990's Navy threads. The last were:
https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/air-wing-for-an-american-cvl-post-cold-war.428535/
https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/a-helicopter-for-the-usmc.428328/
Anyway, for a bit of background the POD is a long messy Iraq occupation following the Gulf War in 1991, which prevents the US military from reaping the peace dividend of the 1990's as much as OTL.
The Navy and Air Force use the extra funding to pay for a high/low mix of forces, with high-dollar programs being balanced with off the shelf simpler programs. The Navy goes more in on littoral policing, with closer cooperation with the Marines and Coast Guard. The Navy commits to keeping 9 MEUs afloat, with four ships (1 LHD, 1 LPH, 2 LSD or other cargo staging ship), as well as entire Marine companies associated with carrier battle groups. The Marines have a full wartime structure of 6 MEBs (plus the 9 MEUs) instead of 3 MEFs. Three MEBs are associated with the three MPSRONs and have standing headquarters at Okinawa, Rota, and Bahrain, one each is amphibious on the East and West coasts, and one, in the USMC Reserve, is associated with the prepositioned stocks in Norway.
The Navy of the Cold War wanted 12-13 carriers at least to meet its needs. The current Navy is no less busy, but reduces to the OTL 10 CVNs, and launches 7 CVL, approximately the size of the old Essex class or the current America. This means the Navy can have three carrier battle groups on station at all times (one in the Indian Ocean/Persian Gulf, one in the western Pacific, and one in the Med or Atlantic), with two smaller battlegroups either accompanying the CVN, accompanying the ESG, or dispersed.
The next thread will be a more detailed examination of amphibs and the Marines. Right now, let's talk about major surface combatants.
The 600-ship Navy of the 1980's was operating several categories of ships:
First, the battleships. All four Iowas were reactivated in the 1980's and two were used for gunfire support in the Gulf War. The Navy acknowledged the need for naval gunfire support and Congress required them to keep them in reserve even as they were inactivated in the 1990's. The alternate navy needs some kind of gun platform.
Next, the nuclear cruisers, the Californias, Virginias and singleton Leahy, Bainbridge, and Truxton. The Navy chose to not refuel them and retire them early, since there was massive cost required both for nuclear refuelling and updating them to match the AEGIS system of the Ticonderoga air defense cruisers.
The Ticonderogas were the new hotness in 1991 and the Navy built 27 of them from 1981 to 1994. They were built on the hull of the Spruance class destroyers with all sorts of electronic gee-whizzery. When comparing the old cruisers, nuclear or not, with the Ticos, remember that it would cost almost as much to upgrade them to AEGIS standards as it would to build a new ship.
The Navy received its first Arleigh Burke air defense destroyers in 1991, which had a similar AEGIS capability to the Ticos but lacked the ability to coordinate air defense battles. Basically, the thought was that one Ticonderoga and several Burkes would make up the air defense complement of the carrier battle group or amphibious strike group.
The navy's ASW escorts were the Spruance class antisubmarine destroyer, built from 1975 to 1980, and the Oliver Hazzard Perry frigate, which was kind of a hot mess but was fairly new, having been built from 1977 to 1989.
OTL, these ship classes were all replaced by the abortive Zumwalt-class "destroyers" (of which only three managed to be built), the utterly useless LCS (now apparently officially an unarmed frigate or something), and iterative versions of the Arleigh Burkes.
Here's the question. Imagine you're CNO in the 1990's. Given the requirement to 10 CSGs, 10 ESGs, and possibly 6 smaller carrier groups, how do you do it? The Navy wants a mix of 80's style super-ships and smaller simpler combatants. How do we solve the naval gunfire problem? What are our escorts?
Thoughts on frigate replacements in the 1990's:
https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/air-wing-for-an-american-cvl-post-cold-war.428535/
https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/a-helicopter-for-the-usmc.428328/
Anyway, for a bit of background the POD is a long messy Iraq occupation following the Gulf War in 1991, which prevents the US military from reaping the peace dividend of the 1990's as much as OTL.
The Navy and Air Force use the extra funding to pay for a high/low mix of forces, with high-dollar programs being balanced with off the shelf simpler programs. The Navy goes more in on littoral policing, with closer cooperation with the Marines and Coast Guard. The Navy commits to keeping 9 MEUs afloat, with four ships (1 LHD, 1 LPH, 2 LSD or other cargo staging ship), as well as entire Marine companies associated with carrier battle groups. The Marines have a full wartime structure of 6 MEBs (plus the 9 MEUs) instead of 3 MEFs. Three MEBs are associated with the three MPSRONs and have standing headquarters at Okinawa, Rota, and Bahrain, one each is amphibious on the East and West coasts, and one, in the USMC Reserve, is associated with the prepositioned stocks in Norway.
The Navy of the Cold War wanted 12-13 carriers at least to meet its needs. The current Navy is no less busy, but reduces to the OTL 10 CVNs, and launches 7 CVL, approximately the size of the old Essex class or the current America. This means the Navy can have three carrier battle groups on station at all times (one in the Indian Ocean/Persian Gulf, one in the western Pacific, and one in the Med or Atlantic), with two smaller battlegroups either accompanying the CVN, accompanying the ESG, or dispersed.
The next thread will be a more detailed examination of amphibs and the Marines. Right now, let's talk about major surface combatants.
The 600-ship Navy of the 1980's was operating several categories of ships:
First, the battleships. All four Iowas were reactivated in the 1980's and two were used for gunfire support in the Gulf War. The Navy acknowledged the need for naval gunfire support and Congress required them to keep them in reserve even as they were inactivated in the 1990's. The alternate navy needs some kind of gun platform.
Next, the nuclear cruisers, the Californias, Virginias and singleton Leahy, Bainbridge, and Truxton. The Navy chose to not refuel them and retire them early, since there was massive cost required both for nuclear refuelling and updating them to match the AEGIS system of the Ticonderoga air defense cruisers.
The Ticonderogas were the new hotness in 1991 and the Navy built 27 of them from 1981 to 1994. They were built on the hull of the Spruance class destroyers with all sorts of electronic gee-whizzery. When comparing the old cruisers, nuclear or not, with the Ticos, remember that it would cost almost as much to upgrade them to AEGIS standards as it would to build a new ship.
The Navy received its first Arleigh Burke air defense destroyers in 1991, which had a similar AEGIS capability to the Ticos but lacked the ability to coordinate air defense battles. Basically, the thought was that one Ticonderoga and several Burkes would make up the air defense complement of the carrier battle group or amphibious strike group.
The navy's ASW escorts were the Spruance class antisubmarine destroyer, built from 1975 to 1980, and the Oliver Hazzard Perry frigate, which was kind of a hot mess but was fairly new, having been built from 1977 to 1989.
OTL, these ship classes were all replaced by the abortive Zumwalt-class "destroyers" (of which only three managed to be built), the utterly useless LCS (now apparently officially an unarmed frigate or something), and iterative versions of the Arleigh Burkes.
Here's the question. Imagine you're CNO in the 1990's. Given the requirement to 10 CSGs, 10 ESGs, and possibly 6 smaller carrier groups, how do you do it? The Navy wants a mix of 80's style super-ships and smaller simpler combatants. How do we solve the naval gunfire problem? What are our escorts?
Thoughts on frigate replacements in the 1990's:
1990's? Personally I'd want two Frigate designs. The problem with the period is that the navy has a bunch of needs that are hard to fulfill with just one design
A high end ASW Frigate for use with CVBGs, basically replacement of the Spruance DD's with something smaller, cheaper to operate. 30+ knots (exact speed of carrier classified), hangar capacity for 2 SH-60 class Helos, Helipad strengthened for SH-53, 32 cell Strike Length VLS (extra cost and tonnage not significant compared to capability gain), 76mm gun, 2 25mm autocannon, some machine guns, 2 Rolling Airframe Missile Launchers, 2 Mk. 141 Quadpacks for Harpoon, 2 triple 324mm torpedo tubes, same towed array and hull sonar fitted to the DDG-51's for commonality, Radar fit decent enough for full use of Evolved Sea Sparrow, interoperability with Aegis ships and as much stealth as practical without significant cost penalties. Tonnage not specified as steel is cheap and designing to fit tonnage quotas can rapidly increase costs. This covers blue water ASW and can serve with CVBGs or surface action groups
And to complement this a low end mine warfare/Patrol Frigate. The Gulf War showed that it is a real pain to get conventional Mine Warfare Craft anywhere fast, and WWII demonstrated that minefields can be laid anywhere (see German fields off Australia), hence OTLs MCM LCS. So I would want a Frigate capable of 30+ knots, Hangar for 2 SH-60 class Helos, Helipad strengthened for SH-53 and fitted with collapsible deck shelter for such craft (MH-53 has already demonstrated minesweeping at this time), remote minesweeping gear, minehunting sonar and a degaussing system with space reserved for future upgrades. For armament a 76mm gun, 2 25mm Autocannon, some machine guns, 2 Rolling Airframe Missile Launchers, a basic Radar fit and as much stealth as practical without significant costs. The ship would be fitted for but not with 2 triple 324mm torpedo tubes, 2 Mk. 141 Harpoon Quadpacks and an ASW towed array; with the mine warfare gear being removable without much difficulty. Design should be adaptable to fitting 2 8 cell strike length Mk. 41 VLS and an air defense Radar for possible export versions. This covers mine warfare and low end patrol duties, and after a short refit can do blue water ASW and serve with battle groups or surface action groups, though better served as an escort
Sorry to restart this, but I realized this may be a bit of a cop out answer and did some more thinking
Assuming I was CNO in the early 90's, and could only chose one surface combatant between an all up DDG and a patrol ship, this is what I would do
Given that the OHPs exist and are in service, the "cheap" workhorse role can be put off until they are retired. Likewise the Avenger class MCMs are brand new and the Osprey class Minehunters are in the pipeline so minewarfare can mostly just remain at its current state until they need replacement, leaving the addition of a fast mine warfare capability to an early 2000s CNO
Take the high end ASW Frigate I mention above. Make the Torpedo Tubes, Harpoon missiles, 1 Rolling Airframe Missile Launcher and 16 of the VLS cells fitted for but not with, save a small amount here, plus reduce the crew a bit. 16 VLS cells are enough for 8 ASROC for ASW, reducing need for Torpedoes and 8 Sea Sparrows for self defense (same as Spruance DD originally carried), to be replaced with 8 ESSM Quadpacks when available, extra cells merely add flexibility for other roles. 1 RAM launcher is probably enough for a small ship and Harpoon is unnecessary for a carrier escort or patrol work. Try to save some equipment from decommissioned vessels like torpedo tubes that could be reused if decided to uparm the class. Run it with only 1 helicopter for the foreseeable future to save costs. Not going to reduce the hangar capacity, as steel is cheap, extra elbow room would be welcomed and ability to ship a second chopper has operational uses, plus if budget appears for fully arming them, you need two helos to effectively prosecute an SSN, not really a concern in the early 90's, but maybe in 15-20 years. Add a collapsible canvas and piping or similar shelter on the helipad for covering an MH-53, being able to cart one around in decent weather could be useful for airborne minesweeping without having to divert an amphib, should be cheap enough. Probably save enough to add another 2-3 units to the class with some leftover
For a workhorse initiate studies to look into reducing operating costs of the OHPs. Look at reducing or outright removing the ASW fit, and other cost saving measures, the lower operating costs the longer you can afford use them, and the longer a workhorse class has to be planned. Whatever changes are determined best will be implemented in the 2000's most likely, but best look at alternatives now. A new class cheaper to operate than the OHPs would be necessary eventually, but that is more of a long term priority in the 90's
Use some of the money saved to uncancel the last two Cyclone Patrol ships, already you are using full size warships for tasks like anti drug patrols they can do much cheaper, maybe see about getting extra units but make no definite plans. Also keep some of the Abnaki class Tugs and Bolster class Salvage ships in reserve, just in case one has to tow Minewarfare vessels somewhere again. Plan to keep Powhatan, Narraganset and Mohawk in a 90 day reserve status for that sort of mission. Look into subsidizing a few civilian lift ships, with the understanding that USN would have priority on them if they needed to use them to move something
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