Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: Chairboy on June 16, 2004, 04:18:53 PM
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Has anyone here read up on the Virginia class nuclear attack submarines? They've got amazing capabilities, but it's like a stealth sub in the media, nobody seems to be talking about it.
It's a fast, powerful, modern, and relatively cheap submarine that's essentially a Seawolf in Seasheep's clothing.
There are a couple areas where the Seawolf is still better, like a slightly higher top speed and more torpedo tubes, but the Virginia is still rather astonishing.
It's the first US military submarine to do away with physical optics (eg, mechanical periscope). Instead, it has an array of high resolution sensors in the periscope that beam the information through the pressure hull electronically, so there's another possible point of failure eliminated.
It has a command center that has more in common with a starship then a submarine, I've seen diagrams that show plasma screens in front that display periscope data while the captain has a chair at mid-rear of the bridge.
So... anyone know anything else neat about this neat new sub?
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Love subs..but this one wont have anyone to play with..
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Originally posted by Chairboy
It's the first US military submarine to do away with physical optics (eg, mechanical periscope). Instead, it has an array of high resolution sensors in the periscope that beam the information through the pressure hull electronically, so there's another possible point of failure eliminated.
Doesn't all the electronics add more failure points? :confused:
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Wow..! I didn't even know there was a Virginia Class. I thought they were going right from Los Angeles to SeaWolf
http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ship/nssn.htm
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I suppose I should have been more clear, you're right. The all electronics interface to the optics reduces another mechanical penetration of the pressure hull.
I was in a Los Angeles class submarine that had its periscope removed for maintenance once, and it was pretty interesting to look up this big physical point of failure at the sky from right next to the con. This seems like an innovation that will increase safety as well as battlefield awareness.