travestytrav, that just sounds wrong.
SPY-3 = the system of the zumwalt. and you about everything works together, as long as it is made for the job. for example: aegis can not guide aster because aster requires an different guidance system.
@ canopus: now we're getting somewhere!
first of all I'd like to ask if you could use the mk 41 from the belowdeck parts sheet thread. I suppose the aft one is meant to be mk 57 PVLS? the only thing I have against that would be that you use 2 systems on one ship, and it might be better to put an 8 cell mk 41 module at both sides for part commonality.
for the radars. what nation would you like to follow? the dutch have some stuff that would fit on this thing, so have the US, so have more or less the brits......and maybe some others too. after you decided that, I will be back on that for ya
and, if I see some free time, may I have an play with it this weekend? I have some details and shapes that might become better looking or working with some mods
I really should just sticky another MK41 for simplicity's sake, but that would eat space that could be used for the crew and the whole cluster would sit 5 m too high for my taste. Instead I did what mechanical engineers do best (after engendering fine and elegant solution)... jerry-rig that fucker into submission (call that a temporary solution of permanent character). Each side is basically a sawed off row of cells from your standard MK41 VLS. I suppose one row won't be affection the balance of the ship too badly (the more and more I look ito the Zumwalt less I think I should use it as a reference for anything other than capabilities.).
As for the the radars I will go with something off the shelf, it's already state of the art stuff and it would save a lot in development costs. Considering that we don't really know much about the SPY-3 I think it's wise to sticky with Euro stuff for now, what the Dutch and perhaps the French have that could fit this thing's role and current payload? What other sensor beside radars (optics are going on those red slits)?