Hi
So, I'm not really a Shipbucketer (my art skills are largely limited to smearing things on walls) but I've long admired and lurked around here and am consistently impressed by the expertise and attention to detail y'all have.
Flattery out of the way, I'm looking for a little advice. I really enjoy the wargame
Command and the game allows me to edit the various platforms that exist in the game. I've been taking a stab at a new SSC design to play with and I was wondering if any of the design/systems experts here would be kind enough to pick it apart and tell me what's wrong and/or can be improved.
The idea is to have a 3500-4000 ton ship. 16-32 Strike-length Mk41 VLS cells, a 76mm or 5"/62 gun and a RAM system, with space for a single MH-60S/R and possibly and MQ-8B. Overall idea is for a multimission frigate, with most of the flexibility provided by the VLS. Not planning for an AAW mission (ESSM for local area air defense, nothing like SM-2/3/6)
General outline I have, subdivided into two Flights - Flight I with 16 VLS and a 5" gun, Flight II with 32 VLS and a 76mm OTO:
Missiles: Flight I: Lockheed Martin Mk 41 Vertical Launch Systems (VLS) for LRASM, ESSM, Tomahawk and ASROC VLS; 16 missile tubes forward
Flight II: Lockheed Martin Mk 41 Vertical Launch Systems (VLS) for LRASM, ESSM, Tomahawk and ASROC VLS; 32 missile tubes forward
Guns: Flight I: 1 BAE Systems Mk 45 Mod 4 5 in (127 mm)/62; 20 or 10 rds/min; GPS guidance to 116.7 km (63 n miles); magazine 300 rounds.
Flight II: Otobreda 3 in (76mm)/62 Super Rapid DART; 120 rds/min; to 30km (16 n miles); magazine 530 rounds.
2 Mk 38 Mod 2 25mm chain gun; 180 rds/min; to 2500m (1.5 n miles)
4-12.7 mm MGs.
Torpedoes: Option for 6-324 mm (2 triple) Mk 32 Mod 5 tube
Countermeasures: Decoys: 2 Loral Hycor SRBOC 6-barrelled fixed Mk 36 Mod 12; Nulka decoy; IR flares and chaff to 4 km (2.2 n miles). SLQ-25A Nixie; torpedo decoy. NATO Sea Gnat. SLQ-95 AEB. SLQ-39 chaff buoy.
ESM/ECM. Raytheon SLQ-32A(V)3/SLY-2; intercept and jammer. AN/SRS-1A
CESM: SSEE Increment E
Combat data systems: Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems Integrated Combat Management System; Links 4A, 11, 16 and 22.
Electro-optic systems: Sagem VAMPIR IRST
Radars:
Air/Surface search: AN/SPS-77(V)1 (Sea Giraffe AMB 3D) or AN/SPS-77(V)2 (Sea Giraffe 4A AESA)
Navigation: Atlas Elektronik 9600 ARPA; I-band.
Fire control: Flight I: Mk 160 Mod 11 Gun Fire Control System (w/Mk 46 mod 1 OSS, AN/SPQ-9B and STIR)
Flight II: Mk 92 Fire Control System (w/STIR)
Tacan: URN 25. IFF Mk XII AIMS UPX-29.
Sonars: SQQ 89(V)3 (Raytheon SQS 56 and AN/SQR-20 TB-37U MFTA); hull-mounted active search and attack; medium frequency and passive towed array; very low frequency.
Helicopters: 1 MH-60R/S Seahawk, 1 MQ-9B Fire Scout UHAV
I can plug all these systems into a hull within the game (I've been using a SAN Valour/MEKO A200, with all weapons and sensors replaced), but as you can tell, I just did a lot of copy-and-paste of LCS, FFG-7 and DDG-51 systems. I'd like to be as realistic as possible about it. Any help would be greatly appreciated.