- may I suggest these Mk 41 top parts?
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/63276563/GMLS%2 ... %20VLS.png I had a lot of work to get them correct.
- the 64 cells came into service with the burke, IIRC
- the additional displacement is indeed the reactor weight. the gas turbines would be replaced about one on one with steam turbines, so the reactor plants are additional space and weight. you have to remove stuff from board or add hull size to accomodate this weight. (laying the ship deeper is also possible, but that might run into strength problems)
- I think having the VLS as you have them now would be most correct
- the satcoms block the directors on the tico because there is no other good place for them. here, however, you have an large flat deck on your aft superstructure where I would put them.
- on the SLQ, when the bridge wing and platform protects them, I suppose it would work. still, I would think it something that should be avoided if you can.
in addition, a few points now I see the top view of this:
- why is the aft SPY island so wide? you should get away with half that width and it would get you quite a bit of deck space for equipment (like those satcoms), would enlarge the phalanx's firing arc and put less weight on the hangar, which is as an empty box construction not as strong as an normal superstructure of the same weight.
- those phalanx platforms need to have additional reinforcements or supports if you are putting them this far out. without them, the vibrations of the mount would severely weaken the strength, if it keeps in position at all.
EDIT: what erik says about the blocked horizon on the aft SPY-1 faces becomes worse if you put less width on that deckhouse, so there is something to be said for an full width deckhouse..... but there should be other solutions.