Japan Gets CG(X) Right
what should have been here, will be elsewhere
As the U.S. Navy still deals with its duct tape and bailing wire fix for our lack of replacement for our stretch-Spruance Ticonderoga Class Cruisers (CG), an ally is doing what we should have already done.
The Japanese Navy is not simply waving a wand over Commander-Command Guided Missile Destroyers (DDG), making them Captain-Command DDG and calling them the Air Warfare Commander as our CG commands used to be…no. They may be calling this a DDG, but no, this is a proper CG.
Why doesn’t the U.S. Navy have a new cruiser displacing water and replacing the TICOs hull-for-hull? Well, we should, but the same people and processes that begat LCS, DDG-1000 got their paws around CG(X). Of course, in the end we got nothing. I have almost two decades of writing about CG(X) here and over at the OG Blog. Follow the links if you need to catch up with that sad tale.
For those who know what we should have done, this should sound familiar. Via Dimitris Mitsopoulos at Naval News:
Regarding the armament, for the first time on a Japanese AEGIS ship, the forward VLS will feature the same number of cells as the aft VLS — 64 cells (8×8) forward and 64 cells (8×8) aft — for a total of 128 cells. These will accommodate SM-3 and SM-6 surface-to-air missiles (SAM) as well as the future Glide Phase Interceptor (GPI) to counter cruise missiles and advanced threats such as hypersonic weapons, as well as Tomahawk cruise missiles for long-range strikes against ground targets from outside the enemy’s threat range in island defense operations. With 128 cells, Japan’s ASEV joins Korea’s Sejong the Great-class as the ships with the highest number of VLS cells in the world today, surpassing the Chinese Type 055 cruiser by 16 cells and the latest 170-meter Maya-class destroyers by 32 cells.
In essence, the Japanese have seen, rightfully, the Ticonderoga Class as the correct answer to the Air Warfare Commander Flagship concept. Of course, I would add an aft 5” gun to balance the one forward like we have on the TICOs, at least one OTO Melara 76mm (preferably two like we see in the Franco-Italian Horizon Class) in addition to two 30mm remote weapon stations…yes, that would naval architects have headaches, but that is why they are paid the big bucks and a cruiser is a cruiser.
Note what all the above are? Proven weapons systems, sensors, and reasonable hull design.
This is what CG(X) should have been, and these new cruisers should already be displacing water. However, the same processes and procedures that produced LCS, DDG-1000, and are trying to destroy the Constellation Class Frigate—and are still in place, unreformed—brought us to where we are today, a sub-optimal platform to defend our carriers.
We knew we would be here when we cancelled CG(X), and there has never been a proper accounting for this gross mismanagement of a keystone requirement. Yes, the Flight III Arleigh Burke and earlier upgraded ships have wonderful capabilities, but they are doing the job because nothing else is displacing water that can really take over from the TICOs.
DDG(X) is not the answer either, but it hints at one.
Once again, I call for us to benchmark one of the most successful, effective, and valuable class of ships of the post-WWII era: the Spruance Class DD.
That hull form not only gave us the Spruance Class DD, it spawned the exceptional Kidd Class DDG, and stretched further, the Ticonderoga CG.
I will make the risky assumption that with DDG(X) we will have a low-risk hull and engineering solution to build on. I know, I know—but remember, I am a closet optimist. Pocket that assumption.
With that, what can be done to stretch the DDG(X) platform to make a proper CG? The capabilities of the new Japanese, Korean, and Chinese cruisers should be the baseline. And no, you will not be putting hypersonic land attack missiles on Flight I of this cruiser. If you want a Flight II that has that capability, great, do that, but that is not what is needed right now.
Build DDG(X) and CG(X) in parallel. Finalize the DDG(X) design now and start cutting steel.
Let’s rack-n-stack ‘em:
We are so far behind already.
At this point, I think DOGE should clean out NAVSEA and DOGE should force the US Navy to buy a proven design and build under DOGE supervision.
For example, they should revamp the Constellation class Frigate by going back to the original FREMM frigate design and work within the hull. We simply install all our weapons, systems, software, propulsion and power plant.
As for the CG(X), just make a deal with Japan and south Korea to build our Cruisers with our installed weapons, systems, software, propulsion and power plant. They can turn out a ship faster than we can.
DOGE needs to take a deep, hard look at the whole SCN procurement process from LPD to Present. Not just what happen and why, but WHO, by name, did it, WHO by name signed off on it and WHO, by name, got paid for it. Then track the money from disbursement and initial deposit through the financial maze to final deposit ie "cui bono". Hell, invite DOJ to the party and subpoenas for everybody!