SSN 774 New Attack Submarine or NSSN or NAS or Centurion or whatever 
you want is the U.S. Navy's new sub program in lieu of further Seawolf
production. "75% the capability of Seawolf at 2/3's the cost."
A lot of this tpf is speculation on my part. For example the designations
for various sensor systems is mostly unknown at this point. I used Seawolf
sensors and added/modified my own. I changed the BQG-5 WAA datafields as H2
does not seem to model passive ranging sonars at all. The WAA will be the 
most important sonar for the next couple of decades esp. in the detection
of quiet D/E boats in shallow water. Therefore I've made it much more useful.

I have also added a couple of new weapons for you to try out if you wish.

The Tomahawk Block IV Multi-Mode Missile or TMMM is the newest version of this
weapon that should enter service in the next 5 years (if it doesn't get
cancelled). It is supposed to have an IIR seeker for terminal guidance, a 
datalink for BDA and retargeting, enhanced stealth features, an improved
warhead and a 1000nm range. It is capable against land or sea targets.
There is also to be a hard target penetrator version as well. I gave it a
generic datalink for game purposes.

The E-FOGM or Enhanced Fibre-Optic Missile is actually an Army program
for a non-line-of-sight anti helocopter/anti tank missile that is guided to 
it's target by a fibre optic link. The U.S. Navy is currently studying this
weapon for submarine launch to take out those pesky helos and small craft
For what I have read I believe E-FOGM is to be launched through torpedo tubes.
I tried this for H2 but after firing a couple, tubes start automatically
reloading with E-FOGM so I put them in a special vertical launch cell instead.

Incidently, the RGM-84D Harpoon cannot be launched by subs because it is 
too long. A shorter version with all the improved features of the 'D' except
range will be used by subs. I believe it is designated UGM-84G. I didn't bother
to include this.

I also included the Sea Lance ASW missile for those of you thought it was a
mistake to cancel this program (I do).

The following is the official stats (according to Proceedings) for the 'baseline'
NSSN:

Lenght:		377 ft.
Beam:		34 ft.
Disp.		7700 t.
Speed:		25+ knots. Note this is the published speed, it probably does
		somewhere in the mid 30's.
Payload:	38 weapons including VLS, SOF's, dry dock shelter and Advanced
		Swimmer Delivery System.
Weapon Launch:	4 21in Torpedo Tubes, 12 VLS tubes.
Weapons:	Tomahawk, Mk 48 ADCAP, CAPTOR, Advanced Mobile Mines, Unmanned
		Underwater Vehicles.
Sensors:	Spherical Active/Passive Array Sonars
Electronics:	Light Weight Wide Aperture Array (WAA), TB-29 and future towed
		array sonars.
		High-Frequency Sail and Chin Mine-Detection Sonars.
		Communications/Electronics/Photonics-Imaging Masts (non-hull
		penetrating...thats right no periscope)!
		Radar.
Countermeasures:1 Internal (Reloadable), 14 External (Non-Reloadable)
Propulsion:	S9G Pressurized Water Nuclear Reactor, Steam Turbine, Single
		Shaft/Propulsor.

Notes: This sub will be the first sub not to have a conventional hull-penetrating
periscope. NSSN also has an eletromagnetic 'silencing' system (hence the non-
magnetic hull flag). Apparently there is sufficient space to allow for new
sensors and more reloads/VLS tubes should the need (and money) arise.
The internal countermeasures launcher is a signal ejector and the external
ones are probably a version of the CSA Mk1 and 2 systems.
This is simplified tpf of this sub, as the one I use has many....well, 'fantasy'
systems and weapons. If you are interested or have any comments, let me know.

Regards
Paul Candy
pcandy@pathcom.com


  

