"The USS Freedom new camouflage" Topic

If you are going to paint the miniature of this ship…

"Completing a technical stop before its first major deployment in the Asia / Pacific region, the first Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) USS Freedom, has changed its look. The ship, located in San Diego, on the west coast of the United States, now boasts a livery camouflage, as we had not seen in the U.S. Navy for many years.

Designed for littoral operations, the LCS Freedom class, two units are currently in operation, measuring 115.5 meters long and have a displacement of 3090 tons burden. Capable of reaching 45 knots with two gas turbines and waterjets MT30 Kamewa Rolls-Royce, they can board a helicopter and have a basic armament centered around a surface-to-air system RAM, a tower of 57 mm and four 12.7 mm machine guns. With boarding interchangeable modules, they can be configured for anti-surface warfare, mine hunting, or anti-submarine warfare. In this area, they could also carry a towed sonar CAPTAS 4 of Thales."
Oht

before

now

From
link

Amicalement
Armand

Dazzle, I like it.

Don't care how much make-up you put on it, a pig is still a pig. And this poor excuse for a ship is the ultimate pig…

That's a very large vessel, with less punch than an old, German Type 143A Gepard missile boat.

It carried 1 x 76mm gun, 4 x Exocets, and the RAM system.

Sure, it doesn't have the endurance of this, and couldn't land a helo, but unless the latter is very heavily armed, its still a better vessel for coastal actions in my book, for a lot less cost.

Am I just being overly cynical, or does anyone else think the new scheme hasn't been introduced for its camouflage value at all, but rather was invented because someone important was offended by all the unsightly soot from her exhaust vents…?

Zing! Give that (cynical) man a coconut! :)

:-)

"Am I just being overly cynical, or does anyone else think the new scheme hasn't been introduced for its camouflage value at all, but rather was invented because someone important was offended by all the unsightly soot from her exhaust vents…?"

That was the absolute first thing I thought.

What ship is that in the background?

"Am I just being overly cynical, or does anyone else think the new scheme hasn't been introduced for its camouflage value at all, but rather was invented because someone important was offended by all the unsightly soot from her exhaust vents…?"

Remember, smoking ziggurats are hazardous to your health.

Ron

P.S. Why couldn't they just build more gunboats?

link

What ship is that in the background?

Dunno which one, but a Bob Hope class preposition ship – probably USNS Bob Hope from a Google – most of the others are Atlantic Fleet.

Thanks… I figured it would be something like that given the cranes and heavy lift.

Why would you have exhaust vents so close to the water line. I'm pretty sure naval history has pointed out the dangers to having holes in the hull close to the waterline.

Hopefully someone will remember to close a hatch during rough seas!

Those goofy exhaust vents are about the only reason I can think of for reintroducing Measure 32.

LCS = Little Crappy Ship

In the original link, there are some photos showing the progress on the Zumwalt which I had almost forgotten about if anyone is interested. Also, a web search for photos will bring up various items.

given that the US govt is cutting back the cash flow to the navy, I think it is very forward thinking on the navy part. hell urban battles are all the rage, right?

by all the unsightly soot from her exhaust vents…?"

My first thought also. That is the same reason that US ships were painted Haz Grey except for the masts and stacks, which were painted black.

I think they did it to help camoed sailors hide better.

No, sailors wear camo to hide paint-marks, because there is ALWAYS fresh paint where you're walking.

the ship in the background :)

fast sea lift ship

mostly used for moving ground forces
USNS Watkins (T-AKR-315) is one of Military Sealift Command's nineteen Large, Medium-Speed Roll-on/Roll-off Ships and is part of the 33 ships in the Prepositioning Program. She is a Watson-class vehicle cargo ship.

She was named for Master Sergeant Travis E. Watkins, a Medal of Honor recipient.

Close but not quite – she's definitely a Bob Hope class, not a Watson – look at the arrangement of the hull cutouts aft of the side loading ramp; 3 in a row, break, 6 in a row, then a mini one. (On a Watson it's 2, break, 5 – doesn't match the photo.) Also there are no entry ports at the same level as the ramp, which there are on the Watsons. There's a good side-on of the Bob Hope here:

Why would you have exhaust vents so close to the water line. I'm pretty sure naval history has pointed out the dangers to having holes in the hull close to the waterline.

Diesels are positive-displacement pumps, they can handle a little water pressure on the exhaust system. Subs do it all the time, the big snorkel mast is only an air intake.

Wow the Zumwalt looks truly monstrous.

Needs more turrets though – way more turrets.

Who needs more turrets when one gun can put down an entire turret's worth between the autoloaders and barrel cooling?

Well, when that ONE gun breaks, or its loader fails, I'll bet the captain and crew will wish the designer had included more than one on the vessel.