PLAN Future FFG design

Bltizo said:

And no, I don't "now" have to speculate four -- my original idea was always for four, but in absence of listing a number you assumed four. However you can assume three helicopters if you want either. The point is that the greater helipad affords greater flexibility for helicopter or VTOL UAV operations from the ship.

Well, we do not know if the 2450 ton ship is the one that the Navy is supposedly interested in (could the Navy version be bigger, or maybe it might be smaller?), nor do we know if the 2450 ton displacement is for standard or full displacement (especially considering the model trimaran's dimensions is very similar if not a little bit greater than that of the Independence class LCS which displaces over 3000 tons full)...

If displacement is the primary objection to the conops I've laid out, I think that is a viable counter to make, but it doesn't by any means sink it as we do not know what the displacement of the Navy's supposed interested version will be, and I think we also have a reasonable case to wonder whether the displacement of the model that they've shown is for its full displacement or not.

I would also argue that there is not necessarily a correlation between the number of helicopters that a ship can support with its displacement, as the design of different ships can afford for different use of displacement for different purposes -- endurance vs armament vs helicopter embarkment vs sensors vs whatever.
I think it is reasonable to consider whether they would design a ship with a significantly larger than normal helipad to also have designed a greater ability to accommodate a faster pace of helicopter operations as well. So even with the real ship displacing significantly less than an 054A I do not consider the prospect of a greater helicopter embarkment and operation capability to be an unreasonable one.

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Iron Man said:

I will even give you 3,000 tons full and you're still not going to get 4 helicopters operating off that ship. Sorry but your idea of "extra stowage" is just not an even remotely plausible idea. And again, you have not even shown that it is even physically possible in the first place.

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Bltizo said:

In absence of a physical model at my disposal to physically demonstrate anything, and in absence of either of us knowing the relationship between displacement and provision for operating helicopters from a ship at a certain pace I think the discussion about this particular topic has reached an effective end.

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Iron Man said:

Sure, but even if you had the specs and knew it was physically possible for that thing to carry 4 helicopters, I think you will still have the mountain to climb here, not me.

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Bltizo said:

Well my position is fairly limited in nature, I think, as I deliberately framed it saying that it would not be any sort of sustainable long term procedure and am more importantly I am merely suggesting it as a possibility rather than as something that will definitely come to pass. If I were arguing that it would definitely happen or definitely possible then I'd need presentation of much more thorough proof.

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Iron Man said:

Ok, in that case I think it's equally possible the production trimaran will have a rail gun. I don't have to show evidence for it because my position is limited in nature since I am merely suggesting it as a possibility.

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Bltizo said:

I mean, considering that the ship is being offered with an electric propulsion system, such a prospect is not impossible for the future.

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