First, last Saturday, the USN commissioned its newest submarine. Normally, I would not bring this up, but SSN-797 bears the name Iowa. This is slightly bittersweet, as my ship is no longer the one and only, but I wish the new Iowa and her crew all the best as they take the name back into the active fleet.
Second, apologies for missing the OT two weeks ago, though I may drop the frequency to monthly given the low traffic they typically see.
Third, the Naval Gazing meetup starts in exactly four weeks. You should come, because it will be a lot of fun.
Overhauls are my review of Dayton, Auxiliaries Part 5, the South Dakota class and for 2024, Air Attack on Ships Parts one and two, Aurora 2.2+ Missile Warfare, Aurora Beam PD Allocation and my attempts to find out what AI thought about me.
Comments
Just watched a video about the new French frigate, the FDI. It has an "étrave inversée" or wave-piercing bow, like the USN Zumwalts.
These were a thing in the late 19th century, at least for French armoured cruisers, but disappeared AFAIK in the 20th C. Can anyone explain why they are making a comeback?
I know for the Zumwalts it was part of the stealth system. The FDI doesn't look like it has nearly the stealth of the Zumwalts, so I'd guess it's part of a modern trend towards wave-piercing bows that can also be seen in other places, most notably a number of oil platform supply vessels. Advantages claimed include a smoother ride (plausible) and better fuel economy (not sure exactly why, either wasting less energy on pitching or longer relative waterline length).
Assuming I'm understanding the French correctly, yes smoother ride and less strain on the hull because the bow doesn't slam up and down in heavy seas; less resistance at the bow for better fuel efficiency.
CMO is 60% off right now. I'd consider the database alone cheap for an OSINT product at full price, to say nothing of the game. Would highly recommend to anyone who is even vaguely interested.
As stated in last year's awards:
The 2025 William D. Brown Memorial Award is going to be hotly contested indeed, if the remaining two-thirds of the year remain as eventful as it has been to date. (Let's hope the USN doesn't disqualify CVN-75's ~wacky hijinks~ string of mishaps by having someone die.)
https://www.twz.com/sea/target-ship-sinks-before-it-can-be-pummeled-with-weapons-for-pacific-exercise