Director air warfare: HowGozit

CVN-21 is ELECTRIFYING!!

Every so often in the annals of war fare, a new technological development comes along that totally alters the tactical equation. In the post-World War II era, jet aircraft and nuclear-powered ships and submarines are vivid examples of such transformational technologies. More recently, the introduction of cruise missiles and other precision-guided munitions has led the way to further transformation of modern warfare. As we look ahead, we see a number of exciting new technological developments on the horizon, many of which are about to come together in the development of one truly transformational aircraft carrier, CVN-21.

With the latest round of debate over the value of the large-deck carrier having come once again to a successful conclusion, thanks to the tremendous contributions made by carrier-based aviation in Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, the Navy's plan for developing its next-generation aircraft carrier has not just survived; it has been accelerated. It is now generally acknowledged that the large-deck carrier's unique ability to provide "Credible Persistent Combat Power" and "Assured Access," free from the need to develop, maintain or defend land bases in foreign lands, makes it an increasingly central part of our national defense strategy in fighting the global war on terrorism, and in preserving our capability to provide stability to unstable regions of the world at a moment's notice. CVN-21 is being designed to take maximum advantage of the carrier's unique capabilities as well as the technological advances that will enable CVN-21 carriers to perform with optimal effectiveness, not only as an aircraft launch and recovery platform, but also as a platform for operationallevel command and control of expeditionary Naval and joint forces. To put it another way, CVN-21 represents the ultimate "Sea Basing" platform, designed to enable both "Sea Shield" and "Sea Strike" operations, and thus ensure long-term success of the Navy's "Sea Power 21" operational concept.

It may seem like an overstatement to put CVN-21 in the category of jet aircraft and nuclear power as a technological leap forward, but when we assess the many ways in which this electrifying "sea base" will dramatically improve our capabilities, it becomes clear that CVN-21 may very well have a transformational impact similar to those two world-changing technologies, and may redefine warfare in the 21st Century, just as jets and nuclear power redefined 20th Century warfare.

The "electrifying" potential of CVN-21 grows out of the way in which each new-technology system will build upon other improvements, resulting in a quantum leap in capability; and it all starts with the ship's electrification. CVN-21 will incorporate new reactor technology and a Zonal Electrical Distribution System, or ZEDS, which will combine to generate three times the electrical power of today's Nimitz-class carriers. Having so much electrical power available will mean that CVN-21 will be able to incorporate new technology throughout its service life. From the standpoint of ship's systems, it will enable the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System, or EMALS, to replace today's steam catapults. This is an example of the tremendous leverage created by the electrification of CVN-21. Replacing steam catapults with EMALS will mean a dramatic reduction in manpower requirements and a dramatic increase in operational availability, not to mention a tremendous decrease in shipboard space required to support aircraft launch systems, making additional space available for the insertion of new technology combat systems as they become available. In addition, EMALS will reduce peak load on airframes, thus extending aircraft service life and reducing aircraft maintenance as well as shipboard maintenance requirements. Removal of steam auxiliaries will also mean a reduction in topside weight, which in turn will help restore weight and stability margins lost in the Nimitz class. Having excess electrical power, as well as additional space, will allow insertion of future technologies for ship survivability, such as dynamic armor protection and enhanced ship self-defense systems, as well as improved electrical damage control systems.

From a weapons standpoint, CVN-21 's power capacity means that it will be able to accept futuristic systems, such as Directed Energy Weapons (lasers, railguns, etc), which are still in the early stages of their development. The excess electrical power available in CVN-21 will also allow the ship to perform as the key node of FORCEnet, coordinating a dispersed Naval force in a network-centric environment.

Through the use of open systems architecture, CVN-21 will be able to readily accept new technologies in netted operations that are not even envisioned today; the ship will have the excess electrical power to operate the technology, and the flexibility and interoperability to ensure its successful integration. Equipment will be modular, allowing combat systems to be replaced or upgraded several times during the ship's life.

Electrification of CVN-21 will contribute to at least a 25% increase in operational availability and a 30% reduction in depot-level maintenance requirements. The 24-month cycle between maintenance availabilities for Nimitz carriers will be increased to 42.5 months for CVN-21. This will challenge Navy leaders to plan new operational strategies to take advantage of this

The author wishes to thank CAPT Chris Jensen, USNR, for his invaluable drafting assistance, and CAPT Bill Cullen N785E, Future Carriers Requirements Officer, and Mr. Mike Concannon N785D2, Assistant for Carrier Acquisition Programs, for their technical contributions to this article.

capability, as the reduced need for extended maintenance availability will allow CVN-21 to remain on station far longer than a Nimitz earner without degrading material readiness. In addition, the increased time between maintenance cycles and greater availability of CVN-21 will support the Fleet Readiness Program as we phase out the older hulls.

This decrease in maintenance will also be seen on the deckplates. The CVN-21 propulsion plant design alone reduces crew workload by 90,000 hours per year, which will cut in half the number of sailors required to operate it. As discussed previously, replacement of steam catapults with EMALS will also mean a significant drop in shipboard maintenance requirements. Overall, the electrified CVN-21 will reduce the crew size by 500 to 900 sailors from the NIMITZ complement. Here, too, CVN-21 will achieve positive leverage, as the reduction in manpower does not simply mean fewer sailors to maintain the same types of equipment - to the contrary, the decrease in manpower means less ship space devoted to berthing, messing, and other personnel support requirements, making that space available for new technology, and the forecast crew reduction takes into account the need for skilled personnel to operate and maintain that new technology. In other words, CVN-21 will not just enable us to do the same things with fewer people; we will be substantially increasing the carrier's capabilities while at the same time significantly reducing the size of her crew complement.

Perhaps the most dramatic example of the electrifying impact of the electrified CVN-21 is the increase in striking power that will result from leveraging highly lethal, reliable and capable aircraft such as the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and the Joint Strike Fighter, and the precision-guided munitions they carry, with an electrified, automated and efficient flight deck that will minimize aircraft turnaround times. CVN-21 will replace today's manual fueling and weapons loading methods with automated "pit stop" aircraft refueling and servicing, and robotic weapons loading and automated weapons handling and storage systems. When those improvements are combined with the increased reliability forecast for the next-generation aircraft, the result will be a sustained rate of 160 to 220 sorties per day and a surge capacity of 270 to 310 per day, as compared to the current sortie rates of 109 per day sustained and a 166 per day surge capacity.

Although this increase of as much as 102% in sortie generation rate may seem impressive, it is only part of the story. The positive leverage here stems from the capability of the aircraft and weapons to be launched on each sortie, combined with the responsiveness inherent in FORCEnet that will deliver timely, accurate targeting information to the shooter. Not only will we be able to launch more sorties, but we will be able to do more with each sortie. In the FORCEnet environment, aircraft will often launch before being given their targeting information, and once the aircraft achieves the initial objective, it will be redirected to other targets. The netted, precision strike force can expect to destroy multiple high-value targets with each strike sortie.

This stands in stark contrast to the Vietnam-era standard of waves of sorties to destroy one high-value target. Even more importantly, the use of precision-guided munitions means that aircrews are able to strike critical targets with lethality without having to fly the kinds of death-defying low-level bombing runs that cost us so many of our precious aircrews in Vietnam. As an example, the infamous Thanh Hoa Bridge withstood 873 sorties and cost 11 U.S. aircraft and aircrews before being taken out of action. Bombing of the bridge began in 1965, and it wasn't until 1972 that it was finally brought down by laser-guided bombs. Against the precision of a CVN-21-based air wing, that same bridge would be gone by the end of the first Super Hornet sortie, and the aircraft could destroy another five targets on its way back to the ship!

The leveraging of its precision strike force with its automated, efficient flight deck and weapons loading capabilities means that one CVN-21 with an embarked precision air wing will be able to inflict more meaningful damage on an enemy, even an enemy located deep inland, with exponentially fewer casualties, than we could ever have hoped to inflict with any number of Vietnam-era or, for that matter, Desert Storm-era, carrier air wings. With this kind of overwhelming power, one CVN-21 on station brings new meaning to the term "Credible Persistent Combat Power." Such a presence, when forward deployed, represents a decisive force that can provide highly effective deterrence, as well as an immediate, devastating response to the hostile actions of any adversary, if necessary.

One unique way in which the CVN-21 Program will leverage technology is through its "spiral development" acquisition process. Contracts for shipbuilding and technology development will be "decoupled," so that the technology that goes into the ship will not be out of date by the time it is installed. The initial acquisition will involve the basic ship, which will be designed to have the flexibility to accept and adapt to different technologies. The combat systems will be acquired well after the shipbuilding has begun. In addition, the spiral process will continue throughout the ship's life so that significant new technology is acquired and installed at each maintenance availability. Through this process, we plan to make CVN-21 remain just as much of a "cutting edge" at the end of its 50-plus-year life as it will be when it enters the fleet. This is not a new concept, however. As our present Nimitz Class carriers enter Refueling and Complex Overhaul, they will be updated with relevant technology and equipment from CVN-21 to the greatest extent possible. The great leap forward for CVN-21 in this regard is that the upgrades and technology advances are not limited by electric power or volume. Instead, they are limited only by our ability to innovate.

CVN-21 represents the Navy's attempt to capture the explosive technology that we see coming in this 21st Century and integrate it into one platform. The Navy is investing now in future technology to ensure that CVN-21 will be able to realize its tremendous potential. All Navy assets, not just those available within Naval Aviation, are being dedicated to the development of this ship. The Navy recognizes the electrifying potential of this platform.

The exciting challenge to us as leaders and tacticians, as CVN-21 moves closer to reality, will be to change the ways in which we operate to take full advantage of all that CVN-21 will have to offer. Let the challenge begin!

RADM Mark Fitzgerald

Copyright Association of Naval Aviation Fall 2003
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