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those ramps, vehicles and troops could either be loaded into the vessel, or
offloaded either onto RORO (Roll on Roll Off) capable docks, or onto landing
craft of several different varieties, including air cushioned landing craft.
Each amphibious assault sub carried four
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air cushioned landing craft in large well docks. Those four well docks, two on
each side of the boat, were covered by strong, smooth-fitting doors that could
be opened when the vessel surfaced.
The level deck spaces topside on the SSLHDN vessels allowed for flight
operations for their eight F-24
attack aircraft, eight MV-22 VTOL air assault aircraft and up to eight more
helicopters for airborne assault. They also allowed for forty-eight VLS cells
for anti-aircraft or surface to surface missiles for self defense. A
tremendous advantage with these VLS tubes was that all of these cells could
easily be reloaded from the vast spaces below decks were reloads were stored.
In addition, all of the Alaska class and all of the variations thereof carried
a full load of torpedo weapons, including the latest Mk-48 ADCAP torpedoes,
Mk-77 CWS torpedoes. and the latest sub launched Harpoon and Tomahawk
missiles.
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They also incorporated the same stealthy acoustic and operating
characteristics of the Sea Wolf class which had been successful throughout the
war in avoiding enemy tracking and acquisition capabilities.
Though the Chinese and their allies were getting closer and closer to
acquiring a solid signature of the Sea
Wolf boats, they still had not been entirely successful.
Erickson knew that the first major modification to the Alaska class had been
the Olympic class SSCVN
nuclear class submarine aircraft carriers. Their modification of the Alaska
design consisted of altering and filling up the first two levels of storage
spaces beneath the topside decks with hangar and repair facilities for
aircraft. The ramps from topside were replaced with elevators and thus the
subs became nuclear powered aircraft carriers in their own right. They were
similar in capability to the Hampton Roads Class
Sea Control ships, except for the huge advantage of being able to travel
underwater, and their more extensive missile launch capabilities.
Erickson had read reports of the Olympic combat debut off of India, where the
standard air wing of twenty-four VTOL F-24 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF)
aircraft, four E-22C VTOL AEW aircraft, six S-22C
VTOL ASW or SAR aircraft, and up to ten UR UAV reconnaissance and light strike
aircraft had performed so admirably and effectively.
Like the Alaska class, the SSCVN class carried a total of forty-eight VLS
cells in two twenty-four cell blocks. These could be loaded with a variety of
weapons for self defense or attack, ranging from the latest mod block Standard
missiles, to Quartet cells of Sea-RAM missiles, to vertical launch Harpoon and
even Tomahawk and Hail Storm missiles. The latest AEGIS system was also
installed with the phased array radars being mounted on the conning tower and
an ingenious submerged capability to launch any of their VLS missiles,
including the anti-air variety, at targets acquired through a miniature phased
array system that could be launched from over 200 feet deep which then
assembled itself into a towed radar platform upon broaching the surface.
Those are sure capable vessels, the Petty officer thought to himself, and
all in all they are going to help change the entire complexion and course of
this war.
But those large amphibious assault subs and aircraft carrying subs needed a
more capable and lethal escort than a few nuclear attack subs, and that's
where we come in.
Seeing his friend, Chief Petty Officer Debaul Ernest approaching, a large
smile lit up Erickson's face.
Hey, Big E, he called.
How about we take a few laps after duty, you know, a friendly little foot
race?
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The Chief Petty Officer smiled at his friend, and then replied.
Only if you are itching so bad for a whoopin' you can t stand it anymore, Tin
Man, he said as he eased past Erickson in the passageway.
Gotta get a readiness report up to the LT right now though. I'll see you at
1630 hours, short of some kind of an emergency or battle stations, and we'll
go& what do you say, a couple of 400 meter warm ups and then one more for the
foot race?
Erickson laughed out loud and then answered good naturedly to the Chief's
back.
A whoopin' did you say? Chief, you know good and well that the only whoopin'
that's going to happen in this foot race is the one you'll be taken on your
Big Ern self.
1630 hours it is.
All of the talk got Erickson thinking about that other perk that he enjoyed on
this vessel. With the double sized pressure hulls, joined at the very top and
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bottom of their curves and then surrounded by another outer pressure hull, all
of these large class subs had ample room for a 200 meter track that ran around
the perimeter of the larger storage space in the middle, widest decks of the
boat. It was there that the Big
Ern would meet Erickson when they got off duty.
Duty, he thought to himself as he went about his own responsibilities.
We've got a duty to open up that can of whoop on our enemies and with this
vessel, we're talking about the biggest, baddest can of whoop imaginable,
short of one of our SSGNs unloading its full load of
Tridents.
Petty Officer Erickson knew, that with 480 launch tubes arranged in ten
forty-eight VLS blocks, that the ships of the Barney class carried more
offensive and defensive missiles capability and capacity than any ship that
had ever been launched. They were the ultimate embodiment of earlier Arsenal
Ship designs.
Ranging from the smaller RAM missiles, to the standard air defense missiles
(up to and including the latest
Theater Ballistic Missile Defense weapons), to Tomahawk SLCMs, to the awesome
Hail Storm
AGM-999 missiles, the Barney class carried them all& and they carried in their
holds up to three reloads for each tube for a total possibility of 1840
missiles without replenishment.
He also knew, that with the latest AEGIS system installed on the boat,
offering the same capabilities as that installed on the Olympic class, and
with the resurgence of America's satellite capabilities, that the
Barney class could deliver those missiles and their destructive payloads
accurately against any enemy.
With all of that capability, these ships could adequately protect carrier
battle groups, or entire theaters of operation, from enemy aircraft, cruise
missile, or ballistic missile attack. They would be used to escort carriers
and /or amphibious assault ships and then protect beachheads with their
weapons, providing defensive fire and this awesome offensive fire support up
to several hundred miles inland.
A big old can of whoop indeed, he said to himself as he summed it all up to
himself.
And a whoopin' was exactly what he, Big Ern, and everyone else on the thirteen
ships of Task Force 56
expected to deliver real soon to the Chinese on Wake Island.
The task force was comprised of two Barney class SSCN vessels, two Olympic
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four Alaska class SSLHDN vessels, two Virginia class SSN vessels, and the
vanguard group of the USS
Jimmy Carter and two more Virginia class SSN vessels. Despite the combat
debuts of the Alaska class and the Olympic class in other theaters, those
debuts had been in mixed Task Forces of various submerged and surface action
vessels. TF 56.1 would be the first all submersed invasion, carrier and
fire-support task force in history and Erickson and his friend Ernest were
excited and proud to be serving as a part of it.
& and those in leadership positions in the Unites States were all anxious too,
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