Stealth warship technology

Description

First book to give an insight into a growing area of interest - stealth warship technology - which is crucial for future developments in warship construction. It demonstrates the importance of materials used in warship construction and how this influences all of a naval platform's design parameters. Stealth technology is now considered a critical component within warship design, with interest in the concept of stealth increasing around the globe as naval forces adapt to new challenges. Many new developing nations are now implementing their first generation of stealth technology military hardware. This exciting book explores the full extent of threats to warships and thus the transformational change in naval architecture to incorporate these modern stealth technologies. Discussing the history of stealth technology, with references to well-known aircraft, ships and events in military history, the book also provides readers with a unique opportunity to develop an understanding of the specialist skills required in this naval sector. This is an essential read for anyone interested in stealth design and the issues involved in this evolving technology. 1 RADAR 1 Early Radar Stealth 6 SR-71 8 Measuring Stealth 11 Maximum Detection Range (MDR) and Radar Cross Section 13 Stealth Approaches 19 2 VISIBILITY 30 Dazzle Camoufl age and the First World War 30 Origins of Camoufl age 36 3 INVISIBLE FUTURES 52 Radar Metamaterials 54 Optical Metamaterials 59 4 INFRA-RED 66 Infra-red Heat Reduction 66 IRCS Contributors 71 The Laws of Infra-red Emission 78 5 MAGNETIC SIGNATURE 82 Magnetic Stealth 82 Degaussing Ships’ Hulls 86 6 THE ACOUSTIC THREAT AND OTHER SIGNATURES 95 Acoustic Noise 95 Various Environmental Factors 97 Active Sonar 98 Passive Sonar 99 Sonar Comparison 100 Cavitation 102 Future Acoustic Technology 103 Bioluminescence 104 Wake Eff ects 105 Extremely Low-Frequency (ELF) Signature 108 Likely Future Cross Sections 108 Biologically Inspired Design 109 Emissions Control Policy 111 7 MODERN STEALTH SHIPS 114 Sweden 114 United Kingdom 119 Italian and French Destroyer Variants 128 United States of America 130 India 132 Russia 133 France 134 Saudi Arabia 136 Singapore 136 Germany 137 China 138 8 FUTURE NAVAL STEALTH PLATFORMS 141 Queen Elizabeth-Class Aircraft Carrier 142 A Brief History of the Build So Far 144 Radar and Weapons Systems 146 Embarked Fleet Air Arm? 146 Carrier Construction 147 HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) 148 UK FSC or Type 26 Frigate 149 Weapons and Systems 151 Modular and Flexible 151 United States of America