jrll@Portia.stanford.edu (john ralls) (07/13/89)
From: john ralls <jrll@Portia.stanford.edu> I'll add only one thing to Ted Kim's excellent article on the differences between Seawolf and advanced Los Angeles submarines. The Los Angeles boats have always been right at the edge of their margins, with inadequate bunking and storage for their crew requirements. The BSY-1 combat system is the last improvement they can take without imposing limitations in mission by removing other equipment. Seawolf will be about halfagain larger than San Juan (the first improved Los Angeles boat), with further improvements in accommodation, depth, and storage, as well as the other advantages Ted Kim listed. Please note that operating depths of US submarines is classified (but the numbers used by the original poster are wrong...). One of the main reasons, IMHO, that Seawolf will be so expensive is that the low construction rate (planned at one per year, but even that is under attack) concentrates overhead onto too few hulls. This is worsened by the navy's need to spread the wealth to two yards for competition. John