Captain James Kirk in command...

[Cody]

... of the very latest USN destroyer!

[Commander_X]

Looks like the Vulcans are here already That's what the shape of that ship tells me!

[Wildeblood]

When land lubbers write about ships...

The largest and most futuristic destroyer has set sail. And at its head is Captain James Kirk.

Oh dear.

[ocz]

My first thought of the first picture of that article was, 'Wow! That's some really bad CGI.'

[spud42]

set sail? i didnt see a mast or sails ????

[Smivs]

set sail? i didnt see a mast or sails ????

Well, it is very high-tech - it probably has graphene nano-sails.

[ocz]

My bet is, they create a forcefield around the ship and use its drag instead of cloth sails.

[NigelJK]

Thought it looked familiar.

[ClymAngus]

I read that it's fundamentally unstable in the water and needs computer control to keep it upright. I see a flaw there right away.

[Wildeblood]

I read that it's fundamentally unstable in the water and needs computer control to keep it upright. I see a flaw there right away.

One reason for that being the large sail area, because they've got the mast enclosed in a box.

Righto, let's not mince words here; the Zumwalt is as ugly as sin. Co-incidentally, also just last week, the RAN commissioned their latest ship, so I get to say, "That's not a warship, this is a warship..."

[Cody]

I read that it's fundamentally unstable in the water and needs computer control to keep it upright. I see a flaw there right away.

Kinda like a nautical equivalent of fly-by-wire? <grins> Talking of flying, the BUFF has now been in service for sixty years!

[ocz]

Well, an unstable airodynamic form is a wanted feature in fighter aircrafts. Even if a human pilot on her/himself could never control it without computer assistance, it gives the craft a higher manueribility, a more stable form could never provide. But I do fail to the the logic behind it in a destroyer class ship. Maybe a flaw in the disign? But the engeneers didn't gave up, even if it came with a certain price? What ever.

If they wanted a destroyer with a small radar profile, cound't they just have build a hybrid between a destoyer and a submarine? Its maindeck just above and in stealth mode just below the water surface.

[Cody]

Is it possible that the Zumwalt-Class Destroyer indeed is submersible and can dive like a dolphin, and that this capability is simply classified?

[ClymAngus]

Guess we'll find out as soon as it sails into a storm.

Oh here's that article:
http://www.defensenews.com/story/defens ... /76728838/

Maybe they'll Bermuda Triangle it, maybe they won't. Nothing "disappears" a ship quicker and without an S.O.S. quite like a capsize.

[Cody]

Nothing "disappears" a ship quicker and without an S.O.S. quite like a capsize.

'Twas a dirty night, 'twas a dirty trick... when our ship turned over in the Atlantic!