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Post by La Rouge Beret on Jan 6, 2021 23:57:34 GMT
I think it came down to a coin toss between the two aircraft in the end. While the Phantom II is a more capable platform, the Crusader is good enough considering the likely threat posed by our near neighbours. Add in domestic assembly and repair facilities, then you have a very strong whole of government business case. Although to make the Crusader reach it's peak requires an AEW - C aircraft, in this case either the E - 1 or an AEW Gannet.
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ssgtc
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Post by ssgtc on Jan 7, 2021 0:22:23 GMT
November 2, 1958 Brooklyn, NY, USA
The former Leyte enters drydock at the New York Naval Shipyard to begin her overhaul in preparation for her transfer to Argentina. She is scheduled to be brought up to the same SCB-27C/125A configuration as Oriskany and Lake Champlain. Additionally, the powerplant is to be overhauled and new, automated control hardware is to be installed to reduce manning requirements for the smaller Argentine Navy. The overhaul is planned to take between twenty-eight and thirty-two months. What automations do you envisage to reduce her manning requirements? Nothing crazy, mainly some automated boiler controls similar to what was fitted on the Kitty Hawk class and on JFK. In 1958, there really isn't much they can really safely automate.
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ssgtc
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Post by ssgtc on Jan 7, 2021 0:30:34 GMT
I think it came down to a coin toss between the two aircraft in the end. While the Phantom II is a more capable platform, the Crusader is good enough considering the likely threat posed by our near neighbours. Add in domestic assembly and repair facilities, then you have a very strong whole of government business case. Although to make the Crusader reach it's peak requires an AEW - C aircraft, in this case either the E - 1 or an AEW Gannet. Pretty much. The Crusader III is cheaper, faster, more maneuverable, longer ranged, can zoom climb to over 90,000' with a sustained altitude of 65,000 and carries only one less AAM than the Phantom. Long term, the USN made the right choice to go with the Phantom. But damn would the Super Crusader have kicked some serious ass in Vietnam. As for AEW&C, it is certainly a need. Considering the switch to American aircraft and systems though, it's more likely that the Tracer would be leased until they could buy Hawkeyes which were under development at this time and will have its first flight in less than 2 years.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Jan 7, 2021 15:03:03 GMT
What automations do you envisage to reduce her manning requirements? Nothing crazy, mainly some automated boiler controls similar to what was fitted on the Kitty Hawk class and on JFK. In 1958, there really isn't much they can really safely automate. Would this automations make here a new class ore will we see this happening to other Essex's in the future.
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ssgtc
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Post by ssgtc on Jan 7, 2021 15:18:06 GMT
Nothing crazy, mainly some automated boiler controls similar to what was fitted on the Kitty Hawk class and on JFK. In 1958, there really isn't much they can really safely automate. Would this automations make here a new class ore will we see this happening to other Essex's in the future. It wouldn't make it a new class, no. IF the class gets a SLEP, then you could see some automation introduced to reduce manning requirements.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Jan 7, 2021 15:19:41 GMT
Would this automations make here a new class ore will we see this happening to other Essex's in the future. It wouldn't make it a new class, no. IF the class gets a SLEP, then you could see some automation introduced to reduce manning requirements. So what numbers are we speaking of that is not needed on the Argentinian carrier, is it a lot of a handful.
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ssgtc
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Post by ssgtc on Jan 7, 2021 15:32:43 GMT
It wouldn't make it a new class, no. IF the class gets a SLEP, then you could see some automation introduced to reduce manning requirements. So what numbers are we speaking of that is not needed on the Argentinian carrier, is it a lot of a handful. In the grand scheme things, not many. But for a smaller navy that needs to man a carrier with 3,000+ sailors, every little bit helps.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Jan 7, 2021 15:37:07 GMT
So what numbers are we speaking of that is not needed on the Argentinian carrier, is it a lot of a handful. In the grand scheme things, not many. But for a smaller navy that needs to man a carrier with 3,000+ sailors, every little bit helps. Would Argentina be forced to sacrifice some ships to be able to crew the carrier.
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ssgtc
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Post by ssgtc on Jan 7, 2021 15:50:40 GMT
In the grand scheme things, not many. But for a smaller navy that needs to man a carrier with 3,000+ sailors, every little bit helps. Would Argentina be forced to sacrifice some ships to be able to crew the carrier. That'll be covered in later updates as the carrier gets closer to completion, but yes. They will have to decommission a few ships to free up the needed crew
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Post by La Rouge Beret on Jan 8, 2021 10:54:43 GMT
What's the Soviet response to the proliferation of carriers? Have they pushed forward their own carrier designs?
Perhaps Stalin lives longer ittl and they build up their surface fleet rather than concentrating on their submarine arm. Certainly, his continued survival would explain the more aggressive foreign policy.
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ssgtc
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Post by ssgtc on Jan 8, 2021 12:24:48 GMT
What's the Soviet response to the proliferation of carriers? Have they pushed forward their own carrier designs? Perhaps Stalin lives longer ittl and they build up their surface fleet rather than concentrating on their submarine arm. Certainly, his continued survival would explain the more aggressive foreign policy. So far, there really isn't any increase in the number of carriers. The only two changes carrier wise, are that Argentina bought an Essex class instead of a Colossus class and the United States is retaining Lake Champlain to compensate for the loss of Independence. The Soviet foreign policy isn't necessarily more aggressive so much as its opportunistic. The situation between Indonesia and the West has deteriorated much worse than it did in OTL giving the USSR a golden opportunity to expand their influence and give them an excellent foothold in the Southwest Pacific. And no, Stalin did not survive longer. IIRC, his death predates the POD.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Jan 8, 2021 12:25:54 GMT
What's the Soviet response to the proliferation of carriers? Have they pushed forward their own carrier designs? Perhaps Stalin lives longer ittl and they build up their surface fleet rather than concentrating on their submarine arm. Certainly, his continued survival would explain the more aggressive foreign policy. So far, there really isn't any increase in the number of carriers. The only two changes carrier wise, are that Argentina bought an Essex class instead of a Colossus class and the United States is retaining Lake Champlain to compensate for the loss of Independence. The Soviet foreign policy isn't necessarily more aggressive so much as its opportunistic. The situation between Indonesia and the West has deteriorated much worse than it did in OTL giving the USSR a golden opportunity to expand their influence and give them an excellent foothold in the Southwest Pacific. And no, Stalin did not survive longer. IIRC, his death predates the POD. But as the POD get more away from OTL, might we see the Soviets start building more ships that where different than OTL.
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ssgtc
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Post by ssgtc on Jan 8, 2021 13:17:25 GMT
So far, there really isn't any increase in the number of carriers. The only two changes carrier wise, are that Argentina bought an Essex class instead of a Colossus class and the United States is retaining Lake Champlain to compensate for the loss of Independence. The Soviet foreign policy isn't necessarily more aggressive so much as its opportunistic. The situation between Indonesia and the West has deteriorated much worse than it did in OTL giving the USSR a golden opportunity to expand their influence and give them an excellent foothold in the Southwest Pacific. And no, Stalin did not survive longer. IIRC, his death predates the POD. But as the POD get more away from OTL, might we see the Soviets start building more ships that where different than OTL. I'm still working on the Soviet response TBH. Obviously they will respond, I just need to work out how.
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Jan 8, 2021 13:27:51 GMT
But as the POD get more away from OTL, might we see the Soviets start building more ships that where different than OTL. I'm still working on the Soviet response TBH. Obviously they will respond, I just need to work out how. I assume you also will give us a insight about the British and French responds to all of the things that happen ore will happen.
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ssgtc
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Post by ssgtc on Jan 8, 2021 14:46:50 GMT
I'm still working on the Soviet response TBH. Obviously they will respond, I just need to work out how. I assume you also will give us a insight about the British and French responds to all of the things that happen ore will happen. Definitely. So far it hasn't really had an impact on either country. Though that is likely to change as the timeline progresses.
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