US Navy FFG(X), FFG-80 to be the first. GREAT FRIGATE

Jeff Head

General
Registered Member
New FFG(X), the new. powerful frigate to be built for the US Navy by Fincantieri Marinette Marine.

I got probably the first 1/350 scale model of the ship from Dutch Miniatures on Shapeways, a 3D ptining out let. The felow who owns Dutch Miniatures did a 3D model for me with the full hull and I bouth 2.

You will see how it came to me and what I did to detail and build her out. Here' the video from my youtube channel:


These large and powerful frigates are being built as a follow-ons for the the two LCS (Littoral Combat Ships), the Freedom and Independence classes, which are much smaller and were plagued by plans to swap out mission modules in a 24-48 time span at local, in theater, or in area of operation shipyards to turn them into Anti-surface, anti-submarine, or anti mine (either laying or detecting mines). As it turned out, the change out was taking one to two weeks, and when the vessels were set for one operation, they were very weak in the others. Particularly in the anti-shipping and anti-aircraft areas. This made them weak companions for aircraft carrier or Amphibious strike groups. In addition, the vessles had a small crew in number.

There was much automation in the ships, but not enough crew, if was felt by naval officers and enlisted men who had been on damaged vessels, to effectively do repair work necessary to keep a stricken vessel afloat and then make her operational, or at least capable of leaving the area of operation to get her repairs. They had envisioned a one to two day turn around the change out mission modules so the vessels could be anti=surface, anti-submarine, or ant-mine vessels within the time frame was, as it turned out, the change was taking one to two weeks which was not acceptable, and the size of the crew, being able to be made small because of all of the automation that allowed fewer crew members, but which was viewed as insufficient to allow necessary repair work at sea so the ship could either get back to a friendly port, or keep fighting if it could. So, instead of the originally planned 55 ships of the two classes together, it has now been decided to built about 35 or 36 of the ships, and now build twenty of these larger frigates which will have a smaller AEGIS and AEGIS sensors to allow tem to perform, or have Cooperative Engagement (CE) performed on them.

This means that the vessels can take advantage of the much more powerful AEGIS systeme on the larger Burke class AEGIS destroyers, orr even larger and more powerful Ticonderoga class AEGIS cruisers. The first ship will be laid down in 2021 and expected to be launched later in 2022, and then become initially operational in 2023, by which time the second ship, will be launching. The pennant numbers are expected to start with FFG-80, and originally it was leaked that they could be the Brooke class, after first true guided missile frigates (FFG) class, the Brooke class, built in the 1960s. The Navy has since announced that the Brooke name would NOT be the name for the frigates, but did not indicate that the pennant numbers were wrong.

Here are some more pics:

FFGX USS Brooke FFG-80-001.JPGFFGX USS Brooke FFG-80-002.JPGIMG_8759.JPGIMG_8764.JPGIMG_8766.JPGIMG_8769.JPG

When the second one is finished I will create a video of them together with two Burkes, one Tico CN, and one or two SSNs...of course along with the USS ROnald Reagan all in 1/350th scale.

Also, I expect to get a model of the JMSDF Kaga, DDH-184 with the ski-jump attached and carrying 24 F-35Bs. It will also be a full hull model with all of the build out details, and in 1/450 scale. I will create a JMSDF carrier Strike Group with that one with two AEGIS DDGs, two of the newer Akizuki and its follow-on, one Hyuga, to go with it..

Can't wait to get that model.

I do not know how many more I will be able to build. My condition is deteriorating rather quickly now..but I will try and hold on to get that second Izumo completed in 1/350 scale. I think what the US is doing with its LHD/LHSs, what Japan is doing with the two Izumo's, what Korea is doing with its DOkdo carrier, with both of those countries adding two or three more AEGIS destroyers, is an excellent answer to China's buildup of carrier groups. The US will add four new carriers, and Japan and Korea will add four more, all carying a 5th generation stealth fighter.
 
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