Chapter 1584 Test Plan

This time, Roughead did not respond immediately.

As one of the core managers of Rolls-Royce, Elginbridge naturally has an inexplicable close relationship with the British military.

But no matter what the situation was underwater, on the surface, he was always an outsider without a military position.

The suggestion just now involves the command issue of the two countries' navies. No matter how reasonable it is, it cannot be finalized on the spot.

So, the two of them changed the subject almost tacitly.

"Speaking of which, Admiral," Elginbridge changed the subject and asked, "Is there any possibility of resuming the CG(X) project?"

Previously, Admiral Michael Mullen had suggested directly suspending the DDG1000 project and resuming the CG(X) cruiser program at the beginning of the century.

However, not only has there been no positive response, even the subsequent ships of DDG1000 are facing the risk of cancellation.

Roughead shook his head: "In fact, the Fight 2 version of the Zumwalt class is a compromise made by Congress."

Elginbridge nodded and asked no more questions.

After all, the Americans are wealthy and powerful, and even a broken ship still has three thousand nails.

Compared with the situation of the Royal Navy, it is much better.

After some pleasantries, Elkinbridge took the initiative to say goodbye to Roughhead and his team and rushed to attend a meeting with another supplier.

After he could no longer see anyone, Lieutenant General Porter Downey took a half step forward:

"Admiral, what do you think...of his proposal?"

What he was referring to, of course, was the invitation to the British Type 45 destroyer HMS Duncan to come to the United States for joint exercises.

Roughhead did not answer immediately. He paced a few steps, his eyes sweeping over the busy workers and cold steel components in the distance.

"Porter, DDG-1000 is a money-eating behemoth and a weather vane for the future of naval surface ships. MT30 and IEP system... We can't afford to have a second 'Courageous' incident happen to Zumwalt."

His voice was heavy, carrying the heavy pressure of being the Navy's highest operations officer:

"Elginbridge is right. Talking on paper is not as good as actual combat. Letting the Duncan come for a trip may be beneficial to all aspects..."

At this point, he suddenly paused and said: "Of course, this depends on the will of the Royal Navy, and even more on the condition and arrangement of the Duncan itself... We can't force others to do anything."

Obviously, the admiral already had a plan.

You can just be more "reserved".

At this time, Lisa Franchetti, Director of the Naval Operations Staff, who had been quietly following them a few steps behind, interrupted.

"Sir," she said in a clear and steady voice, with the competence of a staff officer, "I have just contacted the duty officer of the Naval Staff and asked them to urgently verify the latest status of the Duncan."

Roughead and Donnie both turned their eyes toward her.

Lisa continued to report:

"The feedback is that the 'Duncan' has just completed its last sea trial and will soon return to the Govan Shipyard in Glasgow. According to the current plan of the Royal Navy, if nothing unexpected happens, it will hold a commissioning ceremony within this month and officially join the active service."

"Within this month?" Ruffhead raised his eyebrows slightly. This was faster than he expected.

"Yes, sir," Lisa confirmed.

Roughead nodded, but still didn't make a decision immediately.

"The progress is indeed very optimistic, but the ship is only one aspect..." He took off his military cap and adjusted his hair. "Even if the Duncan is put into service as scheduled, we have to wait until the crew completes comprehensive training. According to the normal process, it will not be able to undertake ocean-going exercises until next summer at the earliest..."

However, Lisa seemed to have been waiting for these words.

She immediately took over the conversation:

"The other Type 45 destroyers currently in service in the Royal Navy - HMS Indomitable, HMS Diamond, and HMS Hiryuu - are all undergoing in-depth technical inspections due to potential risks in their power systems. In essence, they are returning to the factory for overhaul. Therefore, the Royal Navy's existing Type 45 destroyer crews that have completed training are actually in a state of obvious redundancy."

Lisa paused for a moment to make sure the message was fully understood.

"If we formally put forward a request and emphasize the importance of this joint exercise in evaluating new ships and power systems, the British side should draw a complete and experienced team from these idle mature crews and assign them directly to the Duncan."

"In this way, they only need a short handover and adaptation period to quickly form combat effectiveness, greatly shortening our waiting time window."

A look of understanding flashed across Roughhead's eyes.

This was exactly the answer he wanted, but coming from Lisa, it seemed more logical than if he had asked it himself.

"Very good, Lisa. This information is very valuable." He nodded slightly, his tone full of approval. "After returning, you will take the lead and draft a detailed invitation and joint exercise plan as soon as possible. The core goal is to verify the reliability of the upgraded power system under conditions close to actual combat. The plan must be comprehensive and take all possibilities into consideration."

"Understood, sir." Lisa agreed simply.

She knew very well that Roughead had in fact been inclined from the beginning to accept Elginbridge's advice.

It’s just that as the Chief of Naval Operations, he doesn’t want to give people the impression of “manipulating his allies” or “over-interfering”, so he is ready to shift the blame to others, namely himself.

However, it is clear.

On the one hand, the Navy Operations Staff should be responsible for taking the blame for the leadership.

On the other hand, as a general known for her toughness and pragmatism within the navy, Lisa herself does not have much psychological burden for such tasks that may cause criticism but are in line with the core interests of the navy.

"Regarding the specific requirements of the exercise," Lisa asked immediately, getting into work mode, "Do we need to... give the Duncan a certain amount of preference in the subject setting? Or should we set a relatively loose standard to ensure that its power system can pass the test smoothly?"

"No." Roughead immediately shook his head, his expression serious. "DDG-1000 will undertake the most severe mission in the future, so this test is not a formality, nor is it to give face to the British... We want to see the true performance of this power system under high load and complex working conditions. There is no need to lower the standards..."

He hesitated for a moment, but soon made up his mind:

"However, we can add some additional subjects that are beneficial to the comprehensive power system characteristics, such as continuous high-speed navigation, complex maneuvers accompanied by the activation of high-power radar/electronic warfare equipment, and redundant switching under simulated power system partial failure... Anyway, these are exactly the advantages they claimed at the beginning, and they are also the parts we are most concerned about."

"Understood, sir. The test subjects will focus on extreme performance and system stability."

Lisa quickly noted the key points and continued to confirm:

"How do we arrange the participating ships here?"

"Other ships can follow the conventional exercise formation, but they must join the DDG109 (Jason Doohan) destroyer." Roughead had a plan in mind, "Let it participate in all major exercise subjects carried out by the Duncan, especially those tests on the power system."

The USS Doohan is the newest Arleigh Burke-class destroyer to serve in the Atlantic Fleet, making it a suitable reference.

Roughead certainly hopes that the Navy can have fresh blood joining in, but if the so-called "new quality combat force" cannot even compare with the old models, it is better to simply turn back and continue to transform the Arleigh Burke.

"Form a control group." Lisa immediately understood her boss's intention. "The Burke-class is a proven, mature platform. Its performance is the baseline. It will be clear at a glance whether the upgraded Duncan's performance is higher or lower than this baseline, or whether it has unique advantages in some aspects."

"That's right." Roughead nodded. "In addition, sufficient space and seats must be reserved in the exercise plan... We may invite some members of Congress to observe the exercise on site."

"On the ship?" Lisa inquired.

"Well..." Roughead hesitated for a moment and shook his head. "Let's temporarily base in Norfolk. The sea is rough and windy, and those who have never sailed a ship may not be able to adapt..."

Most of the congressmen who have close ties with the military have served in the military, but that doesn't mean they can still maintain a good physique decades after retiring.

If anything goes wrong, he will definitely be in trouble.

"In addition, this is just a preliminary plan, and the specific invitation list should not be finalized yet."

Roughead stressed:

"Congress had just rejected General Mullen's proposal to restart the CG(X) next-generation cruiser project... The Pentagon may need to reassess the positions of various members of Congress on the issue of expanding armaments."

"Yes, sir." Lisa saluted. "I will reserve seats for observers and logistical arrangements in the draft plan, and I will fill in the list as soon as it is confirmed."

She understood that this exercise was not only a technical test, but also a carefully planned "political show."

The purpose is to obtain crucial budget support for the DDG-1000 project and even the Navy's future shipbuilding plans.