USS Weird?
September 9, 2011 12:05 PM Subscribe
What is this odd looking ship?
She's parked out in the Hudson River, midtown Manhattan.
Here's a pic (weird boat's on the right) with the USS Intrepid aircraft carrier for scale.
There's an American flag posted on the bow.
I can't make out an discernible markings from my vantage point.
It seems to have a big, flat deck on the back.
Anybody know what she's for?
She's parked out in the Hudson River, midtown Manhattan.
Here's a pic (weird boat's on the right) with the USS Intrepid aircraft carrier for scale.
There's an American flag posted on the bow.
I can't make out an discernible markings from my vantage point.
It seems to have a big, flat deck on the back.
Anybody know what she's for?
Best answer: That looks like USS New York to me (and yes, I found it odd that the first google item on this was from Xinhua).
posted by N-stoff at 12:11 PM on September 9, 2011
posted by N-stoff at 12:11 PM on September 9, 2011
Response by poster: Yes it is! How neat, amazing, and what a cool/weird looking ship. Wow. I'm going to go investigate further after work. Think I can, uh, get on it?
posted by functionequalsform at 12:12 PM on September 9, 2011
posted by functionequalsform at 12:12 PM on September 9, 2011
Best answer: The design seems to be a stealth ship, a lot of them have those strange angular structures.
posted by TheophileEscargot at 12:14 PM on September 9, 2011
posted by TheophileEscargot at 12:14 PM on September 9, 2011
Best answer: Think I can, uh, get on it?
Probably not, unless you're one of the invited 9/11 families.
posted by tommasz at 12:17 PM on September 9, 2011
Probably not, unless you're one of the invited 9/11 families.
posted by tommasz at 12:17 PM on September 9, 2011
Best answer: The unusual superstructure is an Advanced Enclosed Mast/Sensor.
posted by djb at 12:41 PM on September 9, 2011
posted by djb at 12:41 PM on September 9, 2011
Best answer: I'm glad you asked this question, because those ships are really neat.
So what *are* those truncated square pyramidal structures that stealth ships have? I get that the ships reduce the use of right angles to minimize radar visibility, and that accounts for the shape, but what are the structures for?
And you may well be able to get onboard. I am the mother of a Marine, the ex-wife of a Navy airman, and the daughter of a NASA scientist -- and a person who really likes big cool Tech that I'm not supposed to see. In my experience, the people guarding the place make a threat assessment, and if you are judged not a problem, they will usually let you look. If I were you, I'd bring my passport and my driver's license, go down there, be nice, and ask about a tour. At the very least, someone who knows all about the Tech will be gratified by your interest and answer your questions. And more often than not they will end up showing you around.
Note that I am the gender and race (and now, age) considered least likely to cause problems. YMMV.
posted by pH Indicating Socks at 12:48 PM on September 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
So what *are* those truncated square pyramidal structures that stealth ships have? I get that the ships reduce the use of right angles to minimize radar visibility, and that accounts for the shape, but what are the structures for?
And you may well be able to get onboard. I am the mother of a Marine, the ex-wife of a Navy airman, and the daughter of a NASA scientist -- and a person who really likes big cool Tech that I'm not supposed to see. In my experience, the people guarding the place make a threat assessment, and if you are judged not a problem, they will usually let you look. If I were you, I'd bring my passport and my driver's license, go down there, be nice, and ask about a tour. At the very least, someone who knows all about the Tech will be gratified by your interest and answer your questions. And more often than not they will end up showing you around.
Note that I am the gender and race (and now, age) considered least likely to cause problems. YMMV.
posted by pH Indicating Socks at 12:48 PM on September 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
Best answer: The Twin Towers steel is only in the front -- 7 tons of it. And no way are you getting on that thing.
posted by wenestvedt at 12:56 PM on September 9, 2011
posted by wenestvedt at 12:56 PM on September 9, 2011
Best answer: There are a bunch of fairly new navy ships with those kind of squared-off superstructures to reduce the radar signature, e.g. the Type 45 Destroyer, La Fayette-class frigates.
I get that the ships reduce the use of right angles to minimize radar visibility, and that accounts for the shape, but what are the structures for?
My guess is that it's best to have your radar/sensors as high above the waterline as possible, for the best range, so they put them on top of the towers, but make the towers that specific shape to reduce the radar signature. If you look at the Type 45 destroyer, there's a radar dome on top of the tower.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 1:31 PM on September 9, 2011
I get that the ships reduce the use of right angles to minimize radar visibility, and that accounts for the shape, but what are the structures for?
My guess is that it's best to have your radar/sensors as high above the waterline as possible, for the best range, so they put them on top of the towers, but make the towers that specific shape to reduce the radar signature. If you look at the Type 45 destroyer, there's a radar dome on top of the tower.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 1:31 PM on September 9, 2011
Well, it's sailing down the Hudson right now, I can see it from my window.
posted by Jon_Evil at 1:36 PM on September 9, 2011
posted by Jon_Evil at 1:36 PM on September 9, 2011
Response by poster: Dammit, I missed it pulling away. You just told me what happened outside my own window. Hah.
posted by functionequalsform at 1:40 PM on September 9, 2011
posted by functionequalsform at 1:40 PM on September 9, 2011
Best answer: Let me just add that the reason my family tree is relevant is that I have often found myself with time on my hands, wandering around at a place where there was wacko awesome Tech.
Military officers and big-deal scientists have shown me the Tech not because they knew my relatives (mostly they did not) but because their baby, this impossibly cool Tech, was Serious Business to everyone they encounter all day -- and an ordinary person, a natural reaction, to wit OMG that is bad-ASS! just made them open like a flower. Not always, not everyone, but you would be amazed how delighted most scientists and engineers are just to hear that what they do is freakin' cool, and how much they enjoy schooling some interested but ignorant member of the public.
You won't know until you try.
posted by pH Indicating Socks at 5:27 PM on September 9, 2011
Military officers and big-deal scientists have shown me the Tech not because they knew my relatives (mostly they did not) but because their baby, this impossibly cool Tech, was Serious Business to everyone they encounter all day -- and an ordinary person, a natural reaction, to wit OMG that is bad-ASS! just made them open like a flower. Not always, not everyone, but you would be amazed how delighted most scientists and engineers are just to hear that what they do is freakin' cool, and how much they enjoy schooling some interested but ignorant member of the public.
You won't know until you try.
posted by pH Indicating Socks at 5:27 PM on September 9, 2011
Best answer: pH Indicating Socks and Ends of Invention (et al.)
The two hexagonal masts are, as you speculate, full of sensors. They are, in fact, largely transparent to the radio waves. The flat sides make it easier to "subtract" the masts from the sensor data. Similarly, when you see a listening station with a giant Golf Ball-looking thing on the roof, or on tower, it's to protect the radio antennae inside, and those golf-balls have dozens of flat surfaces, instead of being a round dome. The golf balls don't have perfectly regular geometry, either-- that sort of regularity actually interferes with the antennas for some reason. I'd expect the sensor masts on USS New York and the rest of the ships in her class (San Antonio Class, LPD 17) are also just slightly irregular.
The FAQ on the ship says:
Advanced Enclosed Mast/Sensor System. The AEM/S concept totally modified ship appearance topside and improves the warfighting capability through reduced radar cross-section signature, improved sensor performance, and greatly reduced maintenance of the mast and antennas. The concept was proven at sea in USS Radford (DD 968) and will be installed in each ship of the San Antonio (LPD 17) Class. Antennas are located inside each of two masts, which use a hybrid, frequency selective material to allow communications, and radar signals to pass through, but exclude electronic noise and weather.
The FAQ is an interesting read--plenty of new technology and design going into that ship. The ship was even partially built using the metric system. But only partially-- why mess with what works?
The other thing that the masts will do is elevate the drive-exhaust above the superstructure. Ships that run on fuel-oil or gas-turbine are easily identified by their black-painted superstructure (which also offers a modicum of visual stealth in some conditions, but not so much that it would justify painting all ships that way)-- the exhaust will eventually blacken that area anyway, so they paint it black. Most ships without the black superstructure are nuclear-powered, but USS NY managed to get its exhaust above its masts.
posted by Sunburnt at 11:28 PM on September 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
The two hexagonal masts are, as you speculate, full of sensors. They are, in fact, largely transparent to the radio waves. The flat sides make it easier to "subtract" the masts from the sensor data. Similarly, when you see a listening station with a giant Golf Ball-looking thing on the roof, or on tower, it's to protect the radio antennae inside, and those golf-balls have dozens of flat surfaces, instead of being a round dome. The golf balls don't have perfectly regular geometry, either-- that sort of regularity actually interferes with the antennas for some reason. I'd expect the sensor masts on USS New York and the rest of the ships in her class (San Antonio Class, LPD 17) are also just slightly irregular.
The FAQ on the ship says:
Advanced Enclosed Mast/Sensor System. The AEM/S concept totally modified ship appearance topside and improves the warfighting capability through reduced radar cross-section signature, improved sensor performance, and greatly reduced maintenance of the mast and antennas. The concept was proven at sea in USS Radford (DD 968) and will be installed in each ship of the San Antonio (LPD 17) Class. Antennas are located inside each of two masts, which use a hybrid, frequency selective material to allow communications, and radar signals to pass through, but exclude electronic noise and weather.
The FAQ is an interesting read--plenty of new technology and design going into that ship. The ship was even partially built using the metric system. But only partially-- why mess with what works?
The other thing that the masts will do is elevate the drive-exhaust above the superstructure. Ships that run on fuel-oil or gas-turbine are easily identified by their black-painted superstructure (which also offers a modicum of visual stealth in some conditions, but not so much that it would justify painting all ships that way)-- the exhaust will eventually blacken that area anyway, so they paint it black. Most ships without the black superstructure are nuclear-powered, but USS NY managed to get its exhaust above its masts.
posted by Sunburnt at 11:28 PM on September 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
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posted by Jon_Evil at 12:10 PM on September 9, 2011 [2 favorites]