Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 4:44:01-4:44:38

Why a triple five-inch gun does not fit existing Arleigh Burkes

The mount's weight and internal demand would consume too much missile capacity unless a future flight were designed around it.

Arleigh Burke Class DestroyersNaval ArtilleryNaval ModernisationShip StabilityVertical Launch Systems
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Question

Could Flight II or Flight III Arleigh Burke destroyers be upgraded with a triple five-inch mount?

Short answer

No practical retrofit is likely; it would cost too much VLS capacity, although a future flight could be designed around the mount.

Notes

A hypothetical future Arleigh Burke flight could be designed from the outset for a triple five-inch mount. Retrofitting existing Flight II or Flight III ships is a different problem because the added weapon and supporting structure impose major weight and space demands. The panel expects the conversion to require removing or sharply reducing vertical-launch cells. That trade would undermine the missile capacity central to the destroyer's role, making the upgrade self-defeating. The answer illustrates why a weapon that fits on paper can still be incompatible with a completed ship's weight and mission balance.