How dense should a guided-missile destroyer's gun layout be, including a dual-purpose main gun and smaller weapons able to use programmable ammunition?
Short answerA substantial layered gun fit is favoured, illustrated by an enlarged Type 45 design exercise carrying multiple 76 mm and Phalanx mounts alongside its main gun and VLS.
NotesThe question proposes a dual-purpose main gun and several smaller guns able to use programmable ammunition. A contributor illustrates his preference for a substantial gun fit through a private design exercise with his father. One version carried 48 Mark 41 cells and around 96 Sylver A50 cells, alongside a 4.5-inch main gun, three or four 76 mm guns and three or four Phalanx mountings. These figures belong to the exercise, rather than the actual Type 45's commissioned armament. Extra gas-turbine and diesel machinery fitted within the enlarged design. His father preferred a longer, broader hull to provide stability, a higher radar position and more space for boats. A larger flight deck and hangar were further reasons for the broader beam. His father also drew the design in CAD and prepared its specifications. Weapons density therefore depended on the machinery, hull stability and operating space available to support it.