Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:43:21-1:44:13

The hidden displacement cost of 1950s radar

Adding radar required generators, accommodation, and internal volume, forcing the Daring class to surrender torpedo space.

Daring Class Destroyers (1949)Naval RadarRoyal NavyShip Design
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Question

How much weight and space did 1950s radar add to warships?

Short answer

Enough supporting power and accommodation were needed that Daring-class destroyers lost both torpedo sections.

Notes

Before-and-after Daring-class plans show that electronics impose costs far beyond the antenna's weight. Radar requires electrical generation, operators, maintenance access, and accommodation for the people who support it. Those systems consume internal volume as well as topside weight and power. In the Daring example, the completed radar fit displaced both torpedo sections, making the lost weapons a visible measure of the electronic installation's true design cost.