Massachusetts-class Battleship
| Massachusetts Class | |
| File:Massachusetts Class Battleship.png Massachusetts Class | |
| Career |  |
|---|---|
| Nationality: | Union of Everett |
| Operated by: | Union of Everett Navy |
| Builder: | New York Shipbuilding Newport News Shipbuilding Bath Iron Works Ingalls Shipbuilding |
| Ordered: | 4 |
| Laid down: | 2 |
| Launched: | 16 |
| Commissioned: | 16 |
| Registry: | BBG |
| Status: | In Service |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 69,000 tons |
| Length: | 900 ft |
| Beam: | 110 ft |
| Draft: | 35 |
| Power: | Naval Mk2 Fusion Generator Engine |
| Propulsion: | 3x Water Jet boosters 3x Generator Propellers |
| Speed: | 65.1 knots (70 mph) |
| Maximum speed: | 85 knots (98 mph) |
| Range: | Unlimited |
| Complement: | x2 LCAC |
| Crew: | 1,500 (115 officers) |
| Armament: | x4 16 inch Mark 8 Naval Gun x4 155mm AGS Mark 41 VLS (72 cells/BGM-109F Tomahawk, RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow and RGM-84FF Harpoon) x2 Fixed SDI Plasma anti-Ballistic Missile/anti-Aircraft x10 20mm CIWS x7 57 mm Mk3 x6 Mk32 Torpedo |
| Electronic Warfare & Decoys: | AN/SPY-1 3D Radar AN/SPS-67 Surface Search Radar AN/SPS-73 Surface Search Radar AN/SQQ-89(V)3 Sonar suite AN/SQR-19 Tactical Towed Array Sonar AN/SQQ-28 LAMPS III Shipboard System Electronic Warfare Suite Nixie Torpedo Countermeasures Mark 36 SRBOC AN/SLQ-39 CHAFF Buoys AN/SPG-62 fire control radar |
| Aircraft carried: | x1 CV-22 Osprey or x2 SH-60 anti-submarine helicopter x2 Rocket Assisted RQ-7 Shadow UAV |
| Cost: | $1.06 billion (2012) |
The Massachusetts class battleship is the first of the world's 21st century battleships, brought back from extinction since the early 1990's when the United States formally decommissioned the last naval battleships in active military service in any naval force globally. Battleship use worldwide ended after the Persian Gulf War in 1991 and American battleships remained in reserve until 2006. Requests for fire support naval craft by the Marine Corps and the Navy led the government to design a new 21st century battleship craft. The first Massachusetts class, named EVS Massachusetts was designed in late 2004. Construction on the first of its class began in mid 2005 and completed the first ship by mid 2007. The Department of Defense requested another nine vessels, all completing construction by late 2010. Another ten vessels are planned to be built into 2016.
Specifications
The Massachusetts class battleship has a displacement of 67,000 tons, fully loaded, at nearly 900 feet long and 110 feet wide. It is fusion generator powered using three nuclear fusion turbines with propellers providing a top speed of 98 miles per hour (85 knots). Because they are fusion reactor powered, they have virtually unlimited range. The vessel has a capacity of 1,500 crew.
Armament
The Massachusetts class is armed with various weapons including 20mm CIWS Phalanx systems and 57mm Bofors anti-aircraft turrets, Mark 41 vertical launch surface to air missiles, tomahawk cruise missiles, RGM-84 anti-ship missiles and the ship's four primary gun turrets, 16 inch Mark 8 Naval Rail Guns, two in the rear of the ship and two in the front. Ships are also armed with two SDI turrets capable of functioning as both an anti-aircraft defense and a ballistic missile intercept system. The Massachusetts class also has a landing pad on the rear of the vessel for up to two SH-60 anti-submarine helicopters or alternatively, a single CV-22 Osprey or a single VTOL fighter craft such as the F-35 Lightning II or SF-35 Lightning III or SF-22 Raptor II. The ship also carries RQ-7 Shadow UAV aircraft which are launched by rocket into the air for target acquisition or reconnaissance.
Amphibious Assault Abilities
Massachusetts vessels feature an amphibious LCAC hangar located in the rear of the ship. The hangar may contain up to two LCAC amphibious landing hovercraft, typically already loaded with a total of six Humvees and four Stryker armored personnel carriers between them.
Ships
- EVS Massachusetts (1st of it's class)
- EVS Boston
- EVS Worcester
- EVS Springfield
- EVS Quincy
- EVS Brockton
- EVS Chicopee
- EVS Somerville
- EVS Brookline
- EVS Fall River
- EVS Westfield
- EVS Medford
- EVS Lawrence
- EVS Lynn
- EVS Taunton
- EVS Lowell
- EVS Salem (under construction)
- EVS Cape Cod (under construction)
- EVS Plymouth (planned)
- EVS Mayflower (planned)