Burke open architecture

Aegis has moved to an open architecture in baseline 9 onwards, so the DDGs are getting a taste as they are brought up to that baseline. While perhaps not as sexy as weapon systems, the flexibility and (potential) cost advantages are a big deal.

The image you linked is actually rather old, but so is the naval community's interest in pursuing an open systems architecture for combatants.
 
True about open architecture combat information systems. But that drawing is associated with something else, not open architecture computing but a USN equivalent to the MEKO or Stanflex modular weapon installations. The drawing has a 2016 date but is actually much older. I believe it's associated to the NAVSEA SSES effort from the early 1980s (hence the Mk26 launcher module, the 8-inch MCLWG module, and the VSTOL Type A aircraft concepts).

Turns out that SSES is partially implemented in DDG-51, in that the 29/32- and 61/64-cell VLS blocks are SSES A and B modules, respectively, and the 5-inch gun may be an SSES A module. But none of the other weapons or sensors are, AFAIK, installed using SSES module specifications.

The History of Modular Payload Ships: 1975 - 2005

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Hearings on Military Posture and H.R. 5968 (H.R. 6030), Department of Defense Authorization for Appropriations for Fiscal Year 1983 Before the Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, Ninety-seventh Congress, Second Session

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Lc89 said:
I had read that the US Navy would like to apply this with the LSC.
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I don't think the Navy has any idea what they want to do with Large Surface Combatant. I don't doubt there are people talking about some degree of modularity but given how few LSCs they will likely be building I'm not sure if there's a huge return on investment to be had.
 
Too bad they didn't apply this to the DDG-1000, it would have made it much easier and cheaper to re-role them once their planned employment changed.
 
I think the modular Burke is a missed opportunity. Even if swapping module types on demand wasn't practical, like VLS for guns or helicopters, having a single hull that could have module kits put in place to do different missions means you could achieve economies of scale on the hulls.

It's also fun to play around with the modules to design alternate Burkes. Everything from 176 VLS missile ships to ASW escorts to fire support ships.
 

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