Executive Summary:

This proposal outlines the design and operational role of a modern Monitor-class warship specializing in littoral combat and coastal bombardment. The ship would be armed with 12-inch naval rifles, providing heavy shore bombardment capabilities in uncontested waters. It seeks to fill the gap left by the decommissioned Iowa-class battleships and canceled programs that aimed to replace their long-range naval firepower.

The ship is designed to support amphibious operations, destroy hardened shore defenses, and neutralize enemy infrastructure with precise, large-caliber firepower. The operational environment would be low-intensity conflict zones and uncontested coastal regions, where air and naval superiority is ensured by other elements of the US Navy. The vessel focuses on survivability through its low profile, robust armor, and modular systems, rather than on speed or offensive capabilities beyond its main armament.

Design and Operational Focus:

The modern Monitor-class vessel is tailored for **littoral operations**, emphasizing shore bombardment over blue-water capabilities. This ship will not engage in ship-to-ship combat with advanced surface combatants or operate without air and naval superiority. Its role is highly specialized for **coastal assault**, providing fire support in environments where precision, overwhelming firepower, and endurance are essential for success.

Key missions would include:

• **Amphibious support**: Destroying enemy fortifications and clearing landing zones.

• **Infrastructure suppression**: Bombarding enemy command centers, communication hubs, and logistical supply points.

• **Counter-battery fire**: Neutralizing shore-based artillery and missile batteries.

Main Armament: 12-Inch Naval Rifles

The defining feature of the modern Monitor is its **two twin-mounted 12-inch naval rifles** (4 total). These naval rifles provide a balance of large-caliber firepower, rate of fire, and range for shore bombardment. Their incorporation is grounded in modern fire-control technologies, new ammunition types, and the specific needs of littoral warfare.

• **12-Inch Gun Specifications**:

  • **Caliber**: 12-inch (305 mm)
  • **Rate of Fire**: 1-2 rounds per minute per barrel
  • **Maximum Range**: 20–25 miles (32–40 km)
  • **Elevation**: 40 degrees for increased range and firing flexibility

• **Ammunition Types**:

1. **High Explosive (HE)**: For area bombardment, bunker-busting, and destruction of soft targets.

2. **Incendiary**: For starting fires, damaging unarmored infrastructure, and creating chaos in soft target zones.

3. **Anti-Personnel Fragmentation**: Designed to deal with infantry concentrations and light vehicles in support of amphibious operations.

4. **Armor-Piercing APFSDS**: Kinetic energy rounds for hardened targets such as bunkers or coastal defense installations. This version is enhanced with modern materials, allowing it to destroy deeply entrenched targets.

• **Effectiveness of Modern Explosives**: Advances in chemical explosives (like the enhanced RDX-based warheads used today) mean that the destructive power of the 12-inch rifles is significantly greater than their WWII counterparts. Modern **fuse technologies** would allow for greater precision and reliability, ensuring that the shells penetrate or airburst at optimal altitudes or depths.

Secondary Armament:

Given that this warship is designed for uncontested environments, its secondary armament will be focused on **close-in defense** and **counter-battery operations**, rather than anti-aircraft or anti-ship systems.

• **Close-in Weapons System (CIWS)**: A Phalanx CIWS for missile and aircraft defense.

• **Missile Countermeasures**: Soft-kill measures such as decoys and jamming pods, designed to disrupt enemy targeting systems for shore-launched anti-ship missiles.

Hull and Armor Design:

The modern Monitor is designed with a **low profile and heavy armor**, reflecting its role as a bombardment platform that remains stationary or moves slowly in shallow coastal waters.

• **Armor Layout**:

  • **Belt Armor**: 6-8 inches of composite armor for defense against shore-based anti-tank or small-caliber cannon fire.
  • **Deck Armor**: 3-4 inches of armor to protect against overhead artillery or drone strikes.
  • **Turret Armor**: 10-12 inches of protection for the 12-inch guns to ensure survivability against direct hits from shore-based weaponry.

• **Hull Design**: The ship would have a **wide, shallow draft**, allowing it to operate in coastal waters and estuaries without grounding. The hull would be heavily compartmentalized to ensure survivability, with redundant flooding control systems.

• **Displacement**: Estimated 10,000–12,000 tons, prioritizing stability over speed.

Propulsion and Mobility:

This warship is not built for speed but for endurance in coastal environments, allowing it to maintain station for extended bombardment missions.

• **Propulsion System**: Diesel-electric hybrid propulsion provides fuel efficiency and redundancy in power generation.

• **Max Speed**: 15–18 knots. Sufficient for repositioning and operating within a theater of amphibious or coastal operations, but far from the speed of traditional destroyers or cruisers.

• **Range**: 6,000–8,000 nautical miles at 10 knots, enough to operate without constant resupply but not optimized for blue-water transit.

Sensors and Fire Control:

Modern sensor and fire-control systems will provide a **precision targeting capability** that previous generations of monitors lacked, ensuring that the 12-inch rifles are more effective in modern combat.

• **Radar Systems**: High-resolution AESA radar for surface scanning and fire control.

• **Electro-Optical Sensors**: Used for spotting and precise targeting of shore installations, minimizing the risk of civilian casualties or collateral damage.

• **Advanced Fire Control**: Linked to GPS and drones for real-time targeting and correction, allowing shells to hit targets with pinpoint accuracy.

• **Drones**: UAVs deployed from the ship for reconnaissance, target identification, and artillery spotting.

Role in the US Navy:

The modern Monitor-class ship provides the **naval gunfire support (NGFS)** capability that the Navy lost with the retirement of the Iowa-class battleships. Its primary role would be supporting Marine Corps amphibious landings and providing heavy firepower in low-intensity conflicts where cruise missiles are too expensive or excessive, and smaller caliber naval guns lack range or impact.

The ship would not replace destroyers or cruisers in fleet defense or high-intensity naval operations, but instead, offer a **cost-effective, heavy fire support platform** that is survivable and highly effective in littoral combat scenarios.

Fleet Integration:

• **Task Force Role**: Monitors would deploy as part of amphibious task forces, supported by carriers and destroyers in environments where air and sea superiority is uncontested.

• **Cost-Effective Bombardment**: The ship would fill a crucial gap, offering sustained firepower at a lower operational cost than launching multiple Tomahawk cruise missiles, especially for extended campaigns.

Conclusion:

This modern Monitor-class warship is designed to provide the heavy firepower needed for shore bombardment in low-threat, littoral environments. By focusing on **12-inch naval rifles**, robust survivability, and modern sensor systems, the ship fills the gap left by the Iowa-class and offers a valuable, specialized tool for coastal assault operations. Its limited mobility and focus on uncontested waters ensure that it remains an efficient, cost-effective asset within the broader scope of US naval capabilities.