A front view of the T2050. (Image copyright 2015 Startpoint)
The British defense firm Startpoint Group this week released conceptual images of a future warship dubbed The Dreadnought 2050.
The sleek-looking trimaran whose name honors the famed early 20th-century battleship was dreamed up by naval designers at the company at the request of the Ministry of Defence.
The craft, called the T2050, is envisioned with an acrylic hull that could be ballasted with water to turn the ship into a stealthy semi-submersible, an exterior electromagnetic rail gun, an interior operations room with "Google Glass" walls to display tactical information and a garage in the transom with a "moon pool" capable of launching underwater drones, among other innovative features.
Check out some of the graphics:
An aft view of the T2050. (Image copyright 2015 Startpoint)
A view of T2050's transom garage. (Image copyright 2015 Startpoint)
Tactical system operators are seated around the circumference of the Ops room with banks of 2D multi-functional displays. Seats can be rotated round to face Google Glass-like walls that enable operators to overlay additional information on a 360 degree hemispheric outside view. (Image copyright 2015 Startpoint)
The aft aviation facility on board T2050 is primarily configured to operate and support remotely piloted air vehicles, and the flight deck itself is large enough to handle the simultaneous launch and/or recovery of two UAVs. However, the superstructure around the flight deck can be rotated so as to create space to enable helicopters to land side-on. Furthermore, the hangar space is big enough to take a medium-sized helicopter. Electrically-driven submerged waterjet propulsors are fitted in the outriggers or "amahs." (Image Copyright 2015 Startpoint)
An electromagnetic (EM) railgun is fitted forward. The EM railgun uses high-power electromagnetic energy, instead of explosive chemical propellants, to fire hyper-velocity projectiles at ranges of up to 200 km. These projectiles will destroy targets using kinetic energy rather than conventional explosives. (Image copyright 2015 Startpoint)
Ship-wide automation will allow T2050 to operate with a minimal core crew. (Image copyright 2015 Startpoint)
Key facts of the T2050 include a length of 155 meters, beam of 37 meters, range of unlimited distance (depending on the type of powerplant), crew of between 50 and 100 persons, and speed of 50 knots. (Image copyright 2015 Startpoint)
A large 'garage' area in the ship's transom will provide an area for the launch, recovery, maintenance and storage of rigid inflatable boats, swimmer delivery vehicles (SDVs), unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) and unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs). A moon pool within the garage enables the deployment of SDVs and/or UUVs when the transom door is closed. (Image copyright 2015 Startpoint)
The low-observable wave-piercing trimaran 'sea-frame' combines speed, stability and efficiency, and also allows for a larger flight deck area. One option is that the hull could be ballasted down with water, allowing it to be transformed into an ultra-stealthy semi-submersible for missions where covertness is a priority. (Image copyright 2015 Startpoint)
