How It Works-Amazing Vehicles

The USS San A ntonio amphibious transport

dock excels in its ability to effi ciently carry and

covertly deliver militar y vehicles and ground

troops. This would not be so impressive if it

wasn’t for the size of the San A ntonio, which

weighs in at 25,000 tons – more than the Type 26

and USS Zumwalt combined!

So how is such a gargantuan vessel cloaked?

Well, aside from the basics, it comes down to

ship-wide attention to detail. Major antennas

are mounted on platforms inside two advanced

enclosed mast/sensor (AEM/S) systems rather

than on yardarms. Deck edges are bounded by

shaped bulwarks rather than lifeline

stanchions; all exterior equipment is recessed

or fl ush-mounted; bulky things like boat-

handling cranes fold down when not in use;

while the anchor and anchor hold are designed

to minimise radar backscatter.

This strict adherence to stealth principles

transforms the radar cross-section of what is

essentially a small aircraft carrier into one

under half its size. This allows it to sneakily

approach target coastlines and launch air-

cushioned landing crafts, amphibious assault

vehicles, attack helicopters, military jeeps and

even armoured personnel carriers onto land

along with a maximum 699 soldiers.

Capable of delivering cruise

missiles, combat helicopters,

unmanned hunter-killer drones

and a barracks load of Royal

Marines into coastal warzones,

the new T ype 26 Global Combat

Ship being built by BAE Systems

is set to deliver a platform for

unprecedented covert

operations while at sea.

Despite weighing about 5,400

tons and measuring a whopping

148 metres (486 feet) long (that’s

one and a half times the size of

Manchester United’s football

pitch), the T ype 26 appears

merely as a small fi shing boat on

radar systems. This means that

when it becomes operational in

2021, it will be able to traverse

the globe without detection and

infi ltrate the most hostile areas.

The fi shing boat-sized radar

cross-section comes courtesy of

the sleek, low-profi le hull,

specially angled deck panels,

multi-installation radomes and

advanced anti-radar/sonar

damping equipment. This tech

will cloak on-board vertical

missile silos, an array of

medium-calibre guns and a huge

hangar containing both Merlin

and Wildcat helicopters.

USS San Antonio

The

Infi ltrator

Type 26 Global

Combat Ship

Take a look at some of this

warship’s most advanced,

stealth-orientated features

The USS San Antonio in focus

The

Crusader

Flight deck

The Antonio’s exposed

fl ight deck has a low profi le

compared to those on full-blown

aircraft carriers, enabling planes

to be stationed on it without

giving away its position.

Missile systems

A series of RIM-116 rolling airframe missile

launchers, as well as a pair of Mk 41 vertical

launch missile systems are installed.

Well deck

As the San Antonio’s main

role is to stealthily deliver

combat troops and

vehicles onto coastal

regions, an internal well

deck is equipped with two

LCAC landing crafts.

MILITARY