Trying to figure out which project to build

[Sauragnmon]

Alright, I have only one kit, and I'm somewhat torn on the concept I want to build with it.  I have two options:

1) The British People's Republic 956B Sovremenny DDG - Primarily a refit to incorporate the Sea Dart missile, with guidance upgrades to support the original Front Dome radar for six engaged targets.  Might include other refits where improvements possible, likely to have Lynx for helicopter support.

2) The Soviet Navy 956M2 Sovremenny II DDG - more stealthy design - enclosed SSM launchers with vent louvres in back area.  Stealth superstructure, VLS SAM, fixed torpedo tubes for improved ASW, Stealth 130mm gun mountings, the whole nine yards, as sneaky as can be.

So, there's the crux of the issue.

[lenny100]

do the uk sov as is the only real warship we will ever have, if you dont have the real carboard upper works

[ChernayaAkula]

Man, that's a really tough nut, you know? Both projects sound equally cool.

In the end I went for the Sovremenny II. Mostly because I'm looking forward to seeing how you stealthify the thing.

[elmayerle]

Having a passing familiarity with low obervables, I'd love to see what you end up doing to the Sovremenny II. 

[Sauragnmon]

Moritz and Evan, I've had the idea clunking in my head for a while, the primary change is, as I said, sealing up the superstructure, and cutting as many reflective traps as I can - all the decks overlapping will be sealed, the boats pulled inside, the launcher tubes will be encased/replaced with newer missiles, blast vents will have louvers, missile launchers replaced with VLS, faceted main gun turrets to reduce RCS.  Essentially, the only thing I can't quite fix is the hull's RCS, but for the most part it should be rather stealthy when I'm done with it.

[elmayerle]

Sounds like a good first approximation, there.  You might want to look at integrating some infrared suppression into teh engine exhausts if those are above water (I'd look at a way of taking in extra air and surrounding the exhaust as it goes through a mixer to cool the entire flow; a ship's big enough to not need a separate intake for exhaust cooling air.  I'd probably try and reduce the number of masts sticking up by combining as much electronics as possible, perhaps one "sail" rather than several masts (AESA scanned array antennas would help, there, for radar functions) and I'd probably mount some optronic sensors at the top of it.

[Sauragnmon]

Well, the design of the Sovrem includes one large centralized stack, I might consider putting louvres on the sides of it to incorporate mixer intakes.  The design equally includes one mast, primarily, but I'll be looking at reducing the ammount of mastwork and such that's around the upper works as well.  I know the general principles to reducing the RCS of a warship, and plan to apply them as much as I can in this case.  Equally, I have plans for a Slava in the same style once eventually.