CVN-65 radar/sensor questions

mfsob,

The little cube shaped thing is an antenna. Check www.news.navy.mil and check for Burke-class destroyer photos. The destroyers have them mounted on the super structure outboard of the mast. There may some detail differences. I'm not sure. But they are easier to see in photos of the smaller ships.

I'm not sure exactly what you are referring to along the catwalk though.

Sorry I can't be more help.

Mike

mfsob wrote:

Finally back to updating my Revell USS Enterprise to her 2006 apperance, which has involved adding a LOT of different-sized radar domes and other sensors. I've got most of it doped out, but two are defeating me as to what they are and how to model them: On the port side, forward of the Fresnel landing light system, are two sensor platforms that project out just below flight deck level. One is a round sphere that I assume is some kind of radar dome. The other, forward of that and near the end of the No. 4 catapult, is some kind of cube shaped thing? Or so it appears in the most recent (and not clear enough) photos I've been able to find. What is it? And are there others on the ship that I've missed? On the starboard side, just forward of the island along the catwalk, is a long white rectangular structure that is mounted at an angle, like this < to the catwalk, with the angle facing outboard. Any thoughts?

Item 1:  Its a SLQ-32 (pronounced Slick) Electronic Warfare receiver

Navy Newstand Photo  11/2005

Item 2:  The white boxes 1/3 the way forward between the island and the bow are jettisonable pyrotechnic lockers

Navy Newstand photo 5/2006

A better shot

Navy Newstand photo 5/2006

That's what I love about this forum! You can ask the most insanely detailed question and someone, somewhere, knows the answer. Thanks Ed. And from studying photos, it looks like there is another SLQ-32 on top of the island, starboard side forward?

And as an aside - as I have been working on this model (it's for the daughter of a friend who is currently deployed on the Big E), I have been asking the mom to ask her daughter discreet questions about specific plane markings, etc., to confirm photos. When she asked how I knew all this stuff, she was initially HORRIFIED that I had gleaned it all from photos freely available to anyone on the World Wide Web. Then she went to the official USN site herself, and called me back very upset - "They're putting things out there that could be used to hurt my kid!" I kind of had to agree with her, and even pointing out that most of the photos were on official government web sites did little to mollify her. Secrecy has a whole different meaning when a loved one's butt is on the line.

While photo's of the ship are on-line, it's nothing the bad guys couldn't get themselves anytime the ship sailed into port. It is the capablities of those systems the is secert and rightly so. Ship has changed alot since my son served on her from 94 to 97