Using your definitions, the only parts of a ship that do not need armor
are habitabiity spaces (berthing, messing), offices, storerooms, and
repair shops.  The problem is that those spaces are worked in around all
the other mission-critical spaces; you can't "pick and choose" to armor
the CIC but not the berthing and messing spaces, because the berthing and
messing spaces are directly above, below or beside CIC.

Face it, the "mission critical" spaces in a modern warship run from the
extreme bow (sonar dome) to the stern (Nixie and towed array rooms), and
from the keel (machinery spaces) to the masthead (ESM and TACAN).  

The lack of helo hangars in the first two Flights is not a big problem
when you realize that these ships will operate in a battle group with
CGs, DDs, FFGs and later DDGs, all of which carry helos.  Not every ship
needs a helo hangar.

My opinions only.

And besides if one uses the bow array for a signal source, don't you
mean active generation of signals, i.e. noise?

Just a post to clarify a few points.

On Tue, 27 Oct 1998 22:20:30 -0400, "Howard C. Berkowitz"

The use of toads as dispersed active sonar,
generating 'direct path' reference,
reflected target bearings,
and the self exciting nature of a toad field,
coupled with DSP,
has resulted in a significant enhancement of this network.

One parallel being the 'avalanche' effect in a Gieger-Muller tube.

<snip>

<snip>

It's often the case when an effective low cost system
is available for very little investment.

The phrase "buy-off" being appropriate here.

If the purchase doesn't assist the individual in securing
a post public office, consultacy,
then it's not worth purchasing.

You're probably confusing this acronym with that of the
TOwed Array Dispenser, (TOAD),
or the name of the similar sounding 'Towed' array.

It refers in this case to -
T       Tactical
O       Oceanographic
A       Amphibic
D       Dispersed
S       Sonar

These are fully autonomous, independantly operating, sensor systems
that can be deployed in a variety of dispersal configurations.
solitary -      close inshore or midocean.
field -         concentrated area (barrier and choke points).
linear -        outer barrier and far field arrays.

Having the capabilty to 'hibernate',
whereby all systems other than sensors,
are put on standby until the toad is disturbed.

The toad instinctively knows that to avoid predators and survive,
it must make the best use of natural cover.
Often found hiding under rocks,
but at it's most effective when buried in mud,
where it can remain undisturbed for many years.

Due to their biologic nature,
TOADS generate minimal self noise,
other than when they go 'active'.

Many frontline soldiers being already familiar with
their land based relatives.
They often report that there is little more daunting than
the possibiity of an unexpected toad suddenly going 'active' on you
and triggering off the whole array.

If you mean -
Are different species distinguishable by their active emissions,
then yes,
but more importantly,
every individual toad has it's own unique active 'signature'.

Primary active stowage being the WRT tank,
the acronym formerly    Water Round Torpedo tank,
being replaced by       Water Round Toad tank.

Use of this tank allows toads to be deployed directly through
the normal torpedo 'water-shot' discharge process,
without any system hardware modification.

Early trials indicated a high degree of baseline correlation,
and the project was nearly dropped,
but once on track,
the issues were dealt with by the team as they arose.

Initial problems with the toads unexpectedly switching to active mode,
were traced to the water-ram piston speed,
this had resulted in direct physical compression of the toads.

Another early problem involved the near loss of a vessel through a
complete loss of heat sink,
caused by the ingestion of macerated toads into the main circ water
and other seawater cooling systems.

These have been overcome by the introduction of modified ram
operating parameters.
The use of a slower discharge stroke
coupled with lower flow rates
all have improved the succesful deployment figures,
enabling the toad to 'go with the flow' and swim out from the ram.

Other stowage matters.
Apart from the environmental concerns -
Goats   generally requiring an arid smoky private environment
        along with a more public strutting area,
        have a nasty habit of trampling on toads at every opportunity.
Toads   being less dominant,
        tend to gather in wetter colder environs,
        i.e. bilges or anywhere out of the goats view.

Toads and goats definitely don't get along,

Goats also tend to have this superiority complex,
which from my experience,
they never lose,
becoming more pronounced once out of their service environment.

<snip>

The correct useage of the acronym 'COTS'
as applied to TOADS refers to -

C       Collected
O       Off
T       The
S       Shore

Please note before posting any follow-up comments,
these are marine toads and not the common land (track) toad variety.

If interested -
Further discussion of this topic may be continued at a later date.

Would there be any nations which might benefit from and/or use Modern AMCs?
How about China? With plenty of state-owned shipping, the concept of
snapping on weapons for military duty could work, especially in view of
Chinese sealift needs in the event of an invasion of Taiwan or Singapore.
How about Gulf tankers, who want something more than Machine guns and other
lighter weapons to shoot back with in event of renewed tanker hostilities,
or people worried about piracy in certain parts of the world?

Ah... what a use for all those bulk carriers, etc that don't make it up to
snuff - the penalty, turning over all ships, cargo, and funds of offending
corporations to S.M.N. for manufacture of Armed Merchant Cruisers, Foist
warships and warship carriers, and Halifax-Style Boat Bombs to be sailed
into Kharg Island, Havana Harbor, and Saddam Hussein's Swimming Pool!

P.S. Imagine the might of the new Liberian Navy.

David Powell
--
"Weep for the chickens, Bok. Weep for us all"

"Bok!"

G'Kar and Bok, in the Animaniacs Episode

 "Chickens can't be Narns."

:       Another type would be US coast guard style ships, which while
: not normally equiped with harpoons, can be equipped so.  In normal
: times, such ships could conduct usual coastal operations, without the
: expense or danger of a weapons loadout, while in wartime they could be
: quickly converted.

        For coastal defense role, you want ASW, not surface weapons.  
Bring back the blimps!  

        A blimp has lots of carrying capacity, so flight duration is,
with fuel conservation measures, constraind by crew rest, not running
out of gas.  Instead of the twenty or so sonobouys, say a couple
hundred.  And a nice BIG antenna for the radar, for locating those
periscopes.  Immune to torpedos.  And if the sub surfaces and
shoots a SAM at it, well, it loses an engine and the envelope
starts leaking.  Hey, better dump some weight, like say, a torpedo. :-)
Then limp on back to base.  

        --Dale