Manufacturing line/War ships/Guided-missile destroyer
Autonomous · War ships

Guided-missile destroyer

A multi-mission surface combatant with no one aboard to put at risk.

Phase 7 · 2033+Concept design
Displacement
≈ 9,700 t
Power
2 × 36 MW gas-turbine generators
Fuel burn
≈ 4.5 t / hr at 20 kn
Crew aboard
0
I · Blueprint
Side elevation, live systems
DWL155 m (509.5 ft) length overall31 ft (9.4 m) maxdraft, at domeAA0307091005121314151820061108161719010204flight deckbridgeMachinery, tank and magazine positions are to design scale. Weapons are shown in outline.SECTION A–A · AT GAS-TURBINE GENERATOR 1, LOOKING FORWARDPLAN · MAIN DECK · DASHED: HULL AT WATERLINEDWL59 ft (18 m) beam, waterline66 ft (20.1 m) max beam070920061619exhaust uptakecombustion-air intakecompressor, rotatingacoustic enclosureradar face (beyond)155 m64 cells32 cells20.1 m051213030716flight deck96 cells in total: 32 forward, 64 aft. Cell layout within each block is schematic.
01Propeller & rudderPropulsion
02Shaft linePropulsion
03Hangar & flight deck — rotorcraftStructure
04Integrated electric propulsion motorPropulsion
05Vertical launch cells — aft, 64Mission systems
06Gas-turbine generator 1Power
07Deckhouse & integrated sensor arrayStructure
08Battery bank — 20 MWh, pulse loadsPower
09Hull — flared, low-signatureStructure
10Sensor mastStructure
11Gas-turbine generator 2Power
12Vertical launch cells — forward, 32Mission systems
13Main gunMission systems
14Bow sonar domeMission systems
15Towed array & reelMission systems
16Air intakes & exhaust uptakesPower
17Switchboards & common busPower
18Autonomy coreMission systems
19Fuel tanks, double bottomPower
20Radar array faces × 4Mission systems
II · Power & drivetrain

Integrated electric, sized for sensors.

Gas-turbine generators and a battery bank share one bus, so power can shift instantly between propulsion, radar and mission systems.

Gas-turbine generators and battery bank — rotating view
Two 36 MW recuperated gas-turbine generators, each with six compressor stages, six combustor cans and three turbine stages spinning, feed the main switchboard together with a 20 MWh battery bank. Two 31 MW propulsion motors and the radar pulse load hang off the same bus.
01Gas-turbine generators — 2 × 36 MW, recuperated, 48% fuel to bus
02Compressor — 6 stages, 20:1
03Combustor — 6 cans, synthetic marine diesel
04Turbine — 3 stages, exhaust through the recuperator
05Battery bank — 20 MWh, 50 MW for pulse loads and silent running
06Main switchboard — 13.8 kV integrated electric bus
07Propulsion motors — 2 × 31 MW, 2 shafts
08Radar and mission pulse loads — from the battery, not the turbines
Propeller — 5 blades
Power plant · IC design2 × 36 MW gas-turbine generators
Shaft output≈ 62 MW at 30 kn, 2 × 31 MW motors
FuelSynthetic marine diesel
Consumption≈ 4.5 t / hr at 20 kn
Metal content≈ 89% of lightship
Naked drivetrain — energy to motion
III · How it is put together

Built in blocks, joined, then brought to life.

Blocks are fabricated in parallel, joined in sequence, and the power module and autonomy core go in last. The loop below replays the build order.

POWER MODULE
I
Keel & hardened hull blocks
II
Blocks joined, systems routed
III
Power plant installed
IV
Sensor tower & mission systems fitted
V
Unmanned sea trials
IV · Specification

Design specification.

Design values for the autonomous guided-missile destroyer. Every figure matches the drawings, the power unit and the compute panel on this page.

Length overall
155 m
Displacement
≈ 9,700 t
Vertical launch cells
96
Aviation
Autonomous rotorcraft & hangar
Power plant · IC design
2 × 36 MW gas-turbine generators
Range
4,500 nm at 20 kn
Fuel
Synthetic marine diesel
Consumption
≈ 4.5 t / hr at 20 kn
Speed
30+ kn
Shaft output
≈ 62 MW at 30 kn · 2 × 31 MW motors
Plant efficiency
48% recuperated, fuel to bus
Battery bank
20 MWh, 50 MW pulse
Propulsion · IC design
Integrated electric
Metal content
≈ 89% of lightship
Crew aboard
0 — remote command
Fuel aboard
≈ 1,100 t
Onboard compute
Eight AI modules in two racks; combat systems stay separate
Modules8 heavy AI modules in 2 mirrored racks (navigation 2; perception 4; engineering & power management 2) + 4 certified safety controllers; combat systems are separate
CPU128 cores (8 × 16) + 4 lockstep real-time cores per module
AI throughput40,000 TOPS (8 × 5,000, INT8 / FP4 sparse)
Memory8 × 128 GB LPDDR6, 600 GB/s per module
Power draw0.85 kW compute; ≈ 1.9 kW with 40 cameras, 6 lidars and 3 navigation radars — 0.003% of the 72 MWe plant
Process node2 nm-class SoCs; safety controllers on a mature 16 nm node, 15-year supply; compute is a line-replaceable unit, swapped at mid-life
RedundancyTwo racks in separate compartments. Every sensor is wired to both racks. Each module is primary for its zone and hot standby for its twin in the other rack; either rack alone runs the ship. A software fault can never drive the destroyer outside its certified safe envelope.
Safety channel4 × SIL 3 controllers with their own sensors: turbine overspeed and flame-out trips, shaft encoders, rudder-angle sensors, battery string monitors, fire and flood detectors, and a safety-rated collision radar
Sensors40 cameras (28 visible 4K, 12 thermal) on automotive Ethernet through camera aggregation switches; 6 lidars for close manoeuvring, 3 navigation radars, AIS, 3,000 plant sensors; combat sensors are separate
DrivesMotor drives close their own current loop at 1 kHz; the modules send speed and rudder set-points at 10 Hz
LinkProtected satellite and line-of-sight links; planning model aboard; remote command ashore
Power management is an AI job on this ship: the engineering modules decide second by second what the turbines make and what the battery gives, so radar pulses and sprints never stall the bus. Navigation and perception mirror across two racks. Weapons and combat sensors are on their own systems under remote command.
Today vs IC
Today’s destroyer beside the IC design
Today · destroyer in serviceIC design
Prime movers4 × aeroderivative gas turbines, ≈ 19.6 MW each2 × 36 MW gas-turbine generators, plus a 20 MWh battery bank
DriveMechanical: 2 turbines per shaft → reduction gear → 2 shaftsIntegrated electric: one 13.8 kV bus feeds propulsion, radar and mission systems
Power≈ 100,000 shp, ≈ 75 MW72 MWe generated; ≈ 62 MW at the shafts
Propellers2 × five-blade controllable-pitch2 × five-blade fixed-pitch; the motors reverse
Range4,400 nm at 20 kn4,500 nm at 20 kn on ≈ 1,100 t of fuel
Crew3590; remote command ashore
The IC column is the design shown on this page. Sources for the Today column are listed in BUILD_NOTES.md.
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