Principles of Naval Weapons Systems (Fundamentals of Naval Science)

Rating:
Summary: good introductory book but increasingly dated
Review: The sections presenting the basic physics that parameterize detection and weapons operation give the reader a very good introduction to the principles of operation for various general weapons systems, as well as the capabilities and limitations of a general weapons system.

However, the weapons systems actually described are if not actually obsolete, obsolescent. This is especially true with regard to the C4I and ECM/ESM, EO, and detection systems. There is no mention of stealth, GPS, Aegis, or JTIDS. SAR and MTI sytems should have more emphasis, as does the section on digital computers.

In short, this is a good introduction to basic physical principles that systems operate under, but an increasingly dated explanation as to the way systems operate and a very dated description of operating systems. This is a good idea for a book, but needs a thorough rewrite at this point (April 1, 2000).