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Subject:
RE:Converted Ohio ready for sea trials
Galrahn
10/31/2005 10:53:54 AM
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Considering the US has fired 1900 Tomahawk cruise missiles since the first Gulf War, and used just over 800 in Operation Iraqi Freedom, these ships represent a better way to use cruise missiles in conflict.
During Operation Iraqi Freedom as an example, the Navy launched Tomahawks from 21 ships, 5 of those were submarines. That means 16 surface ships loaded their VLS systems with Tomahawks. While that is no big deal in a conflict against a country like Iraq where there is a very limited air defense requirement, in the future the Navy AEGIS VLS ships will be much less likely to want to carry large numbers of tomahawks, because the MK-41 launcher will likely be loaded with SM-2 Block IV or ESSM AAW missiles. Because the current VLS surface ships are not rearmed at sea, a surface ship that uses up missiles will have to return to port to reload.
Had the US had the SSGN during Operation Iraqi Freedom, the 4 subs could have fired over 600 of the estimated 800 tomahawks fired in that entire conflict, or roughly 75% using just 4 ships. That is a major upgrade in my opinion, particularly in future conflicts when the air threat might be higher or the reality surface ships might be denied from getting close enough for a deep strike, against say Russia or China (examples only).
Like VV said though, I'll take a wait and see approach to the whole 'special mission' possibility for the ship. It could work out, but probably not where it would be most useful like the Persian Gulf for example, considering the deepest areas in the entire Persian Gulf is actually shallower in total length in ft. of any SSGN, which means against a legitimate ASW threat SSGN deployment in the Gulf would be foolish to say the least. |
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