Thursday, July 08, 2010

A little overblown.


Craig Hooper --of Defense Tech?!?!---(wow, God save us, the liberals have a foothold in Defense Tech) has a great article up that you must read here....but this caught my eye.

But what does it mean? Putting PGS into the VLS does something far more interesting than just “add capability”. It changes everything. PGS on a surface ship transforms the largely defensive nature of the U.S. surface combatant/carrier escort to, well, “offense”. And that shift from the “Missile Defense” destroyer or “Air Defense” cruiser of old to a “Global Strike Combatant” will pose a real conceptual challenge for everybody–from those walking Aegis deckplates to any potential adversaries. The idea that America’s 7,804 VLS cells may soon gain the ability to rain almost instant havoc on targets some 2,000 nm away should put a bit of a damper on those who counted on overwhelming a hunkered-down and relatively passive “defense-oriented” AEGIS fleet. It’s a big deal. You heard it here first–A shift of the U.S. surface combatant fleet from defense to offense is a real game changer.
Craig is pumping up the value of every Burke class DDG being able to provide offensive firepower...he even goes on to claim that its a game changer but in reality he over blows the issue.  This is simply an evolution of the Tomahawk.  That missile is now too slow for the threat environment.  All they're doing is developing a missile that gets back the advantage that was had when that missile system first came online.

Game changer?  Not bloody likely.  Don't believe me?  Stats for the Tomahawk are below.  All we're getting is what we once had...before time and technology caught up with it.  Also note how small the warhead is on the new missile.  I realize that the speed of the weapon will help with effect on target but still...



A BGM-109 Tomahawk
Type Long-range, all-weather, subsonic cruise missile
Place of origin  United States
Service history
In service 1983-present
Production history
Manufacturer General Dynamics (initially)
Raytheon/McDonnell Douglas
Unit cost $US 569,000[1]
Specifications
Weight 1,440 kilograms (3,200 lb)
Length Without booster: 5.56 m With booster: 6.25 m
Diameter 0.52 m

Warhead Conventional: 1,000 lb (450 kg) Bullpup, or submunitions dispenser with BLU-97/B Combined Effects Bomb, or a 200kt (840 Tj) W80 nuclear device (inactivated in accordance with SALT)
Detonation
mechanism
FMU-148 since TLAM Block III, others for special applications

Engine Williams International F107-WR-402 turbofan
using TH-dimer fuel
and a solid-fuel booster
Wingspan 2.67 m
Operational
range
2,500km
Speed Subsonic - about 550 mph (880 km/h)
Guidance
system
GPS, TERCOM, DSMAC
Launch
platform
Vertical Launch System (VLS) and horizontal submarine torpedo tubes (known as TTL (torpedo tube launch))

4 comments :

  1. Solomon.when you are hipersonic you don't even need a warhead.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I even think that the warhead is not explosive ,is more like a SABOT

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  3. elgatoso.

    someone did the figures on the weapon if it maintained a speed of 6000 mph throughout its flight and impacted an object.

    the yield was less than impressive and provided a yield much less than that of even a 500 pound bomb.

    either they need to really up the speed beyond 6k mph or they need to rethink the warhead.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I see.You are talking about the post from Kto Tam.And SMSgt Mac endorse it.I tough that was more. Should do the math.

    ReplyDelete

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