Iranian naval admiral: ‘If needed, we can move to within three miles of New York’

The Daily Caller ^

[Pox]

While the threat of an EMP attack is real, the technical requirements are not trivial, and it will be still a good amount of time before Iran posses such technology.

Yes, I disagree with your basic premise. For two primary reasons. The first reason is that Iran is not as technically savvy as you propose, and a low tech solution does not mean that it would be as effective as you propose. Aside from that, as stupid as the mullahs may be, for them to attempt such an act would be suicidal no matter who is in the white house.

Contrary to alarmist speculation, not everything electrical will be annihilated from an EMP pulse. While it can do significant damage to many unprotected electronic devices, not all are as fragile as you would lead us to believe. Most of our military capabilities will be intact as most of their sensitive hardware is shielded against an EMP pulse (see Faraday Cage). Not all electronic devices are unbearably sensitive to an Nuclear EMP attack, but as we haven't experienced one in the atmosphere in modern times, the susceptibility of various electronics is unknown, and accurately unknowable.

Our electric grid is vulnerable, but then again, it is also vulnerable to a solar storm of significant strength as has been recorded in our not too distance past.

In any event, although an EMP attack can be very disruptive to devastating, the degree of devastation is not known at this time and can only be theorized. My entire point behind this post is that although we could be attacked in such a way, the hand wringing I see on this subject tends to be somewhat overblown, although not without significant merit.

[Ole Okie]

They have the incredible ability to submerge and rest comfortably on the ocean floor at any depth for extended periods of time, years even.

Yeah. They gotta watch those Rocks and Shoals.

[Monty22002]

You screwed up on #1, so stopped there.

“The W68 weighs 367 pounds (166 kg). The warhead’s dimensions are not publicly known, however to fit the maximum load of 14 within the roughly 65-inch-diameter (1,700 mm) Poseidon payload fairing,”

A ton, uh huh.

[Graybeard58]

The Iranian navy might get within 200 miles of N.Y.C., some of the debris from the blast might land within 3 miles.

Maybe that’s what they mean.

[RobinOfKingston]

Iranian naval admiral caught barking at the moon.

[RobinOfKingston]

9 miles. Do I get a prize?

[Cringing Negativism Network]

Two words:

“Artificial Reef”.

[RobinOfKingston]

... the entire eastern seaboard could be crippled (for years) ...

The upside to that is that, of necessity, the epa would be reduced in size to something like a cub scout pack.

[Chainmail]

And so the Iranians will have the ability to build W68s or or W80s or anything like them? The original and lower-tech nukes - which is where the Iranians and North Koreans are at the moment - were weighty and bulky.

Give us all a break. I'm just tired of the BS artists out there with their "weather balloon advanced delivery systems". Both the dingbat Iranians and the North Koreans have long-range missiles and the ability to adapt designs to a naval platform. We should be worried about them and nukes, just not harebrained.

[bravo whiskey]

as someone said, don;t need a weather balloon just a container ship or big a supertanker sitting off singapore and use it to launch small submersibles like the drug cartels are using.

as a student of naval warfare i have always wondered why navies build what they build. any supertanker could be easliy converted to helicpter operations or ssm platforms given how easy it is with modules. armor up the superstructure and engine area which, being larger, tends to attract asm’s. a hull that size can take numerous hits and stay afloat. cheap , expendable, and huge stike capability.

[Mark17]

Iranian naval admiral: ‘If needed, we can move to within three miles of New York’

First, there was Baghdad Bob. What do we call this guy, Teheran Tom?

[BenLurkin]

[ClearCase_guy]

Ya know, my initial comment (at #15) mentioned "balloon" exactly once. And it also mentioned "missile" exactly once. You latched on to the "balloon" and beat it to death. Now you are saying that Iran has missiles and that Iran could adapt these to a naval platform.

Gee, maybe that's a lot like what I was saying at #15. You COULD have responded "I think your balloon comment is harebrained, but you may have a point about the missile". Nut "Noooooooooooooooo". You had to repeatedly tell me that I needed to educate myself.

I say (again) I'm concerned about Iran, and nukes, and their statement that they can get darn close to NYC. That's pretty much all I've been trying to say. You either have concerns about that, or you don't.

[Windflier]

Compared to Barry Soetoro Hussein, even Bill Clinton in a high school band uniform looks sharp.

Yeah, Bill Clinton blew a sax and Barry Soetoro blows a .... a, well, you know.

[Monty22002]

I was just correcting you. You specifically stated “Even advanced Nuclear warheads weigh well over a ton” which is incorrect.

[Gandalf_The_Gray]

We have a 3 mile limit and a 12 mile limit. What’s the difference between the two?

9 miles? (I couldn't help myself...)

Regards,
GtG

[little jeremiah]

Seen this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=wbBWju8HPG4

Rumors of War III

I’m almost done watching it, and I never watch videos. It’s very important to watch.

[Gandalf_The_Gray]

2. Balloons don't get to the altitudes necessary for an EMP to be generated which are well above the stratosphere.

That may be correct for nuclear devices but EMP generators have been demonstrated at ground level using conventional explosives, magnets, and copper wire. EMP is phenomenon not limited to nuclear devices.

Respects,
GtG

[Lurker]

9 miles. What do I win?

[Wizdum]

We'll take hull shots, then sink your ass. Bank on it.