Posted on 02/25/2015 6:17:30 AM PST by Freeport
Commander of Iran's Navy had previously said that Iran could destroy all of America's warships within 50 seconds.
Iran fired hundreds of missiles in a military drill on Wednesday, including two ballistic missiles which blew up an Iranian-built, life-size replica of a US aircraft carrier in the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian and Arab media outlets reported.
The model of the aircraft carrier was completely destroyed by the missiles, according to the reports.
Senior Iranian officials attended the exercise, including Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani and Revolutionary Guards commander, Gen. Ali Jafari.
An Iranian military helicopter fired two cruise missiles at the model of the US carrier in the course of the drill.
The commander of Iran's Navy had said last April that Iran had built "a life-size replica of an American aircraft carrier, 202 meters long, in order to destroy it during military maneuvers."
He added that "the Americans, and the entire world, know that the American Navy is one of our targets, and it will take us 50 seconds to destroy every US warship."
(Excerpt) Read more at jpost.com ...
My thoughts as a weapons guy:
1) The initial attack uses very slow sub-sonic weapons against an undefended stationary target.
2) The missile aim point is the stern of the target; a good tactic to disable the ship.
3) The missiles, at terminal, dive at the waterline. If they score a hit the exterior compartment would flood.
4) Since these are small explosive weapons, I doubt that they would penetrate to the drive systems. A ship architect needs to chime in on this one.
5) As to disabling an actively defended war ship... doubtful.
6) As to sinking said ship... maybe after about 50 hits.
7) As to good propaganda... meh.
I guess they are not worried about “offending us” during negotiations.
I’d say that was a dumb waste of their time and money except that during Bill Clinton’s attack on Serbia, they fooled our bombing with fake tanks etc., so maybe Iran will have a few tricks up their sleeves, too.
It is one thing to blow up a model ship and another to blow up layered defenses of a fleet. A real fleet has weapons to counter crude Iranian missiles.
Its an interesting play but its laughable to think that they could get anywhere near a carrier on open water. Somebody needs to inform them that the Phalanx gun actually can hit waterborne targets.
And a Mk 48 ADCAP has a 650 pound warhead compared to 10 - 20 pounds for the Iranian missiles shown.
Yeah. Carriers are tough and a CIWS would make quick work out of everything in the video, but the subs, cruisers and destroyers in the battle group have big fangs.
The Air Force dumping an old Army Daisy Cutter on top of those fast attack ships would also put paid to that “swarm” attach.
U.S.S. Arizona
5) As to disabling an actively defended war ship... doubtful.
6) As to sinking said ship... maybe after about 50 hits.
If that is what it takes, than that is what it takes.
I.J.N. Yamato
Carries are NOT different from Battleships. The Carrier Boys think so, but they suffer from the exact same vulnerabilities as the Battleship did.
Its an interesting play but its laughable to think that they could get anywhere near a carrier on open water.
Prince of Wales and Repulse http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinking_of_Prince_of_Wales_and_Repulse
Also, H.M.S. Sheffield
Life size? Not quite. 202 meters is only about 2/3 the length of a US CVA.
It is presumptuous and dangerous to dismiss the Iranian threat to the big blue water capital ships in the narrow confines of the Persian Gulf. An attack by speedboats or helicopters can probably be easily be repelled. However the real threat is the modern Chinese made shore to ship missiles with which the Iranians have fortified the Gulf. Those missiles will have a flight time of less than twenty seconds. It is no certain that the ship’s defensive systems can stop them all. The lives of more than ten thousand brave young sailors are at risk.
The pompous narcissists Obama and Kerry have acquiesced to the mad “death loving” mullahs of Iran obtaining nuclear weapons. Netanyahu will do what he has to do. He does not have the luxury of embracing delusions. He is the secular leader and defender of the Jewish people. He is determined not to make the same tragic error the German Jewish leaders made in the 1920’s. Then they had the power and means to eliminate Hitler and his thugs. They did not. War with Iran is now a strategic necessity for Israel.
Obama should end the charade. There are many scenarios in which the US will become engaged willingly or unwillingly once the shooting starts. He ought to withdraw those ships from the Persian Gulf deathtrap. The US Navy faces a debacle worse than Pearl Harbor in less than fifteen minutes. Those brave young sailors should not become the victims of abysmal leadership and policies.
...While ø and francois work to finalize their "deal" with these...people.
a few phalanx ciws would take care of business
Not only that, but don’t you think that the mockup model was built out of wood ?
When we were kids we would float our toy boats out onto the pond and shoot bottle rockets at them.
I don’t see much difference between that and what the silly camel-humpers are demonstrating in the their propaganda flick.
Agreed.
Sinking a carrier is about the only way the Iranians would get up close and personal with a US “Special” glow in the dark device.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.