Pentagon: New Class Of Silent Submarines Poses Threat

NBC4.TV ^ | October 19, 2006 | Chuck Henry

[east1234]

Come on, I can barely spell in English (American), forget about Russian.

[east1234]

IIRC they retrofitted some of the earlier LA classes, but I may be recalling incorrectly. They definately launched from torpedo tubes also.

[Paul Ross]

You were right, I mis-remembered, thinking these were the third variant of the SSN-688, when they were in the second, started with hull 719 in 1977. Last commissioned in June, 1989. The third variant, first deployed in 1988, kept the 12 VLS tubes and the last one was deployed September 1996.

In checking, this discouraging factual assertion came up from FAS (for what ever that is worth):

. The LOS ANGELES class SSN was designed almost exclusively for Carrier Battlegroup escort; they were fast, quiet, and could launch Mk48 and ADCAP torpedoes, Harpoon Anti-Ship Missiles (no longer carried), and both land attack and anti-ship (no longer carried) Tomahawk cruise missiles. [Emphasis added]

Really odd. Wonder if they have anything at all in those VLS tubes nowadays....

[Paul Ross]

Did you see this from my above citation?

Harpoon Anti-Ship Missiles (no longer carried), and both land attack and anti-ship (no longer carried) Tomahawk cruise missiles.

[sukhoi-30mki]

The Tomahawk anti-ship missile's range(around 450 kms) cannot be practically exploited in a real combat situation,as with ,say China.The Newer variant Harpoons have about half the range are pretty much better in almost every other aspect.About US SSNs & new Arliegh Burkes not carrying the Harpoon,they have decided (for some reason) to not buy the Blk-2 variant given the need to spend on more "pressing" concerns.Anyway,they can easily be outfitted for such weapons with minimial modifications.

The VLS tubes & even some of torpedo tube weapons now deploy Tomahawks given it's overwhelming presence in various US schemes.I don't think they could do the same with the new Tactical Tomahawk which doesn't have a T-tube launched variant,though one is supposedly being developed for the Brits.

[Paul Ross]

...they have decided (for some reason) to not buy the Blk-2 variant given the need to spend on more "pressing" concerns...

And this same neglect and underfunding situation carries across the board, and in the other services as well. The cupboard is being raided of the active services for tomorrow's defenses...all so that the Administration bean counters can claim "less" deficit in the balance of payments today...