Conventional Trident Missiles Will Aid Terror War

[Fly Navy]

http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,100394,00.html?ESRC=dod-bz.nl

Conventional Trident Missiles Will Aid Terror War
American Forces Press Service | Paul X. Rutz | June 08, 2006

Alexandria, VA. - Arming submarines with nonnuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles will give America a necessary quick-strike weapon in the war on terror, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here yesterday.

The proposal, part of the Defense Department's 2007 budget request, aims to remove two nuclear missiles from each of the Navy's 14 ballistic missile submarines, or SSBNs, and replace them with two conventionally armed Trident missiles, said Navy Adm. Edmund P. Giambastiani at the Naval Submarine League's annual symposium.

The move would put about 22 such missiles into operational deployment, he said.

"It's meant to be a very niche capability," Giambastiani told about 400 retired officers, businessmen and fellow submariners. "We're not talking a lot of missiles here. So this really is a small, quick-strike capability.

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[NavyLonghorn]

This is a little scarey to me.. wont the launch look just like a Nuke launch to an outside observer?

 

[VetteMuscle427]

This is a little scarey to me.. wont the launch look just like a Nuke launch to an outside observer?

And give away the position of the SSBN that launches it?

 

[DanMa1156]

And give away the position of the SSBN that launches it?

Then what's the point of having subs if we refuse to use them? And I'm not being a dick here, just posing a serious question.

 

[boobcheese]

This is a little scarey to me.. wont the launch look just like a Nuke launch to an outside observer?

Well we have already launched numerous tomahawks from fast attacks (Cheyene launched the first tomahawk strike of Operation Iraqi Freedom) and the SSGNs are in the works. I don't know that if anyone were tracking such things they would be able to differentiate a conventionalized trident from a tomahawk launch. I just hope when/if they do ever use these they hit the right button.

 

[Fly Navy]

Well we have already launched numerous tomahawks from fast attacks (Cheyene launched the first tomahawk strike of Operation Iraqi Freedom) and the SSGNs are in the works. I don't know that if anyone were tracking such things they would be able to differentiate a conventionalized trident from a tomahawk launch. I just hope when/if they do ever use these they hit the right button.

The IR plume would be VASTLY different.

 

[zippy]

That and if the thing is launched in the middle of the ocean out of the tomohawks range from land...

 

[boobcheese]

After thinking about my last post I realized there probably would be a notable difference between the two launches. In addition to the points made above, I believe the differences in the trajectories of a cruise missle and a balistic missile would be signifigant. So launching a Trident (conventional or not) is likely to do more than raise a few eyebrows.

 

[Fly Navy]

After thinking about my last post I realized there probably would be a notable difference between the two launches. I believe the differences in the trajectories of a cruise missle and a balistic missile would be signifigant. So launching a Trident (conventional or not) might do more than raise a few eyebrows.

One of the ways these satellites work is IR plume. Have you ever seen a Trident launch? A TLAM? Heck, ever seen the missiles themselves? Big BIG difference.

 

[Flash]

One of the ways these satellites work is IR plume. Have you ever seen a Trident launch? A TLAM? Heck, ever seen the missiles themselves? Big BIG difference.

We would have to notify the other members of the 'nuclear club' that we would be launching a conventional ballistic missile so as not to spook them into thinking it is a nuclear sneak attack targeting them.

 

[NavyLonghorn]

We would have to notify the other members of the 'nuclear club' that we would be launching a conventional ballistic missile so as not to spook them into thinking it is a nuclear sneak attack targeting them.

In which case, they would say. ohhhhh, ok, and not worry about it...

 

[Kycntryboy]

Then what's the point of having subs if we refuse to use them? And I'm not being a dick here, just posing a serious question.

For this also pretty cool when they do this

 

[eddie]

For this

Schwing!!

 

[IRfly]

Ballistic missiles aren't exactly my area of specialty, so I want to ask the more knowledgeable--Is there any advantage in a submarine launch over a land-based missile? The time-to-target can't be more than a few minutes difference. Also, we would have to notify nuclear states of an impending launch and even if that alone didn't kick of an arms race, it would definitely be an intelligence bonanza for them. Land-based...Well, they already know where our missiles are. No offense to any submariners, but this sounds like a rather last-ditch attempt to justify a boomer program that people are increasingly recognizing as not being worth the cost.

 

[Gatordev]

For this

I'm guessing ADCAP? Those things are just scary. And who the hell uses realPlayer? Hey, Yahoo, welcome to the 21st century.