Good News for the USN!

[Lonestar]

Originally posted by Patroklos


Vesayan is largely correct.

Tomahawk = $500,000.00
5" Round = $1,500.00

Five inch rounds are a very effective and suprisingly accurate weapons system. They do only have a range of about 13nm though, which is why the ERGM was such a good idea. 50K for a munition that could go 100nm inland would alow us to take out a lot more targets cheaply.

Missiles are not only expensive, but they are big. A DDG carries only 100 odd missiles, but not all of them can be Tomahawks. You have to carry ASROCS and SM2s as well. A DDG can carrey 750 5" rounds.

So basicaly if you can take it out with a 5", you do.

Especially since these CGNs will have that "Advanced Gun System" and, possibly, Railguns(which I suspect will need a lot of juice). Another reason why they'll have such large dimensions is to accommodate the BMD interceptors.

[Sandman]

What is the difference in yield between a 5" shell and a Tomahawk? And what about other airborne weapons?

If there's a serious risk to your aircraft, then is moving a large, expensive, slow battleship to firing range not also a serious risk?

[Patroklos]

What is the difference in yield between a 5" shell and a Tomahawk? And what about other airborne weapons?

There are actually a dozen odd 5" shells carried these days, from starshell to KEAT rounds (shotgun type shell full ball bearings) to regular HE. I don't remember the actual warhead size, but the whole shell weighs 32kg.

Cruise missiles and ariel bombs can reagh 2000lbs and greater for warhead size, but it is one shot. A ship can sit their all day and drop as many rounds as it wants on the target, on the cheap. Not to mention not all targets warrent the reservation of an entire sortie of strike aircraft, another sortie of AAD supresion aircraft, and a 2000lb warhead.

If there's a serious risk to your aircraft, then is moving a large, expensive, slow battleship to firing range not also a serious risk?

Just because you have air defenses, doesn't mean you have coastal defenses. At the 13nm range most nations would be powerless to respond with ground based artillery. If we get the ERGM with a range of 100nm, we can fire with impunity.

[Whoha]

Originally posted by Asher

Then why do you hit the H1-B quota every year within the first day?

To drive down labor costs. If their labor was that highly prized, then they'd be making absurdly high wages ,especially given the quota limit.

[Geronimo]

Originally posted by Patroklos
Vesayan is largely correct.

Tomahawk = $500,000.00
5" Round = $1,500.00

Five inch rounds are a very effective and suprisingly accurate weapons system. They do only have a range of about 13nm though, which is why the ERGM was such a good idea. 50K for a munition that could go 100nm inland would alow us to take out a lot more targets cheaply.

Missiles are not only expensive, but they are big. A DDG carries only 100 odd missiles, but not all of them can be Tomahawks. You have to carry ASROCS and SM2s as well. A DDG can carrey 750 5" rounds.

So basicaly if you can take it out with a 5", you do.

In general in a combat situation is any consideration given to the financial cost of a particular tactical decision such as what kind of ordinance to use? How are such things balanced with other considerations? Is each CO under some sort of budgetary guideline? What incentive is there to make financially cost effective decisions?

[Lonestar]

Originally posted by Geronimo


In general in a combat situation is any consideration given to the financial cost of a particular tactical decision such as what kind of ordinance to use? How are such things balanced with other considerations? Is each CO under some sort of budgetary guideline? What incentive is there to make financially cost effective decisions?

American Naval Captains wouldn't be given authorization to fandom fire TLAMs to begin with. Typically TLAMs are used for "Big picture" strikes, with instructions for specific targets issued from the theater commander. The point is that TLAMs aren't really a ship asset...they are a Strike Group/Theater Commander asset because they are better put to use hitting airfields/factories/SAM sites, not shelling enemy troops.


Guns are usually used for immediate action, either for ship defense or providing support on the ground. You can target and use guns quicker. Also, there is quite a few more 5in rounds than TLAMs on an American surface combatant.

[Geronimo]

Originally posted by Lonestar


American Naval Captains wouldn't be given authorization to fandom fire TLAMs to begin with. Typically TLAMs are used for "Big picture" strikes, with instructions for specific targets issued from the theater commander. The point is that TLAMs aren't really a ship asset...they are a Strike Group/Theater Commander asset because they are better put to use hitting airfields/factories/SAM sites, not shelling enemy troops.


Guns are usually used for immediate action, either for ship defense or providing support on the ground. You can target and use guns quicker. Also, there is quite a few more 5in rounds than TLAMs on an American surface combatant.

So do theater commanders weigh financial costs when making their command decisions?

[Lonestar]

Originally posted by Geronimo


So do theater commanders weigh financial costs when making their command decisions?

Not really. They mostly just look at what tools they have on hand/can loot from another theater. But anything that keeps munitions expenditures down is good.

[Joseph]

Originally posted by Patroklos


There are actually a dozen odd 5" shells carried these days, from starshell to KEAT rounds (shotgun type shell full ball bearings) to regular HE. I don't remember the actual warhead size, but the whole shell weighs 32kg.

Cruise missiles and ariel bombs can reagh 2000lbs and greater for warhead size, but it is one shot. A ship can sit their all day and drop as many rounds as it wants on the target, on the cheap. Not to mention not all targets warrent the reservation of an entire sortie of strike aircraft, another sortie of AAD supresion aircraft, and a 2000lb warhead.



Just because you have air defenses, doesn't mean you have coastal defenses. At the 13nm range most nations would be powerless to respond with ground based artillery. If we get the ERGM with a range of 100nm, we can fire with impunity.

On furture weapon show tonight 12-31-07, they showed the new Navy Electrode Mag Impulse gun and they want it to shoot 200 miles.