jrll@Portia.stanford.edu (john ralls) (05/05/89)
From: john ralls <jrll@Portia.stanford.edu> The deck plate view of Subrocs and Asrocs has always been that they are far more trouble than they are worth. None of the officers I know is enthusiastic about detonating a nuclear weapon within five miles fo himself. (And then there was the old Mk-45 torpedo, much shorter range: the submarine force celebrated its demise!) The administrative headaches are enormous: Special training, special security, personal reliability program, NTPI's annually, additional watches, two man control... I suspect no-one at sea will miss for a minute these weapons. Their jobs can be done much more easily by conventional weapons and modern guidance. John
esco@tank.uchicago.edu (ross paul weiner) (05/06/89)
From: "ross paul weiner" <esco@tank.uchicago.edu> In article <6273@cbnews.ATT.COM> you write: >From: john ralls <jrll@Portia.stanford.edu> >The deck plate view of Subrocs and Asrocs has always been that they >are far more trouble than they are worth. None of the officers I know >is enthusiastic about detonating a nuclear weapon within five miles fo >himself. (And then there was the old Mk-45 torpedo, much shorter >range: the submarine force celebrated its demise!) The administrative >headaches are enormous: Special training, special security, personal >reliability program, NTPI's annually, additional watches, two man >control... I suspect no-one at sea will miss for a minute these >weapons. Their jobs can be done much more easily by conventional >weapons and modern guidance. >John Basicly I agree with one exception and a caveat. (Exceptions and Caveats are not Black Weapons programs 8-)). The nuc SAM serves a valid function by detering certain enemy mass attack formations. I do wish it had a little more range though. ASW is a pain but until we can ban the sewer pipes we must improve shipboard point defense with better over the side torpedoes and improved torpedo counter measures. ZZ -- Ross P. Weiner Dandy Dirks Discount Disclaimers esco@tank.uchicago.edu "You can't sue me, I'm broke!"