broadsword
Brigadier
Wouldn't an underwater missile that travels over 30 km underwater be a lot bigger than normal?
PLAN Anti-ship/surface missiles
- Thread starter tphuang
- Start date
I’ve been considering the tactical potential of cavitation torpedo carrying, stealth UCAVs for a few years, now. However, I don’t think even the longest-ranged (torpedoes) are capable of 30 km.
I see so many folks focus on US carriers as the primary target of AShMs, however, neutralizing their escorts (Burkes and Tics) would reduce the carriers air wings’ strike mission rate because of their need for increased defensive sorties.
I’d think that critically reducing US carriers’ escort group would result in carriers retreating to safe (farther distant) waters.
I see so many folks focus on US carriers as the primary target of AShMs, however, neutralizing their escorts (Burkes and Tics) would reduce the carriers air wings’ strike mission rate because of their need for increased defensive sorties.
I’d think that critically reducing US carriers’ escort group would result in carriers retreating to safe (farther distant) waters.
It looks like its supercavitating.
The Kalibr ones are ASW ASROCs. The question is what size of torpedo are they using, as ASROCs generally use light torpedoes and are much smaller than a Kalibr. If this is a full size torpedo, or even a custom torpedo bigger than a light torpedo, that would be an achievement by itself. I don't think the Shkval supercavitating torpedo is used in any of the ASROCs, although I won't rule out any conceptual ideas of using Shkvals as a missile torpedo combination.
The Kalibr ASROCs might be a follow on to the Rastrub aka Mitel aka better known as the Silex missiles, then these missiles are dual use, and the torpedoes can be used against ships. The Rastrubs are ASROCs that can be used against both ships and subs, and is the main weapon of the Udaloys, which is the main destroyer serving in the Russian Navy today.
ASROCs are basically torpedoes with a rocket booster. In the case of the Kalibr, its a rocket booster with a jet stage. The Rastrub is like a cruise missile with a torpedo slung underneath.
This is the Kalibr 91RTE2. It is a three stage missile with a light torpedo at the tip. Flight speed is Mach 2 with 40km range with 76kg warhead. There is also a submarine launched variant the 91RE1 as seen below.
Like @Tam said it is an ASROC equivalent meant for anti-submarine duty. It is faster and has further range though. RUM-139 VL-ASROC flies at Mach 1 has less than 22km range with 44kg warhead. I would not be surprised if China had access to this missile since they have Kilo submarines and have reverse engineered the surface attack submarine launched Kalibr as the YJ-18.
The Silex had a larger 100/185kg warhead with optional nuclear warhead.
Love the pic, but, the coastal-defense missile thing perplexes me.Coastal defense...
At this stage in the game, does anyone really expect adversarial warships to sail within 500 km of China’s coastline during any hostile action? I’m no naval tactician, but, it seems, to me, that several layers/levels of defense would have to have been defeated/neutralized in order to make this an even remotely viable deployment.
Are these missiles deployed for that very purpose, as last case options? ‘cause as big and bad as the US Navy claims to be, I highly doubt they’re comin’ inside the First Island Chain, in the ECS, or as far as the Paracels, in the SCS, to conduct offensive operations. I know I wouldn’t try it.
by78
General
You can't just glibly assume that your adversary wouldn't dare or is incapable of breaching long-range defenses. What if they do? You'd be caught with your pants down without these coastal defense missiles.
It ain’t a glib assumption!
There are a lot of layers of defense, a lot. And, not only long-range. How far offshore would PLAN surface and subsurface combatants be deployed, 250 km? Their armaments are intermediate (ashms) and short (torpedoes) ranged (relative to longer ranged >800 km alternatives). Flanker variants and H-6s, though “longer-ranged” carry short and intermediate-ranged ashms, as well. 500 km would be well within the ranges of weapons deployed on these platforms.
Though this image might be of one of the longer-ranged missiles, I stand by my assessment that during high-intensity combat, the deployment of major surface combatants within 500 km of a near-peer adversary’s coastline, particularly if defensive networks haven’t been thoroughly degraded, is very high-risk, and highly unlikely.
So, all that to say, yes, they for last case eventualities, I guess?