Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!cis.ohio-state.edu!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!linac!att!cbnews!cbnews!military From: deichman@cod.nosc.mil (Shane D. Deichman) Newsgroups: sci.military Subject: Re: Missile pods on Soviet warships Message-ID: <1991Jun25.023019.25179@cbnews.cb.att.com> Date: 25 Jun 91 02:30:19 GMT References: <1991Jun20.020943.1923@cbnews.cb.att.com> <1991Jun22.041034.1688@cbnews.cb.att.com> Sender: military@cbnews.cb.att.com (william.a.thacker) Organization: Naval Ocean Systems Center, San Diego Lines: 38 Approved: military@att.att.com From: deichman@cod.nosc.mil (Shane D. Deichman) >From: Allan Bourdius > >I'm reasonably sure that I read in AvWeek or Proceedings that all of CG >47 class were now equipped (either built with or retrofitted) with the >Mk 41 VLS. I saw the VINCENNES (CG-49) coming past Pt. Loma (home of NOSC), still armed with twin-arm launchers. It's my understanding that there is no intention of retrofitting the first five TICOs with the Mk. 41 VLS; this was confirmed by our Fleet Liaison Section here at NOSC. >The missiles are stored in the magazine rings ready to fire (fins >attached, etc.) >From my recollection of a tour abord LONG BEACH (CGN-9) late last year, the walls of the loading bay were covered with "snap-on" fins for the SM2s. When they ran two missiles up from the magazine (which looked just a giant revolver cylinder) and ran them out the rails onto the launcher, they went sans fins (because they didn't have the crew there to give us the "full demo."). My main point, though, was that the Mk. 41 VLS is a much more capable system in the sense that it doesn't have nearly as many moving parts (i.e., as many possible "problem" areas). With the VLS, all you need to do is open the hatch and launch the weapon -- if a non-VLS equipped vessel were to sustain a hit in the vicinity of it's twin-arm launcher, you'd have a much more serious problem.... -shane -- ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ | deichman@cod.nosc.mil | "There's no heavier burden than a | | | great potential!" -Linus Van Pelt | ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^