Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!swrinde!mips!pacbell.com!att!cbnews!cbnews!military From: rcm@mtuxo.att.com (R Craig Montero) Newsgroups: sci.military Subject: Re: Missile pods on Soviet warships Message-ID: <1991Jun27.015444.2199@cbnews.cb.att.com> Date: 27 Jun 91 01:54:44 GMT References: <1991Jun20.020943.1923@cbnews.cb.att.com> Sender: military@cbnews.cb.att.com (william.a.thacker) Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories Lines: 38 Approved: military@att.att.com From: rcm@mtuxo.att.com (R Craig Montero) In article <1991Jun20.020943.1923@cbnews.cb.att.com> Suku writes: > > >From: Suku > Missile pods on Soviet warships > =============================== >Sometime back I was looking at photographs of Guided missile ships of >Soviet make and saw that most of them have their SSM pods mounted >externally on either side of the superstructure. Doesnt that make them >very vulnerable. One rationale given for the external mounting is that they are a first strike platform. That is if you fire first, then there is no concern about where they are mounted. The other dimension of the problem is that they are typically very long range (>200km) weapons and are going to be fired before any US weapons (except A-6s) are within range. >Have there been any Soviet made ships >involved in combat which took such hits that made them inoperable/sunk ? No. The Soviet Navy has had no combat experiences since WWII. >I understand that the latest Soviet makes have vertical launch capability. >BTW I have also seen some US ships upgraded with Harpoon canisters similarly >mounted externally. Any ideas/thoughts ? The externally mounted Harpoons tended to be retrofitted into existing platformsor in the case of the Tico-class CG (pre VLS) added as a late after thought where all the available hull space had been taken. > >************************************************************************* >* R SUKUMAR.....................(R2RS1@VM1.CC.UAKRON.EDU) * >************************************************************************* R. Craig Montero AT&T Bell Labs