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From: asulaima@udenva.cair.du.edu (SULAIMAN)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: USS Iowa explosion
Message-ID: <5889@cbnews.ATT.COM>
Date: 25 Apr 89 03:20:58 GMT
References: <5788@cbnews.ATT.COM> <5853@cbnews.ATT.COM>
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From: asulaima@udenva.cair.du.edu (SULAIMAN)

In article <5853@cbnews.ATT.COM> rupp@cod.nosc.mil (William L. Rupp) writes:

>On the other hand, if either party in the Falklands War had had an Iowa
>class battle ship, it would probably have proved decisive.  Surely it
>would have made the RN's carrier operations impossible (I am allowing
>for air attacks by the Brits, too, which I think would not have been
>effective).  We have already discussed the fate of the Glorious in 1940
>at the hands of two Germain battle cruisers mounting 11" guns.
>
>Bill
>-----------------------------------------------------------
The Argentines had a close approximate in Gen Belgrano. It didn't even make it
to within 200 miles of RN Task Force. The Brits accomplished the air support
mission using aircraft which are a lot more accurate. There never was a desire
or need to blast any major Arg naval concentrations. Assuming the Args had a
ship like the Iowa class making it to the British fleet would be the hazardous
part. While Exocets are sea skimmers missiles like the Harpoon have a 
terminal dive phase and I think so does the Sea Eagle. In this phase the missile
climbs and then dives terminally hitting the UPPER unarmoured deck/superstruct.
knocking out command facilities and possibly driving through the thin upper
armor into the innards of the ship. Now I'm not familiar with the deck armor 
of the Iowas but that is the threat. Now for those who think that great 
air defense missiles are the answere let me point out the Arg success in
BOMBING Royal Navy ships which are believed to have on par if not better
air defense than a-thing in USN except for the Tico class. In the USN the
big ships including the upgraded Iowas have less missile defense than their
smaller dedicated air defense platforms.
The Arg AF penetrated almost total Brit air superiority and snuck under
radar with planes flying 5ft above waves to bomb RN ships at such low altitudes
that sometimes the bomb didn't fall long enough to arm! Iowa maybe a great
ship for showing the flag but it is not invincible by a long margin.
The ground support mission is covered by aircraft really well.
For those who point to Vietnam for the great job the Iowas did, keep in mind
that the ships themselves were NEVER under any threat of any retaliation.
Air control was already achieved completely. Hard to cover the Marines when
your own ship is under attack. However I will grant that they are flexible,
cheap and very hard to ignore. Obsolete or not the opposition cannot risk
to ignore s-thing that big and monstrous.

	Ameer Z. Sulaiman.





>Just my opinion, which is all I need say for the remaining 
>week of my current tenure.....
>-----------------------------------------------------------