SSGN Question?

http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread227410/pg1

Very interesting, see the pic’s and also the sources!! 🙂

Could something like this be an option for the UK’s Vanguards in a couple of the Trident tubes, or would you never compromise a strategic boat by adding a tactical option ? I don’t think the Vanguards carry the Torpedo launched version, unlike the Trafalgars ?

I guess you could have the Vanguards set-up to fire both Tridents and Tomahawks. Also, remember the Tomahawks can be equipped with Nuclear Warheads too! Yet, with such a small SSBN force. I don’t think it is likely…….That said, the UK could take a older SSN and cut it in half and add a new section a mid-ships with launch tubes. Regardless, both would be pretty expensive! The USN on the otherhand has the resources and surplus ships available. Really, great concept……………..Which, combined with Stealth Fighters and UAV’s. Would make any would be aggressor think twice! :diablo:

It has supposedly been studied to fit the Astutes with four Trident type tubes to allow them to carry the Tomahawk VLS version but I doubt anything will come of it.

Could something like this be an option for the UK’s Vanguards in a couple of the Trident tubes, or would you never compromise a strategic boat by adding a tactical option ? I don’t think the Vanguards carry the Torpedo launched version, unlike the Trafalgars ?

OK, 7… still a H*LL of a lot of hurt coming someone’s way!!!

Here is a pic of a SSGN Tomahawk silo with 7 missiles in a 2-3-2 hexagonal configuration.

Thanks guys, I had forgotten that the Trident silos were so large to accomodate a 60 tonne missile, and also that the tom is so slim. Its an interesting concept.

OK, 7… still a H*LL of a lot of hurt coming someone’s way!!!

i thought it was 7 per silo too. 7×22=154

I’d read it was seven Tomahawks per silo and only 22 silos were available for missiles. The other two are for equipment related to the special forces stuff.

There are 24 silos in the Ohio class SSBN/SSGN subs. The Tomahawk missiles are in slide-in/quick-change modules, as are the planned equipment & SEAL berthing modules (for rapid re-configuration).

A 6-Tomahawk module in each of 24 silos gives 144 missiles… add some in the torpedo tubes and tube reload stations…. 154 plus a couple of torpedoes for self-defense.

Of course, if they are using some of the silos for SEALs or equipment, then the TACTOM load would be reduced accordingly, therefore, on SEAL/special ops missions, the TACTOM load is likely to be 60-72 less than in a full strike mission.

They would have to launch the SEAL delivery vehicles before the missiles in the forward 10 silos could be launched, so these would be the ones used for berthing & equipment.

SSGN pics here http://www.navy.mil/search/photolist.asp?sort_type=0&terms=SSGN&search_type=All&sort_row=1&page=2

Does anyone know of a cuttaway pic of the SSGN. I would be fascinated to see where they store 154 tomahawks. No doubt they occupy the space formerly used for the nukes but 154 is a lot of ordinance. What is the likelyhood of them actually carrying that many ?

Accomodation must be tight 😀

I’d be astonished if the US got anymore dedicated antiship missiles. They’ll modify some of what they currently have to be able to hit ships too but I don’t think we’ll see something with ship attack designed in from the beginning until they get something like HyFly and the like in service.

Well I think its more a case of giving the missiles a limited abilty to attack a moving target through the use of GPS and a terminal sensor similar in concept at least to that being tested to give JDAM the same capability. So theoretically the system could be used against a ship. Like I said though this is all of the top of my head and is therefore quite possibly full of holes 🙂

Daniel

I’d be astonished if the US got anymore dedicated antiship missiles. They’ll modify some of what they currently have to be able to hit ships too but I don’t think we’ll see something with ship attack designed in from the beginning until they get something like HyFly and the like in service.

Dual Use?

I have memories of hearing/reading they could be used in the ASM role as well as standard land attack. Having problems finding anything to back that up though 🙂

Daniel

TASM was witdrawn in the early 1990s and the missiles remanufactured to TLAM. The TACTOM variant is supposed to gain a measure of dual use.

Daniel

Dual Use?

TASM was witdrawn in the early 1990s and the missiles remanufactured to TLAM. The TACTOM variant is supposed to gain a measure of dual use.

Daniel

If I remember correctly, the plan had been to build a dual-purpose Tomahawk, but that had proven too expensive, so they ended up just building land attack versions. There may still be some anti-ship versions, though they would be quite elderly these days.

The antiship Tomahawk is long-gone. I don’t know if they went into storage or if they were converted to regular Tomahawks but the antiship version is no longer in service.

I didn’t know that? It was my understanding that all Aegis Ships were still equipped with ASM Tomahawks. As the Harpoon is so much shorter in range……… 😮

The antiship Tomahawk is long-gone. I don’t know if they went into storage or if they were converted to regular Tomahawks but the antiship version is no longer in service.