Quote:
Originally Posted by tsotha
Yeah, TASM is coming back as a software upgrade instead of a separate missile. TASM's reason for existence was retired, i.e. it was deployed specifically to sink Kirov battlecruisers, which analysts decided had enough armor to require Tomahawk's larger warhead. When the Russians retired the last Kirov (along with much of the Soviet fleet), the US didn't see any reason to keep TASM around. The remaining inventory was converted to TLAM-C to replace missiles expended on ground targets in Iraq.
Now the Russians have reactivated a Kirov and plan to refurbish (maybe) two more, so I guess that's the reason for the upgrade.
I talked to a Navy Cmdr in the late '90s as Harpoon was being withdrawn from submarines, and he said the big problem with sub-launched anti-ship missiles is the range at which they're safe to launch is farther than the sub can reliably identify targets. Nobody wants to be his generation's Fritz-Julius Lemp.
The US is developing a stealthy anti-ship missile (AGM-158C LRASM) with a lot of gee-whiz technology like autonomous ship identification and in-flight satellite data links. Right now it's only air and ship launched, and they're still trying to decide whether to deploy it to subs.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AGM-158C_LRASM |
Interesting, I think it will be more than just software though for the Tomahawk, would have to have some kind of terminal radar seeker, don't think the TERCOM can do that. My understanding is that when its fielded, all missiles (or at least all that are upgraded to the ASM standard) will be able to engage both land and ship targets.
Going to be interesting to see what happens with the TLAM and how it effects some of the other procurement programs going on. I think they've done work on a launch canister for LRASM but I think that's more about what they could do vs. what's for sure going to happen. I would say its more likely the LRASM program is related to this "Project Sea Dragon" leak we've been hearing about vs. the SM-6 variation people seem to be bandying about which I'm guessing is little more than dot-connecting (Sea Dragon is a super-sonic submarine-launched anti-ship missile with an intent to make use of parts already in stock, SM-6 is a super-sonic missile with anti-ship capability that's already in service so Sea Dragon = SM-6!!!!).