Quote:
Originally Posted by biosthetique
Due to the numerous accidents (incident) or close call, or near miss to the usage of Acoustic homing torpedoes, as the tech. allowed it, a wire was added to control torpedoes during the first leg of their courses.
That was at first a safety measure.
As the technology evolved, other functions were added to the control of torpedoes.
Today, the safety measures remains as shutting them down when recovery was possible or exploding them as the technology could be recovered by other country. Torpedoes tech is top secret for their homing system in ANY countries in the world.
Exploding a torpedo as a tactical defensive maneuver is also used, as long as it is still wired.
see Advanced Defensive Tactics post in Subsim.com
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom//sho...d.php?t=207398 |
Whilst I'm sure could be possible to remote detonate a wire guided torpedo, either through design or some random property of the software used, I can't imagine it being used as a tactical capability. As a method of destroying a missed torpedo to prevent it falling into the hands of a rival power - quite possibly. But then again, why would this be a property unique to wire guided torpedo's when you could simply write a programme for any torpedo to self destruct after say 3, 6 or 12 hours.
My umbridge with it as a secret, unacknowledged tactical capability is what tactical advantage could the capability actually have. As Sunburn says, passive Sonar and Target Motion Analysis isn't known for its precision accuracy. And if you are close enough to the target that you're prosecuting it with Active Sonar... why not just close the range and allow the torpedo to make the kill?
The thread you link to suggests that you could use this capability to torpedo incoming torpedo's. Again. Maybe, if the torpedo could get close enough. But no submarine would stick around long enough surely to guide a torpedo in that close. Presuming this is a classic SSN duel (say 688I vs Akula) of the kind we play in 688I and Dangerous Waters. The 688 gets into a good firing position, closes the range and fires two torpedo's at the Akula. A few minutes later, the Akula detects the torpedo's and snapshots back two torpedo's of its own. The next defensive move for the 688 is to turn tail, put the Akula's torpedo's 30 degrees off the stern, increase speed to open up the range and change depth to get below / above a thermal layer. At that point, the wire controlling the torpedo shots has been broken: the original torpedo's can not be guided in.
You could fire another torpedo (I suppose) at the torpedo's, but given those torpedo's are behind you coming towards you in a straight line; TMA is going to be very inaccurate. And anyway, traveling at 20+ knots in the opposite direction in which you want the torpedo to go is not conducive to keeping the wire intact ( and god help you if the torpedo tangled in your propeller.
The only reference I've ever seen to torpedo's self destructing before hitting the target and people torpedoing torpedo's is in the Michael DiMicurio novels I read as an adolescent. And they were near future science fiction.
And even if that function does exist in Submarine Warfare: is it really such an immersion killer that it hasn't been modelled. I'm sure that their are aspects of targeting for sidewinder missiles that haven't been modelled on the F18's. if it was a survey sim like Dangerous Waters, I might be missed. But the point of command is that you are the strategist and tactician, and that you leave the method of carrying out your decisions to the AI.