Quote:
|
Originally Posted by TLAM Strike
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by goldorak
In any case we are talking about submarines and submarines couldn't care less of airplanes.
|
I'm sure the German U-Boatmen thought the same at the start of WWII. 
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Wildcat
BTW as far as I know the US does not any longer have wild weasels and now relies solely on UAV's and precision munitions for extremely hazardous duty like SAM hunting.
|
Uhhh we still have the EA-6B Power for Jamming. The new F/A-18G Growler for SEAD (starting in '08) and the standard Hornets for SEAD in the mean time. The EF-111A Spark Varks have only been out of service for a few years and could theoretically be reactivated if necessary, the same goes for the F-4Gs as well. The F-16 Falcon can carry the HARM missile.
If our UK allies back us up we have the Tornado with its kick ass ALARM missile on our side. |
That's an interesting thought but I don't think it would work. At this moment there are no wild weasels and I would bet a year's salary that even if the US went to war you would not see the varks or rhino's brought back into service. Those are basically gone for good. Especially with the F-22 now in service, congress would be asking 'why can't the raptor do it?'.
I agree that allies would play an important part; however; the EU and UN in general has shown itself to be kind of screwed up and I would not count on them being there at the critical time when the Iranian defecate hits the rotary.
FYI the F-18E and F also carry the HARM missile but that missile is dependent on the missile battery radiating in order to attack. If the sam site never radiates, it won't have a target to pick up. Additionally it is an entirely passive device so a smart commander in a mobile battery that shuts down and moves his radar around every once in a while is going to be hard to kill with a HARM. JSOW's are another likely possibility for sam hunting, but again that is very dangerous; there are a number of soviet technology sam batteries with longer range than the JSOW can glide from an F/A-18E or F. UAV's in that case make sense, as do tomahawk launches from inside the gulf (if subs or cruisers can get in there past the choke point).
Realise of course this is 'worst case scenario' thinking, but worst case scenario thinking is a hell of a lot better than best case scenario thinking. The Iranians have a lot of Russian tech that has yet to be seen in action, but we can assume a lot of it is good even if some of it is bad. The kilos are just one example of good Russian tech. Their limitations will be their torpedos not the boats.