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Originally Posted by Molon Labe
Don't confuse SEAD with DEAD. The SA-6 is a survivable system because the StraightFlush FCR is highly mobile. But, if it turns off and repositions, it is still suppressed. The same goes for shipboard systems turned off to shank a HARM shot, or which are overwhelmed by jamming from the Prowlers. Whether suppressed or destroyed, the air defenses will not be shooting down the 'poons and skippers.
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The SA-6 might be mobile, but when operating it is always stationary. The radar systems on ships on the other hand are operating while moving. I guess moving search radars would be very hard to hit with HARM (aussuming a radar scans at 15 rpm then the dish moves 16 m every scan on a 30 kt ship). The fire controll radars might be even harder to get, since modern ones only illuminate in the final phase. The success of HARM in suppressing (and sometimes destroy) air defenses has a lot to do that it can "remember" target positions, something that wont work with ships. I am not saying that the AD of ships can not be suppressed, but I guess it is harder to to than against fixed AD.
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Ticos and Sprucans are about the size of Sov's and easily carry enough firepower to bring them down, between the 2 quad 'poons and the VLS cells. Prior to the VLS. Even before the VLS, 8 ASCMs in the 70s 80s was a pretty big deal. Again, we already know it only takes 1-2 of them to get a mission kill on a 4000 tonner.
I think there is plenty of room to fault the USN today for neglecting ASuW, but during the Cold War it was very much a design requirement.
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Tough the question is if 8 Harpoons would have been enough to score the 1-2 hits that put a ship out of action. In the Falklands, 3 of 5 air launched Exocet were decoyed and none of the attacked ships was equipped with CIWS. The only weapons used against the Exocet were Sea Dart from Invincible and 114mm guns. Altough this were ineffective weapons againt ASM, it show there was time to use them (I think Invincible launched 3 or 4 Sea Dart). A supersonic seakimming ASM would have cut down time to take actions considerably.
Edit: Actualy one could argue that 4 of 5 air launched Exocet were decoyed, the one that hit Atlantic Conveyor was supposedly targeting Hermes first. Anyone got some data from the first gulf war?