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Old 10-03-08, 11:43 AM   #5
Molon Labe
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Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Along the Watchtower
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The USN hasn't deployed a new antiship SSM since 1984. India is developing a brand new one right now. So yeah, they're ahead right now. We'll have the Harpoon Block III in 2011 if all goes as planned, which will certainly have updated guidance capabilities for improved flexibility and lethality (and hopefully will combine a backup sensor with the radar for terminal homing--not something that's been announced as of today, but something they'll probably need in light of the incident with the Saar 5 vs. C-802).

Speed isn't all there is to capability though. Subsonic seaskimmers have proven quite effective, in conflicts from 1967 to 2006 (and a subsonic non-seaskimming SS-N-9 in 2008). I'm only aware of one instance where an ASCM was shot down (and it wasn't a seaskimmer) which is the key vunlerablility of a slower-moving missile. Supersonic weapons are about as vunlerable to soft kills, which has so far been the most successful defense.
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