Astute vs Virginia

[LoBlo]

Originally Posted by goldorak

Most countries don't need to project their forces all over the world. Well if history is a tihng to reckon then having open sea lanes is fundamental. What happens when a country such as china/iran/india etc... uses its fleet of SSK for interdiction of trade routes?

Exactly. A sub can't protect a sea lane if it can barely reach it. What *does* happen when Iran/China/India uses its fleet to cut off trade routes? In such a likely scenarios what good is a sub to the US/UK that can only sit off the US/UK coastline?.... a waste of money and manpower. So the US/France/UK have decided that subs with such limitations would really only be good for coastal defense, and in the likely scenarios that the US/UK/France will face, those subs add nothing to their capabilities, with SSNs the more economical investments and more effecient spending.

The VA is absolutely deadly in waters like the Straights of Hormuz and exactly the type of environment that it was designed to operate in. Brown water training and anti-SSK warfare training is in full effect in the USN. Most countries *can't* project forces all over the world... because they can't afford SSNs :p , or just don't have interest.

And for those that seem so interested in US bugdet costs, they need to realize that buying a 2billion dollar submarine represents only 0.1% (one tenth of a percent) of the total US yearly budget or 1% of the total US defense budget.

Originally Posted by goldorak

As an aside Russia is developping a wireguided supercavitating torpedo as well as Germany. This could change radically the nature of underwater combat. The US are still focused on normal torpedo technology.

Nope. Just more classified regarding the manner. http://stinet.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb...fier=ADP014188
And on a side note. The USN is now testing designs for its new anti-torpedo torpedos.