Could a Commerce Raider work on the modern Ocean? , What would it look like ?

[CCIP]

I think it speaks volumes about the viability of a surface commerce raider that most nations wouldn't even consider a diesel submarine viable as a raider on the high seas, at least against a sophisticated enough foe. Having to snorkel every once in a while is already considered enough of a liability for detection on the high seas... That and the inability to get out of an area at high speed underwater really do compromise even diesel subs, unless their raiding grounds are narrow, shallow seas with lots of places to hide.

Another idea: a large, well-equipped, stealthy (VTOL?) seaplane - or maybe even an 'ekranoplan'/WIG aircraft may well be a viable commerce raider. Again, it'd probably be a platform that would stand off, launching fire support and boarding parties from afar, but it could be a way to target and capture ships on the high seas before any sort of help can arrive. Actually, I think that could have been a role well-suited to the Caspian Sea Monster, assuming it could sortie undetected or loiter somewhere far at sea...

[krashkart]

How safe would a surface raider be from satellite reconnaissance? I realize that it might be like looking for a needle in a haystack. But once it has attacked the general area of its presence would be known.

[Falkirion]

In terms of commerce raiding are we talking ships being sunk, captured or taking cargo off the target?

[the_tyrant]

Originally Posted by krashkart

How safe would a surface raider be from satellite reconnaissance? I realize that it might be like looking for a needle in a haystack. But once it has attacked the general area of its presence would be known.

you have a good point, its probably not going to be very safe from satellites and stuff

[Mush Martin]

Sinking of enemy commerce only

[Jimbuna]

A surface vessel would more than likely succeed the first and second time possibly but with the amount of satellite technology out there I doubt it would survive long once assets were assigned to the area.

A submarine might last a little while longer but again, once assets were deployed to the area its time would be short lived.

The only time extension I can imagine for either of the two would be if no eye witnesses/survivors were left to give the vital details to what was doing the deed.

[tater]

Yes. It's called a stealth aircraft. Using a sub or other slow-moving craft is a guarantee of failure vs any modern foe for a protracted campaign.

[Oberon]

For sinking enemy commerce?



Of course, the trick will be disguising the refueling tender and keeping the codes encrypted so that no-one knows where she'll be refueling and rearming, but an Amur could attack, withdraw and attack elsewhere for weeks if not months before being done in if she had a good captain. Heck, she might well survive the war.
She's cheaper than a nuke boat and easier to hide, quieter and smaller.
She's slow, but if you leave the datum as soon as you fire your torpedoes, then by the time the escorts are on the scene you are quietly out of the scene.
Pick your targets well and you'd be laughing.

Of course, then the convoys would start and that would be a bit harder, but wolfpack tactics would still be viable, focusing on the escorts first to get the enemy helos out of the way and then using the rest of the torpedoes and Stallions (or whatever the Amur carries in ASMs) to whack the commerce, then go deep and quiet before the P-3s arrive.

Alternatively there's the good old Kitchen ASM from Tu-22Ms, a squadron of those could ruin a convoys day if the convoy didn't have a carrier with it or enough decent SAM coverage. Heck, even if it had both if you combined a Tu-22M attack with a Kilo attack and threw in an Oscar II with a Shipwreck barrage within the same window...well...I wouldn't want to be the CIC Radar operator who had to deal with that lot coming in. You'd be shouting Vampire for six minutes straight.