Chinese carrier weapon

[Kazuaki Shimazaki II]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

I wasn't aware they still had them...as far as I was aware, the BGM-109A Tomahawk Land Attack Missile - Nuclear (TLAM-N) with a W80 nuclear warhead was withdrawn from service as part of the Intermediate - Range Nuclear Forces Treaty

The land-based variant was withdrawn, the Yankees insisted that sea-based weapons shouldn't be counted and got their way. It is one of the reasons many Russians are so bitter about INF - because come on, how easy it is for those sea based Tomahawks to be deployed in a way to give the US its INF missile ability back...

Later, IIRC in 1991 some kind of agreement happened, then the TLAM-Ns were withdrawn.

Originally Posted by TheSatyr

What is with you people's fascination with tactical nukes? NO NUKES should ever be used...by any one...in any circumstances.
You seem to think tactical nukes can be used with impunity...they can't. The first time a tactical nuke goes off,you can expect someone to launch ICBMs at whoever used the tac nuke. Simple reasoning,any one willing to use tactical nukes would be considered also willing to use ICBMs. It WILL escalate. Only a fool would consider nukes a viable option for any military reason.
The use of any kind of nuke by any one would be flat out suicide.
The only ones that I can see ever using a nuke would be a terrorist organization. Terrorists have nothing to lose. Nations do.

This is good old MAD theory. One must wonder how many nations really subscribe to it any more.
It is probably true, considering our indoctrinated nuke antipathy, that anyone that has crossed his mental barriers and used a nuke is probably more likely to launch ICBMs, but frankly, if I really believe that, I'll probably be more reluctant to provoke him (if he has ICBMs as well).
Ultimately, while nuclear deterrence depends on everyone pushing a fierce face that this is the position they'll be taking, it is far from clear that anyone will take such a step should some leader be "brave" and step into the unknown world.

Originally Posted by roman2440

The ASBM is an interesting twist in carrier warfare, though it isn't the carrier killer its made out to be. At max range it still takes 12 minutes to target, and a carrier in war time should be moving at quite a clip.

It can only be moving at 30 knots or so, which is about 1000 yards/minute. In 12 minutes it can only move within a 12km circle. That's not a very large area to search. If you knew its course, even better - a carrier will waste minutes just trying to alter its vector.