Regarding Torpedoes...
I've been giving this some thought since the subject was first
brought up and would like to offer the following for consideration.
Using historical precedent, I consider a better comparison would be
the current crop of anti-ship missiles fielded by the US, Russia, and
the Euros. These would include the Harpoon, Tomahawk, various marks
of Exocet, SS-N-12 through SS-N-25, in the air, surface, and
submarine launched versions. The reason for this comparison rather
than the traditional torpedo is that on the sea, as in space, line of
sight detection is possible. Once you detect the weapon, you may
then employ countermeasures ranging from maneuver, electronic
warfare, chaff, and defensive weapons. With a torpedo today, you're
limited to a Nixie or perhaps gun fire if you're lucky. Thus, the
comparison between missiles today and anti-ship weapons of tomorrow.
What is a missile? At it's simplest it's a guided weapon that
delivers a payload of some type to the target. The guidance may be
either external, an outside source directs or provides a target for
the weapon to seek, or it may be self guided with varying amounts of
autonomy and discretion on targeting. Essentially, it's a "ship"
that suicides by coming close or ramming the target so the payload
may operate as designed.
Current defensive doctrine has been that of a multilayer defense;
aircraft at the farthest range, then long and medium range SAMs, and
finally, short range SAMs and point defense gun systems. The long
and medium range SAMs are large enough to do the job; they have to
have sufficient range to make the intercept, sufficient guidance and
EW electronics to secure a high probability of an intercept, and a
payload large enough to damage the target sufficiently to either
destroy it outright or damage it's aerodynamics so that it departs
controlled flight and crashes. The short range SAMs are last ditch
weapons with slightly smaller payload so that more might be carried
in a smaller space. Gun systems seek to physically damage the
target, or at the very least, damage the aerodynamics and cause it to
depart controlled flight.
Ok, enough for the background.
The defensive missiles have things handled, so let's look at the
guns, and I promise that there is a point to all this rambling. When
we fielded the first automated point defense system, the Phalanx, it
was in 20mm. Since then, the Soviets/Russians and the Europeans have
fielded 30mm systems and we're, so I'm told, following suit. The
reason for this is that missiles are getting bigger, at least the
Soviet/Russian examples, and there was a real fear that the smaller
20mm shells would not be able to suitably damage or destroy the
attacking missile, or if it did, it would be too close and perhaps
catch the target in collateral damage.
The lesson here is that as the enemy weapons change, so do the
countermeasures used to defeat them.
Moving this to a space scenario, if the trend is to larger "torpedo"
style missiles, the defenses will be changed to compensate.
If you develop in secret a "torpedo" style missile and then use it on
your enemy in battle, eventually he will refit his ships with larger
"caliber" (whether it's gun, missiles, or countermeasures) more
effective defenses. Space combat might evolve into missiles and
defenses being modular and each navy refitting their ships based on
the current threat assessments; the enemy is going to use smaller,
more numerous weapons so we'll counter by having more smaller caliber
defenses, or, the enemy is using fewer larger weapons, so we'll
compensate by using fewer, larger caliber defenses.
In the end, you'll have an advantage only if your enemy outfits his
ships to face the wrong attack.
Remember, in space, if you can see it, you can likely hit it, just
like when a ship or fleet is defending itself against missile
attack. There is no water to mask the approach of a torpedo as there
is on the ocean.
Now, the speed issue. Like any weapons system, it's effectiveness
will determine it's value as a target. The launch platforms may
become the new carriers and be hunted mercilessly as the Japanese
found out after Midway.
Tit for tat, the balance will only tip in one direction for a finite
amount of time before technology, production, and doctrine will even
the scales.
IMO, of course.
Kurt Feltenberger
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
TEOTWAWKI Fiction and PBEM http://www.teotwawki.net >>Finally Updated!!!<<
"To our Country! In her intercourse with foreign nations,
may she always be in the right, but our country, right or wrong!"
~Stephen Decatur
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