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Originally Posted by JA Boomer
Thanks Kato! Interesting…
Wow, so is it just me or does it seem that the current surface warships (Arleigh Burke and Ticonderoga classes) in the US Navy are dreadfully lacking in the surface-to-surface warfare role. TASM Tomahawks are no longer carried, and the Harpoon is carried in fewer numbers or not at all. So it would seem that much of the surface force is currently deploying without any dedicated anti-ship missiles at all. I'm sure that TLAM's are able to target ships, and I know that the SM-2's have the ability to attack ships as well. But these missiles are not dedicated to this role, and no doubt are not as effective as the TASM and Harpoon. Does anyone else think this is a concern, and that the current surface fleet is seriously lacking in this very important area?
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I don't think this is a problem. Anything within the horizon can be engaged by SM-2 and gun fire. Anything beyond will be bombed to submission by carrier borne fighters. SM-2 is supersonic. Even if it carries a smaller warhead, the momentum can kill smaller ships just as well. And if we're talking about within the horizon, the unspent rocket fuel is a bigger killer.
This leads to a question. Do we have Harpoons deployed from carrier borne fighters?