You Don't Bring Super Sonic Missiles to a Gun Fight

[Gawdzilla Sama]

So when you are programming the target for your warhead, prior to launch, since these are ballistic missiles, they are only in powered flight during the boost phase, how will you know which direction the carrier will move in the 40 minutes it takes for your ICBM to get there?

Simple mathematics and probability that if you are in motion, you stay in motion. Put a fat ass bomb on the ICBM and it won't matter.

No wonder you commies lost the cold war.

[Don't Panic]

So when you are programming the target for your warhead, prior to launch, since these are ballistic missiles, they are only in powered flight during the boost phase, how will you know which direction the carrier will move in the 40 minutes it takes for your ICBM to get there?

Simple mathematics and probability that if you are in motion, you stay in motion. Put a fat ass bomb on the ICBM and it won't matter.

Yes because ships will move at a constant speed in a straight line if they think they are targeted, and they won't try to avoid reconsats either.

[laklak]

Will be puttink one these on SL-15 ICBM, Cowboy. Is makeink no difference where Amerikanski carrier is going since launch.

[Ian]

Ian, I will take you on anytime and where with my 11 ICBM's versus your 11 aircraft carriers.

Great! That means I'll win.

[Don't Panic]

Ian, I will take you on anytime and where with my 11 ICBM's versus your 11 aircraft carriers.

Great! That means I'll win.

Unless he gets sneaky and lobs one of the 11 at dc.

[Ian]

Ian, I will take you on anytime and where with my 11 ICBM's versus your 11 aircraft carriers.

Great! That means I'll win.

Unless he gets sneaky and lobs one of the 11 at dc.

In this scenario I'm commander-in-chief. I'll already be onboard Air Force One.
And my 11 carriers? A few will be doomed. But he'll never be able to track down target them all. And even if he can locate most, they'll still have air wings with swams of aircraft in the sky. They'll track down and schwack what's left of his arsenal before long.

Whay isn't to say that carriers can do it all. I think the rise of hypersonic anti-ship missiles will make large capital ships like carriers increasingly vulnerable, possibly leading to an entirely new epoch in naval warfare. But for now, Gawd said "ICBMs vs carriers", so that's his fault.

[Gawd]

Ian, I will take you on anytime and where with my 11 ICBM's versus your 11 aircraft carriers.

Great! That means I'll win.

Unless he gets sneaky and lobs one of the 11 at dc.

In this scenario I'm commander-in-chief. I'll already be onboard Air Force One.
And my 11 carriers? A few will be doomed. But he'll never be able to track down target them all. And even if he can locate most, they'll still have air wings with swams of aircraft in the sky. They'll track down and schwack what's left of his arsenal before long.

Whay isn't to say that carriers can do it all. I think the rise of hypersonic anti-ship missiles will make large capital ships like carriers increasingly vulnerable, possibly leading to an entirely new epoch in naval warfare. But for now, Gawd said "ICBMs vs carriers", so that's his fault.

In this scenario, each one of my ICBMs actually consists of 50 missiles inside and each missile contains 4 nuclear warheads. Your move.

[Ian]

Well in THAT case, I'm going to order my aircraft to fly into orbit and destroy your missiles with my planes' laser cannons. 'Cause as long as we're drifitng further into fantasyland, I don't see why I can't.

[Gawd]

Well in THAT case, I'm going to order my aircraft to fly into orbit and destroy your missiles with my planes' laser cannons. 'Cause as long as we're drifitng further into fantasyland, I don't see why I can't.

Let's be realistic Ian, my ICBMs will be going at supersonic orbital speed while your aircraft are just trying to get out of the atmosphere. And besides, we both know that American galactic laser cannon technology is at least 50 years away due to the requisite bribes, cost overruns, and general American military ineptitude.

[Ian]

Or so we would have you believe.

[laklak]

I just unleashed the Death Star on ALL you puny humans.

[SPMaximus]

Finland should just load up a few freighters with Sea Mine 2000, and then Pohjanmaa can do something useful and mine the entire coast

[Ian]

Update:

Pirate attacks around Horn of Africa sliced nearly in half
By Jim Michaels, USA TODAY

The number of successful pirate attacks in the Horn of Africa region declined nearly 50% last year, the first significant drop since the international community established counterpiracy naval forces in the area three years ago.

The number of successful pirate attacks dropped to 24 last year, from 45 in 2010, according to NATO. Many other attacks were disrupted by naval vessels or merchant ships that were able to evade pirates, most of whom are based in Somalia.

"We're starting to see a payoff from the naval presence as well as increased security measures taken by shipping companies," said Daniel Sekulich, author of Terror on the Seas, a book on piracy.

The international community had established anti-piracy naval forces several years ago to counter a sudden spike in attacks from bands of Somali pirates that threatened to disrupt shipping. Most of the hijacked ships were taken to Somalia, where bandits demanded millions of dollars in ransom.

NATO and other forces in the region attribute recent progress against pirates to the increase in naval ships and the use of armed guards and other security measures taken by merchant vessels transiting the region.

Merchant vessels also use techniques such as barbed wire or fire hoses to prevent bandits from attempting to board merchant ships.

Naval officials caution that the pirates are far from defeated. Pirates have proven resilient and roamed farther from the coast of Somalia in response to the stepped-up pressure. Pirates regularly use mother ships with longer range than the smaller skiffs that are launched with gunmen to board ships.

"The fight isn't over," said Canadian Navy Commodore Bruce Belliveau, an operations officer with NATO's counterpiracy command in Britain. "Clearly, if the maritime forces weren't there, the pirates would be back in force."

Currently six ships and 175 hostages are being held by Somali pirates, NATO said.

"They're suffering and so are their families," Belliveau said. "It's part of the story that doesn't always get mentioned."

The pirates continue to attempt to target merchant vessels despite the improved security on the waters. There were 129 attempted attacks last year and 132 in 2010. The attacks were aborted because of defensive measures taken by merchant ships or for other reasons.

NATO ships also disrupted 96 pirate attacks last year, according to NATO statistics. Part of the success against armed pirates is a result of better intelligence and a growing understanding of pirate tactics.

"The naval units are using a lot more intelligence-driven and surveillance-driven targeting," said Cyrus Mody, a spokesman for the International Maritime Bureau based in London. That allows forces to identify suspicious ships and intervene before pirates have a chance to approach merchant ships.

http://content.usatoday.com/dist/custom ... 3928.story

And without the use of hovercraft!

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Good to know Canadian icebreakers are on the job off the Horn.

[Seth]

So when is the international military force going to get off their asses, go in, rescue the hostages and sterilize the bases from which the pirates operate?