Re: [DS] Why tank destroyers?

That's why most first-rank navies (US, UK, etc) equip their shipborne
helicopters with short range SSMs such as Penguin or  Sea Skua. If I
recall
correctly, the Sea Skua was designed from the beginning as an anti-FPB
weapon. These missiles allow the helicopter to engage an FPB from beyond
the
range of most of the onboard guns and shoulder-fired SAM's likely to be
found on such ships. I believe I read that the South Korean Navy was
actually building a helicopter carrier, and in any case those
helicopters
could be shore-based as well for South Korea's purposes. If the South
Koreans operate numbers of SH-60's for instance, those fishing boats
would
go from threat to sitting duck real fast.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Edward Lipsett" <translation@intercomltd.com>
To: <gzg-l@csua.berkeley.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, September 05, 2001 9:39 PM
Subject: Re: [DS] Why tank destroyers?

> Have to check that out... thanks.
> In addition to who got the first missile in, though, the DD is
spending
> a rather expensive missile to knock out one fishing boat equipped with
a
> few missiles and a few crew members. The dozen fishing boats only have
> to make one fairly small hole in the DD to take abig chunk out of
South
> Korea's defensive capabilities.
>
> Ryan M Gill wrote:
> >
> > At 10:25 AM +0900 9/6/01, Edward Lipsett wrote:
> > >This is exactly the same problem with North Korea.
> > >The NK Navy is listed as having zillions of ships, and the vast
majority
> > >of them are tiny fishing boats and such fitted with missiles. In
theory,
> > >they could duke it ou with South Korean DDs and such, losing one or
two
> > >fishing boats in return for a rather expensive destroyer... for
obvious
> > >reasons, they have to use missiles and not guns.
> >
> > Sort of. Modern Naval warfare is entirely different from land
warfare
> > in a lot of respects. Granted if the SKs don't use any recon they'll
> > likely get smacked, but, small FACs with minimal defensive systems
> > and poor sensors will have to spend several units as sacrificial
> > lambs to get targeting data. The SK's likely would use a helo to
> > scout and locate the FAC's and provide their targeting data for
their
> > missile before the NK's are able to launch there own. The battle
> > wouldn't be that of attrition, but of who got the first missile
> > launch in.
> >
> > There's a book about this stuff that is bloody interesting. Fleet
> > Tactics and Coastal Combat by Capt Wayne P Hughes Jr.
>
> =====
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> =====
> Edward Lipsett
> Intercom, Ltd.
> Fukuoka, Japan
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