This info comes from a man named Dick who served on the LA Class subs in the 1980's. He hooked me up with several former Navy guys who helped guide these posts (I'm Army Artillery but I love sailing). My friend Tim was also Navy. I confirmed what I was told by searching the Navy Fact Files, FAS, The Military Factory and looking up the various ships BY NAME and checking their Operational History (which lists deployments). Be warned! You can really tumble down "The Rabbit Hole" doing research like this. I cannot even remember all the links in those websites.
I agree about Russia but the whole Clinton Peace Dividend works for explaining WHY Russia could stand against NATO. I also operate under the premise that NATO thought the increasing conflict with Russian-backed rebels in Poland (the "spark" which "ignites" the Twilight War in my Alternate History) was just another "brushfire war" like Kosovo, East Timor, and Africa. They don't realize WWIII is occurring UNTIL they are fully involved in it. This makes the Twilight War in my timeline a "come as you are" war. No time to prep or plan, it just "happens" because EVERYONE (even Russia) was too blind to see it happening. I use this approach to justify the "dusting off" of older stored equipment because if everyone had time to prepare, then the US would be cranking out new AFVs, Planes, and Missiles. Because they aren't ready, they have to "make do" with whatever they have "stashed away."
Those MK13s were probably NOT available anymore because they would have been used to keep the still serving MK13s operational. The Navy hadn't made MK13s since the early 80's and cannibalization is a COMMON Navy practice. Look at how the Coast Guard scavenged parts from the last Perry Class Frigates when the Navy mothballed them. I think TW2K13 said it best... "a detailed strip is the scavenging equivalent to a plague of locusts. Nothing is left."
I'd like to plug a really good museum in the Buffalo NY area for Naval Ship fans. I hope this link works.
www.buffalonavalpark.org
Ok, the link works. I'm off to game... the team will be here in 30 minutes.