TOW's: Antiship Capable?

[WallShadow]

Just thinking aloud--what if the firer sent the TOW in a high ballistic arc, then lowered the sights to the target? Would the wires still be in the air when the missile struck?

[raketenjagdpanzer]

Originally Posted by WallShadow

Just thinking aloud--what if the firer sent the TOW in a high ballistic arc, then lowered the sights to the target? Would the wires still be in the air when the missile struck?

Depends; the missile might be so out of envelope when you're ready to bring it back down that you couldn't keep the degree of control required.

[James Langham]

I know we are looking for range but close in a Mark 19 would be devastating against small boats.

What were TF160 using on the AH6's in The Tanker War?

[Raellus]

Originally Posted by James Langham

What were TF160 using on the AH6's in The Tanker War?

Miniguns and rocket pods mostly, IIRC.

[James Langham]

Originally Posted by Raellus

Miniguns and rocket pods mostly, IIRC.

Thanks, these obviously worked well then so might work well ship mounted verses smaller craft.

[pmulcahy11b]

Originally Posted by WallShadow

Just thinking aloud--what if the firer sent the TOW in a high ballistic arc, then lowered the sights to the target? Would the wires still be in the air when the missile struck?

If I'm understanding your intention correct -- you unfortunately cannot do that with a TOW (except the later FF missile versions). The reason the TOW has flares at the rear is to help it show up in the gunner's sight picture -- if the TOW goes more than (IIRC) 27 degrees outside of the sight picture, the missile will self destruct. (This was done to help insure that you don't have a ton of unguided missiles flying all over the battlefield, possibly endangering friendly units). There is also an amount (don't remember what it is) that the TOW can go above or below the initial sight level, or it self destructs. Again to stop rogue missiles.

[bobcat]

frankly ATGM's for anti ship would only be useful to keep them from noticing your divers with the shaped charges, and that is rather wasteful and hazardous to your divers.

[Benjamin]

I know from reading old Jane's Armour and Artillery (late 1980s) that several Scandinavian nations were developing coastal defense missile batteries based upon mobile Hellfire launchers. The never completed hyper-velocity missile system was also to have an anti-ship variant. Depending upon which version of the TL you are using these missiles might be available.

Finally, anti-aircraft missiles tend to be proximity explosives so they really wouldn't do much except spray a naval vessel with sub-fragments. This would be heck on fragile radars/electronics and exposed personnel but it would not sink the ship. There were naval versions of HARM missiles designed specifically to destroy ship mounted radar and electronics. AE-6 Prowlers often carried these to use during alpha strikes against Soviet naval task forces.

Benjamin

[Rockwolf66]

I know that The Zone Series has a novel in it where they use anti-aircraft missiles to cripple a soviet fleet.

[James Langham]

Originally Posted by Rockwolf66

I know that The Zone Series has a novel in it where they use anti-aircraft missiles to cripple a soviet fleet.

Number 3 from memory

[Apache6]

-ATGMs that hit a ship will do significant damage, but a single round is not going to sink a warship, considering watertight bulkheads inside the ship and reasonable damage control measures. Same with Tank main gun rounds or even 155mm HE.

- The flip side of that is that Captains of ships are not going to want to risk some of the few remaining Naval assets without VERY good reason.

- Even just turning on a surface searce RADAR might drive off or discourage a ship, do they really want to stay around to find out if you still have been able to scrounge a Seersucker or far more deadly Harboon missile.

- During the Korean war there were several instances of UN (US, Australlian, Canadian and UK) destroyers, cruisers and Battleships 'dueling' with North Korean artillery battalions ashore, including some with Katusya's. The Allied ships, benefiting from air superiority and spotter aircraft routinely neutralized the shore batteries. The NK fire control systems were usually not responsive or accurate enough to hit a moving ship.