Helicopters are generally recognized as the best ASW
platform above the surface; another submarine being the best ASW platform below
the surface, of course. Unfortunately,
this leads to the widespread mindset that every ship must have helos
embarked for ASW.
The problem with the concept of helos on every ship is that
the aviation element of a ship is shockingly expensive. A helo needs a flight deck (something on the
order of 80ft x 50ft), hangar (another 80ft x 50 ft), dedicated weapon
magazines, fuel storage, maintenance shops and parts storage, pilot and
maintainer berthing (and food, water, etc.).
The extra 160ft x 50ft of ship size means more power is needed to move
the ship which means bigger engines which requires more ship size which … You get the idea.
Another problem is that helos are only sporadically available, being notorious for needing maintenance at inconvenient times.
Sure, there’s a penalty to be paid for putting helos on
every ship but, really, what’s the alternative since we need ASW? Well, one alternative is ASROC
(anti-submarine rocket). ASROC began
back when submarines still had to get fairly close to their target in order to
attack. Today, submarines can attack
with torpedoes or missiles from far beyond ASROC range (vertical launch ASROC
has a range of around 12 nm). What’s needed is a much longer range ASROC,
perhaps on the order of a hundred miles.
Given that we have thousand mile cruise missiles I can’t see any problem
with developing a hundred mile ASROC.
In the past, ASROC used arm launchers, box launchers, and
common VLS cells. The flexibility in
launch mechanism means that some kind of suitable launcher can be placed on any
ship tasked with ASW.
I totally agree. The helo has 2 roles 1) dipping sonar and sonobuoys 2) launching torpedoes. I question the usefulness of role §1 if the ship has a good enough towed array and can triangulate with other ships.
ReplyDeleteand I question also the usefulness of role §2 since the Asroc can launch the torpedoe
ReplyDeleteRussian Yasen M Class boats carry Tsirkon, Onicks and Kalibr ASMs which each have a theoretical range of several hundred miles (not sure how they target at that distance, but nevertheless).
ReplyDeleteWake homing torpedoes similarly.
Both China and Russia are out-building us in submarines, and even the North Koreans are building very capable destroyers at a faster pace than we can build Burkes.
Time is not on our side.
If we take the helicopter off a burke then we have more space for many of the things that we think the it lacks: power generation, guns, addtional VLS cells.
ReplyDeleteHave you done a piece on defining a "true destroyer?" I know you've written about the swiss-knife master of none approach to the Burkes for example.
ReplyDelete