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Subject: How would you sink a Nimitz class carrier??
Herc the merc    1/19/2005 11:00:27 AM
Which torpedoes or cruise missiles could do this effectively, or would it require several. Some of the ASHM simply do not have the fire power to do it alone, torpedoes are also small, and the subs can be detected. Whats the best plan??
 
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Yimmy    RE:How would you sink a Nimitz class carrier??   1/19/2005 11:18:32 AM
I don't imagine it would take too many heavy weight torpedos to break her back, when detonating from directly under her. Also, if just one large supersonic anti-ship missile such as a Sunburn were to hit, it would cause plenty damage to stop air operations for a while. That said, in the Cold War the Russians would have eliminated Americas super carrier via assets such as SSN-19 fierd from submarines similar to the Kursk, each fitted with a nuclear warhead.
 
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Herc the merc    RE:How would you sink a Nimitz class carrier??   1/19/2005 11:22:07 AM
Well lets exclude nuclear options & lets intend to sink it. Now what?
 
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USN-MID    RE:How would you sink a Nimitz class carrier??   1/19/2005 1:11:14 PM
Suicidal subs with heavyweight torpedoes is probably your best option. One torpedo is unlikely to do the trick, supposedly, because of the tremendous anti-torpedo protection put into a Nimitz, as well as the sheer size. But that's what multiple torpedo tubes are for. Also, even if it's not sunk, if you can cause enough damage to prevent it from reaching safe flight operations speed, you've essentally "sunk" the carrier for months. The point is, unless you can put hundreds of missiles in the air at once, an air attack is most likely not going to touch the carrier, and cost you heavily to boot.
 
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french stratege    RE:How would you sink a Nimitz class carrier??   1/19/2005 1:32:10 PM
a shkval torpedo with nuke warhead sounds good even a little suicidal.
 
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TDHM    RE:How would you sink a Nimitz class carrier??   1/20/2005 6:55:52 AM
The best way to sink any ship is to let water into the ship. AShM aren't all that good at sinking things. They cause a loss of a ship, but no the sinking. Torpedos are not also small... With modern torpedos, to engage a surface target they explode underneath the keel, forming an underwater bubble. With nothing effectively supporting the ship's middle, the ship effectively breaks in half. Exploding a torpedo around the shafts will also flood the shaft alleys and engine rooms. The best best for sinking a Nimitz is by Torpedo.
 
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gf0012-aust    RE:How would you sink a Nimitz class carrier??   1/20/2005 7:41:18 AM
Do you want to sink it or mobility kill it? A Nimitz sized vessel would probably need 4-5 ADCAP sized torps to probably drop it. But 2-3 depending on where they go may be enough to severely degrade it to the point of a deck bound air wing. At one stage the Russians even toyed with the notion of nuclear mines as an underwater attack was seem as more effective. IIRC the Brits also developed nuclear mines in the 60's. A carrier that's crawling is a liability to the rest of the fleet, and if it's taken on enough water, the only thing that may get off are the rotors. (which is still a notional ASW capability) Thus a crippled carrier requires protection - and as such it pulls more resources that are valuable elsewhere. Without wanting to sound crass, it's analagous to the wounded solider effect - a wounded soldier draws down on valuable resources across a range of "peripherals" (recovery from the field, medics, transport, doctoring, ongoing medication, rehabilitation, and then maybe RTU'd, not necessarily in the same role as when initially medevac'd out. - This is all put into play for a "unit" that is combat ineffective at a point in time - and may not be combat useful again depending on the extent of the damage. Thats why carriers are protected at all costs.
 
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battar    RE:How would you sink a Nimitz class carrier??   1/20/2005 4:23:19 PM
Given the ugly nature af modern warfare, if I wanted to disable the USS Nimitz I would indoctrinate a Moslem loony tune student and have him hijack an airliner and crash in on the carrier's deck. No offence intended against Moslems in general, it's just that adherents of other faiths haven't taken up the idea yet.
 
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Yimmy    RE:How would you sink a Nimitz class carrier??   1/20/2005 5:04:53 PM
What about a speed boat packed with explosives while the ship is docked.
 
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gf0012-aust    RE:How would you sink a Nimitz class carrier??   1/20/2005 5:24:22 PM
"What about a speed boat packed with explosives while the ship is docked." The SOPs for protecting and policing vessels has changed since the Cole incident. You'd be hard pressed to repeat the same succcess now.
 
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USAF1701    RE:How would you sink a Nimitz class carrier??   1/20/2005 5:59:03 PM
Besides...the weapon required to damage an 8300 ton destroyer is several times easier to produce, navigate, and slip through defenses than would be a weapon used against a 97,000 ton supercarrier.
 
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