US Navy Wouldn't Last a Week in WW3

The US Navy is pretty much unmatched by any other nation in the world. More ships, more subs, more Navy planes and more advanced technology. Even by just mere numbers, the math says it all.

This is what a typical USN engagement looks like: Operation Preying Mantis

(sorry for the long cut-n-paste, but I want people to read the account)

en.wikipedia.org...

This battle was the largest of the five major U.S. surface engagements since the Second World War, which also include the Battle of Chumonchin Chan during the Korean War, the Gulf of Tonkin incident and the Battle of Dong Hoi during the Vietnam War, and the Action in the Gulf of Sidra in 1986. It also marked the U.S. Navy's first exchange of anti-ship missiles by ships.

On 18 April, the U.S. Navy attacked with several groups of surface warships, plus aircraft from the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, and her cruiser escort, USS Truxtun. The action began with coordinated strikes by two surface groups.

One surface action group, or SAG, consisting of the destroyers USS Merrill and USS Lynde McCormick, plus the amphibious transport dock USS Trenton and its embarked Marine Air Ground Task Force and the LAMPS (Light Airborne MultiPurpose System) Helicopter Detachment (HSL-44 Det 5) from USS Samuel B. Roberts, was ordered to destroy the guns and other military facilities on the Sassan oil platform.

Cobra helicopters completed the destruction of enemy resistance. The Marines boarded the platform, and recovered a single wounded survivor (who was transported to Bahrain), some small arms, and intelligence. The Marines planted explosives, left the platform, and detonated them. The SAG was then ordered to proceed north to the Rakhsh oil platform to destroy it.

As the SAG departed the Sassan oil field, two Iranian F-4s made an attack run, but broke off when Lynde McCormick locked its fire control radar on the aircraft. Halfway to the Rahksh oil platform, the attack was called off in an attempt to ease pressure on the Iranians and signal a desire for de-escalation.

Iran responded by dispatching Boghammar speedboats to attack various targets in the Persian Gulf, including the American-flagged supply ship Willy Tide, the Panamanian-flagged Scan Bay and the British tanker York Marine. All of these vessels were damaged in different degrees. After the attacks, A-6E Intruder aircraft launched from CVN 65 were directed to the speedboats by an American frigate. The two aircraft, piloted by "Lizards" Lieutenant Commander James Engler and Lieutenant Paul Webb, dropped Rockeye cluster bombs on the speedboats, sinking one and damaging several others, which then fled to the Iranian-controlled island of Abu Musa.[4]

Action continued to escalate. Joshan, an Iranian Combattante II Kaman-class fast attack craft, challenged USS Wainwright and Surface Action Group Charlie. The commanding officer of Wainwright directed a final warning (of a series of warnings) stating that Joshan was to "stop your engines, abandon ship, I intend to sink you". Joshan responded by firing a Harpoon missile at them.[5] Simpson responded to the challenge by firing four Standard missiles, while Wainwright followed with one Standard missile.[6] All missiles hit and destroyed the Iranian ship's superstructure but did not immediately sink it, so Bagley fired a Harpoon of its own; the missile did not find the target. SAG Charlie closed on Joshan, with Simpson, then Bagley and Wainwright firing guns to sink the crippled Iranian ship.[5]
Two Iranian F-4 Phantom fighters were orbiting about 48 km away when Wainwright decided to drive them away. Wainwright fired two Extended Range Standard missiles, one of which detonated near an F-4, blowing off part of its wing and peppering the fuselage with shrapnel. The F-4s withdrew, and the Iranian pilot landed his damaged airplane at Bandar Abbas.[6]
Fighting continued when the Iranian frigate Sahand departed Bandar Abbas and challenged elements of an American surface group. The frigate was spotted by two Lizard A-6Es while they were flying surface combat air patrol for USS Joseph Strauss.

Iranian frigate Sahand burning from bow to stern on 18 April 1988 after being attacked.
Sahand fired missiles at the A-6Es, which replied with two Harpoon missiles and four laser-guided Skipper bombs. Joseph Strauss fired a Harpoon. Most, if not all of the shots scored hits, causing heavy damage and fires. Fires blazing on Sahand's decks eventually reached her munitions magazines, causing an explosion that sank the vessel.
Late in the day, the Iranian frigate Sabalan, departed from its berth and fired a surface-to-air missile at several A-6Es from VA-95. The Intruders then dropped a Mark 82 laser-guided bomb into Sabalan‍ '​s stack, crippling the ship and leaving it burning. The Iranian frigate, stern partially submerged, was taken in tow by an Iranian tug, and was repaired and eventually returned to service. VA-95's aircraft, as ordered, did not continue the attack. The A-6 pilot who crippled Sabalan, LCDR James Engler, was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross by Admiral William J. Crowe, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, for the actions against Sabalan and the Iranian gunboats.[7]
As the retaliation for the attacks, Iran fired Silkworm missiles (suspected to be the HY-4 version) from land bases against SAG Delta in the Strait of Hormuz and against USS Gary in the northern central Persian Gulf, but all missed due to the evasive maneuvers and use of decoys by the ships. A missile was probably shot down by Gary‍ '​s 76 mm (3.0 in) gun. The Pentagon and the Reagan Administration later denied that any Silkworm missile attacks took place probably since it was the only way to keep the situation from escalating further as they had promised before publicly that any such attacks would merit retaliation against targets on Iranian soil.[8]

a reply to: FlyingFox

All of that is unlike a modern naval engagement with higher technology participants: the danger from attack submarines is immense.

Falklands is closer I think. Remember also that in 1982 a U.K. submarine sunk the primary Argentinian cruiser without ever being engaged or detected.

Regardless of controversies over the sinking, due to disagreement on the exact nature of the Maritime Exclusion Zone and whether General Belgrano had been returning to port at the time of the sinking, it had a crucial strategic effect: the elimination of the Argentine naval threat. After her loss, the entire Argentine fleet, with the exception of the conventional submarine ARA San Luis,[59] returned to port and did not leave again during the fighting. The two escorting destroyers and the battle group centred on the aircraft carrier ARA Veinticinco de Mayo both withdrew from the area, ending the direct threat to the British fleet that their pincer movement had represented.

Notice the result: one sub attacks successfully, full withdrawal of all surface ships to port. (In a more serious war that wouldn't work, the subs would just follow them).

Surface ships might be able to operate very close to a homeland which has significant air assets and anti-sub warfare capability running continuously.

Now, take a look at what a high-technology torpedo does:

www.youtube.com...

www.youtube.com...


In those other engagements (Belgrano and Iran), attacks damaged ships which could either be salvaged/towed or took hours to sink. But when they sink in 15 seconds....

skipper' will be sailing in the other direction asap.

Have yet to be seen in combat.

a reply to: mazzroth

Those Russian subs would be crumpled hulks within hours. US and Royal navy SSNs are so far ahead of the game it's not even funny.

originally posted by: cavtrooper7
NAH, we have black TRIANGLES that will handle ALL that.

True,

but why bother discussing the rest then?

If your BBT statement got so many stars then people are aware. So one can assume that other governments are/have been aware for some time... therefore, BBT is old news (tactically speaking)... there must be something that is still as of yet unknown to anybody but the US.

originally posted by: combatmaster
there must be something that is still as of yet unknown to anybody but the US.

Rest assured, there most certainly is. ~$heopleNation

a reply to: SheopleNation

i know its a little late and off topic but do you realize that your avatar is similar to the (supposed) RK patch logo?

coincidence?

a reply to: mazzroth

Sorry but this is pro-Russian nonsense.
To start with, the only country (in any imagined war) failing to keep up militarily is the UK. I'm British, so I know a thing or two about our lacking defenses. We would be heavily reliant on US and NATO support if we were attacked in any way other than by air. The RAF is a considerable force to reckon with, but we are at risk from subs.

The US also has a greater capability than anyone really acknowledges. You think Groom Lake is just there for fun? You think all the UFO's we see are really piloted by little green men from another world?

No doubt Russia has certain top secret capabilities too, but it's a fact that they don't invest even half of what the US does in military R&D, they haven't been able to because they've spent most of recent history warring with everyone and damaging their own development.

In order to have a functioning fleet of almighty subs capable of taking on the USA you need the support structure and leadership. So, even if Russia is superior with regard to subs, NATO and the US is FAR superior in every other capacity, and could wipe out military control in Russia within days - if they chose to do that.

Those subs would be rendered useless with a couple of strikes at their command and control facilities, and we no doubt know exactly where they are.

And lets not even get started on cyber warfare. While Russia is still playing games with Internet propaganda teams, the US has probably infected most of their systems with help from every large western tech company putting components in every piece of tech Russia has ever imported.

No bout it would be messy, and depending on the needs of the west it could (be made to) go on for a while, but the US/NATO would win, regardless of what subs Russia has.

originally posted by: combatmaster

originally posted by: cavtrooper7
NAH, we have black TRIANGLES that will handle ALL that.

True,

but why bother discussing the rest then?

It still maintains the element of surprise and would probably only be used during the threat of nuclear war. This is backed up by the numerous likely examples of testing at nuclear sites across the US and UK throughout the 80's.

It was developed as a means to retaliate/prevent a nuclear war, hence the speed of flight being the primary factor.

Nuclear warfare has been the biggest threat throughout this period, so it makes sense that any government would invest billions of $'s on defenses against it, and the capability to retaliate.

What most of us see as "UFO's" meet all of the anticipated needs - logic dictates that the US would have developed it, and have developed it, and have wanted to keep it at a top secret level because it still holds an advantage that Russia/China cannot match.

I read the subject of this thread and had to laugh out loud. The weapons, ships and planes that Wiki says the US has, is just the stuff that we know about. There is probably stuff locked away in a bunker somewhere that would blow our minds.

WW3 will be mostly economic and cyber in nature, with perhaps a touch of nuclear brinksmanship.

You give the USA a week? I say they wouldn't last 48 hours.

China could sell off about $1 trillion in debt, while at the same time hacking US infrastructure such as power stations and medical services.

USA would be crippled so fast they wouldn't know what hit them.

originally posted by: JonStone
I read the subject of this thread and had to laugh out loud. The weapons, ships and planes that Wiki says the US has, is just the stuff that we know about. There is probably stuff locked away in a bunker somewhere that would blow our minds.

The USA are admitting to stuff like rail guns on Navy ships.

When Gulf War 1 started, the USA went public with the Stealth Bomber. Basically because people saw a bunch of them taking off on bombing missions and were thinking "what the hell was that"?

I really, really wonder what's in development right now.

What gets me, is that among all the ridiculous conspiracy theories, no one actually asks about real ones. Hardly anyone has asked or speculated what that half size unmanned shuttle is doing, despite NASA saying "oh yeah, we launched it, and it's on a top secret mission for over a year, but we're not telling you what it's doing".

a reply to: babybunnies

It's an air force spacecraft, maybe NASA's job is just to help get it into space, maybe they really don't know what it's doing up there.

a reply to: babybunnies

Actually no, the F117s were officially disclosed in Operation URGENT FURY.
The B2s were officially operational in 1997.
Scwartzkopf IS rumoured to have turned down AURORA because he said he didn't need it.

a reply to: combatmaster

Tell you the truth I don't remember what star are for so I don't care.
I just try to tell the truth.

The US has a superior nuclear fleet with hydrogen missle silos on board that can hit any point on earth in quick order.
So, we lose, you lose....
We also have carrier and sub killing abilities from multiple platforms along with air wings, hunter killers, missile frigates, destroyers, electronic warfare, counter radar abilities. etc that are in carrier battle groups. So, good luck with that faulty analysis.
Probably just counter propaganda to get us to waste even more money on overkill and world domination.

a reply to: mazzroth

anti neutron weapons.
space based weapons.
hypersonic weapons.
a reply to: SheopleNation