Here is something you don't see everyday

[Dylan]

This is what I did in the US Navy. We drove these Ohio class subs around providing the world strategic nuclear deterrence.

These missiles have multiple warheads on them, and this is a real photo of Peacekeeper MIRVs hitting 'targets' (these obviously weren't warheads on them)

And this is a little montage of a Trident I missile launch (from beneath the surface to MIRVs re-entering the atmosphere.

Now I could waffle on about this stuff all day, but I will stop for now. Unless someone gives me the opportunity to waffle on more

 

[Dylan]

Oh, and so you know, an Ohio submarine stacks up like this:

560feet long, 42 feet beam and drafts around 32 feet. Surfaced she displaces around 16,500 tons, submerged just over 18,000.

She dives to depths greater than 800 feet and goes at speeds in excess of 25 knots. Not too bad for something 1 1/2 football fields long!

 

[Rob]

Is there some kind of time delay on the photos... what are those laser like beams?

Are the missiles travelling THAT fast?

 

[Dylan]

You know what, I am gonna be wandering around the New London Submarine Force Museum, and just for you guys I will take some pics of the stuff, including the USS Nautilus (SSN-571), the world FIRST nuclear powered warship.

 

[Dylan]

Yes Rob, the warheads are traveling that fast. They travel in the thousands and thousands and thousands of miles per hour range.

The laser beam effect is the MIRV superheated by friction of pasing through the air at such a high speed.

 

[Dylan]

Although I never did a test launch, I know people who did, and who worked on the range support equipment, and launching from the test range, to the MIRVs hitting the targets x thousands miles away on the target range, took only a couple of minutes.

 

[Rob]

Wouldn't want to get hit with one of them, warhead or not!

How long do you think this kind of nuclear fleet will remain in service for the forseeable? or is the lack of any other nuclear nation enough merit to start scaling back?

 

[Rob]

Although I never did a test launch, I know people who did, and who worked on the range support equipment, and launching from the test range, to the MIRVs hitting the targets x thousands miles away on the target range, took only a couple of minutes.

What kind of "Thump" does it have on the sub? any at all?

Not sure if you what I mean, like.. when the missiles launches, can everyone on board tell?

 

[Dylan]

Your question confuses me Rob. Lack of any other nuclear nation? What about GB, France, Israel, Iran (possibly), North Korea (again, possibly), India, Pakistan, Russia, all the other former soviet states who still retain possession of warheads and finally, but by no means least, CHINA (and that is just off the top of my head!!).

The Trident II missiles and Ohio subs just had thier life extended to 45 years. So, they have, at a minimum, another 20 and the newest subs have about 28. Plus we keep upgrading the land-based ICBMs, plus we still have B-52's and B-2's to deliver weapons from planes.

Nope nukes are still gonna be here for the long run, and if we subs do our job, nukes will never be used.

Do you understand the concept of strategic deterrance?

 

[Dylan]

What kind of "Thump" does it have on the sub? any at all?

Not sure if you what I mean, like.. when the missiles launches, can everyone on board tell?

Oh yeah, a 70,000 lbs(Trident I missile) gets launched by flashing 50 gallons of water to steam, creating a classified amount of thrust to 'throw' the missile out of the sub, then when it has cleared the water the rocket ignites and off it goes on its merry way!

Oh, and the missile never gets wet, it stays encased in a gas bubble from tube to surface!

 

[Rob]

Do those nations actually have the goods? I know nations like India and Pakistan have done tests but those are political manuevering no?

China is a good one, not sure about them. I kinda meant an opposing enemy nation like during the cold war, relations with all of the above mentioned countries are friendly and good trade, aside from North Korea which IMO gets treated too nicely by Russia and China (I wonder why!), funny that its claimed Iraq has weapons and so we invade, North Korea does a test and tells the world and we slap their wrists and tell them off.... XD

 

[Rob]

amazing on the missile, they actually propel it out of the water using steam, wow!! cool stuff!.

Doesn't get wet? amazing!

 

[Dylan]

Do those nations actually have the goods? I know nations like India and Pakistan have done tests but those are political manuevering no?

China is a good one, not sure about them. I kinda meant an opposing enemy nation like during the cold war, relations with all of the above mentioned countries are friendly and good trade, aside from North Korea which IMO gets treated too nicely by Russia and China (I wonder why!), funny that its claimed Iraq has weapons and so we invade, North Korea does a test and tells the world and we slap their wrists and tell them off.... XD

Kinda getting off topic, but here is my thinking.........

North Korea is too dangerous to just go waltzing into. The population are 'mindless automotans' (yes, i know -5 for sp), who have had NK drilled into their heads (They actually think Kim Il Jong created BMW's). Now, we had a stepping stone into Iraq and now into Iran. By now basically contolling the whole middle easts oil production (or at least having a large say in it) we can starve NK economically, like we haven't been able to do before with our current embargos.


But anyway, that is just my lazy round-a-bout thinking on that. All about picking your fights and prioritizing.

 

[Rob]

ahhh interesting Dylan.

And yes I did get it off topic, sorry.. I do have that habit

My opinion is that North Korea would be an easier fight than Afghanistan was, the problem as is always the case is after the fighting is over, the war begins.

 

[SuitsBlue]

the current labour government went through the wringer recently for committing to a/the new class of trident missiles as well as a new fleet of super subs that GB will deploy said missiles upon.

whats the difference between the old tridents and whats the story on the new class?