Spartan95
Junior Member
Re: The End of the Carrier Age?
That is true. Unfortunately, there is no modern example. If only INS Hanit had its ECM on against the Hezbollah's missile.
Well, defeating US missiles with US countermeasures isn't exactly a good example because the capabilities of the missiles are very well-known and counter-measures can be developed against the known weaknesses.
If US countermeasures are unable to defeat US missiles, well that would be a totally different case all together.
That's actually a rather loop-sided example because the Argentinians just received the exocets at that time and have practically no experience operating them. Their 1st firing of the exocet was against the British in a war setting and they didn't do too badly. If the Argentinians had a few more exocets, most of the British Task Force would be sitting on the bottom around Falklands today.
Furthermore, the French gave the British information on the code and homing radar of the Exocet:
Relevant bits below:
This is probably why countermeasures were effective later on when 1 of the exocets was seduced away on 25 May 1982 that ended up hitting the Atlantic Conveyor. Contrast this to the hit on HMS Sheffield on 4 May 1982.
Nonetheless, the countermeasures didn't save HMS Glamorgan from being hit by a surface-to-surface exocet (as opposed to the earlier air-to-surface exocets) on 12 June 1982.
Rather mixed record for countermeasures despite knowing the secrets of the exocets.....
Not true. In real world naval warfare, the great majority of anti-ship missiles fired in anger have been defeated with ECM alone. The Israeli's thwarted around 40 Syrian and Egyptian anti-ship missiles with ECM during the 1973 war. Every missile the Egyptians and Syrians fired was defeated this way as the Israeli's had no other means of protection against them.
That is true. Unfortunately, there is no modern example. If only INS Hanit had its ECM on against the Hezbollah's missile.
The US Navy defeated multiple Iranian anti-ship missiles fired at our ships during Operation Praying Mantis. Some of these were anti-surface versions of Standard we sold them, and the engagements were inside 25 nm using supersonic missiles, in other words it was a close in brawl with multiple supersonic missile tracks on the display screens. ECM alone defeated them.
Well, defeating US missiles with US countermeasures isn't exactly a good example because the capabilities of the missiles are very well-known and counter-measures can be developed against the known weaknesses.
If US countermeasures are unable to defeat US missiles, well that would be a totally different case all together.
In the Falklands, three of seven Argentine Exocet fired at RN forces hit targets, and of these, one was successfully seduced away from an RN carrier, but reacquired the Atlantic Conveyor afterwards. The other four missiles were defeated with ECM and fell harmlessly into the ocean. It was bad luck that it wasn't five of seven successfully defeated by ECM, but such is warfare.
ECM alone has a pretty good track record against anti-ship missiles in real world combat, as opposed to fan boi fantasies.
That's actually a rather loop-sided example because the Argentinians just received the exocets at that time and have practically no experience operating them. Their 1st firing of the exocet was against the British in a war setting and they didn't do too badly. If the Argentinians had a few more exocets, most of the British Task Force would be sitting on the bottom around Falklands today.
Furthermore, the French gave the British information on the code and homing radar of the Exocet:
Relevant bits below:
.......
Mitterrand added: “I express myself freely in telling you this. I won’t say it in public, of course.”
In full flow, he told Magoudi that he had ordered the Exocet’s secrets to be handed over to the British at Thatcher’s insistence.
“She is furious,” he said. “She blames me personally for this new Trafalgar . . . I have been forced to yield. She has them now, the codes. If our customers find out that the French wreck the weapons they sell, it’s not going to reflect well on our exports.
........
This is probably why countermeasures were effective later on when 1 of the exocets was seduced away on 25 May 1982 that ended up hitting the Atlantic Conveyor. Contrast this to the hit on HMS Sheffield on 4 May 1982.
Nonetheless, the countermeasures didn't save HMS Glamorgan from being hit by a surface-to-surface exocet (as opposed to the earlier air-to-surface exocets) on 12 June 1982.
Rather mixed record for countermeasures despite knowing the secrets of the exocets.....