PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Why Gun Ammo and not Cruise Missiles for the Zumwalt?
Old 16th Nov 2016, 06:15
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Jimlad1
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
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Contextually I worry about one of these not both.

Harpoon is a weapon which sounds awesome, but is actually a total mare to consider using outside of total war in the GIUK or North Atlantic. Unless you have an outstanding ISTAR package, and a means to be confident that you are firing at a target that is definitely a bad guy, then its more hassle than its worth. Its been in service for 30 years, and its worth noting that the RN has operated big anti-ship missiles since 1973. In all that time its the one missile type that the RN has never fired operationally. Similarly, none of our partner nations have too, and the only time that I'm really aware of big anti ship missiles being fired since 1973 is in 1982 and a bit during the Iran-Iraq war.
I'm not trying to do down their importance, but in the environments we operate in, and the hugely cluttered littoral waters, Harpoon (and Exocets) is a missile that is simply not the solution.

The lack of a Skua sized missile is more worrying, and one I suspect will be fixed quickly. My personal view is that this is the likely anti-ship missile use of the future, along with guns as its much easier to positively identify and track targets. In a future operating model of tight ROE, and the need to be certain of your target, I think Skua sized weapons are the answer.

So overall, I'm comfortable with the loss of Harpoon and I think few professionals will mourn its passing. I earnestly hope we get a Skua replacement in ASAP.
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