Russia new wonder weapon?

[Alpha Kodiak]

I hate to keep dragging this thread away from the political arguments, but I will anyway.

The point about the super-fast torpedo changing the way underwater warfare works is well taken. If it works, you could indeed see the case for using active sonar to "light up" the target at a distance and then kill it. There is one problem, though. How do you know when there is a target there? If you run around with active sonar (or any other active search mechanism) on all the time the other side will see you coming from miles away. The super-fast torpedo won't shoot down the aircraft that gets called in to take out the sub that's busy pinging the empty ocean.

The problem with any "wonder weapon" is that it won't stay that way very long. If one side has it and it is effective, the other side will figure out how to build it too. Also, there might be ways to stop it coming in. If it is moving at two hundred miles an hour under water then it might well be possible to put something (other than a ship ) in its path long enough for it to crash into it and be destroyed.

Edit: This is in no way an argument that the technology couldn't be very effective. If the US isn't looking into it we should be (and probably are). A weapon of that nature would not have to be limited to submarines. Since everyone seems to have a way to shoot down anti-shipping cruise missiles, you could use this technology from surface ships to build underwater "cruise missiles". If you could extend their range (perhaps by increasing their size) and give them intelligent seeking capability you could create a whole new class of weapon (drones, anyone?).

[ April 09, 2004, 14:09: Message edited by: Alpha Kodiak ]

[Timstone]

Originally posted by Yef:
So, it all boils down to senseless, empty, and wounded national pride. You hate the superpower because you are not it, you hate the supepower because you want to be it.
I bet that if you were the superpower, you would have already "fixed" all the wrong things in the world, wouldn't you?

I'm sorry for breaking it to you, but if one day your country becomes the superpower, its going to be hated as much as the US is hated today.

Sigh... it's so hard to express myself in the way I would like. My native language is Dutch (wow, really?), so English is not my primary language. I don't have the same feel for it like you.
I was mearly (typo, maybe?) trying to point out the general feeling of the world towards America. I didn't want to attack you or the beautful country that America is. I´ve some friends living in California, so I´ve been to America and saw the beauty of the country... and the smog.

I think other readers are not feeling at ease with this little conversation of ours, so shall we burry the axe of war and make peace brother?

Oh BTW, nice speeches in the course of our conversation.

Edit: I gave you the full 5 stars for this most enjoyable little talk of ours. Thumbs up for us!

[ April 09, 2004, 17:25: Message edited by: Timstone ]

[EvilGenius4ABetterTomorro]

I was thinking about how to stop a fast torp also. Something in the water for it to hit was also my first thought. Also thought if you could distrupt the SuperCavitation bubble around the torp it would cause drag and maybe slow it down or alter it's course irreversibly (my big word of the day).
In fact you can make a ship sink by putting enough Methane in the water that it alters it's density and things won't float!
"Helm, what's that smell?" "I think we're being flushed sir!"


I like the Netherlands, Hot Girls, Cold Beer, Cheap Pot, Friendly People, Nice Dikes.

[Timstone]

Originally posted by EvilGenius4ABetterTomorro:
I was thinking about how to stop a fast torp also. Something in the water for it to hit was also my first thought. Also thought if you could distrupt the SuperCavitation bubble around the torp it would cause drag and maybe slow it down or alter it's course irreversibly (my big word of the day).
In fact you can make a ship sink by putting enough Methane in the water that it alters it's density and things won't float!
"Helm, what's that smell?" "I think we're being flushed sir!"


I like the Netherlands, Hot Girls, Cold Beer, Cheap Pot, Friendly People, Nice Dikes.

Hahahaha... "Sir, we've been jammed. It's strawberry."

Another 5 full stars today for the fact that The EvilGenius like my beloved homecountry.

[ April 09, 2004, 19:12: Message edited by: Timstone ]

[Alpha Kodiak]

Originally posted by EvilGenius4ABetterTomorro:
I was thinking about how to stop a fast torp also. Something in the water for it to hit was also my first thought. Also thought if you could distrupt the SuperCavitation bubble around the torp it would cause drag and maybe slow it down or alter it's course irreversibly (my big word of the day).
In fact you can make a ship sink by putting enough Methane in the water that it alters it's density and things won't float!
"Helm, what's that smell?" "I think we're being flushed sir!"


I like the Netherlands, Hot Girls, Cold Beer, Cheap Pot, Friendly People, Nice Dikes.

I was thinking perhaps you could launch a canister of compressed air toward the torpedo as far as you could then have it release a curtain of air bubbles in front of the torp. I'm not sure what would happen in that case.

[ April 09, 2004, 19:27: Message edited by: Alpha Kodiak ]

[Puke]

Hafnium and elements with similar properties are really very cool. the ability to charge up an element with energy and then set it off is pretty slick. sub nuclear, but much better than conventional explosives.

maybe this will revive the davy crocket project in another form. unfortuneatly, it still leaves small traces of radioactive fallout.

The potential for polonium powered nuclear batteries is pretty cool, too. everyone remember that theoretical man-portable chemical laser? THAT was cool. polonium power sources could also solve some of the battery life and generator weight problems they are having with the battlefield armored suits that DARPA is developing.

[Thermodyne]

Originally posted by Puke:
Hafnium and elements with similar properties are really very cool. the ability to charge up an element with energy and then set it off is pretty slick. sub nuclear, but much better than conventional explosives.

maybe this will revive the davy crocket project in another form. unfortuneatly, it still leaves small traces of radioactive fallout.

The potential for polonium powered nuclear batteries is pretty cool, too. everyone remember that theoretical man-portable chemical laser? THAT was cool. polonium power sources could also solve some of the battery life and generator weight problems they are having with the battlefield armored suits that DARPA is developing.

How about a star drive? Or perhaps a high output ion engine?