Jack wrote:
The panzerfaust, with a shaped charge of 0.8 kg, was able to burn through about 6.5" of armor. At most, a shaped charge of a few tens of kgs would burn through 20" of armor.
In 1997, a experimental shaped charge burned through 3.4 meters (more than 11') of armor plate. Although this particular shaped charge would not be practical as a weapon, it does show how destructive shaped charges can be.
I have to step into this off-shoot of the thread. So, Jack, to the above statement, how many missiles carry that type of warhead? How many missiles will be equipped with that kind of warhead, even if battleships were reactivated? Probably none, ever, right? Maybe a chance of a similar technology being miniaturized and incorporated into a warhead? Perhaps! I wonder how likely, though.
Also, I would suggest one consider that criticism of battleships is a criticism of
all surface ships. What is different is that battleships are the most survivable warships ever constructed. It confuses me why people think that a whole lot of passive protection makes them vulnerable. It's quite the opposite. Indeed, battleships (BB)s are the most survivable surface ships ever designed. Whatever arguments there are about sinking one are moot. You can sink a battleship, sure, but you have to penetrate an incredible defensive shield first. Escorts and self defense vessels will repel an awful lot of threats. Even then, once you reach the ship's hull, you will have to penetrate super heavy armor designed to repel threats two to three times as powerful as the missile you're shooting
For instance, if the Iowa-class battleships were active today, they would have received their 1990s SLEP and WIP upgrade providing them with at least 96 VLS tubes, 5"/54caliber guns, NATO sea sparrows, modern GFC system and radar. To me, that makes them the
maximum surface warfare vessels imaginable. They could defend themselves very, very well with an LSD/LHA/LHD/CVN AAW system (the SSDS). With subcaliber rounds already developed, they could reach out to targets
beyond 60 nm with their main guns and prosecute targets (projected to be) 30 miles with the Excalibur 5" (127mm) round.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_P_AjXcoa8They could hammer targets with
96 tomahawk cruise missiles!, an ability only SSGNs have today. All the while, they carried the armor of a WWII vessel, a ship that was
specifically designed to take hits. I think that's a pretty good asset to have.
Name a single surface ship that can do that, or even
approach that capability today. Unfortunately, none. I would really, really hope in the future armoring techniques will be applied to warships again, because it would greatly increase the survivability to the ship and give its crew a far better chance of surviving and fighting the ship.