What was the reason behind ASW carriers. Were they only used instead of other surface vessels (frigates, destroyers or cruisers) because they were surplus ships left over from WW2? Do ASW carriers have any distinct advantages over other ASW platforms. Why are they not used today (is it purely budgetary)?
If Submarines are here to stay, cruisers need to have the ability to project anti-submarine weaponry within at least a couple kilometers. Maybe an option somewhere between planes and dropped depth charges, like the ability to launch depth charges off the side of the ship?
It's infuriating to have a submarine appear right next to me in my heavy cruiser and have no other option but to try and run it over with depth charges while giving up my ability to angle etc.
DD's have the mobility to be able to make depth charges work but it's beyond painful in sluggish heavy cruisers.
I know Germans used aerial mining around UK, but they also conducted a bombing campaign simultaneously. A US aerial mining campaign shut down the Japanese economy later in the war. Would the Germans have been capable of doing the same to the British with prioritizing mining over bombing missions?
Like if world war 3 were to happen would all that shit be illegal under the Geneva convention? I feel like after 2 years of war if the US was seriously committed they’d throw the Geneva convention out the window. Not like abolish it, they’d still pretend to follow it but like I could see it being largely ignored in its more grey areas.
Morally and ethnically what is y’all’s take on this sort of stuff? Are we as bad as the Wehrmacht for doing strategic bombing? Is it justifiable? I understand deliberately targeting factories during total war even if there are civilians inside it ultimately is a military target (debatable if it’s a valid one tho) but we did more than that like deliberately fire bombing Japanese cities made out of wood, just burning them the fuck down. Not to mention what we did at Dresden
OH-232 Anti Submarine Warfare Drone
The OH-232 is designed to provide Japanese commander with the ability to engage detected hostile submarine contacts at greater range that currently existing platforms which are either expensive(warships or ASW helicopters) or limited in positioning(Type 07 Vertical Launch Anti-submarine rocket), to solve this issue we will be beginning the development of a new anti submarine warfare drone to ensure Japanese capabilities remain effective for years to come.
These drones are designed to carry two G-RX4 torpedoes up to a range of 75km(and remain on station for 10 minutes) to enable standoff engagement of detected hostile submarines before they can threaten either Japanese Navy vessels or the Japanese homeland. The primary advantage of this system is that it enables sensor operators or platforms to call on a functionally unlimited magazine to engage hostile submarines while being able to keep sonars on active and guide the weapons to the target. The drones are also capable of conducting minelaying operations,Maritime Patrol, Automated logistics operations, MEDVAC, and Mine Countermeasures operations. Provided the payload is of the same or lesser weight.
To meet new Japanese operational concepts around redeployability and flexibility the system is designed to be contained within a 20ft TEU container. This includes 7 drones, control console and associated equipment to support a several week deployment. This will greatly improve flexibility and will ensure we always have platforms able to engage hostile threats. Munitions are not carried within this container to comply with Japanese safety regulations.
The OH-232 platform is also capable of carrying a dipping sonar system which allows for swarms of OH-232 drones to rapidly descend on and engage any submarines detected by the drones. Generally these drones operate in groups of five with three being sensor platforms and two being shooter platforms. This enables a group of the drones to sweep any contacts from our extensive early warning systems or to conduct general patrols.
Each container costs 5 million dollars and we intend to procure 180 such systems, development is expected to take 2 years and orders completed in 2 years after that.
