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American experts are saying 5 American submarines with Tomahawk missiles can destroy the Chinese Navy. China has no chance. How true is this?
Quora ^ | Tomaž Vargazon

Posted on 05/31/2023 10:38:04 AM PDT by SeekAndFind

Well, four American submarines carry over 300 Tomahawk missiles between them.


Four Ohio-class SSBN were converted into SSGNs

Certainly 600 heavy duty missiles is enough to take out the bulk of the Chinese 200-ship (or so) navy. A single good hit by a Tomahawk will disable a carrier and sink a frigate, two to three hits will take out any ship out there. Certainly five American submarines carry enough payload to sink or disable the entire Chinese navy, even excluding the possibility of nuclear-tipped warheads (Tomahawk or otherwise).

The problem is the many layers of defense the subs would have to contend with to get there. You need to be within 1000 km or so of the target, know where it is and where it’s heading to have any chance of hit. China knows this and has countermeasures against submarines entering their seas. Beyond that there are countermeasures ranging from anti-missile missiles to ECM to CIWS as a last-ditch resort. Not all Tomahawks would hit, that is clear. Some would get through, but many would be shot down en route and many more would miss their marks due to electronic interference.

Tomahawks really aren’t well suited to attack ships, they’re precision guided weapons to take out critical land installations.

So the claim is technically true, but meaningless. Four American submarines have enough non-nuclear payload to sink the entire Chinese navy in one salvo, but it’s doubtful they could ever achieve anything remotely close to that, in any realistic scenario.


TOPICS: Military/Veterans; Society
KEYWORDS: china; navy; submarines; tomahawk
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1 posted on 05/31/2023 10:38:05 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

One Tomahawk hit on the 3 Gorges Dam and a third of China is underwater


2 posted on 05/31/2023 10:41:05 AM PDT by qam1 (There's been a huge party. All plates and the bottles are empty, all that's left is the bill to pay)
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To: SeekAndFind

You sank my battleshots!

Who is making these claims anyway?

If we have modified our missile offense systems to be able to target multiple ships at one, why would we go bragging about it. It would provoke an increase in your potential opponent’s defense and countering capabilities.


3 posted on 05/31/2023 10:41:05 AM PDT by z3n (Kakistocracy)
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To: SeekAndFind
I'd rather not find out.

4 posted on 05/31/2023 10:41:11 AM PDT by Governor Dinwiddie (LORD, grant thy people grace to withstand the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil.)
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To: SeekAndFind
Has the Tomahawk ever been used against ships? If it has, I have never heard of it.

If this is feasible, it would seem very worthwhile to test whether or not they could fill such a role.

5 posted on 05/31/2023 10:41:29 AM PDT by Joe Brower ("Might we not live in a nobler dream than this?" -- John Ruskin)
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To: SeekAndFind

Not true if the CINC and his band of DOD Pentagon lackeys are all on the payroll of the Chi-coms.

Quite true should provocation require response, and to clear the sea lanes off Vietnam and Phillipines of the Dane Geld seeking power pussies Chi-Coms.

Two tomahawks per manufactured/stole Phillipine islands converted by chi-coms into bases. Destroy them utterly with conventional warheads. Nuke response from them— turn Beijing into glass structures (neutron).


6 posted on 05/31/2023 10:43:18 AM PDT by John S Mosby (Sic Semper Tyrannis)
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To: qam1

I don’t know if just one would do it.

I’d target at least four...................


7 posted on 05/31/2023 10:43:38 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegal aliens are put up in hotels.....................)
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To: qam1

you are dreaming


8 posted on 05/31/2023 10:44:24 AM PDT by al baby (Sarcasm )
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To: qam1

It had better be nuclear tipped.


9 posted on 05/31/2023 10:44:28 AM PDT by DownInFlames (P)
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To: SeekAndFind
The truth is that both sides have enough arsenal, even when limited to non-nuclear arsenal, to wipe out the other's navy. As an Alabamian I like to brag on the missile defense tech made in Huntsville. But the truth is that missile defense can be beaten with "sheer numbers" of opponent rockets and missiles. Both sides have long-distance missiles than can be launched from multiple platforms to destroy an opponents navy without having to get close.

In a way, MAD protects the navy like MAD protects from nuke attack. Neither China nor the U.S. launch against the other's navy because neither wants retaliation.

10 posted on 05/31/2023 10:44:51 AM PDT by Tell It Right (1st Thessalonians 5:21 -- Put everything to the test, hold fast to that which is true.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Not if Milley phones ahead.


11 posted on 05/31/2023 10:45:17 AM PDT by TiGuy22
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To: SeekAndFind

The end doesn’t scare us!
Launch the Polaris!


12 posted on 05/31/2023 10:46:42 AM PDT by KobraKai
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To: SeekAndFind

I am no expert, but I believe a Harpoon missile fits the bill to take out a navy. Alternatively, stealth bombers could be used.


13 posted on 05/31/2023 10:46:51 AM PDT by ConservativeInPA ("How did you go bankrupt?s" Bill asked. "Two ways," Mike said. "Gradually and then suddenly." )
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To: qam1

I’m sure I’m wrong but I didn’t think a Tomahawk cruise missile could be launched from a sub.


14 posted on 05/31/2023 10:50:36 AM PDT by Bloody Sam Roberts (Perhaps we should be less concerned with who we might offend and more concerned with who we inspire.)
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To: SeekAndFind

In a perfect world, under perfect conditions, it could be accomplished that the Chinese military could be neutralized. But I think Bruce Lee said it when he mentioned, “Boards do not hit back.” China will and between the open attack whoever started it and whoever retaliated, it starts a dog pile that leaves nothing left but insects...maybe.

As Joshua said, “The only winning move is not to play.” But man says there can be acceptable losses. How do you put a number on that when you count backwards to nothing?

wy69


15 posted on 05/31/2023 10:51:16 AM PDT by whitney69
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To: SeekAndFind

I don’t know if this particular claim is true, but I do suspect the gist of it, which is that the Chinese Navy is no match for the US Navy, is accurate.

Historically, China is a land nation, they’ve never been a sea power of any kind, and the last time they boasted what they considered a world class navy, they went up against Japan they lost so badly that their entire fleet were sunk by the Japanese.

Since the CCP take over, they’ve never fought a naval battle of any kind, so none of their crew or their commanders in their entire navy have ever been in any kind of real combat, they don’t even have trainers or former crewman who have any combat experience.

I suspect if there is combat even Japan on its own would wipe the floors with them.


16 posted on 05/31/2023 10:52:43 AM PDT by Truthsearcher
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To: SeekAndFind

You are implying that Quisling Biden is in charge of the USA military.

His Chinese puppet masters would not allow any attacks against China. If anything, the puppet masters would order the US military to attack the Satanic Pentagram in Washington District of Caligula.


17 posted on 05/31/2023 10:53:46 AM PDT by Flavious_Maximus (Tony Fauci will be put on death row and die of COVID!)
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To: SeekAndFind
You need to be within 1000 km or so of the target

That means the subs need to be within a 3.14 million square kilometer area. I don’t think the Chinese have the capability to monitor that much ocean.

18 posted on 05/31/2023 10:55:28 AM PDT by immadashell (Save Innocent Lives: Ban Gun Free Zones)
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To: Bloody Sam Roberts

“I’m sure I’m wrong but I didn’t think a Tomahawk cruise missile could be launched from a sub.”

Seven per tube.

You might find this useful:

https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/134479?hl=en


19 posted on 05/31/2023 10:56:08 AM PDT by TexasGator
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To: Bloody Sam Roberts

See Shock and Awe Iraq. SLCM silos are on certain US attack submarines (nuclear powered attack subs- conservatively underwater high speed attack subs with considerable stealth).

Sub launched cruise missiles were a significant part of the Iraq war.


20 posted on 05/31/2023 10:57:39 AM PDT by John S Mosby (Sic Semper Tyrannis)
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