Article

2003-10-13 Iran

Sub claim `impossibleâ - Could the LA Times be wrong

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Posted by Super Hose 2003-10-13 12:02:39 PM|| || Front Page|| [4 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 SH, true, the French Dolphin class isn't that capable of making the round trip to the coast of Iran (actually, would have to sneak into the Persian Gulf to get the range right), but diesel-powered US submarines ran patrols from Hawaii to Japan and back, so it's feasible. You need a bigger sub than a Dolphin, however, and I don't think the US has sold one of the old "Tang" classes in decades. The older subs were also significantly noisier and more detectable, making it a lose-lose situation.

A more likely candidate for carrying Israeli nukes would be one of their Reshef class, modified, with a tanker somewhere in the Indian Ocean for refueling. Again, their normal complement is anti-shipping missiles, but they're large enough to be modified to carry a bigger missile with a larger warhead.

Posted by Old Patriot 2003-10-13 12:15:46 PM|| [http://users.codenet.net/mweather/default.htm] 2003-10-13 12:15:46 PM|| Front Page Top

#2 Also, this could be floated just to make the Rafsanjani's of the Mullahworld know they can't expect a decapitating first strike on the evil Joooos. There will be a mushroom cloud on Tehran

Posted by Frank G 2003-10-13 12:20:04 PM|| 2003-10-13 12:20:04 PM|| Front Page Top

#3 Wouldn't need a strike on Tehran. Just need to hit Busheur. Probably also needn't be a Harpoon as weapon of choice, or a sub-only attack either.

Posted by Pappy 2003-10-13 12:58:08 PM|| 2003-10-13 12:58:08 PM|| Front Page Top

#4 AGM-142 HAVE NAP

Popeye! or Popeye Turbo

Range 930 miles, 200 KT warhead, launched from the 4 Dolphin class subs

Posted by Shipman 2003-10-13 1:33:49 PM|| 2003-10-13 1:33:49 PM|| Front Page Top

#5 ..Harpoon - and its kid brother TLAM - could probably carry W-80 series warheads, but as has been pointed out, it wouldn't be very far. Plus, there a real issues with how the boat gets to within launch range.
On the other hand...Frank G has a point. The Mullahs simply don't know what the Zionist Entity (TM)has up its sleeve. The clue here will be to see what if anything Tehran does with its SS fleet in the next few weeks. If they suddenly start surging and staying out to sea, along with an upsurge in PatRon activity, my feeling would be that they've bought it...which is fine with me.

Mike

Posted by Mike Kozlowski 2003-10-13 1:37:41 PM|| 2003-10-13 1:37:41 PM|| Front Page Top

#6 On the other other hand, so to speak, a Dolphin/Harpoon combo would be perfect for taking down Cairo or Damascus.

Just sayin' y'know?

Posted by Mike 2003-10-13 2:15:04 PM|| 2003-10-13 2:15:04 PM|| Front Page Top

#7 I don't think there is any question that Th evil Zionists could take out the Iranian facility with an F-16 strike - possibly even using harpoons.

My problem is with the LA Times story. If you are going to write a story about an evil Zionist plot at least do the homework.

The Isreali's have pointed out that backfitting a heavy warhead onto an existing missile takes quite a bit of work and testing. (I would think that the Israelis would stand a better chance of accomplishing thie task than the NK does.) Why not just steal the plans for a TLAM-N? If the plans exist in Los Alamos, I'm surprised you can buy a set of prints on E-bay.

Only the LA Times would print that the harpoon is a threat to a facility in Tehran.

Posted by Super Hose 2003-10-13 2:15:16 PM|| 2003-10-13 2:15:16 PM|| Front Page Top

#8 Popeye! or Popeye Turbo

Bingo, Shipman.

Posted by Pappy 2003-10-13 6:47:01 PM|| 2003-10-13 6:47:01 PM|| Front Page Top

18:46 Anonymous
09:25 Raptor
05:38 Bulldog
03:40 B
03:21 B
03:08 B
23:59 Not Mike Moore
23:47 Not Mike Moore
23:33 .com
23:25 .com
23:22 Not Mike Moore
23:07 Not Mike Moore
23:04 Not Mike Moore
23:03 Jennie Taliaferro
23:03 Bomb-a-rama
23:01 RussSchultz
22:58 Jennie Taliaferro
22:58 Not Mike Moore
22:54 Not Mike Moore
22:40 Igs
22:37 Anonymous
22:13 .com
22:07 Frank G
21:43 Ptah