Discussion » Statements » Rosie's Corner » Please tell me if this is terrifying as it seems to be to me. Ever hear of the Ohio-Class subs that are patrolling the seas?
RosieG

Please tell me if this is terrifying as it seems to be to me. Ever hear of the Ohio-Class subs that are patrolling the seas?

They are the most deadly of the Keiju (have no idea what that is) prowling the oceans today.

There are 14 of them that carry about half the nuclear arsenal of the United States.

Each ship carries up to 24 of them. After they are launched as they hit re-entry each splits into 8 independent re-entry vehicle with a 100- or 475-kiloton nuclear warhead which could launch up to 192 and wipe out 24 cities. (24 x 8).

So what's the skinny on this? I had no idea we had suchs let alone they were prowling the oceans.

Oh allegedly they can hit targets 7000 miles away. I do not understand kiloton or keiju but I do understand it is not a playtoy.

Posted - January 1, 2020
Tags : None

Responses


  • 6023
    Yep.
    Designed in the 1970s ... started service in the early 1980s.

    The replacement will be the Columbia class.
    Planned to start building next year, and in service in the 2030s.
    Interestingly, they will have 16 missile tubes - instead of the Ohio class' 24.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia-class_submarine


    I used to play submarine and naval simulation video games, which got me interested in the topic.     This post was edited by Walt O'Reagun at January 1, 2020 3:31 PM MST
      January 1, 2020 7:51 AM MST
    2

  • 113301
    Happy New Year Walt. You are treating this so matter-of-factly m'dear. It doesn't terrify you that so much death is trolling in the waters of the world and so much destruction will result if these nuclear warheads are sent out to do what they were intended to do? Thank you for your reply and the link which I will click on toot sweet! :)
      January 1, 2020 7:56 AM MST
    1

  • 6023
    Not really ... we (the entire world) have been living with the threat of nuclear annihilation since the 1950s.
    There's a higher chance of Pakistan/India getting into a nuclear war ... or Israel/Arabs ... than US/China/Russia/Europe.
    One of the good things about Putin's strengthening the Russian military, is it reduces the chances of their nuclear arms falling into the "wrong" hands.

    And I like to think that the people with their actual fingers on the button ... the commanders holding the keys to the nuclear devices ... are disciplined professionals not likely to "go postal".  


    I grew up just a few miles from four known nuclear targets ... the Trojan nuclear power plant, and the entrance to the Columbia River.  Not to mention the cities of Seattle and Portland.  Though the Trojan nuclear power plant has been decommissioned, I'm doubtful the Russian targeting software was updated with that information.  lol
      January 1, 2020 8:04 AM MST
    3

  • 6023
    When I was in high school, the World History teacher showed us a couple movies.
    Dr Strangelove as a satirical take on nuclear war.  I still enjoy that movie.

    I believe the other was called The Day After, and was a more realistic take that followed the life of a farm family that lived "near" one of the nuclear silos.  They saw the outgoing launch trail, and the incoming blast.  They were far enough away that they weren't killed or horribly disfigured by the initial explosion and radiation.  It showed how they were affected by the radiation, and other survivors.
      January 1, 2020 8:23 AM MST
    2

  • 113301
    I saw the trailer of Dr. Strangelove Walt but not the movie. Of course that cowboy riding the bomb down is etched in my brain. I think I saw "the Day after". In any case I guess whichever country deploys nuclear weapons first wins. What is won is to be determined. Thank you for your reply! Thinks are getting squirrlier.
      January 2, 2020 1:40 AM MST
    0

  • 6023
    From what I recall from high school ... which was a while ago, admittedly ... any nuclear war will result in nuclear winter in the northern hemisphere, and thus billions of deaths.  About the safest place to be would be the lower southern hemisphere.
      January 2, 2020 7:11 AM MST
    0

  • 113301
    Yikes and gadzooks! Yet you are seemingly very calm and matter-of-fact about all of it Walt. Of course there is really nothing that worrying will enhance when we have no control whatsoever over anything. We meaning we the people of course. Thank you for your thoughtful reply.
      January 1, 2020 9:19 AM MST
    1

  • 19937
    I am less worried about the U.S. and European nuclear capabilities than I am about countries in Asia and the Middle East having them.  Even Russia and China understand the devastation that would result, which is what I believe has prohibited any of those countries from starting a nuclear holocaust.  However, Iran, Pakistan, India and North Korea are a different story. 

    With the U.S. Embassy in Iraq being overrun, this could start something that only Iran would want to happen.  Just as I was vehemently opposed to Bush starting the Iraq war, I would be equally dismayed to find Trump ordering troops to do something more than just defending the Embassy.  We never should have gotten ourselves mired in Iraq and Afghanistan and we need to get out.  Let them kill each other off - no skin off my nose.
      January 1, 2020 8:51 AM MST
    2

  • 113301
    So okey dokey my friend. You are CLEARLY far more knowledgeable about all of this than I am! Any way out of this morass and mess? What would YOU do if you were prez my friend? There are so many hot spots of trouble worldwide any one of which could blow up. Mindboggling. Thank you for your reply L! :)
      January 1, 2020 9:22 AM MST
    2

  • 19937
    I think it's time we stopped trying to democratize countries that have absolutely no interest in democracy.  Only a few former USSR countries have become NATO allies and believe in what we do.  Work to strengthen those countries.  Keep our military strong in the even we need to defend ourselves.  Work to maintain strong ties with known allies.  Stop interfering in what other governments do unless it has a direct negative impact on us.  Notice how little we interfere with African regimes?  No oil in Africa.  
      January 1, 2020 10:16 AM MST
    2

  • 113301
    There are diamonds in Africa though. Why is oil the only thing of interest L? And as for allies the don of johns has specifically gone out of his way to ALIENATE them as he is very intimate with Putin who is calling all the shots for don. I doubt that don has a single original thought all alone on his own. He is programmed. SIGH. Thank you for your thoughtful and informative reply! :)
      January 2, 2020 1:43 AM MST
    1

  • 19937
    Yes, but the diamond trade is very stringently regulated and oil is an absolute necessity.  No, he doesn't have an original thought because he only has one brain cell.
      January 2, 2020 5:16 AM MST
    0

  • 44705
    I am not afraid of that. Kim jung pigface should be.
      January 1, 2020 3:37 PM MST
    1

  • 113301
    So if we deploy first we win then? You really think Kim is no threat at all? I hope you're right. Thank you for your reply E! :) He seems to me to be as big a wackadoodle crackpot as the don of johns.
      January 2, 2020 1:45 AM MST
    1

  • 3719
    You asked what is a "kiloton".

    Nuclear weapon powers are measured by comparison with hypothetical bombs containing the very powerful but conventional explosive, TNT (Tri-Nitro Toluene), and of equivalent "yield" (the rather euphemistic term for the energy released). 

    So a 1 kilotonne nuclear bomb is as powerful as 1000 tonnes of TNT.

    A 1 Megatonne nuclear bomb, as powerful as 1000 000 (one million!) tonnes of TNT.

    The standard international measurements' divisions and multiples are in powers of 10, and given Greek-based names, so "kilo" = 1000, Mega = 1 000  000. 

    (The text editor underlined the word "tonne" as if a spelling error. It is not. The same standards use the "tonne", which = 1000 kilogrammes; and the French spellings.)


    +++

    As for "keiju", I am as puzzled as you! Google tells me it is a Japanese boy's name.
      January 4, 2020 4:53 PM MST
    1

  • 46117
    Shouldn't they give it a better name?  OHIO?  Who is ever scared of something from OHIO?

    How about THE END OF THE WORLD SHIP.  
      January 4, 2020 5:14 PM MST
    0