Quote:
Originally Posted by karl262
I'm not sure if this weapon would be useful in a first strike scenario against a NATO country. As soon as satellites watching Russia detect launches a prompt counterstrike would begin. There's no point in a first strike if there's a high probability of an effective retaliation.
For a first strike from one major nuclear power onto another you need stealth bombers or something more creative like hiding bombs in smuggled shipping containers.
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This weapon is stealthy and is designed to be fired from mobile launchers, which has always been the difficulty in dealing with the Russians.
Also remember that this weapon can reach it target at a maximum range in about 20 minutes, so your talking about the US command structure being able to gather intelligence and be able to get a decision in a short period of time and launch the missiles. If there's any kind of delay or the briefing or decision takes too long these missiles could punch significant holes in the American targeting package as the real heavy long range missiles that the Americans have are silo based. On top of that the Russians have spent a lot of years now developing their 5th generation submarines which are built to hunt down American Boombers, on top of that the Americans have sharply reduced their at sea submarine missile capabilities they are down to about 18 Ohio class submarines now as they converted or retired the rest. The new line of missile boats won't be online until 2029.
That really leaves cruise missiles launched from aircraft and naval ships, but those aren't the really big warheads that are designed for counterforce, but are more designed for tactical instead of strategic targets.
On top of that when you have a missile that can take out a area the size of France it likely means the evacuation of the American command structure would probably not be successful. It also means that the Russian missiles don't have to be super accurate to take out the missile fields, long range air force bases and sub bases