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A ship isn't exactly a small target. You could probably track it just fine with a satellite and update the target GPS coordinate of the drones manually. An airc

by rcme 4y ago

A ship isn't exactly a small target. You could probably track it just fine with a satellite and update the target GPS coordinate of the drones manually. An aircraft carrier only moves at 55 km/h maximum.

nradov 4y ago
Nope. Ships are very small targets in very large oceans. Have you ever even been on a boat out of sight from land? Reconnaissance satellites will be the first casualties in any future high-end conflict. Modern militaries have to plan around the expectation that their space-based platforms will be unavailable or severely degraded. Radar ocean reconnaissance satellites can detect ships under any weather conditions but they are are large, heavy, expensive, and can provide only intermittent coverage. Smaller satellites with optical or IR sensors can potentially provide more coverage but are less effective at night or with clouds.
- rcme 4y ago
  Apparently China is already tracking U.S. aircraft carriers via satellite: https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3177079/chinese-smart-satellite-tracks-us-aircraft-carrier-real-time https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3177079/chin... And sure, you need to wait for a clear day, but that doesn't seem like too big an obstacle. Also, while space-based platforms will be targets, it's unclear how effective counter measures are. Identifying targets is challenging and deploying replacements is worth the cost if you can eliminate a large portion of an adversary's naval power.
  - nradov 4y ago
    This is nothing new. The USSR was tracking US aircraft carriers via satellite since the 1960's. China is only now catching up. Carriers are certainly vulnerable to an extent, but detecting one with a satellite is only one step in the kill chain. Carrier strike groups already carry some limited anti-satellite weapons that can hit targets in LEO. There is an active arms race underway by the superpowers to boost those capabilities, and also (as you stated) to develop a prompt launch capability to replace satellite attrition losses within hours rather than scheduling launches years in advance.
iamwil 4y ago
Apparently, the oceans do a lot of radar scattering that makes it harder to spot ships from the guidance systems of missiles. Not sure what the state of the art is nowadays though.
littlestymaar 4y ago
That's basically how most Anti-ship missile work: you give them GPS coordinate for the rough location and then the missile uses an active radar homing system for terminal guidance. (You want the missile to keep quiet as long as possible anyway, to avoid being detected and reducing the time the crew has to react to the threat).

by rcme 4y ago

nradov 4y ago

Nope. Ships are very small targets in very large oceans. Have you ever even been on a boat out of sight from land? Reconnaissance satellites will be the first casualties in any future high-end conflict. Modern militaries have to plan around the expectation that their space-based platforms will be unavailable or severely degraded. Radar ocean reconnaissance satellites can detect ships under any weather conditions but they are are large, heavy, expensive, and can provide only intermittent coverage. Smaller satellites with optical or IR sensors can potentially provide more coverage but are less effective at night or with clouds.

rcme 4y ago
Apparently China is already tracking U.S. aircraft carriers via satellite: https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3177079/chinese-smart-satellite-tracks-us-aircraft-carrier-real-time https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3177079/chin... And sure, you need to wait for a clear day, but that doesn't seem like too big an obstacle. Also, while space-based platforms will be targets, it's unclear how effective counter measures are. Identifying targets is challenging and deploying replacements is worth the cost if you can eliminate a large portion of an adversary's naval power.
- nradov 4y ago
  This is nothing new. The USSR was tracking US aircraft carriers via satellite since the 1960's. China is only now catching up. Carriers are certainly vulnerable to an extent, but detecting one with a satellite is only one step in the kill chain. Carrier strike groups already carry some limited anti-satellite weapons that can hit targets in LEO. There is an active arms race underway by the superpowers to boost those capabilities, and also (as you stated) to develop a prompt launch capability to replace satellite attrition losses within hours rather than scheduling launches years in advance.

iamwil 4y ago

Apparently, the oceans do a lot of radar scattering that makes it harder to spot ships from the guidance systems of missiles. Not sure what the state of the art is nowadays though.

littlestymaar 4y ago

That's basically how most Anti-ship missile work: you give them GPS coordinate for the rough location and then the missile uses an active radar homing system for terminal guidance. (You want the missile to keep quiet as long as possible anyway, to avoid being detected and reducing the time the crew has to react to the threat).