RIMPAC 2016 SINKEX of Decommissioned USS Thach (FFG 43)

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mekender
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RIMPAC 2016 SINKEX of Decommissioned USS Thach (FFG 43)

Post by mekender »

She took a hell of a beating, I suspect that they hit her with a lot more after the video cut out too.

https://youtu.be/VVsnUsbJ-Xk
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Precision
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Re: RIMPAC 2016 SINKEX of Decommissioned USS Thach (FFG 43)

Post by Precision »

I have to say I was not impressed with the damage done by 2 anti ship missiles and a torpedo. I would have expected a sunk ship. That ship was still VERY usable assuming the engines (etc) would still run.
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Kommander
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Re: RIMPAC 2016 SINKEX of Decommissioned USS Thach (FFG 43)

Post by Kommander »

Precision wrote:I have to say I was not impressed with the damage done by 2 anti ship missiles and a torpedo. I would have expected a sunk ship. That ship was still VERY usable assuming the engines (etc) would still run.
Someone on another forum pointed out that if you can kill all the sensors on a ship, with ny hitting the sensors themselves or the computers, the rest of the ships is not worth much.
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Jericho941
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Re: RIMPAC 2016 SINKEX of Decommissioned USS Thach (FFG 43)

Post by Jericho941 »

Precision wrote:I have to say I was not impressed with the damage done by 2 anti ship missiles and a torpedo. I would have expected a sunk ship. That ship was still VERY usable assuming the engines (etc) would still run.
Look at the way the flight deck and hangar were busted up, and check out this diagram. I'm guessing engine power is out of the question.

The torpedo also seems to have settled any notion of using the missile launcher (if it still had one).
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randy
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Re: RIMPAC 2016 SINKEX of Decommissioned USS Thach (FFG 43)

Post by randy »

The missiles accomplished a probable Mission Kill and quite possibly an F-Kill (firepower kill). The torpedo was a definite M-Kill (mobility kill). It basically broke the ships back.

In a combat situation I'd happily take those any day and move on to other targets. We can finish that one off later if we win. You don't always have the luxury of K-kills (Catastrophic damage). Degrading Mission, firepower and mobility are often good enough to obtain your mission objectives. Especially if it forces them to divert resources to plug the hole in their defensive screen and perform SAR ops.

Also, keep in mind that the ship had been stripped of weapons systems and probably most if not all the fuel (including AV fuel for the helo) and likely did not have live electrical systems to contribute to the fun of secondaries and fires. And let's not forget the impact on the Soft Pudgies (i.e. crew) that have to take time away from minor things like shooting at you and do more mundane things like fight fires, perform SAR, First aid and fire fighting. Those that are still able to do so.

Speaking of the crew, not having the ship manned probably translates to all sorts of flammable materials not being onboard that particular target.
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rightisright
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Re: RIMPAC 2016 SINKEX of Decommissioned USS Thach (FFG 43)

Post by rightisright »

What were those first two missiles? Harpoons?

I didn't see what did the damage to the aft deck.
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Mike OTDP
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Re: RIMPAC 2016 SINKEX of Decommissioned USS Thach (FFG 43)

Post by Mike OTDP »

I'd bet good odds the missiles had dummy warheads. Targets are scarce, they try to keep them afloat as long as possible.
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MiddleAgedKen
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Re: RIMPAC 2016 SINKEX of Decommissioned USS Thach (FFG 43)

Post by MiddleAgedKen »

Now I feel really old. Twenty years ago, my fiancee and I toured a Perry class frigate that was making visits around the Great Lakes.
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Jericho941
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Re: RIMPAC 2016 SINKEX of Decommissioned USS Thach (FFG 43)

Post by Jericho941 »

Twenty years ago, decommissioned Perries were already rusting away at anchor outside PSNS.

EDIT: for some reason I keep saying "declassed" when I mean to say "decommissioned"
Last edited by Jericho941 on Wed Jul 20, 2016 4:44 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Rumpshot
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Re: RIMPAC 2016 SINKEX of Decommissioned USS Thach (FFG 43)

Post by Rumpshot »

I agree with Mike, the missles did not have warheads, but the torpedo did.
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