Russian Navy ISO container missile system

[Dana381]

With these containerized weapons systems Russia could place them on a cargo ship and then when they are in range of a strategic target fire a nuclear cruise missile. Then they could dump the container overboard to get rid of the evidence. The article says they can operate the weapons autonomously without connection to the warships power supply. Scary stuff! Who would suspect a container ship, they could put it on a ship bound for any port and sail right into that port. Hiding in plain sight.

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2020/08/russian-navy-to-begin-trials-of-modular-systems-for-surface-vessels/

It would be a very useful system to have for warships as you can change the mission/load out of the ship very quickly and have the same functionality with fewer hulls.
I believe the U.S. uses a modular system on its LCS ships but I have not heard if the modules are ISO container sizes and if they can be operated independently.

 

[MilEME09]

This is slightly terrifying though, a bunch of these with cruise missiles strapped to an unmarked cargo ship park off the west coast could strike before we ever could react.

 

[Dana381]

Or fire torpedoes at a ship while near to a warship. The warship would be unable to convince anyone they did not fire the torpedo

 

[Donald H]

A new twist that negates the power of M.A.D. that has likely saved us from another major world war for 75 years.
The ability of an aggressor nation to pull off a nuclear attack and remain anonymous. Likely possible if the nuke doesn't contain a 'finger print' and it's a small and crude nuke that wouldn't be attributable to any major power.

But the chance of the perp being detected is likely higher possibility than the value of Russia, China, US, Pakistan, India, etc. pulling it off.

 

[CBH99]

Or fire torpedoes at a ship while near to a warship. The warship would be unable to convince anyone they did not fire the torpedo

Next James Bond movie plot 

 

[CBH99]

In all fairness, the US Navy has been developing similar systems over the past few years. 

The US Navy has openly talked about developing these kinds of systems, and putting them onboard basically anything with enough deck space, as part of their effort to 'disperse' their forces.  The USMC opens talks about shipping container based missiles they could hide and plug all over SE Asia, and just a few months ago the USAF applied for funding to do just that.


A sneaky capability, absolutely.  But in this case, it's just the Russians developing their version of something similar to what the US has been developing. 

:2c:

 

[FJAG]

Saves a lot of money on submarines.

More frightening: why is Korea even wasting money developing long range missiles when an old tug of a freighter can slowly but steadily bring stuff across the world to anywhere.

:Tin-Foil-Hat:

 

[dimsum]

I read this a "Russian Navy in search of container missile system".

Which, in a sense, I was right.

 

[MilEME09]

Well think about it this way too, container version of a patriot, or anti ship missiles positioned at ports or naval bases. On satellite it looks like a juice target to sieze quickly during an invasion. In reality it ends up a heavily protected target. No one would initially suspect a PLS is carrying a 4 pack of cruise missiles.

 

[Dana381]

I read this a "Russian Navy in search of container missile system".

Which, in a sense, I was right.

I don't do internet shorthand so it didn't occur to me that it would get taken that way.

In case anyone doesn't know already. ISO is "The international organization for Standardization" and they set the dimensions for shipping containers.

 

[FJAG]

Old idea new again.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Q-ship

:cheers:

 

[SeaKingTacco]

Or fire torpedoes at a ship while near to a warship. The warship would be unable to convince anyone they did not fire the torpedo

I cannot think of a surface warship serving anywhere in the world today that carries anti-shipping (as opposed to anti-submarine) torpedos. That went out of fashion at the end of WW2. So, no- that would not work as a gambit.