Wayne.B wrote:
On Thu, 14 Aug 2008 09:53:05 -0400, hk wrote:

I was discussing the vulnerability of carriers. They are
sitting ducks for ballistic missiles.

Not really. A ballistic missile, by definition, can do little or
nothing to alter course after the launch phase. That's why they are
called "ballistic".

An aircraft carrier on the other hand is constantly on the move.
Where it is at launch time is not where it is going to be 15 or 20
minutes later when the missile arrives.




Your knowledge base it out of date. There are ballistic missiles capable
of "course corrections," and there are very very fast "cruise" missiles
being developed that achieve super high speeds that can be guided.



From Wiki:

The "Bulava" (Russian: «??????», “mace”) is a Submarine-launched
ballistic missile under development in Russia. The Moscow Institute of
Thermal Technology is chiefly responsible for the missile's design.

The Bulava carries the NATO reporting name SS-NX-30 and has been
assigned the GRAU index 3M30. In international treaties, the common
designation RSM-56 is used.

The Bulava design is based on the SS-27 (Topol M), but is both lighter
and more sophisticated. The two missiles are expected to have comparable
ranges, and similar CEP and warhead configurations.

The Russian military developed Bulava to possess advanced defense
capabilities making it nearly impervious to existing missile-defense
systems. *****Among its claimed abilities are evasive maneuvering,
mid-course countermeasures and decoys***** and a warhead fully shielded
against both physical and EMP damage. The Bulava is designed to be
capable of surviving a nuclear blast at a minimum distance of 500
meters. [2] President Putin has stated that Bulava could penetrate any
potential anti-missile defence system.

The current version of the Bulava is able to carry up to six MIRV
warheads, future variants are expected to carry a maximum of ten. A
full-capacity payload requires the forfeiture of all final stage
countermeasures and of some shielding.

The missile completed the first stage launch-tests at the end of 2004.
It was originally scheduled for completion in late 2006, but is now not
expected to enter service until 2008.

The test launches conducted on September 27, 2005, and December 21,
2005, from the Dmitry Donskoi, a Typhoon class ballistic missile
submarine, were successful.[3] The next three flight tests, on September
7, 2006 October 25, 2006, and December 24, 2006, ended in failures of
the missile, the causes of which have not yet been revealed. The most
recent successful test of the Bulava happened on June 28, 2007 on
Russia’s pacific coast.[4]. The missile flew almost the whole length of
the country.[5].