NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Re: Cel Nav and missile submarines
From: W F Jones
Date: 2012 Apr 11, 17:33 -0400
From: W F Jones
Date: 2012 Apr 11, 17:33 -0400
I know this reply is off-topic but the following thoughts came to mind after reading the threads regarding the subject topic. Have you considered the significant navigational differences between launching a rocket from a slow moving platform such as a sub and say an ICBM moving at maybe 17,000 mph loaded with MIRV? Each MIRV has a unique geographical target, probably widely separated and thousands of miles distant. Total transit time is measured in minutes. No room for error here. Frank J. Rochester, NY On 4/11/2012 12:03 AM, Alexandre E Eremenko wrote: > Lu, > >> It is my understanding that the periscope on many WW II subs >> had a "sextant" mode where a navigator could shoot sites while submerged. > > Yes. I also read about this. > >> Pretty useful for getting daytime (moon, sun) shots. > > Perhaps it could also be equipped with an art horizon. > > C. Plath was famous for "aircraft-type" sextant for the use on > submarines. After the war, the Russians copied it almost exactly. > It is rare on e-bay, but can be seen in Russian shops. > This is a hudge bulky device which weights several kilo. > >> As to 0.1' accuracy -- with nuclear weapons, as with hand-grenades, >> "close" is usually effective. >> In fact, the problem with much of the cold war may have >> been accurately knowing the lat/long of the target rather >> than of the missile launch site! > > The accuracy was a very important point, and influenced strategy. > If you want to hit at a large city, 1/2 mile error is not very > important. But if you want to hit a missile silo, you have to shoot > very accurately, even with a powerful warhead. > As all early missiles apparently had inertial guidance system, > if any, their accuracy could > not be better than the accuracy in the position of the launch site. > > I conclude that high precision Cel Nav (better than 1 mile) was realy > important, perhaps > for a short period. I still cannot tink of another accurate method > which could be available before 1960. > > Alex. > > > > > > >