Sea Slug

[Tzoli]

Thank you!
So the final GW96 missile cruiser design with one twin launcher but two Type 901 could track two targets and guide theoretically 4 missiles yes?

 

[SeaslugMk2]

Thank you!
So the final GW96 missile cruiser design with one twin launcher but two Type 901 could track two targets and guide theoretically 4 missiles yes?

Yes, but you'd have the issue that missiles could work with either Type 901 but not both; you could change components in the guidance receiver to allow it to work with the 'other' 901 but that takes time, and it is one missile at a time.

SRJ.

 

[Hood]

Some time ago Chris Gibson sent me a photo of a Treasury minute from 1958 that contains a codename for the Type 901 radar system, referring to the radar system as 'Project Jelly'.
From reading the minute, it seems to refer to Type 901 specifically.

I have never come across this codename before in any published sources. Was this a temporary codename assigned by the Admiralty? It certainly doesn't fit the MoS rainbow system.

 

[zen]

Hmmm...
Project Jelly
I like that!!

 

[zen]

Amazing that one can read a chapter peruse the margin note and still miss things. Only to catch up later.
Seaslug MkI was originally refered to as a test vehicle for the guidance system in 1945.
During this early phase the intended system was to launch vertically.
In '47 the pressing need drove to have prototype ready for service by '57.

A later note if the missile magazine and handling system was thst devised for the abortive Cruisers.
The Destroyer design group wanted the vertical arrangement albeit horizontal storage. But no resources for a separate magazine snd handling system....

 

[pathology_doc]

The system could cope with two missiles in the beam (by designating them 'left' and 'right') so that they could be given individual 'arm' and 'detonate' commands; the Mk2 also had the dive/glide command. Extra missiles in the beam would react to commands to earlier missiles so no, only two at a time. The salvo separation was six seconds, and the computer only required a couple of seconds between salvoes -a reset time between 'end of engagement' and another salvo.

When I played the Cold War simulator game Harpoon way back in the day, I was once faced with a South American County as my enemy. I fired four Exocets at it and it sent out what seemed like an endless stream of Sea Slugs that shot them all down. I was highly annoyed, because I figured there was no way a real County should be able to do that and it looks like I was right.

 

[deejay]

I can't find any post that asks the question about UK joining with France to develop Masurca. I would also like to know how Sea Slug would compare to Masurca, and how a County would compare to a Suffren? Given the the strength of the Fleet Air Arm during 1962-66 I wonder if the Counties were built too early and 8 UK-Suffrens would have been better built at 2 per year from 1967 to 1970?

 

[Dilandu]

I would also like to know how Sea Slug would compare to Masurca,

Well, Masurca was clearly more advanced. It was essentially a French analogue to RIM-2 Terrier, and it have both beam-riding and semi-active homing modes. It have more range than Seaslug, better guidance (at least in the homing version), and faster loading from horizontal drums. Still required finning, though.

 

[pathology_doc]

Well, Masurca was clearly more advanced. It was essentially a French analogue to RIM-2 Terrier, and it have both beam-riding and semi-active homing modes.

I recall reading somewhere that the SARH version was introduced after the Americans gave some input and technical assistance, after which it pretty much becomes Monsieur Terrier.

Seaslug fans will point to their missile having a more exacting definition of what constitutes a kill, but I'm not sure it was ever fired in anger against an aircraft - and if so, in numbers large enough to draw reasonable conclusions (I know at least one was fired as a land-attack missile).