Brittiska LV-robotsystemet Seaslug. Satt på brittiska robotjagarna av Countyklass - 4 batch one + 4 batch two, de senare såldes till Chile efter Falklandskriget. Ex-
London från batch one såldes också till Pakistan 1982, och togs ur tjänst ca 1995 (Seaslug Mk1 systemet togs dock bort redan 1984). Fanns i Mk1 och Mk2 version, men används så vitt jag vet inte på något fartyg idag. Brittiska robotjagaren
Glamorgan använde systemet under Falklandskriget,
men inte mot flyg utan för att bombardera argentinska ställningar på land med! Här är vad som hände (från
http://homepages.enterprise.net/sjenkins/slugfalk.htm):
During the final days of the fighting around Port Stanley, the Argentine Air Force were still operating Hercules C130 transports from the airport, despite all the RAF's attempts to knock-out the control radar. Shrike and AR-Martel missiles had been tried but had failed, so someone decided that the Royal Navy should have a go. HMS Glamorgan was, by this time, working inshore providing Naval Gunfire Support (NGS) for the troops around Port Stanley. Bearings were taken of this radar using the ship's ECM suite, and combined with bearings taken by other ships to produce a target location which was fed into the Seaslug fire control system (POISEDON?). A missile was fired in CASWTD mode, it scored a direct hit on the transmitter, and the control cabin was also destroyed.
Seaslug firings have always been dramatic as there is a vast amount of flame, noise and white smoke. Even so, HMS Glamorgan was surprised to receive a signal from the ground forces asking if the ship had suffered some form of explosion, and was any assistance required? Glamorgan made a reply to the effect that this was all quite normal, and no help was needed at all! The commanding officer of one of the army units then pointed out that all the fighting stopped as the Seaslug passed low overhead, but his troops recovered first. Could she repeat the performance? Shortly afterwards HMS Glamorgan fired three more Seaslugs at the runway in order to prevent aircraft from taking off. A dramatic if expensive way to park scrap metal on an airfield!
Sista fartyg med operativt Sealugsystem var chilenska
Blanco Encalada (15; ex- br
Fife) som togs ur tjänst 2003. Kvar i chilenska flottan finns
Capitan Prat (11; ex- br
Norfolk) och
Almirante Cochrane (12; ex- br
Antrim), men på bägge har nu Seaslug tagits bort och ersatts med en större hangar för Cougarhelikoptrar. En Seaslugrobot vägde ca 2,1 ton (Mk1) resp. 2,4 ton (Mk2). En Sealugavfyring var ett skådespel enligt dom som sett en. Här är en kort beskrivning (från
http://homepages.enterprise.net/sjenkins/anecdote.htm):
Tales and Anecdotes.
My memory of Seaslug goes back to when I was a naval apprentice. We were below decks on HMS Bulwark (which was taking part in a joint RN/USN exercise), when a pipe was made [=tannoy announcement] to the effect that HMS Norfolk was about to carry out a Seaslug test firing at a remote control target. All non-essential personnel were allowed to go up to the flight-deck to watch, and all training apprentices were to be released.
We all trotted up, having been previously told that Seaslug firings were of the impressive variety. We were not to be disappointed. We could clearly see HMS Norfolk, and what seemed to be her entire crew on the fo'csle; indeed, just about every ship in sight was providing an audience. Suddenly her stern disappeared in a mass of roiling white smoke, and the missile leaped upwards, rotating slowly. Then the noise hit us, a tremendous roaring scream. We saw the boost motors flick away and the sustainer motor fire. The more eagle-eyed amongst us had just spotted the target, when another roar hit us. HMS Norfolk had just fired the second missile of a two-shot salvo. I saw the first missile hit the target drone, and the second hit the largest piece of debris, one of the wings.
-PO A Allsopp RN, in conversation with the author, 1986.
/Per
)
