Nimitz class

[paul.mercer]

Gentlemen,
In Patrick Robinsons book Nimitz Class, a Kilo class class sub hired from the Russians and skippered by Iraqie submariner penetrates the US battle group screen and sinks the Nimitz with a nuclear torpedo.
In your expert opinions, how likely would this be to happen - and are there such things as nuclear armed torpedoes?

[lwd]

Well the US had them. See:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_45_torpedo
Whether the Russians (or Soviets depending on the time frame) would allow one out of their control especially in cirumstances that might see it used vs the US is another question.

Soviet era subs weren't known for being particulalry quiet either but I'm not up on the details of the Kilo so don't know if this applies or not.

http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WTRussian_post-WWII.htm
Lists a couple of torpedos with nuclear warheads. Note that the Killo's had 533mm tubes from what I've read.

[Karl Heidenreich]

Not an Iraki. From the Gulf war and 2003 Invasion we know of what Irakies are capable with soviet equipment. But if the soviets were in charge another story would have been told.

[lwd]

Iraq's problems were with command and control and apparently with the higher level officers. Some Iraqi unites showed considerable skill, resourcefulness, and courage. The Soviets also showed a significant level of incompetency on occasion (as well as considerable skill on others). I wouldn't dismiss the story on that basis.

[Karl Heidenreich]

I have always mantained that one reason for the success of Desert Storm and Iraki Freedom was the fact that the US forces were fighting arab ones. If the opposition, using the same equipment, would have been russian then not only the development but the outcome would have been very different.
The notion of soviet incompetence is one that the main commands of NATO at CENTAG did not share and they prepare themselves to fight the greatest enemy of all.