Question

Which weapon marked the beginning of modern naval warfare?

Answer 1

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Warships are complex and sophisticated tools; understanding and communicating what makes a difference to their quality, capability and value for money are difficult tasks. An example of how it might be done is the way air forces have used the shorthand of 3rd, 4th, and 5th generation fighter aircraft. This post proposes a system of classifying warships by generation. The purpose is twofold: first, to enable navies to more easily and clearly communicate with policy makers and the general public about current and future capability. The case for a future surface combatant is not proved simply by a label, but the ability to quickly communicate the direction and consequence of such a capability makes it more memorable for those who do not live and breathe the detail.

The second purpose is to provide a different lens for understanding improvements in capability. Navies are constantly seeking capability improvements, but why and how have different technological and operational improvements had greater impact? By identifying those historical examples which had large impacts, it will assist identification of future improvements. Moreover, it will enable estimation of their development paths and the organisational changes required to support them.

This classification scheme uses the 1906 launch of HMS Dreadnought as its starting point, because it the best known of a series of technological and tactical evolutions which together constitute the start of modern naval warfare. Many of the elements of contemporary naval warfare are discernible from about 1900: beyond visual range wireless communications, aircraft, submarines, fire control systems (early analogue computers) and modern propulsion systems.

Step-by-step explanation:

Answer 2

The weapon that marked the beginning of modern naval warfare was the nuclear submarine.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the 1950s, nuclear power partially replaced diesel-electric propulsion. This system was developed to also extract oxygen from seawater. These two innovations gave submarines the ability to stay submerged for weeks or months, and allowed for previously impossible trips, such as the crossing of the North Pole under the Arctic ice sheet by the USS Nautilus in 1958. Most of the military submarines built since that time in the United States and the Soviet Union have been propelled by nuclear reactors. The factors that limit the underwater permanence of these vessels are the food supplies and the psychological problems of a crew confined in such a limited space.

Although the greater autonomy and performance of nuclear reactors means that these submarines are better for long-range missions or the protection of an aircraft carrier force, diesel-electric submarines have continued to be produced by countries with and without nuclear capability, as they can be harder to detect, except when you need to use your diesel engine to recharge the batteries. Technological advances in soundproofing, isolation and noise cancellation have substantially eroded this advantage. Much more limited in terms of speed and firepower, conventional submarines are also cheaper to build. The introduction of ships with anaerobic propulsion has caused a resurgence of this type of submarine.