U.S. striving to detect diesel submarines

Star Tribune ^ | July 08, 2006 – 11:00 PM | Eric Rosenberg Hearst Newspapers

[freedomlover]

Steam-powered areoplane ping.

[stuartcr]

It has to make noise, to be detected.

[Bear_Slayer]

Every moving thing makes noise. THe trick is to reduce it as much as possible, disguise it as something else, or lose it amongst other noises.

[stuartcr]

I didn't think I had to qualify it by saying that it has to make enough noise to be detected passively, but it does.

[GBA]

"I seem to recall a while back some company sold some quiet propeller technology to the Russians or maybe the Chinese."

I thought it was Toshiba. I haven't bought anything from them since.

[BaBaStooey]

Lieutenant, did I ever tell you about the Murmansk Brushing incident?

[GBA]

I should have read your post before I responded. I'm one of those people who is still mad.

[palmer]

Thanks for the info. A couple of friends just bought Toshiba laptops. It's been a while, but I remember that time now, Japan was going to overtake our economy, we were falling behind in technology, etc.

[palmer]

I haven't bought anything from them since.

Good for you. I hope I/we can have that same fortitude when the Chinese start selling high tech to terrorists.

[reagandemo]

It was Toshiba and as I remember it the guy responsible committed suicide. The sub to watch for is the one which uses hydrogen fuel cells. It makes the diesel electrics seem like rattle buckets.

[Bear_Slayer]

YOu didn't have to qualify it. I guess I was just being persnickety.

[darth]

You remember correctly! In the early 1990s the Chicoms bought a huge milling machine called the FROREAP surplus for $250,000 (original cost $6M) from the B1 bomber division of Rockwell. This machine allowed the Chicoms to make quieter props for their subs. Over strenuous objections from DoD, the State Dept. allowed the sale; State saw the Chinese as our friends. To add insult to injury, this took place before Clinton, under the Bush Administration! I have personal knowledge; at the time I was an engineer at Rockwell. When will we learn?

[chimera]

That's the one the Swedes developed, the air-independent propulsion vessel (AIP)? I recall a story where they were loaning one to NATO to see if they could detect it. I heard rumors to the effect that it slipped through all the screening vessels and got close enough to one of our carriers to take it out with a couple of torpedo shots.

Certainly doesn't have the range or at-sea capability of a nuke, but for relatively short-duration missions, such defensive forays against naval forces within striking distance of a nation's shoreline, it can be pretty effective.

[RinaseaofDs]

Toshiba

[Bottom_Gun]

as a retired STS, I can tell you diesel/electrics submerged on that Battery are a nightmare to find! IF you hear them...they're way too close! Couple that with the degradation of our ASW capabilities, even on the submarine side it could be bad for us. I'm here in Groton still in the bubblehead community, even after retirement, and Friends I have on various boats on the river worry about it too!

STS1 SS/DV Retired

[stuartcr]

I understand persnickety.

[Otho]

Down Periscope!!!

[Bottom_Gun]

Got to agree with you, it's still a problem now. ASW skills are perishable, and if not constantly exercised are lost. I'm here in Groton still in the community and my friends on the boats worry about it too!

[stuartcr]

We need SOSUS at more foreign sites, LFA, and more SURTASS platforms.

[camle]

zachry! "Whale song"!