Posted on 07/03/2010 5:17:49 PM PDT by OldDeckHand
The U.S. government announced on Saturday afternoon that for the first time ever a fully operational submarine used by drug traffickers has been seized in the waters of South America.
The craft, which could move multi-ton loads of cocaine, was seized in a jungle tributary of Ecuador leading to the Pacific Ocean by Ecuadoran authorities using Drug Enforcement Administration intelligence.
(Excerpt) Read more at chron.com ...
True. The noses of our own subs are crafted from composite materials. But, even though it's possible that there's a more sophisticated vessel beneath the fiberglass skin, I wouldn't wager a lot of money that their is.
You can lay fiberglass in the jungle, absent access to much electricity or heavy equipment. But, manufacturing a sub out of material that can withstand the pressures at depth, requires tremendous skill and equipment. I just don't see that being done on some 3K Watt portable generator.
CNN had an interesting 5 minute segment on the Self-Propelled Semi-Submersibles which have been used for some time. The video’s at http://bitterqueen.typepad.com/friends_of_ours/2009/10/drug-smuggling-submarines.html
These things don’t need to really dive. All they need to do is get below the waves and use a snorkel for engine and breathing air. They are just about stealth — hard to see on radar or by eye.
Very nicely shaped, by the way. I can believe 20 knots. Plus, fiberglas is pretty stealthy. Visual spotting at the shallow depth is a piece of cake, although that color is pretty nifty camouflage.
We could do this, Decks.
Why didn’t they wait until it was loaded with up to two tons of concaine before making the bust?
On tomorrow's show - "Duct Tape, the Wonder Tool". ;-)
I don’t see a sail or periscope
Can I have it?
PREACH it, Brother! Restoring our freedom means restoring it ALL, even that which isn’t altogether popular! (If all freedoms were popular, we wouldn’t NEED to protect them!)
Of course, that would require a government (and a populace) that would see its citizenry as ADULTS, capable of making their own rational, informed decisions, not as children with no rights and in need of a keeper... and yes, that includes a lot of alleged conservatives right here on FR.
There IS: End the war on some drugs and stop trampling on the God-given rights of the American People. Problem is, too many people have gotten used to the idea that rights flow from government and may be recalled at will. Too many people think it somehow “natural” to ask governmental “permission” to do ANYTHING, even exercise a right SPECIFICALLY PROTECTED by the Constitution... They BRAG about getting “permission” to carry a concealed weapon, never stopping to think it through: government now knows where there’s ONE MORE DOOR to kick in when it’s time to confiscate weapons. I agree, there’s lots of folks shouldn’t be allowed outside without a keeper, which sadly includes a lot of FReepers who shamelessly promote more and more government to “solve” THEIR pet issues. But I will NOT accept chains from ANYONE, including Mrs. Grundy in all her evil incarnations.
On a submarine, the structure that jets up from the topside of the boat, is called a sail. While I can't really make out the periscope myself in these grainy pictures, the story at the top of this thread as well as one of the stories that a FReeper linked to (post #25) purports that the "submarine" does indeed have a periscope.
The Chinese likely provided the supervision and organization for this sub.They are very active in the area
and know how to set up such facilites in the jungle, and the logistics involved.
The submarinne effort continues with drug smugglers despite the law. But here is a great article on the drug sub.
It describes a drug sub called Big Foot II, with some interior pictures.
http://abluteau.wordpress.com/2009/04/26/drug-sub-culture/
very interesting article, thanks
these things are cheap to build, needle in a haystack to find (non metallic hull = minimal radar, water cooled exhaust = minimal thermal signature)
You have obviously never made anything out of fiberglass.
Such a craft could easily be built almost anywhere. It may not be capable of deep dives, but it doesn't have to be. It just needs to run below the surface by a few feet to avoid detection.
Maybe they didn't have a Sky Crane handy
They have captured several in the Gulf but this one was operating in the Pacific apparently
Gotta play Devil's advocate here...
How will closing the border stop submarines? ;-)
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