"Professor, I've just got to steal this Frenchie Sub, the design is just way to cool and the tightwads at the institute are cutting the budget next year. Hey, what's that wet on my leg? Johnny, Bandit pissed me again!"
Posted on 05/24/2011 6:20:44 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
With the black-and-white colors and streamlined design, it looks like an orca.
Only the French would want to sneak up on someone to surrender.
ROFL!
This thing is going to be noisier than hell - retractable screws are going to be cavitation-prone due to small size/high RPM.
IF we still had a P-3 fleet we could counter it with passive detection and then a MAD prosecution - fancy shapes won't keep it from making noise.
Nice design for a chainsaw. Just sayin.
I don’t understand..designed for “high-speed runs ON the surface?” Sensors, satellites, UAVs..you name it..all to detect surface traffic. Seems like a “solution” in search of a problem.
South American drug smugglers ahve already put deposits down on the first 25..
So the operating concept is to transit to the attack area surfaced at 38 knots. In spite of “stealthy features”, it is still vulnerable to MPA. With gas turbines, it’s also going to have one heck of and IR signature. Not to mention that at 38 knots, it’s going to be noisy, plus at 38 knots it’s on board sonars will be useless, making it a sitting duck for any opposition submarine in its path.
If it dives due to a missile attack, it’s submerged speed is only 10 knots. Now how is it going to get timely notice that a missile launch? What radar kit? If phased array, can it handle being submerged and at what depth? Radar warning receiver? Not all AShM rely on radar. So once this thing dives, the MPA or helo already has a good idea where the “sub” is, and will find itself in a sonobuoy field.
And so it transits to the attack area surfaced. How is it going to aquire targets? Radar will give itself away, negating any stealth benefits, plus it is dependant on antenna height. Sonar - at 38 knots, forget it? The only way I can see is working in coordinaton with an MPA.
This concept is seriously flawed. Better off with a submerged SSN.
Rather short of an appearance in whatever theater they try to cover. 10 knots under water, almost 1/4 of surface speed...another hmmmmmm? Does the crew know that it was really designed to ram? Kinda looks like that. http://politicalhumor.about.com/library/images/blpic-frenchmagazine.htm Is anyone intimidated by Frenchmen manning a sub? Has anyone ever been intimidated by the sometimes operational sometimes not Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier? I mean....it almost seems oxymoronic.
We’re looking at it wrong. Its not an SSG (Submarine, Guided Missile), its a submersible PG (Patrol Boat, Guided Missile). Its actually a throwback to the submarine’s original role.
In other words, could this be an attempt to market an anti-CVBG weapon on the world market?
looks like something to light your BBQ
Sounds like it; that’s how I read the article.
That’s great!
I seem to remember our own testing of the X-shaped stern plane configuration on USS Albacore did not work so well.
A French pig boat? Is there room for a pastry compartment?
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